Legendborn is a young adult fantasy novel with a modern-day twist on an Arthurian legend. The novel follows Bree Mathews, a teenager who attends UNC-Chapel Hill’s residential program for gifted high school students. While grieving, Bree deals with a new environment, new friends, and a secret society. At UNC-Chapel Hill, Bree not only delves deeper into a world with every sign that she doesn’t belong, but she also learns more about herself and her legacy. This novel takes us on a journey of tackling budding love, friendship, and legends.
There were many parts of the novel that I loved. Bree as a character deals with loss and naming and recognizing that grief is relatable. It truly feels like we journey through grief and acceptance of loss with her. I often found it easy to escape into the character, and I could see myself in her. The juxtaposition she finds herself in with a predominantly white secret society of the Legendborn, and fighting to prove her worthiness of being in this space reminds me of her daily struggle as a black woman.
While she deals with the fantasy element of meeting descendants of King Arthur’s roundtable, elements of realism surround these scenes. We can see her go from fighting a fantastical beast to having an argument with her best friend and roommate because it feels that their lives are pulling them in separate directions.
Throughout the novel, Bree is on a mission to uncover the truth surrounding her mother’s death and she meets Nick Davis and Selwyn Kane along the way. Each with powerful personalities and secrets surrounding them and the Legendborn secret society that they are a part of. I love the aspect of Bree and Nick’s relationship. They are supportive of one another, and their feelings are almost palpable. Animosity radiates from Bree and Sel. This is yet another aspect I love about this book.
It hooked me from start to finish, and I can’t wait for Bloodmarked to come out later this year!