open/close all folders
Round Table
Scions and Merlin
Scions are descendants of the knights of the Round Table. If Awakened, the spirit of the knight gives them super powers. They are awakened in order, thirteenth first. Briana “Bree” Matthews
The main character of the series. Bree is a sixteen-year old student at UNC’s Early College program. Grappling with her mother’s recent death, she seeks answers to the circumstances surrounding her death.
Bree is a descendant of Arthur, and is first in the order of Legendborn.
- All-Loving Hero: Bree is more complex than usual example, given her PCBD and trauma. Despite that, she still is very good and kind. Despite the way Sel treated her, once she understands his situation, she starts to defend him, and is one of the few characters to show him compassion.
- Bully Magnet: While she’s definitely not a Chew Toy, she does get picked on by several bullies. Several of the elitist jerks at Round Table are furious that Bree is Nick’s Page (given she’s not a Vassal) and because she’s the first black person in the Round Table. This causes a lot of hostility toward her, even from the parents of the Round Table kids, who are angry she’s taking spots that could be their children’s.
- Category Traitor: Averted. Despite trying to join an organization that have persecuted Bloodcraft users in the past, Patricia and Mariah never accuse Bree of being a traitor. However, rationally, Patricia and Mariah do warn her to exercise caution around Bloodcraft users, who have persecuted Rootcraft users in the past before. Mariah also does point out that hanging with the Legendborn, an elitist ol’ boys club, of white people, sounds exhausting. Additionally, when it’s revealed Bree is a Scion of Arthur, they’re supportive of her, and have taken necessary precautions to avoid risks posed by their proximity to her.
- The Chosen One: She’s the Scion of King Arthur, the king, and leader of the Round Table.
- Cool Sword: She’s got the Trope Codifier, Excalibur.
- Don't You Dare Pity Me!: Bree is sick of people giving her the “Sorry for your loss” spiel after her mother died. Justified as when she’s at the quarry, Charlotte’s boyfriend Evan is very ham-handed in his attempted consolation.
- Haunted Heroine: She’s haunted by her mother’s death and she’s a medium.
- The Hero: She saves the day, she’s The Chosen One and she’s a force of good.
- Humble Hero: Despite lacking the training others have, she can keep up with them and beats them in competitions, but only focuses on how she feels behind. Then, it’s revealed she’s the Scion of Arthur, and has pretty cool powers on top of that. She doesn’t think she’s very powerful, and is more nervous she’ll screw up.
- I Miss Mom: Justified. Bree’s mother passes several months before the book starts. She’s trying to manage the grief, but sometimes it hurts her judgment. For example, in the opening scene, she goes off campus to a quarry, in part because she doesn’t want to sit around her room thinking of her mom.
- The Leader: Once she realizes she’s Arthur’s Scion, she becomes this.
- Lineage Comes from the Father: Refreshingly subverted. Bree’s inheritance of powers comes from a line of eight women.
- Magical Girl: She has shades of this. She has cool powers, saves the day, and is the hero of a coming-of-age story. However, the target demographic of the book is older.
- Mistaken Identity: When Nick and Bree first meet. When Bree can see magic, and knows some lingo (from overhearing Sel and Tor), Nick thinks she’s already a Page.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Given that the Round Table is run by a bunch of elitists, she’ll ignore the rules to do the right thing.
- True Sight: Most Onceborns cannot see magic or demons. However, Bree can, mysteriously. It’s because she is a Scion of Arthur, as well has Rootcraft.
Selwyn “Sel” Kane
An Early College student one year older than Bree in school. Sel is the Merlin of the Round Table and is a part-demon sorcerer. As the Kingsmage, he’s Oathed to protect Nick.
Described as tall with dark hair, glowing gold eyes, and fangs.
