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Emma Ratliff

ENG 200-001

Legendborn

Tracy Deonn

For my final project I have chosen the book Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. I will be drawing many connections from this modern retelling to several previous versions of Arthurian legends.

Legendborn is the first book in the three book series by Tracy Deonn. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn follows Bree Matthews, a sixteen-year-old Black girl coping with the sudden death of her mother, officially ruled a car accident. Seeking a fresh start, Bree enrolls in an early college program at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill.

On her first night, Bree witnesses a terrifying attack by monstrous creatures known as the shadowborn and the intervention of a group of students with magical abilities. One of them, Selwyn Kane, tries to erase her memory, but she resists, hinting at a hidden connection to their world. Bree learns the group belongs to the Legendborn, descendants of King Arthur’s knights, who use Merlin magic to fight demonic threats. Their leadership is tied to Arthur’s bloodline, and the current heir is Nick Davis, who quickly becomes an ally and friend to Bree.

Determined to discover whether the society is linked to her mother’s death, Bree joins as a recruit. As she trains, she uncovers truths about her own heritage: her mother knew of this magical world, and Bree herself inherits an older, deeper magic called Root, tied to African American traditions and the legacy of slavery in the South.

Bree’s journey forces her to navigate grief, identity, and the tension between the Legendborn’s rigid hierarchy and her own cultural inheritance. As a growing demonic threat looms, she must choose whether to fight within the society’s rules or challenge them entirely, claiming both her power and her place in the battle.

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By Providing this image of the main characters discussed, students gain greater perspective into the points that I will be making in this presentation.

Bree Matthews

Protagonist – A sixteen-year-old Black girl grieving her mother’s sudden death. Smart, determined, and deeply curious. She discovers the secret world of the Legendborn and her own connection to an older magic called Root.

Nick Davis

Arthur’s Heir – A charming, principled member of the Legendborn and direct descendant of King Arthur. He becomes Bree’s mentor, protector, and eventual love interest.

Selwyn Kane (Sel)

Merlin – A powerful mage and sworn protector of the Legendborn. Cold and mistrustful at first, especially toward Bree, but deeply loyal to his duty. Has a complicated relationship with his own power.

Patricia “Pat” Matthews

Bree’s Mother – Deceased before the events of the novel. Her mysterious past and ties to magic drive Bree’s investigation.

Alice Chen

Best Friend – Bree’s loyal and pragmatic best friend from home who also attends the early college program. Grounded and skeptical of Bree’s growing obsession with the Legendborn.

William

Scion of Gawain – A kind-hearted healer within the Legendborn who aids Bree during training and injuries.

Tor (Victoria)

Scion of Lancelot – Fierce, loyal, and battle-ready. A senior member of the Legendborn who plays a leadership role in training.

Lord Davis

Nick’s Father – A high-ranking member of the Legendborn society. Powerful, influential, and strict about maintaining the old ways.

A.I. Acknowledgement: I used generative A.I. to create this image of all of these main characters together.

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For my modern retelling of Arthurian legend, Legendborn by Tracy Deonn, I want to focus on how the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is brought to life in the real life of Bree Matthews. I want to focus on themes such as magic, mondters, chivalry, and honor.

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There are many common themes between Legendborn by Tracy Deonn and other Medieval sources. Four common themes that I would like to focus on are magic, monsters, chivalry, and honor

Magic :

Legendborn: Magic comes in two main forms. Merlin magic used by the Arthurian descendants and Root magic from African American heritage. Bree’s discovery of her magical abilities' mirrors how Arthur in many legends receives magical aid from Merlin.

Similar Arthurian Texts: Le Morte d’Arthur (Thomas Malory) – Merlin’s enchantments guide Arthur’s reign and the knights’ quests.

The Once and Future King (T.H. White) – Merlin teaches Arthur through magical transformations that help him grow into a wise ruler.

Connection: In both Legendborn and traditional tales, magic isn’t just for spectacle, it’s tied to destiny, guidance, and leadership. Bree’s magic, like Arthur’s, shapes her identity and role in the world.

Monsters :

Legendborn: Bree and the Legendborn battle demonkind, including Shadowborn, Hellhounds, and Isel, which threaten both the magical and human worlds.

Similar Arthurian Texts: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight – Gawain faces supernatural challenges that test his courage and morality.

Le Morte d’Arthur – Knights fight giants, dragons, and other fearsome beasts during their quests.

Connection: In both, monsters aren’t just physical threats—they symbolize deeper struggles (fear, temptation, prejudice). Bree’s fight against demonkind parallels knights’ battles against legendary beasts.

Chivalry :

Legendborn: The Legendborn society follows a strict code based on loyalty, duty, and service to the heir of Arthur. Pages train to serve Scions (knights) and must prove their worth through tests.

Similar Arthurian Texts: Idylls of the King (Tennyson) – Knights uphold the ideals of the Round Table, such as protecting the weak and staying loyal to their king.

