You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Following a huge dumping by her (nearly life-long) betrothed, Clía decides to take her life into her own hands and go after what she wants. Or at least what she thinks she wants. Never a warrior, Clía’s first day at Caisleán Cósta, an academy for warriors, was rough. But she continued. And made friends. And learned. And pushed herself and her friends to become even more honest and badass!
I love all of the nods to Legally Blonde while also building a unique world, making me curious about what is in all of its nooks and crannies! I want to know more about Murphy, the big oaf! And I want to see more of Clía’s designs and how they change now that's she's been in battle and is more informed! Would def read a sequel if one came!
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Legally Blonde meets royalty, set in a fantasy realm? What more could a reader ask for! Clía is about to have everything she’s ever wanted. The perfect dress, the perfect prince, the perfect engagement, the happily ever after. That is until Prince Domnhall breaks up with her instead of proposing citing his need for a “strong queen”. Clía will fight for him back, specifically at the cut-throat training academy Prince Domnhall is attending. While Clía has never picked up a sword it can’t be that different from a sewing needle, at least that’s what she thinks. Luckily the Prince’s Guard and best friend Ronan is willing to help her train. However there is falling on the mat and potentially in love…
Cait Jacobs has taken such a fun and flirty concept and totally blown it out of the water. I have such high praises to sing for The Princess Knight. These characters are so well developed and the banter is unmatched. This is the perfect palette cleanser and will definitely hold its own in the genre.
Cait Jacobs has taken such a fun and flirty concept and totally blown it out of the water. I have such high praises to sing for The Princess Knight. These characters are so well developed and the banter is unmatched. This is the perfect palette cleanser and will definitely hold its own in the genre.
adventurous
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC!!
The Princess Knight was an engaging read with a strong female lead and an intriguing world, but I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 for a few reasons.
While I loved Clía’s determination and growth, I wish we had seen more of her rise. Her journey to becoming a curdah felt rushed. I wanted to see her earn it through more trials, more moments of triumph, rather than having the title come so quickly and I love Ronan but maybe without so much help from a man lol. The pacing also lagged in spots, and some of the fade-to-black scenes gave it a YA feel which I feel like it could’ve been executed better since we time hopped multiple times.
One of my biggest wishes? That the story leaned further into its magical folklore. The gods had so much potential. I wanted them to be more than just distant, all-powerful figures. If they had been woven into the narrative in a more dynamic or surprising way, it could’ve added an extra layer of richness to the world.
I still really enjoyed the final act. Yes, it was a bit predictable, but it delivered emotional stakes and satisfying moments. I would like to see more set in this world and how Clía’s and Domhall’s kingdoms developed.
The Princess Knight was an engaging read with a strong female lead and an intriguing world, but I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 for a few reasons.
While I loved Clía’s determination and growth, I wish we had seen more of her rise. Her journey to becoming a curdah felt rushed. I wanted to see her earn it through more trials, more moments of triumph, rather than having the title come so quickly and I love Ronan but maybe without so much help from a man lol. The pacing also lagged in spots, and some of the fade-to-black scenes gave it a YA feel which I feel like it could’ve been executed better since we time hopped multiple times.
One of my biggest wishes? That the story leaned further into its magical folklore. The gods had so much potential. I wanted them to be more than just distant, all-powerful figures. If they had been woven into the narrative in a more dynamic or surprising way, it could’ve added an extra layer of richness to the world.
I still really enjoyed the final act. Yes, it was a bit predictable, but it delivered emotional stakes and satisfying moments. I would like to see more set in this world and how Clía’s and Domhall’s kingdoms developed.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
What, it's like, hard? Go off Clía.
The Princess Knight is a loose retelling of Legally Blonde in a Medieval setting and boy does it work. I found this to be a really fun read, even through all the knight training and swords.
I found the world building brilliant, it was descriptive and rich and I could imagine exactly what kind of buildings they were in (living around a lot of castles does help with this!). I liked the characters, they all had their own distinct personalities that stood up well against one another and meshed together with ease. It felt like everything was done with purpose and with finesse.
I do think the first half of this was a lot stronger than the second half and would have maybe worked better as a duology with the build up being the first book and the second half being a more fleshed out second book. But with this in mind, I think this was a really promising debut and Cait Jacobs has a promising career ahead of her.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
The Princess Knight is a loose retelling of Legally Blonde in a Medieval setting and boy does it work. I found this to be a really fun read, even through all the knight training and swords.