- Abusive Parents: Sel’s father became an alcoholic after his mother passed, and he was taken away and trained as a child soldier. He went to live with Nick and his father when he was still a little kid. Sel says Martin Davis was kind and generous to him. However, Davis is completely cold about stripping Sel, his adoptive teenage son, from his Oaths, a Fate Worse than Death, just because Sel was a little less than perfect. It makes you wonder how he treated little Sel.
- Category Traitor: Demons, like the Goruchel, call Sel a traitor.
- Color-Coded Eyes: Sel has glowing gold eyes. This is what makes Bree realize he’s part-demon, when she sees a memory of a half-demon baby with the same eyes.
- Dark and Troubled Past: His mother is gone, his father became an alcoholic, so he was taken away to be a child soldier. He’s sent to live with the Davis’s, but has to take Oaths to the son, Nick, who despises him for being a Merlin. He can’t hurt Nick at all, but Nick can hurt Sel, and Nick despises Sel. Sel claims the father, Martin Davis was kind and generous to him. He claims that because he was obedient, Davis gave him praise and attention. However, Davis is very blasé about stripping Sel, his adoptive teenage son, from his Oaths, a Fate Worse than Death, merely for being less than perfect. Makes you wonder how he treated little Sel.
- Disappeared Dad: His biological father became an alcoholic, and Sel was taken away. It’s unclear where he is now.
- Face of an Angel, Mind of a Demon: He’s supernaturally pretty because he’s part Incubus/Succubus. He’s a jerk to Bree in the first book, so when she finds out that he’s part demon, she believes him to be this.
- Glowing Eyes: Eyes glow when he wields magic.
- Hair-Contrast Duo: Nick and Sel are the two most powerful figures in the Round Table in the first book. Nick is blond, buff, and immediately friendly and open. Sel has black hair, and is hostile, volatile, and rude.
- Half-Breed Angst: As a Merlin, he’s part demon, and it’s a source of angst for him. He’s afraid they’ll release him from his Oaths. If he loses his Oaths, supposedly he’ll become more and more demonic. The other Legendborn all seem to fear him as well, and some seem to view him as less than human.
- Half-Human Hybrid: Sel’s mother was a Merlin and his father was human. However, all Merlin’s are cambions, so he’s part-demon. Supposedly, if he’s released from his Oath he’ll become more and more demon-like.
- Informed Attractiveness: Not only does Bree think he’s hot when she first sees him, but other people mention it as well.
- His first introduction:Bree’s narration: He is unsettlingly beautiful.
- After the quarry party:Charlotte: SELWYN KANE WAS THERE!?!?! AND I MISSED HIM!?? (…) Holy Jesus that boy is hottt.
- William describing Sel’s inherited traits due to his incubi/Succubi heritage:William: Unnatural beauty, distinctive voice, et cetera. Passive, but still effective. One minute you’re taking bloodwork, the next you’re wondering if the infirmary bed will hold two people.
- His first introduction:
- Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant: A lot of the other Legendborn and Vassals find him scary, given he’s part-demon, has glowing eyes, fangs, and is volatile and super powerful. Downplayed, as regular humans don’t see him as scary, such as Charlotte, who just describes him as “hot,” and is bummed she missed him at the party. So it’s more his personality, not appearance, that makes him scary. On the other hand, regular humans don’t have True Sight, so they probably can’t see all of physical features that would make him scary, like his fangs or glowing eyes.
- Knight in Sour Armor: He’s rude and caustic but he usually saves the day, and is more effective than all the other Scions except Bree combined.
- Pretty Boy: He’s part Incubus/Succubus, so while he doesn’t have their seduction magic, he’s still quite pretty.
- Scary Teeth: Like other Merlins, he has long, sharp canines that nearly touch his bottom lip, due to his part-demon heritage.
- Supernatural Gold Eyes: Sel has glowing gold eyes. This is because as a Merlin, he’s a cambion: part-demon.
Nick Davis
Nick is second-ranked in the Round Table, and is a descendant of Lancelot. Previously, it was believed he was the descendant of Arthur.A second-year Early College student, a UNC legacy, who is assigned as Bree’s mentor.
