LEGENDBORN (512 pp, Margaret K. McElderry Books) is an incredible new release from debut novelist Tracy Deonn – a North Carolina-based artist and recent graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill. Set on the campus of UNC, Deonn infuses the legend of King Arthur with southern Gothic traditions and teenage angst into a riveting Young Adult / Science Fiction novel. The first of what could easily become a six book series, Deonn brings to life Bree Matthews, a 16 year old student in a fictitious Early College Program, who has entered UNC in the wake of her mother’s tragic and sudden death on a quest for answers about her family’s heritage. Perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, perhaps with an added affinity for Colson Whitehead, Deonn’s newly created world has set the literary world abuzz and she is highly likely to continue breaking down walls and pushing new frontiers in these genres for many years to come.