graveyardpansy's reviews
555 reviews

this is one of those books that settles in your chest and grips your heart and drags you along with it, in a horrifically beautiful, heavy way. i don’t think it’s for everyone, but it’s important. definitely look up content warnings before you read it, and be sure to read the author’s note afterward because it’s incredible as well.

4.5 stars -- I'm not always the biggest fan of historical fiction, and while I love good characters, too many can sometimes overwhelm me. This book blew that expectation up - there are definitely more characters than I'm used to, there are multiple generations and the story isn't told in a super straightforward way. Even though these characters aren't the best ones I've ever read, it's still an easy book to get attached to. The plot and characters are complex and woven together expertly, and SO many important conversations are had and implied -- not only racism but colourism, as well as the idea and action of passing as white, misogyny and agency and self-discovery and identity and family. The trans character and the bits of 1900s queer culture that're integrated are, in my opinion, impressively written and not overdone, especially considering this is historical fic by (afaik) a cis author. The comparison to Bluest Eye is well-deserved, but it's definitely a different book, and I'd still recommend bluest eye anyway.

Wow.

This is easily one of my all-time favourite fiction and SFF novels and I am SO excited to read more from this author.

I loved all the characters, even the ones that I hated, and they all felt so complex with different motivations and bits that made me feel so much. Bree feels like someone I could absolutely meet on campus. The diversity of characters was super refreshing too -- the MC is Black and that adds a big layer of themes and dynamics to the story, incl. generational trauma and microaggressions and community and colonialism and neocolonialism and so much more. There's an Asian wlw character, an mlm character, a wlw couple, and a nonbinary character that are all presented without any extensive exploration of their identities, but they exist and are solid characters and it's nice to have innocent, not-debated rep! Also, Bree's little moments of solidarity with Greer are wonderful and made me feel more connected to Bree as well, as a nonbinary person.

The plot was fantastic and full of twists. While I predicted quite a handful of them, there were still definitely a number that caught me off-guard and I really enjoyed that. The way the plot laces together the themes and characters of the book is so well-done, and I was enthralled from the very beginning. I love the magic system and how our view of it changes as the story progresses. I love the themes and how deep they run, I love the setting and how it's used to further explore so many of the themes.

Legendborn truly put me through the entire range of my emotions and I am more than here for it. Also I'm sorry to all of my friends who have had to deal with my nonstop ranting about this book for a week.

closest I’ve been to crying in months

4.5 — I’m not the biggest time-travel-sci-fi person, but this book is incredible and has a lot more to offer than just the intriguing sci-fi elements. There are complex discussions and themes of race, love, morality, fear, freedom, and more, and it’s truly one of those books that forces you to ask what you would do in the MC’s shoes. The writing balances description and story with genuinely scary moments, but never enough to force me to put the book down. Would absolutely recommend reading it if Kindred sounds at all interesting to you — it’s one of those books that I’m going to think about for a long, long time.