He’s described as a tall, with straw-blond hair and the bluest eyes Bree had ever seen. Bree thinks he looks like “he belongs on the front of the university brochure.”
- Big Man on Campus: He’s a legacy, good-looking, and well-liked. Given he’s the Scion of Arthur, everyone at the Round Table is thrilled to have him return to the fold, and everyone wants to be near him.
- The Chosen One: As the Scion of Arthur, he will be King if Awakened. Subverted, in that he’s not the Scion of Arthur. Bree is. He’s the Scion of Lancelot. Additionally, his father turned evil because he was angry he never got to be Awakened, and be the chosen one.
- Hair-Contrast Duo: Nick and Sel are the two most powerful figures in the Round Table in the first book. Nick is blond, buff, and immediately friendly and open. Sel has black hair, and is hostile, volatile, and rude.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Blond-haired, friendly and kind. While others are prejudiced or clique-ish, he’s one of the most open and friendly characters.
- It Sucks to Be the Chosen One: Nick’s childhood was pretty rough, with his training resulting in him being pretty badly beaten in order to train him to be Arthur. Subverted in that his father didn’t force that upon him for the good of the world, but rather because he was seeking power.
- Lovable Jock: He’s athletic after all his training and his very friendly.
- Missing Mom: His mom is not present in his life, and he doesn’t want to talk about it. It turns out she tried to escape with Nick to get him away from his father. As punishment, the Regents erased her memory of Nick completely.
- Nice Guy: Pretty straight-forward and friendly. Even though he hated his position, he’s willing to take it on so Bree can investigate her mom. Later subverted. He’s a mostly nice person, but he definitely has some flaws. Bree is disturbed by the power-dynamic between Nick and Sel, particularly when he starts punching Sel, who can’t fight back. Also, Sel was sent to guard Nick when he was a child, but Nick wasn’t kind to him, resenting him due to what other Merlins did to his mother. Sel says he later realized Nick is a spoiled brat.
- School Idol: At least among the Legendborn, he’s this. As a kind, good-looking Lovable Jock and literal royalty, or at least thought to be royalty, he's incredibly popular among other Legendborn students.
- Spoiled Sweet: He’s rich and a legacy, so he could easily get through school without work, but still does well in classes. He’s universally adored and worshipped by the Legendborn, but rather than being elitist, he’s very sweet and kind. He’s willing to take up a position he hates if it means helping Bree investigate her mom. Subverted, in that his father put him through intense training when he was young, which was abusive. However, after his mom tried to take him away and her memory was erased, his father felt bad and started spoiling him.
Victoria “Tor” Morgan
Tor is third ranked, and a descendant of Tristan.
- Alpha Bitch: The highest ranked girl at the Round Table, and comes from a super wealthy family. She likes being in charge. She’s furious when Bree is ranked higher than her.
- Jerkass: A racist jerk who’s awful to Bree. She claims that the page class the year Bree joins is the “most diverse ever,” self-congratulating themselves to the audience. She’s clearly referring to Bree, but it’s not a compliment: not only does it single Bree out and other her, but it implies that’s why Bree was picked. When it’s revealed that Bree is a Scion of Arthur, Tor says he’s in charge, and Bree is a Scion of Arthur by “accident.” She nearly lunges at Bree when Alice points out that Tor is ranked lower than Bree. Her only redeeming characteristic is her girlfriend, Sarah, is super nice. You wonder why Sarah puts up with her.
- Old Money: Her family goes way back with UNC. Her family donated so much money they named a building after them. Charlotte says that her family is legacy good ol’ boys, legacy kids get in without the grades, get whatever grades, and leave with great jobs.
Felicity “Flick” Caldwell
The fourth-ranked of the scions, of the line of Lamorak. A junior at UNC.
- Super-Strength: Felicity’s inherited ability.
Peter “Pete” Hood
The seventh-ranked of the scions, of the line of Owain.
