For their 3rd pick the girls discuss the New York Times Bestseller fantasy novel Legendborn by Tracey Deonn

About the Author

Tracey grew up in  North Carolina with a geeky nature and a fan girl spirit. She believes in diversity and representation in science fiction and has written for the Star Wars franchise. Tracey has also written non-fiction for our stories and our voice anthology.  Earned a bachelors and masters degree for communication and performance studies which lead her to working in theater, video game production, and education. 

Book Look

The sisters discuss how they were captivated by the colorful cover and the magic already on full display. They also connect with the fact that there is a Black girl on the cover, emphasizing that this story will center around a character that looks like them and they can identify with. 

Bookmark

Felicia admitted that her favorite part of the book was the Author Notes because it brought everything about the book full circle for her. Sam struggled with the book until about page 200 but she began enjoying the way the King Arthur legend and African American roots started to come together. The quotes they discussed touched on one of the major themes in the book – African American heritage and lineage: 

• “To be able to trace one’s family back that far is something I have never fathomed. My family only knows back to the generation after Emancipation. Suddenly, it’s hard to stand here and take in the magnificence of the Wall and not feel an undeniable sense of ignorance and inadequacy. Then, a rush of frustration because someone probably wanted to record it all, but who could have written down my family’s history as far back as this? Who would have been able to, been taught to, been allowed to? Where is our Wall? A Wall that doesn’t make me feel lost, but found. A Wall that towers over anyone who lays eyes on it. Instead of awe, I feel… cheated.” p 135
• But how can I be at peace when I look down and see that they’re still working? You know? 

POV

Sam’s favorite character was Bree’s father and found him to be quite progressive. She found all the other characters to be likable at moments and others not so much – she even the main character Bree at times. Felicia’s least favorite character was Tor, one of the higher ranked Legendborn members and her favorite characters were Bree and William (the healer). 

Deep Dive

Sam and Felicia ultimately loved the book, the story never left its fantasy element but managed to keep an authentic Black voice throughout. Felicia loved the mix of medieval lore and African American ancestry. She’s looking forward to reading more about root magic in the sequel. Sam is also looking forward to the sequel but hopes there is a more diverse love interest introduced – she’s not looking forward to the 700 pages but is excited to read about these characters again.