Reader Rayna

Title: Bloodmarked
Author: Tracy Deonn
Series: The Legendborn Cycle #2
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publish Date: November 8, 2022
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy Romance
Pages: 608
Format: Paperback

The shadows have risen, and the line is law.

All Bree wanted was to uncover the truth behind her mother’s death. So she infiltrated the Legendborn Order, a secret society descended from King Arthur’s knights—only to discover her own ancestral power. Now, Bree has become someone

A Medium. A Bloodcrafter. A Scion.

But the ancient war between demons and the Order is rising to a deadly peak. And Nick, the Legendborn boy Bree fell in love with, has been kidnapped.

Bree wants to fight, but the Regents who rule the Order won’t let her. To them, she is an unknown girl with unheard-of power, and as the living anchor for the spell that preserves the Legendborn cycle, she must be protected.

When the Regents reveal they will do whatever it takes to hide the war, Bree and her friends must go on the run to rescue Nick themselves. But enemies are everywhere, Bree’s powers are unpredictable and dangerous, and she can’t escape her growing attraction to Selwyn, the mage sworn to protect Nick until death.

If Bree has any hope of saving herself and the people she loves, she must learn to control her powers from the ancestors who wielded them first—without losing herself in the process.

As this is a sequel, there may be spoilers!

I read this in 2025, and man oh man, what an incredible sequel. This one was action packed and full of so much growth, charm, and, honestly, the couple I was rooting for.

This sequel follows directly after the events of the first, leading us to the consequences of some of the actions that happened in Legendborn that Bree must face head on. Learning more about herself, Arthur, and what it entails to be in his bloodline, this story felt like it was full of mystery to unravel for both the characters and me as a reader. There was more action and danger this time around as the situations surrounding our cast grew more and more heightened, but there were also soft and quiet moments, too, making a perfect blend to draw you further and further into the story.

First off, the magic. both root magic and the magic from Arthur that Bree inherits, is both powerful and mesmerizing to read about. Just like the first book, the parts with the root magic were so beautiful and fascinating to read. To see such a connection to ancestors through a common thread like that was beautiful. Those moments of root magic would often bring tears to my eyes, especially as the story progressed. I think that Deonn does a wonderful job talking about and expressing what it is that magic can and does do. And to then see Bree’s reaction, and those around her who have similar powers, react to their magic is a thing to behold.

As for Arthur’s magic, Bree doesn’t have a full handle or grasp on it yet here in the second book. It’s buried deep, but she also seems afraid to tap into it, taking the advice of her ancestors through the root magic as to whether or not she should. She does, however, learn to tap into her root more thanks to some distant family she manages to get into contact with and use it to her benefit, that’s for sure.

Nick is gone basically this whole book, and part of the plot is Bree and Selwyn trying to find him. Bree and Sel team up, and they grow quite close (to my joy, as they’re the couple I shipped at the start lol), before circumstances push them apart emotionally again. They still work together despite the chasm that opens up between them, allowing feelings to get mixed and blurred. I enjoyed seeing their dynamic together because it also allowed us to learn a lot more about Selwyn and what it means to be a Merlin. How this half-demon young man is being used for his power – and what that power can do to him if he’s not careful.

We meet some new characters, too, like Valec, Mariah, and some aunt figures whom I love, and each one has their very own distinct voice and personality, which is very much appreciated when a cast of characters continues to grow. I found Valec very mysterious and untrustworthy at first, but he quickly proves himself to be very useful to Bree and her endeavors, and I grew to really like him. Mariah is like Bree in her Medium-ship, though she sees her ancestors in a different way. Seeing how root magic turns up in different women is truly fascinating and I enjoyed seeing how each woman could use it to help their cause.

The ending of the book definitely had me gasping, and I was so glad the third book was coming out shortly at the time of reading Bloodmarked. It was a fantastic sequel filled with action, adventure, some romance, family and ancestral ties – both good and bad, and emotional – and was a great second installment of this series. I highly recommend reading this if you’ve read Legendborn and enjoyed it.