LEGENDBORN | book review

“Don’t make your life about the loss. Make it about the love.”

5/5 stars

I’m very happy to say that what will probably be my last read of 2020 ended up becoming a new favorite book of mine. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn was released this year and has received stellar reviews, which is why I just needed to see what all the hype was about. It did not disappoint! 

THE PLOT:

After the death of her mother, 16 year old Bree Matthews decides to attend UNC-Chapel Hill as a part of their Early College program, desperate to get out of her small, memory-filled town as quickly as possible. As she attends the same University her mother once did, Bree is hopeful to get more answers and insight into her mother’s death.

However, on her first night there, Bree encounters a magical attack by a dangerous creature. She also discovers a secret group of students who hunt these creatures down. As Bree learns more about this group, she finds herself tangled in a messy web of secrets, lies, and, possibly, the truth about her past.

The only question is: how far is Bree willing to go?

PROS:

1. the characters. I LOVED THEM ALL SO MUCH. Like, seriously. Bree, the main character, is so strong and determined and honestly the exact type of female protagonist we need to see more often. Then there’s Nick, love interest #1, who despite carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, is one of the sweetest guys I’ve read about. Sel, (potential?) love interest #2, has the whole ‘bad boy’ vibe going for him but he’s also a very vulnerable character who I really empathized with. Also, most of the side characters were amazing and I promise you’ll love them too.
2. the ROMANCE. Yes please. I won’t give away any spoilers, but there was a love triangle situation going on here, but honestly? I didn’t mind it. Also, I really don’t know which guy I’m rooting for. 
3. DIVERSITYYY!!! I mean, that’s always a plus.
4. the ending *mindblown* really had me feeling like this:
   

CONS:

Thankfully, there aren’t many negative things I have to say about this book. My one and only critique would be that the magic system was a little confusing at times. I feel like there’s a lot of terms and orders of hierarchy used for this world specifically that felt a bit overwhelming. However, the author does do a good job of repeating information throughout, so by the end of the book I did understand everything! The beginning is just a little ~much~

SO, to sum it all up, I loved this. I need the next book ASAP. Until next time <33