I read Legendborn in 2021 & loved it so book two was on my radar & I planned to read it right when it came out but couldn't connect the way I wanted to. I'm glad I decided to pick it back up when the right mood hit me, which happened last week!
Is it just me or is the font hella small on this book?! I ended up sticking to the audiobook because of that & still really enjoyed it.
For me, this book was a 4.5 star rating because Deonn gave most of what I was hoping she would:
- More root craft
- More connection with the ancestors
- Engaging with how exhausting and unhealthy embodying "Black Girl Magic" can be.
- Thinking critically about these prestigious institutions & societies that BIPOC are supposed to be grateful to be allowed a part in.
These are the elements from the first book that I really wanted explored more because I didn't care as much about the Arthurian background. (It screamed "white supremacy" to me from the beginning.)
I think Deonn did an amazing job in showing the way that Bree's "strength" & "resilience" became detrimental to her as a Black girl. It was extremely relatable. I'm not sure that white folks & some other BIPOC realize how much pressure there is for Black women & girls to be "excellent" or risk being nothing at all. We feel the pressure to persevere because just about every system is working against us and our ancestors worked so hard that we are afraid to seem as though we don't appreciate their struggles. Meanwhile, we push so hard that we don't feel like we can take the time to rest or like anyone will protect us if we do. So we end up tired & hurt in an effort to continue to live up to expectations & receive love/praise.
If you read this book or plan to, please read the author's note because it is so very important!!
As many of my bookish friends on here know, I'm not really crazy about Bree's connections to Sel & Nick but I understand why they are part of this story. I just don't feel like they all have much in common outside of shared trauma aka the Order.
What did y'all think of this book?