Legendborn

By: Tracy Deonn

Narrated by: Joniece Abbott-Pratt

Length: 18 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

An instant New York Times best seller!

Winner of the Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe for New Talent Author Award

Filled with mystery and an intriguingly rich magic system, Tracy Deonn’s YA contemporary fantasy reinvents the King Arthur legend and “braids together Southern folk traditions and Black Girl Magic into a searing modern tale of grief, power, and self-discovery” (Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times best-selling author of The Belles).

After her mother dies in an accident, 16-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC - Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape - until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.

A flying demon feeding on human energies.

A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.

And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts - and fails - to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.

The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: The night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.

She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets - and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down - or join the fight.

©2020 Tracy Deonn. All rights reserved. (P)2020 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

An instant New York Times best seller!

Winner of the Coretta Scott King - John Steptoe for New Talent Author Award

PHENOMENAL!!!

Absolutely phenomenal book and voice acting!!!
Joniece Abbott-Pratt is so talented and just transported me into this fantastic world Tracy Deon has created.
Tracy Deon wrote this amazing story incorporating black lives and it’s something so important because we don’t get enough black or colored representation, when compared to white rep, so it’s nice to see that and in a way where people should be able to put themselves in Bre’s (the MC) place. We deal with racism, classism, young love, learning about your heritage, so many different things without it feeling so heavy that it takes away from enjoying the ride we go on with Bre. Her character grows so much throughout this too.
It’s such a fantastic story. I can’t wait for more and I highly, highly recommend picking this up.

A Gorgeous, Unapologetic, & Soaring YA Lit Masterpiece

Author Tracy Deonn has created an incredible & gorgeous world, full of the pain & horrors of reality and the excitement & amazement of fantasy, both beautifully & seamlessly blended. The journey that Legendborn takes the reader on is all experienced through the eyes of her amazing heroine - Bree Matthews.

Bree is a 16-year old girl suddenly thrust into a world of unknown magics, forced to confront the injustices & brutality of the real world - both past & present - while faced with seemingly insurmountable grief. Bree’s story is heartbreakingly painful, thrillingly suspenseful, and achingly unapologetic.

Thoughtful, fully developed characters compliment Deonn’s beautiful, descriptive composition, creating a believable world of magic, sorrow, and joy. The often heart-pounding moments that each page brings to life will leave you with an impatient need for more. At its heart, Legendborn is the story of one girl’s courageous journey to self-discovery while finding the courage to embrace her destiny.

One can only hope that Deonn has a sequel in the works.

BRAVO

What an amazing story! As an adult in her 30's, I tend to get bored with YA fiction but this story was a breath of fresh air! As a black woman, I felt seen and connected to the main character's story. Oh, I cant wait to listen to the next installment. You wont be disappointed in this book!

Great story, difficult narration

It took a minute to get into this story. The narrator reads like it is a poem or spoken word with little attention to punctuation that is distracting. She also is not talented at giving different characters their own voice so every has the same tone. I did not enjoy her narration, but the story was interesting.

An epic read!

Beautifully woven, the threads of this story build an awesome blend of myth, history, and magic. I can’t wait to see what more Tracy Deon has to offer. She has the chops to be the next juggernaut in YA and Fantasy.

zomg this was amazing

I could talk for days about this book. Seriously, I loved it or just ramble incoherently cause its so good.
Gorgeous writing. Palable emotions. Swoony romance. Fresh twist on Arthurian legends. Represention with intense depth and grit... UGH JUST READ IT.

AMAZING

An AMAZING story. Was hooked from start to finish. Cannot wait for book 2 release

Loved Every Moment

Once I started I couldn't stop myself from listening. I felt as if i was there myself in the mist of story. The story and performance was excellent and I look forward to the next book.

Heart Wrenching and Beautiful

Bri is struggling with her emotions and the way the author conveys it is so authentic. I loved the powers Bri has. I think if there was one thing I didn't get into that much was her group of friends. I felt no connection to them.

From the middle to end this is a GOOD STORY

I ended up REALLY enjoying this book but I must admit that I almost gave up. I have a severe dislike of weak or stupid female lead Characters. In this case, the main character was actually neither. She was YOUNG and understandably, the beginning of the story showed her discovering her past and present strengths.
What a neat new take on the Characters of Camelot!! The Aurhor did a phenomenal job of blending old myths into the painful history and triumphs of Black American women. Her voice and inner feelings were VERY realistic. The Grandmother slap was hilarious. I saw that one coming😂🤣😂.
I look forward to the continuation of this series.