There are so many variations on Arthurian legend, whether it’s through books, movies or TV shows, but none have flipped them on its head and shaken it about quite like the Black Girl Magic of Legendborn. Not to mention the diversity of reps in these book (there are bi characters, gay Asian characters, and a non-binary character). 

 

The most transcendent feature of this book is the exploration of grief after the loss of a parent. The author describes in the afterword that much of the story came from her own experience where the matrilineal side of her family has often died early. This book also confronts the modern-day racism that has an extensive root system in colonialism, marginalisation and violence against African-Americans. 

 

The only things I didn’t love was the heaping of information in the early parts of the books. While the world-building of the story was incredible, it was also combined with the introduction of a lot of side-characters, which made it doubly confusing! I also felt that the relationship between Bree and the love interest fell into the YA insta-love trope a little. 

Otherwise, this book was incredible; both uplifting and devastating in equal measure!