Tracy Deonn is purposeful about saying the Legendborn Cycle is “contemporary fantasy,” fantasy that deals with real-world issues, social systems and intersections of power. Write an essay about the way that Deonn integrates her fantasy-inspired systems of magic with real-world issues. Where are they related, and where do they differ? Why is it important to depict issues teenage and young adult readers can personally relate to in fantasy works?

Write an essay where you craft an argument about who the primary antagonist of the book is. You might argue that the antagonist is a person, like Erebus or the Regents, but you might also argue that the antagonist is a prevailing social system or ideology. Use textual evidence to not only argue for who/what the primary antagonist is, but why they are the antagonist.

There are three main groups of people defying the Regents and Operating Outside of Authority for Moral Good: Legendborn (Samira, Gill, etc.), Rootcrafters (Patricia, Mariah, etc.) and “rogue” aether users (Lucille, Valec, the Morgaines, etc.). Write an essay that explains the motivation and values for each group’s rebellion and present an argument about which is most likely to find success.