Recensioni
This is the second review for an Arthurian story I've written today, and unlike the first, all my hopes were met and more. I wasn't expecting to love this as much as I did. It came up slowly on me. It starts much like YA urban fantasy starts and takes that beginning to a place I didn't realize it could go. It took me a while to get into the book completely--I felt like I didn't have the information that I wanted to keep things going for a bit, and the main character was dealing with a lot of emotions that, while obviously valid, were kind of rough to read through. Losing someone important to you hurts, and when well-written, it hurts the reader. Once the plot takes off, it managed to surprise me. Not just in how it incorporated Arthuriana, but in how it met headlong the problems of such a story and a legacy carried down through the South. It's a brutal story where it needs to be, and that's part of what makes it so wonderful. The story isn't over, and I'm excited to see where it goes next and to see what else comes out. I feel like it's a story about not just heroes, but about the people who got left behind, and I feel like, as in a proper Arthurian story, justice will be served eventually.
Im very late with this review as I wasn't always active on Goodreads.According to my reading journal, I gave this a 4.5 star.I FUCKING LIED TO MYSELFEven 2 years later it lives in my head rent free. This book is my personality. My go to recommendation no matter what genre you read.I will live and die by this series.Sadly I thought it was a standalone when I first read it and I was wrong.The wait times between books are sad though.
As a reader, I was immediately pulled in by Bree’s journey. Her grief is written with such raw honesty that it felt palpable. What struck me most was how Deonn integrates the magic system with the history of slavery and racism in the American South. She doesn’t just use the setting as a backdrop; she forces a confrontation with the intergenerational nature of both magic and systemic trauma.Throughout the story, I kept forgetting how young Bree actually is. Because of the grief and the ancient, heavy obstacles she has to navigate, she is forced to grow up and harden herself far more quickly than she should have to. Deonn beautifully illustrates that while Bree is powerful, maturity is a survival mechanism in a world that demands more from her than her peers.I also found it incredibly valuable to be invited into Bree’s inner thoughts as she navigates these predominantly white spaces. I felt deeply moved by Denonn's writing of what the constant 'background noise' of being Black in those environments must be like, the split-second calculations, the weight of history, and the emotional energy required just to exist there. Having that window into Bree's internal processing provided me with a much deeper, more grounded understanding of what that experience feels like for her. It’s a perspective that felt both generous and necessary for me to sit with as a reader.The world-building is dense and brilliant, and the "Root" vs. "Blood" magic contrast is a stroke of genius. This story is a powerful reminder of whose stories get told and whose are buried. It’s a thrilling, high-stakes ride, but it’s the emotional depth and the necessary perspective Deonn brings to the genre that make this a 5-star read for me. I cannot wait to see where Bree’s story goes next.
Did I just rated with 5 stars? Yes, and? Este libro me ha hecho entender el duelo de una manera más profunda y diferente, verdaderamente curó heridas que no sabía que tenía. Extraño a mi abuela, y siento que leer los sentimientos de Bree y su pérdida, me ha ayudado a extrañarla pero sin enojo y frustración. Una fantasía ligera, con situaciones raciales muy marcadas que me han hecho entender un poco sobre POC community. Los personajes son perfectos, con sentimientos tan reales, pero imperfectos al mismo tiempo. Nick, Bree y Sel, mis tres mosqueteros.
