“Legendborn” by Tracy Deonn
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Whisking her readers away into an enchanting world of magic weaved with complexity and a traumatizing history, all while integrating an invigorating spin on the classic love triangle, Tracy Deonn leaves nothing to be desired with the first novel in the Legendborn trilogy.
In a genre inundated with run-of-the-mill white protagonists who tend to stumble down the same tropes and coming-of-age experiences, it is no surprise that Legendborn—a young adult fantasy novel with a 16-year-old Black girl as its protagonist—would draw the eyes of many avid fantasy readers. Despite not being the first Black-led fantasy novel ever written, Legendborn is one of the fastest to rise to contemporary prominence, and its popularity detracts not an iota of outstanding quality from Tracy Deonn’s first novel in the trilogy.
Finding 16-year-old Bree Matthews struggling to adjust at a pre-college program in North Carolina following the suspicious death of her mother, Legendborn spends much of its first quarter introducing, worldbuilding, and explaining magic systems. While many have cited this as the novel’s central weakness, it must be called into question whether or not this is reasonable—in a world with such a dense system (not only in terms of magic, but regarding social hierarchies, violently anti-Black histories, and much more), is exposition an inherently bad thing? With a world built upon so many systems and ideals that most readers will not readily be familiar with, it is unrealistic to expect Deonn to toss the reader in and expect them to figure it out without it feeling dizzying. So, which is preferred: taking time to understand, or choosing to be confused for the remainder of the book?
Though this review does not delve into the amount of time and care Deonn must have used to craft such complex magical systems, she must be applauded for pulling off a perfect balance between descriptive passages and heart-racing (whether via fighting or romance) scenes. Not only does she manage to contextualize her spin on Arthurian magic, but she also draws on traumatizing history that directly contradicts it—this very contradiction becoming what keeps Bree up at night. As the novel progresses, not only is the reader progressively introduced to the lives of the women on Bree’s mother’s side, but a central love triangle toes the line of boiling over.
Even bearing the weight of magical responsibilities and her family’s past, Bree finds herself caught between the amorous advances of two boys who, like her, wield mystical powers. Various life threats and general animosity among the trio notwithstanding, the complicated relationships between Bree, Nick, and Sel very intricately weave the foundation of an all-way love triangle to come in future novels. Whether it be strained friendship, sworn enemy-hood, or caustic flirting, Deonn’s portrayal of teenage romance flawlessly encapsulates the discomforting tension that such relationships are bound to envelop.
From its perfected, intricately-crafted systems and all their worldly interconnections to the terrifyingly realistic components of coming of age and battling generational trauma, Legendborn hits its stride in its balance between fantasy and realistic fiction. Incorporating meaningful representation across a diversity of characters, whether major or minor, and piecing together how teenagers truly behave under the terrifying circumstances of the real world, Deonn shows that she is no out-of-touch fantasy author. Tracy Deonn not only shows promise for Legendborn as a three-novel series, but an overwhelming guarantee that writing is her calling. Whether for the Legendborn series or an excellent future project, it is undeniable that Deonn is waiting on overdue and well-deserved accolades.