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As a black reader/writer I feel compelled to talk about Legendborn and Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn. I also want to hear what other readers think of the series and to see if I’m not alone in the way I feel about it.

I picked up Legendborn two weeks ago and finished it before the week was even over. It was everything I wanted in a book. A black main character, a magic system based on legends, a romance with a guy who is actually nice. I dove in Bloodmarked immediately and I have never been more disappointed in a book. I haven’t even finished it yet that’s how disappointed I am.

Spoilers for both books below

Bloodmarked stripped Legendborn of everything I liked about it. I mean, I loved the beginning and it felt in line with the first book, but from the second Bree escapes from the regents, it feels like a different book.

I first started feeling something was off when William, Alice, and Sel told Bree that she had to go into hiding. We had such good development from the beginning of the book—Bree is king but isn’t treated like one then Bree is finally treated like a king and starts making decisions for her people. Then we regress back to Bree is not treated like a king. Such a big deal was made out of the argument too. Bree said they were shattered, but then…everything is fine a page later. No one brings this up again.

The second thing I noticed is Bree’s friends told her she had no time to train then immediately search for someone to train Bree. I tried to give this the benefit of the doubt and assume they meant they had no time to train her while searching for Nick, but they had time to train her in hiding, but more inconsistencies kept happening.

When the gang went to the Crossroads Lounge, this is really when I felt Deonn lost the plot. We are damn near 35 chapters into this book and Nick hasn’t been found. My man was Kristoff’d. Most of the characters from Legendborn don’t exist anymore. Even new characters like Lark disappear and don’t seem to have any importance. Bree has learned nothing about controlling her powers and somehow seems weaker than in the first book. Remember, she defeated Vaughn. She punched through a hellfox. Now she needs now be rescued at every instance.

It doesn’t even feel like it’s written by the same author anymore. There is no plot. There is barely any mention of Bree’s mother, which was her driving force in the first book. And now a bunch of new, unneeded stuff is being added in.

I feel like everything about the lounge, Valec, and the other aether users could have been a spin off book without Bree. This series was supposed to be about camlann coming, which I guess waits for Lancelot to be ready.

Back to the inconsistencies. After William, Alice and Sel made such a big deal about how Bree is such a damsel and will die if she doesn’t go into hiding, the second Nick is in danger they’re like “ok bye Bree”. This one nearly took me out. There isn’t even a discussion about it. They just changed their minds for absolutely no reason.

I don’t get why Nick even told Bree where he was because when she first spoke with him he begged her not to find him because it was too dangerous. Guess he changed his mind for absolutely no reason too.

I again nearly lost it when Valec finds out that Bree is king. He not only said the pendragon was not welcome, he insinuated he would kill Arthur’s scion. He was so serious…and then said nothing when Sel, who was previously intent on keeping Bree’s identity secret, tells him she’s the king. Not one word about it. The only thing he does after is help her.

The part that made me stop reading entirely is when they said Bree was bloodmarked. First of all, don’t change canon like that. We saw it happen in Vera’s memory, why are you acting like we didn’t. Second of all, I don’t see what the point of doing that was. To me, it feels like it undermines what Vera did. Like yeah, Bree actually isn’t powerful as the product of racism, it’s because of a demon.

Don’t even get me started on Bree’s relationship with Sel. I knew from the first time she met him that the author would force them together, but I prayed the entire way she wouldn’t fall for such a stupid cliché. I was so happen when I saw the chemistry between Bree and Nick and thought I was mistaken, but now I feel worse about Bree and Nick being together. Because why would you have her kiss him for a second later to be swooning over Sel. It feels less like a love triangle and more like emotional cheating. I hate it.

I also hate how every ya author feels the need to make the girl end up with a guy who repeatedly hurts her instead of the one who treats her like the goddess she is. What are we trying to teach young girls?

I could say so much more, but in summary Bloodmarked feels more like a poorly written excuse for a love triangle than the black empowerment Legendborn was. Legendborn stood out among the crowd and it felt like something I needed. Bloodmarked is like every other ya fantasy and makes me wish Legendborn was a stand alone.

But I don’t know. Is it worth it to finish it?

my mind : *loads of emotions felt through reading the amazing story the author took the time writing*

what comes out of my mouth : ooga booga, words hmmm story good

I don’t really comment much on fics in fear of just being repetitive and useless bc all I say is ‘omg this is so well written’ and literallly struggle to say anything else

THE STRUGGLE, thank god for daydreaming tho 😭

I can't-