The Bright Sword is a queer reimagining of Camelot and King Arthur’s Round Table. I inadvertently read three Arthurian reimaginings over the pas4.25/5
The Bright Sword is a queer reimagining of Camelot and King Arthur’s Round Table. I inadvertently read three Arthurian reimaginings over the past year, including Alexandra Bracken’s Silver In The Bone and Tracy Deonn’s Legendborn. I can wholeheartedly say I enjoyed this novel most of those three and would read a sequel if one’s published. Legendborn and Silver In The Bone… not so much. I actually purchased the sequels to those prior to reading the first books and they’re now collecting dust on my shelves. I’m just not excited to read them after being underwhelmed by their predecessors.
To be fair, the Bright Sword is adult fantasy fiction whereas the other two novels are YA. The romance-heavy sub plots found within most YA has hindered my enjoyment of the genre lately. I’m an aromatic asexual, ain’t nobody got time for that. ...more
This is a decently entertaining YA fantasy novel that’s loosely based upon Arthurian legend. The pacing is rather slow until the final third of3.25 ⭐️
This is a decently entertaining YA fantasy novel that’s loosely based upon Arthurian legend. The pacing is rather slow until the final third of the novel, thus the lower rating. Near the end there’s a huge cliffhanger which makes reading the second novel feel like a necessity. If that hadn’t piqued my interest I would probably skip continuing the story....more
I wasn’t aware that Legendborn is an Arthurian reimagining which makes it the second Arthuriana series I unintentionally began this month (the o4.0 ⭐️
I wasn’t aware that Legendborn is an Arthurian reimagining which makes it the second Arthuriana series I unintentionally began this month (the other one being Silver In The Bone).
Legendborn piqued my interest primarily for the dark academia and secret society vibes. Fortunately it delivers on those aspects and then some.
Deonn delves into social injustice and confronts issues like classism, racism, sexism, and power dynamics. Gender queer characters are casually introduced which helps normalize the inclusion. I think addressing these issues is pivotal when writing for a YA audience. It’s done in a way that doesn’t detract from the fantastical and magical elements of the story but rather adds depth to the historical context and character development in the novel.
Deonn also incorporates processing trauma and grief into the narrative in a way many will find cathartic. I haven’t seen that done to this extent in a YA fantasy series before. Yet another unexpected surprise from Legendborn that’ll likely help many of the book’s readers ...more
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arthurian-legend
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