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siobhanthebookworm_ 's review for:
The Princess Knight
by Cait Jacobs
adventurous
dark
hopeful
lighthearted
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
Thank you to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Just managed to squeeze this one in before the end of the month! This was such a fun read! I've been following this author since the early days of Bookstagram/BookTok, and I've been excited for this book since even before its days as 'Medievally Blonde', and so I was very grateful for the opportunity to read this E-ARC. And, on the whole, despite my issues which I'll get onto in a little bit, I really enjoyed this book and I think it's a really promising debut!
The concept for this book is original, taking the general plot of Legally Blonde and twisting it to fit a medieval, fantasy setting. I thought this was an interesting spin on a well known story, without relying too much on the original film, and instead still reading as unique and fresh. I found the worldbuilding to be very interesting, with a continent of distinct nations, an impending war, and really clever use of Irish mythology. This was one of the stand-out elements of the book to me, and it was clear how much thought and love had gone into this element, with careful respect given to the Irish language, naming, culture, and mythology, and I thought it fit wonderfully into this fantasy world. I thought this book balanced the light-hearted elements and the darker, harsher realities of war and suffering really well, and this brought an added depth to the story.
I also really enjoyed Clía's character, finding her to be an interesting take on the typical 'spoiled princess' character type, and I enjoyed seeing her come into her own and learn how to take responsibility to do what was best for her and her kingdom. