Essentially, Bree sees something supernatural, and wants to know more. I also found it difficult to engage initially with the basic premise of the story because it hinges on the protagonist Bree having zero plan, and, personally, I tend to prefer characters who know what they are doing. What really bothered me in this instance was just how many tropes there were, and not necessarily what the tropes were. Personally, I tend to enjoy Chosen One stories, though not love triangles or instalove. Of course, I will be the first to admit that a story filled with YA tropes is not a deal breaker for every reader–some readers will no doubt even love and welcome these tropes! Readers who enjoy a good Chosen One story where the protagonist uncovers hidden powers (multiple ones never seen before, way more powerful than everyone else’s, etc, etc) or love triangles or instalove or lovers to enemies will find a lot to like here. While I found the start of the story somewhat painful, by the end I could almost visualize myself picking up the sequel. I could see Deonn’s craft improving, however. The ingredients are all there for a wonderfully immersive story, but it veers quite often into overdone YA tropes and occasionally feels bloated. While the idea of a contemporary retelling of King Arthur intrigued me, and while I was impressed by the extensive worldbuilding done by Tracy Deonn, at times I could not help but think that Legendborn does feel rather like a debut. I have conflicted feelings about Legendborn.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |