Review – Bloodmarked (The Legendborn Cycle, Book 2) by Tracy Deonn (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 573 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: November 8, 2022
ASIN: B09JPKQDQW
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in The Legendborn Cycle
Source: Borrowed ebook from Library
Rating: 5/5 stars
“All Bree wanted was to uncover the truth behind her mother’s death. So she infiltrated the Legendborn Order, a secret society descended from King Arthur’s knights—only to discover her own ancestral power. Now, Bree has become someone new:
A Medium. A Bloodcrafter. A Scion.
But the ancient war between demons and the Order is rising to a deadly peak. And Nick, the Legendborn boy Bree fell in love with, has been kidnapped.
Bree wants to fight, but the Regents who rule the Order won’t let her. To them, she is an unknown girl with unheard-of power, and as the living anchor for the spell that preserves the Legendborn cycle, she must be protected.
When the Regents reveal they will do whatever it takes to hide the war, Bree and her friends must go on the run to rescue Nick themselves. But enemies are everywhere, Bree’s powers are unpredictable and dangerous, and she can’t escape her growing attraction to Selwyn, the mage sworn to protect Nick until death.
If Bree has any hope of saving herself and the people she loves, she must learn to control her powers from the ancestors who wielded them first—without losing herself in the process.”
Series Info/Source: This is the 2nd book in The Legendborn Cycle. I borrowed a copy of this on ebook from my library.
Thoughts: This second book in the Legendborn Cycle and picks up shortly after the first book ends. I really ended up loving this. So much happens in this book, it started out a bit slow but then really picked up pace about 25% of the way in.
Bree wants to rescue Nick but the Regents are determined to both keep the betrayals secret and keep Bree safe. The Regents betray Bree horribly and she is left to run out on her own and try to save Nick. Bree ends up forming her own sort of support group with Selwyn by her side. However, Bree is still struggling with her power and she will have to deal with both Arthur and her ancestors if she is ever going to be in control.
This started a bit slow (with Bree being held away from the action) but really picked after that first part. So much happens in this book and all of the characters grow and change in amazing ways. There is a lot of action here and I loved the characters as well. The story is complex but well done and I am super curious to see where everything is going. The plot definitely kept me guessing.
I also loved the writing style here; this is very easy to read and engaging. The blend of Arthurian legend with more traditional African magic was intriguing. I love that this deals with issues of both race and sex, but not in a compeltely “in your face” kind of way. Rather, these issues are part of the story and part of Bree’s day to day struggles. I loved where this book ended as well and am eager to see where the next book takes things!
My Summary (5/5): Overall I really loved this book, it was the perfect continuation of the Legendborn Cycle. It is incredibly well written and fun to read. The story is complex with lots of characters but I never struggled to follow what was happening. So much happens in this book, it really keeps you on your toes and the plot makes some truly unexpected turns. If you are fan of fantasy and an Arthurian influenced contemporary YA fantasy sounds cool to you, I would check this series out. It’s very well done and I am eager to see what the third book holds!