I found the world building brilliant, it was descriptive and rich and I could imagine exactly what kind of buildings they were in (living around a lot of castles does help with this!). I liked the characters, they all had their own distinct personalities that stood up well against one another and meshed together with ease. It felt like everything was done with purpose and with finesse.
I do think the first half of this was a lot stronger than the second half and would have maybe worked better as a duology with the build up being the first book and the second half being a more fleshed out second book. But with this in mind, I think this was a really promising debut and Cait Jacobs has a promising career ahead of her.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
adventurous
tense
This has been a highly anticipated read for me for a while. I have been following this book since the original name drop (RIP Medievally Blonde). A Legally Blonde inspired medieval story was very much something I was interested in. I really enjoyed seeing the Legally Blonde influence ( saw that bend and snap reference) while the book maintains its own unique voice and concepts. I think the world was so interesting and I loved the politics side of everything a lot. The time jumps also were very smooth. I liked the lore and the mythology elements. I was also pleasantly surprised by the fact that this was closed-door. Overall, this was such a fun story to read and I was hooked. I also see the potential for a spin-off later.
Spoiler thoughts:While I was suspicious of the general the whole time, I was NOT expecting O Connor to betray her. I definitely cried when she killed him. The reveal that the prince himself chose to break off the engagement and not his father was wild. I also guessed about the god's jewel when Clia was in the mountains, but it was very interesting to see that all play out.
The only things I would change: I would like some more of the lore of the world and I did struggle with pronunciation so a more in depth pronunciation guide would've been nice.
4.75/5 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!
Spoiler thoughts:
The only things I would change: I would like some more of the lore of the world and I did struggle with pronunciation so a more in depth pronunciation guide would've been nice.
4.75/5 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This was one of my most anticipated read of the year so believe me when I say that the hype was absolutely matched and deserved.
It definitely had that fun, campy energy, it actually surprised me with how much heart it carried. The main character is constantly underestimated, but watching her flip that narrative and prove everyone wrong was so satisfying. There’s this mix of training, political drama, and banter that makes it super entertaining, and the romance? Slow-burn in the best way possible, the kind that has you rooting for them before they even realize it themselves.
What really stood out for me though was the cast of characters. It’s one of those books where you get attached to everyone (minus a certain someone I’d happily yeet into the sun 😂). The rep throughout was also so refreshing, not overly explained but part of the world in a natural way, which I really appreciated. And even though the world-building isn’t overly complicated, it still felt vivid enough that the stakes actually mattered when things got tense. By the time I hit the last chapter, I was torn between being content with how everything wrapped up and wishing there was more because I wasn’t quite ready to let the story or its characters go.
It definitely had that fun, campy energy, it actually surprised me with how much heart it carried. The main character is constantly underestimated, but watching her flip that narrative and prove everyone wrong was so satisfying. There’s this mix of training, political drama, and banter that makes it super entertaining, and the romance? Slow-burn in the best way possible, the kind that has you rooting for them before they even realize it themselves.
What really stood out for me though was the cast of characters. It’s one of those books where you get attached to everyone (minus a certain someone I’d happily yeet into the sun 😂). The rep throughout was also so refreshing, not overly explained but part of the world in a natural way, which I really appreciated. And even though the world-building isn’t overly complicated, it still felt vivid enough that the stakes actually mattered when things got tense. By the time I hit the last chapter, I was torn between being content with how everything wrapped up and wishing there was more because I wasn’t quite ready to let the story or its characters go.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyage for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
4/5 stars
This was such a fun take on a princess becoming a warrior. I loved that it was serious but still had a good mix of light hearted moments.
Clía thought she knew what she wanted and was determined to try and get it. I loved seeing her defy the odds and work hard at becoming a warrior. Even if it did start out for the wrong reasons. Her and Ronans relationship was the perfect slow burn that was really fun to watch blossom. I appreciated that it wasn’t rushed and we got to see inside both characters heads.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. The romance and plot felt well balanced. I would have loved to see more of the realm and academy. I think that was the only thing missing for me. Would have loved some more detail on the surroundings. As well as more missions. As the creatures and folklore were really fun to learn about!
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes