Leta’s Book Review: Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn

Young Adult, Fantasy, 13+

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for an advanced copy of Bloodmarked in exchange for an honest review.

I always struggle to get into sequels when I know there are going to be more books. I don’t want it to end so soon, and I don’t want to wait for the next book (usually an entire year away).

The only difference here with Bloodmarked is that I received this copy months ago, while the novel only came out November 8th. So, even though I’m technically late with this review, it’s much earlier than most.

Bloodmarked is the perfect sequel to Legendborn, a true upscaling of tension, plot, character development, and EMOTIONS. Bree’s story is a necessary one for so many reasons, and I believe that one of the reasons that I’m able to speak on is her status of being the “chosen one” of not only the Legendborn but of another community as well (spoilers if I say the name!). Throughout Bloodmarked, she struggles with whether or not she truly wants to be the person everyone needs her to be. I know a lot of heroes/chosen ones go through that period of doubt, but few go through the identity questioning that Bree does. She understands what everyone is expecting of her and knows generally what she needs to do in order to achieve her goals, but does she want to, now that she knows what it’s going to entail?

I loved seeing Bree learn about herself and the people around her as she journeys toward the moment of decision. She matured and grew in both her abilities and herself. Selwyn, Alice, and William all had many moments of development as well, all growing towards where they will need to be in whatever the finale of this cycle is. Tracy Deonn’s FAQ on her website states that the Legendborn Cycle was planned as a trilogy, but part of me hopes that it lasts longer so that we get more time with these amazing characters in their fantastic settings (I one hundred percent stan Selwyn now and I could literally talk about him all day… can’t we all? Also, I really hope I used ‘stan’ properly).

I want to reiterate something I said in my review of Legendborn. Everyone who’s looking for a novel with subtle and effective diversity should read this book. Everyone who wants to read and learn about the perspectives of others should also read this series. I am the kind of person who strives towards understanding things and places and people. I know that there’s only so much I can understand from the perspectives of others, but reading books by diverse authors is the easiest thing I can do to start understanding.

I hope this short, sweet review is enough to convince you to read Legendborn if you haven’t or enough to convince you to continue on from Legendborn to Bloodmarked. I can’t wait to rant about the next book with you!