LEGENDBORN - September 15, 2020
“A searing modern tale of grief, power and self-discovery.”
Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles
Filled with mystery and an intriguingly rich magic system, Tracy Deonn’s YA contemporary fantasy Legendborn offers the dark allure of City of Bones with a modern-day twist on a classic legend and a lot of Southern Black Girl Magic.
After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-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.
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Buzz
““Rich and explosive debut…Highly recommended.”
- SLJ, starred review ★
“Don’t look over sea or under stone, this is the fantasy novel for all once and future fans of suspense-filled storytelling.”
- Kirkus
“Deonn adeptly employs the haunting history of the American South (“the low buzzing sound of exclusion”) to explore themes of ancestral pain, grief, and love, balancing them with stimulating worldbuilding and multiple thrilling plot twists.”
- Publisher’s Weekly
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American Booksellers Association - Summer/Fall 2020 Indies Introduce Title
Junior Library Guild - Fall 2020 Gold Standard Selection
American Booksellers Association - Fall 2020 Kids Indie Next List for Teens
Publisher’s Weekly Kidscast - A Conversation with Tracy Deonn
Teen Vogue - 73 Books by Black Authors We’re Reading in 2020
Buzzfeed - 20 YA Books by Black Authors We’re Excited to Read in the Latter Half of 2020, 12 Young Adult Books That Are Classic Lit Retellings, 29 YA Fantasy Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2020
Blurbs
““A King Arthur reimagining that adds seats to the roundtable, inviting new readers to find themselves within its lore, Tracy Deonn’s Legendborn braids southern folk traditions and Black Girl Magic into a searing modern tale of grief, power, and self-discovery.” — Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of The Belles
“Legendborn is an enthralling, standout modern fantasy about history and power, and Deonn is an author to watch.” — Kiersten White, New York Times bestselling author
“Legendborn is intoxicating, electrifying, and resonates with a deep understanding and vulnerable adoration of what it is to be a Black girl searching for the magic of herself. Tracy Deonn captivates you from page one with her perfect pacing, exhilarating plotting, and a command of storytelling that cannot be ignored. This book will hold everything you are hostage until, page by page, you discover how it has actually set you free.”
- LL McKinney, author of the critically acclaimed Nightmare-Verse series
“Legendborn is a thrilling and tense fantasy that weaves Arthurian adventure with southern Black culture into a story that had me shouting. It will hook readers from the very beginning and leave them breathless until the final, mind-blowing revelation.” — Kwame Mbalia, New York Times bestselling author of the Tristan Strong series.
“Perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare and Kiersten White, Tracy Deonn’s unique reimagining of Arthurian legend is full of magic and heart. A brilliant debut!” — Ashley Poston, National Best-Selling Author of Geekerella
“Legendborn is a remarkable debut that should firmly place Tracy Deonn on every fantasy and contemporary YA reader’s radar. Deft and insightful blending of Arthurian legend and Southern Black American history make for an engrossing tale of mystery, romance, and finding your place in the world?—an absolute must-read!”
- Alyssa Cole, award-winning romance author”