(ThyBlackMan.com) Tracy Deonn’s Legendborn is the kind of story that feels like it was written with Black readers in mind, even as it plays in the wide-open space of YA fantasy. It’s a book that blends magic, grief, identity, and legacy in a way that feels both familiar and refreshing. What makes it stand out isn’t just the fantasy twist—it’s the way Deonn centers a Black girl’s experience without apology, without dilution, and without trying to make her fit into a world that was never meant for her in the first place.
Bree Matthews, the heart of the story, steps onto the campus of UNC–Chapel Hill carrying a grief that’s still raw from the sudden loss of her mother. Deonn doesn’t rush her through that pain or try to tidy it up. Instead, she lets Bree move through it the way many of us have had to—messily, angrily, quietly, and with a determination that comes from not knowing what else to do. That emotional honesty is one of the book’s strongest themes. Bree feels like a real Black girl navigating a world that expects her to shrink, soften, or stay silent, and she refuses to do any of the above. The book combines fantasy and reality perfectly.
“The most important thing you can do in this world, the most necessary thing, is to survive it. You can’t do anything for anyone else if you don’t take care of yourself first.”
When the magic enters the picture, it doesn’t feel like an escape from reality, it feels like an extension of it. The secret society Bree encounters is steeped in old, inherited whiteness, full of tradition and gatekeeping. Watching her push into that space, question it, and ultimately challenge its foundations hits differently when you understand what it means to walk into institutions that weren’t built with you in mind. Deonn doesn’t shy away from showing the microaggressions, the assumptions, the subtle ways Bree is underestimated. But she also shows Bree’s brilliance, her intuition, and the power she carries from her lineage.
And that lineage—rooted in African American ancestral magic—is where the book truly shines. Deonn treats ancestry not as a distant idea but as something living and present. The Root magic tied to Bree’s family feels like a tribute to Black Southern traditions, to the strength of our elders, to the idea that our people walk with us even when we can’t see them. For Black readers, that connection feels intimate and grounding. It’s a reminder that our history is not a burden but a source of power.
“Growing up Black in the South, it’s pretty common to find yourself in old places that just… weren’t made for you. Maybe it’s a building, a historic district, or a street. Some space that was originally built for white people and white people only, and you just have to hold that knowledge while going about your business.”
Even with all the action, secrets, and supernatural twists, the story never loses sight of Bree’s emotional journey. Her grief is not a side plot—it’s woven into every choice she makes. Her Blackness is not an obstacle—it’s a source of clarity and strength. Her voice is not muted, it’s amplified.
Deonn’s writing is smooth and immersive, making it easy to fall into the world she’s built. Bree is allowed to be complicated, vulnerable, stubborn, brilliant, and brave. She’s allowed to take up space. She’s allowed to be the hero.
For Black readers who love fantasy but rarely see themselves at the center of it, Legendborn is a breath of fresh air. It’s a story about magic, yes, but also about identity, inheritance, and the courage it takes to claim your place in a world that wasn’t designed for you. Deonn doesn’t just give us a heroine—she gives us a mirror, a reminder, and a spark.
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn can be found at your local bookstore and anywhere books are sold.
Staff Writer; Christian Starr
May connect with this sister over at Facebook; C. Starr and also Twitter; MrzZeta.
Also via email at; CStarr@ThyBlackMan.com.
