This stunning series debut from Tracy Deonn completely blew me away. With strong characters, full on plots, magic, Arthurian legends, secret societies, love, romance, friendship and heartache, this novel was a rollercoaster ride of a page turner that I just could not put down!
Bree, or Briana to give her her full name, has just started an Early College course after her mother unfortunately passed away, As she struggles to move past her anger and deal with her grief, she finds out about a secret society and a whole magical world filled with castings, demons, and oaths. So far, so good. As she finds herself being drawn into this new world, and falling quite strongly for the romantic hero, she also starts to discover more about herself, her own powers, and her family's heritage. This is all on top of trying to fit in at college and keep up with her studies.
The book twists and turns through a series of clever racing plotlines, keeping the reader on their toes as they jump from one hypothesis to the next, as more information is revealed drip by drip. As the hero becomes less heroic, and the anti-hero becomes more human, we start to wonder who the real Chosen One is here.
I have heard a lot about this book and it lives up to the hype. Some of my favourite scenes are between Bree and Sel, as the air literally crackles around them while they make up their minds if they hate or want each other. But my favourite aspect of this novel is that of race, especially how racial issues raise their ugly heads time and again as Bree navigates a world essentially made for white slave owners, who make it clear that she does not belong. This is really brought home at the gala dinner when Bree notices that all the staff serving them are brown or black; no white people are expected to work in those jobs. That this is still common thought in the 21st century is horrific but it needs to be explored and challenged. When we finally find out why Bree is so different to both the other Wildcrafters and the other Bloodcrafters, a lot of things suddenly make sense, but to hear that ancestral story is heart breaking and filled me with rage. The retelling of the Arthurian legend helps to negate this, but I would really have liked to learn more about Bree's family and her heritage. I am hoping that the sequel will dive into this aspect more.
Overall, this was an incredible debut from an extremely talented writer. I cannot wait to read about Briana's adventures again! Five stars!
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