✨"𝙈𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚, 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙮, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙄'𝙢 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙤𝙩."✨𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯.Bree Matthews, a sixteen-year-old teenager, shuts herself after her mother's death, building up a wall to stop her emotions. But the suffocation of being in the same house without her mother is too much and so she joins a pre-college program specially designed for teenagers.On the first day of college, she witnesses something unnatural and someone with supernatural powers. Following the events, Bree comes across some truths concerning her mother's death and a secret society who fights demons.Suddenly, she finds herself amid an upcoming war, a sweet romance and a whole lot of truths about her existence and her powers...𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀.Before, I say anything else. Let me say this: I started this book with some pre-conceived notions and that's why I was a bit frustrated while reading this. But once I opened my heart, this book consumed me with its magnificence and charm.***𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙨***It was a rollercoaster ride of loss, grief and self-discovery with a sweet romance, heart-warming relationships, and action-packed with a deep dive into racism, slavery, bigotry and bullying, and a whole lot of history, supernatural powers and magic!!And, this is a DEBUT BOOK! can you believe it? Incredible. Kudos to Tracy Deonn👏🏼👉🏼𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁.The plot is beautifully woven around a fantasy, grief and trauma, racism and slavery of black people, and the Arthurian legacy (a re-telling).To start with, the first half of the book was filled with so much information that I was a little (no, more than a little) irritated by it. I had just a pinch of previous knowledge of the Arthurian legacy and so, the information dump was too much for me😅.I was super confused with the world-building but slowly things started having more clarity and the plot becomes engaging enough for me to keep going.Moreover, the first half was very uneventful and the female MC was a bit entitled, which added to negative feelings towards the book. But, as the plot thickens, things changed, the protagonist changes and everything became super interesting...👉🏼𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.The protagonist, 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗲, is a strong and courageous girl who despite dealing with grief and trauma didn't back down in front of bullies and fought hard for the people she loves. She grew so much, from losing her mom to accepting the grief and the pain, to finding herself and her powers, there's huge character development.Her relationship development with others was also worth reading as she breaks her inner walls and trusts others with the intimacy of her feelings and emotions. Plus, her curls are just😘 (and I can relate to her curly hair struggles, being a curly-haired myself😂)𝗡𝗼𝘄, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀:(1) Sel: 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨-𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴-𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵-𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭, and(2) Nick: 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘧𝘺-𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵-𝘢𝘯𝘥-𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦-𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦-𝘣𝘰𝘺Both had their unique and profound qualities.𝗦𝗲𝗹 had so many layers hidden behind his harsh demeanour. He focused deeply on his duty and lived his life serving others but he had his share of hurt and pain because of his past. He's so precious and perfect that I just want to hug him and keep him safe, away from the bad world (he doesn't need it though!)His grumpy and sarcastic yet loyal and coconut🥥 character (hard on the outside, soft on the inside) has my heart. I loved his smirks and his confidence in himself and his powers. He's just🤌🏼.𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗸, on the other side, is the sweet and cute type, the kind of guy you would love to have as your boyfriend (in real life). A sweet and caring guy who would keep you safe, understand you and will keep you happy. I liked him but not more than Sel because ofcourse, I would go for the brooding-sarcastic one🙃But the list of amazing and noteworthy characters doesn't end here, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁-𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀, caring and loving, who stood strong for each other, laughed and cried, and fought for each other and their legacy to save the world. From William to Whitlock to Sarah to Alice to Patricia, everyone made my heart warm with their caring nature, it was really beautiful to read how supportive they were.👉🏼𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲.This book has a love triangle but it is not exactly a love triangle. The romance starts with Bree and Nick, as they find themselves drawn to each other from the very first meeting. Their relationship is that of an 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮-𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 with gradual profound growth in their feelings. I loved their sweet moments, just like a new couple, they were sweet and passionate but it was not exciting...it was just sweet.Even though the romance doesn't exactly surface between Sel and Bree, the tension is there and I am here for it... The way their eyes find each other and the way they are there for each other despite the differences and mistrust... 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆🤌🏼 I'm rooting for these two and want more of them in the next book!!👉🏼𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀.It was very heartbreaking to read about the history and 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚. There were many moments I felt hatred and rage knowing what they went through, and it was just shocking to see how much they suffered just because of their skin colour😔The information about racism and slavery was beautifully added to the story without it being heavy. Plus, there is a wonderful inclusion of 𝗟𝗚𝗕𝗧𝗤+ characters, through some main protagonists as well as some supportive characters.𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.Overall, this book is amazing with a powerful portrayal of grief and self-discovery along with in-depth history and representation. With a super-strong female protagonist and heart-warming relationships, this book gives a complex world filled with magic, demons and supernatural powers.𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙪𝙥 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙛 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙛 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙩. Plus, that finale gave me **goosebumps** literally and a cliffhanger I didn't see coming🤯.𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: Death of a Parent, Grief, PTSD, Racism, Sexism, Murder, Abuse, Gore.