I do not have the right words to express how important this book is for the world.

Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn is so deeply touching, while also being a thrilling journey for lovers of action-packed fantasy. Deonn managed to bring us to a world that mirrors our own but with a bonus layer of how it could be better. I wish I could explain that in detail, but I’m going spoiler-free in this review.

In Bloodmarked, we’re placed back in Bree’s new world filled with magic, war, and bloodline politics from Arthur and his roundtable of knights. Bree has been thrust into the most important role of all the Legendborn. She’s been mistreated, and under trained since the moment she joined them. For every person who wants to help Bree, there are three more people who want to exploit her. Whom she can trust is quickly dwindled down through several unpredictable betrayals.

Bloodmarked will mark you, heart and soul.

I will not spoil this book for anyone, so I will instead discuss how it made me feel.

It is no secret that this series touches on systematic racism. If you read Legendborn, then you already know how discrimination is so deeply woven into Bree’s story. Bree is depicted on the book cover as the strong young woman that she should be recognized as. Yet, of course characters in this book only see her as trouble. She is a wild card that they can’t control. She shouldn’t have been born in their pure bloodlines of the Legendborn. Whelp, talk to your awful ancestors about that!

Aside from writing various frustrating scenarios in which discrimination is holding Bree back in this world, Tracy Deonn also gave us some truly heart-warming, tear-filled moments. I’m talking beautiful scenes filled with so much hope, love, and a feeling of “I wish this could be true”. These scenes had me longing for our world to be filled with such magic. i wish for that type of healing and redemption to be real. It’s no less than anyone in our history of oppression deserves.

Several times I had to highlight a passage, take a deep breath, cry a little, and then return to the book later. If not for the depth of emotions that Deonn managed to make me feel, I would have finished this book much faster. I needed cry breaks, and time to text with Andonnia. I’m so glad this book was a buddy read with her because it definitely requires an emotional-support-reader.

Everyone needs to read this series. If you like a fantasy story with action, intrigue, and a strong female-lead, start with Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. Come talk to me when you finish the series!