an amazing first book to a series i cannot wait to read to its completion! several points in the story had me physically dropping my jaw irl as i stared at the page— this is such an amazing fantasy world to get to experience for the first time. it was a whirlwind of constant twists that were not only impactful, they always made so much sense in retrospect with the breadcrumbs in the plot that led to them!

my one minor gripe (and the sole reason that this isn't a home run five stars from me) is that the ending pales in comparison to the rest of the novel. it left me wanting more, but not so much in the good sequel-hook way and moreso in the frustrated, "that's where we're leaving it?" way.

still, this was a delightful read and i'll be here eagerly awaiting the next book even if the ending wasn't exactly catered to my taste. 100% recommend with my full chest. couldn't put it down after i got into it, read from page 150 until the end in one sitting because of how invested i was.

i've never read a book like this before. gripping, fascinating, and fast-paced— thank goodness it was such a quick read because i don't think i would have been able to put it down!

didn't know if i would ever enjoy ya again since i've tried and failed to finish several different ya novels this year, but i'm extremely pleased to say that legendborn doesn't really read as a ya novel— yes, the mc is 16 and she makes 16 year old decisions and feels her age, but the writing itself is engaging and fun without talking down to its audience.

a really amazing read, i'm excited for the rest of the series!