Le Morte d’Arthur – Chivalric codes guide knights’ actions, though human flaws often test them.

Connection: Both show that chivalry is an ideal often challenged by reality. In Legendborn, Bree questions whether the code truly serves justice, similar to how Arthurian knights sometimes fail to live up to their own standards.

Honor :

Legendborn: Characters like Nick, Sel, and even Bree see honor as keeping promises, protecting others, and defending what’s right—though they sometimes disagree on what “right” means. Bree ultimately chooses to honor both her heritage and her new role as Arthur’s heir.

Similar Arthurian Texts: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight – Gawain risks his life to keep his word, even when facing death.

Le Morte d’Arthur – Knights’ reputations hinge on their honor, both in battle and personal conduct.

Connection: In both Legendborn and older texts, honor often requires sacrifice. Bree’s decision to fight despite danger echoes the selflessness of Arthurian heroes who put their duty before themselves.

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Aether - A magical life force used by the Legendborn to fuel spells, heal, and fight. It can be manipulated by Merlins and is essential to their magic.

Corporeal - Refers to beings that have a physical body. In Legendborn, some supernatural entities are corporeal while others, like certain demons, can be incorporeal.

Demonkind - The collective term for demonic creatures that cross into the human world, including Hellhounds and Shadowborn.

Hellhound - A dangerous, massive demon resembling a monstrous dog. They are part of demonkind and often attack humans and Legendborn alike.

Isel - A higher-level type of demonkind, more intelligent and powerful than lesser demons, often leading other creatures in battle.

Legendborn - Members of a secret society descended from King Arthur’s knights, sworn to protect the world from demonkind using magic tied to their bloodlines.

Merlins - A magical wielder who serves the Legendborn as an adviser, protector, and spellcaster. Merlins can sense and manipulate aether.

Mesmer - A magical compulsion spell used to alter, suppress, or erase a person’s memories. Frequently used by Merlins to hide the supernatural from the public.

Onceborn - Humans with no magical bloodline connection to King Arthur’s knights; ordinary people outside of the Legendborn society.

Page - A trainee or squire in the Legendborn society, learning to serve and fight for a knightly Scion.

Scion - A full knight in the Legendborn order, descended directly from one of Arthur’s knights and able to wield their ancestor’s magic.

Shadowborn - A type of incorporeal demonkind made of shadow and darkness, often able to pass unseen until they attack.

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Tracy Deonn’s Legendborn has a lot in common with T.H. White’s The Once and Future King and Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s Idylls of the King, especially in how it looks at leadership, legacy, and why Arthurian stories still matter today. Like White’s Arthur, Bree has to grow into a role of power she didn’t ask for, learning that being a leader means making hard choices and carrying a lot of responsibility. She also has moments that feel like Tennyson’s Arthur, where the job sets her apart from others and leaves her feeling isolated. In all three stories, the past plays a big role in shaping the present. White shows this through Arthur’s early lessons, Tennyson through the ideals of Camelot, and Deonn through Bree finding out her family’s history, including the legacy of slavery, is tied to Arthur’s bloodline.

Each author also shows that even heroes have flaws. White makes Arthur and his knights feel real by showing their mistakes and personal struggles, while Tennyson mixes noble ideals with the weaknesses of characters like Lancelot and Guinevere. In Legendborn, Bree learns that even the Legendborn, who are supposed to be protectors, can be blinded by tradition and prejudice. All three use the Arthurian legend to talk about issues in their own time. For White, that’s politics and human nature; for Tennyson, it’s Victorian morals and gender roles; for Deonn, it’s race, heritage, and power in today’s world. Bree’s journey ends up feeling a lot like Arthur’s, a leader who carries a heavy burden but still wants to change things for the better.

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In Tennyson’s version of Arthurian legend, women are often portrayed as symbols rather than full, independent characters. Figures like Elaine represent purity and innocence, while Vivien is painted as dangerous and manipulative. Women in these stories rarely hold power in their own right, and their roles often serve to highlight the male characters’ virtues or downfalls.

Deonn’s Legendborn, however, flips this tradition by making Bree Matthews not only the protagonist but also the literal heir to King Arthur’s power. This is a big break from centuries of male centered Arthurian tradition, including Tennyson’s. In Deonn’s version, there is a strong theme of reclaiming Arthurian power for women, especially women of color, who have historically been left out of the legend. Bree’s position challenges the idea that leadership in the Arthurian world has to come from the same narrow image of the “ideal” king.

Another major difference is how race, heritage, and history are handled. In Idylls of the King, the Arthurian realm is presented as a mostly white, Christian world, reflecting the values of Tennyson’s Victorian audience. Legendborn, on the other hand, expands and modernizes the legend by actively critiquing that exclusion. Deonn centers Black history, African American cultural heritage, and generational trauma, showing how these histories connect to the Arthurian legacy. Instead of Camelot standing for a kind of national purity, it becomes a way to question who gets to inherit power and why. In doing so, Legendborn reimagines the myth for a more inclusive and honest view of history.