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A review by bookishvicky
Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair review!
★ 4.75 stars
This book is a love letter to fandom culture and speaks to me on levels I never thought a book would. Not only do I see myself in Viola Reyes (cosplaying her original character from this world’s version of Dungeons & Dragons, not taking slack from toxic players, sticking to her guns even if it makes others resent her), but I see myself in her struggles to combat loneliness while not letting anyone in.
She was sort of a “not like other girls” girl at first, but she developed throughout the story. Her experiences spoke so true to me: I could write an essay about how accurately this book nailed being a woman in nerd culture, especially at conventions or a TTRPG table.
And Jack! Love of my life. Sweetheart football player turned gamer. His character development was beautiful. Watching him find his true passions while learning to not be ashamed of what he likes and who he loves was adorable.
Twelfth Knight is rife with charming side characters (Olivia needs a whole book), witty banter, necessary conversations about misogyny in fandom culture, and subtle Shakespearian references that made me kick my feet and remember this is a retelling and then kick my feet some more because it’s all so well-written--- just such a fun read.
I could write an essay about how accurately this book nailed being a woman in nerd culture, especially at conventions or a TTRPG table.
I loved the framing device of each character’s “big games” opening and closing the book. It showed how far they’ve come, and how happier they are now that they don’t confine themselves to the boxes they assumed they belonged in.
However, I did find this a little hard to get into, as Violet’s character can be irritating at first, and much of her fandom talk and Jack’s football sequences can feel overwhelming. But I finished this book in one sitting, which I RARELY do, so take my word that this book gets GOOD. If Follmuth wrote another Shakespeare retelling with some of the side characters in this book like Olivia and Bash, I’d be so giddy I’d probably kick my feet some more.
★ 4.75 stars
This book is a love letter to fandom culture and speaks to me on levels I never thought a book would. Not only do I see myself in Viola Reyes (cosplaying her original character from this world’s version of Dungeons & Dragons, not taking slack from toxic players, sticking to her guns even if it makes others resent her), but I see myself in her struggles to combat loneliness while not letting anyone in.
She was sort of a “not like other girls” girl at first, but she developed throughout the story. Her experiences spoke so true to me: I could write an essay about how accurately this book nailed being a woman in nerd culture, especially at conventions or a TTRPG table.
And Jack! Love of my life. Sweetheart football player turned gamer. His character development was beautiful. Watching him find his true passions while learning to not be ashamed of what he likes and who he loves was adorable.
Twelfth Knight is rife with charming side characters (Olivia needs a whole book), witty banter, necessary conversations about misogyny in fandom culture, and subtle Shakespearian references that made me kick my feet and remember this is a retelling and then kick my feet some more because it’s all so well-written--- just such a fun read.
I could write an essay about how accurately this book nailed being a woman in nerd culture, especially at conventions or a TTRPG table.
I loved the framing device of each character’s “big games” opening and closing the book. It showed how far they’ve come, and how happier they are now that they don’t confine themselves to the boxes they assumed they belonged in.
However, I did find this a little hard to get into, as Violet’s character can be irritating at first, and much of her fandom talk and Jack’s football sequences can feel overwhelming. But I finished this book in one sitting, which I RARELY do, so take my word that this book gets GOOD. If Follmuth wrote another Shakespeare retelling with some of the side characters in this book like Olivia and Bash, I’d be so giddy I’d probably kick my feet some more.