- Familiar: Pete can call up a lion familiar, due to his bloodline.
Fitzsimmons “Fitz” Baldwin
The eleventh-ranked of the scions, of the line of Bors. His magical ability is agility.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: He gets knocked off a ravine and his chest is pierced all the way through.
- Jerkass: Not the friendliest guy.
William “Will” Sitterson
The twelfth-ranked of the scions, of the line of Gawain. A friendly and straight-forward healer.
Squires
Squires are selected after trying out as Pages. If selected, they take an oath which lets them share the magic of their scion. Sarah “Sar”
A squire of Tor, as well as her girlfriend.
- Innocent Beta Bitch: Her girlfriend and Scion, Tor, is a racist Alpha Bitch who is nasty to Bree. Sarah, on the other hand, is always super nice and friendly. She’s one of Bree’s friends.
Russ Copeland
A squire of Felicity, fourth ranked. A sophomore at UNC.
- Nice Guy: Friendly to Bree when she firsts tries out as page.
- Super-Strength: As Felicity’s Squire, Russ gains this ability too.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Dies at the end of the first book.
Greer Taylor
A squire of Peter, seventh-ranked. Their parents are major donors, and they come from a long line of Vassals.
Evan Cooper
A squire of Fitz, eleventh-ranked. The boyfriend of Charlotte.
- Compliment Backfire: He tells Bree: Your hair is totally badass! Bree is justifiably offended, as he’s making her hair sound like an oddity, othering her.
- Dead Person Impersonator: A goruchel demon, Rhaz, murdered Evan and impersonated him. It’s unclear how long he has been imitating Evan, as he says he took the Oath, which occurred last year. On the other hand, he mentions how Evan liked Bree, and it seemed like Evan met Bree for the first time at the beginning of the book.
- Frat Bro: Bree sees him as this, and is surprised to see him at the Round Table.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Unclear how long Rhaz was impersonating him, but likely the real Evan never had an on-page appearance.
James “Whitty” Whitlock
A squire of Will, twelfth-ranked.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Rhaz puts his hand through Witty’s back.
- Nice Guy: Like his Scion, a kind and helpful guy.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Dies at the end of the first book.
Other Pages
Pages are sponsored by Scions to compete to be Squires. Vassal families prepare their children to compete as Pages, hoping they’ll be squires, raising the family’s status. Vaughn Schaefer
Fitz’s page. A rival of Bree as she’s trying out for page.
- Jerkass: A stuck-up racist jerk. He insults Bree in front of everyone and implies Bree is sleeping with Nick to curry favor. Then, he claims Bree was only invited due to Affirmative Action. Bree luckily has a sharp retort. It’s very satisfying when she beats him in a match.
- Put on a Bus: He accepts erasing his memories of the battle and isn’t seen again.
Other Onceborns
Alice Chen
Alice is Bree’s best friend from Bentonville, and Bree’s roommate. Alice and Bree applied to UNC Early College together. Alice wants to major in sociology.
- Go-Getter Girl: Bree comments how she works very hard to get perfect grades.
- Intimate Hair Brushing: Alice learned how to braid Bree’s hair, so she can style Bree’s hair well.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Initially doesn’t know about the Legendborn drama. Bree tells her after Davis kidnaps her in the first book.
- Sixth Ranger: While everyone else has been training their whole lives, or at least competing to be a Page, Alice shows up and supports the team at the end of the first book.
- True Companions: Even if they argued at the beginning of the first book (mostly out of worry), Bree and Alice are true friends. When Bree goes to battle, Alice follows. She supports the changes in Bree’s life, and takes it in stride.
Faye Ayeola Carter Matthews
Bree’s mom, whose death kickstarts the events of the book.
- Deceased Parents Are the Best: Downplayed. Bree and Faye were fighting, like normal teenagers and their parents often do, when Faye passed. Faye was justifiably worried about her attending UNC due to the risk of the Legendborn. However, Faye was a good parent who loved Bree very much.
- Good Parents: Faye loved Bree a lot, and tried to keep her safe. She also prepared for the risk she’d pass away.
- Posthumous Character: Faye is dead when the book starts, but she is Bree’s primary motivation in the first book.
Edwin Simmons Matthews
Bree’s loving and supportive Father, who also just lost his wife, Faye.
- Good Parents: A heartwarming example. Despite recently losing his wife and his daughter going away for school, he is very loving and is not at all absent in her life. He’s justifiably worried when she breaks the rules. He can tell something is going on with her, and makes sure she sees a therapist. When she’s still acting off, he drives up and checks on her.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Was not aware of his wife’s abilities, and isn’t aware of his daughter’s.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: He’s justifiably worried when he hears Bree went off campus (which could get her expelled) and was out late supposedly at parties. Given that’s out of character for her and her mother recently passed, he has her see a therapist.
Dr. Patricia Hartwood
Bree’s therapist, and a practitioner of Rootcraft.
- All Therapists Are Muggles: Refreshingly averted. Dr. Patricia Hartwood not only knows about magic so Bree can share her struggles, but is a magic practitioner herself.
- Psychologist Teacher: She teaches Bree Rootcraft, and is her therapist.
- The Shrink: Generally of the Awesome variety. There is one point where she feels like maybe Bree should see a specialist. While Bree felt abandoned, she clearly wasn’t giving up on Bree but trying to help. Other than that, she teaches Bree about Bloodcraft and is overall very helpful.
Mariah
A practitioner of Rootcraft, and a junior at UNC.
- I See Dead People: Mariah can speak to ghosts.
- That Came Out Wrong: Mariah tells Bree that “Death knows her well.” While this is really because Bree is a medium, and has two spirits, Vera and Arthur, that can aid her, it’s offensive to someone whose mother just died.
Charlotte
A friend of Bree’s from Bentonville, who attended Early College two years before Bree.
- Hard-Drinking Party Girl: Bree thinks that after two years of EC, and now a full-time college student at UNC, Charlotte has become a party girl. She invites Bree to a quarry party that nearly gets them expelled, and then invites her to a frat party right after.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Her boyfriend and one of her friends are both Legendborn but she’s unaware.
- Phoneaholic Teenager: Charlotte always texts back immediately. Bree comments how she’s the type of girl that lives with her phone in her hand, never on Do Not Disturb.
Other Legendborn
Dr. Martin Davis
The father of Nick, and also raised Sel.
- Abusive Parents: He put Nick through intensive training, causing him to get beat up pretty bad when he was a kid. Played With, in that he saw it as necessary to prepare him for being Arthur’s Scion. Enforced when it’s revealed he just did it because he was hoping to gain power.
- The Chosen One: Subverted. He’s the Scion of Arthur, so if Awakened, would have had awesome super powers and be the head of the entire organization, including the Regents. But he never was Awakened. Thus, he resents that he never got to be The Chosen One. He tried to kickstart Camlann in the 1990s, by opening a portal, and let Sel’s mom take the blame. He then tries again in present day, so he’s actually the Big Bad of the first book. Doubly subverted, when it turned out he’s actually a Scion of Lancelot, not Arthur.
Natasia Kane
The mother of Sel and a Merlin.
- Misblamed: Martin Davis opened a Gate, and then blamed Natasia for it.
- Missing Mom: She’s alive and met Bree, so why hasn’t she contacted her son?
Guard Larkin Douglas
The youngest on the Mageguard. Erebus wants him to be the Kingsmage.
- Mistaken Identity: At first meeting, Sel and Bree think he’s a Morgaine because he tackles Bree.
- Hide Your Otherness: Wears contacts to cover his glowing gold Merlin eyes.
- Scary Teeth: Like other Merlins, he has long, sharp canines that nearly touch his bottom lip, due to his part-demon heritage.
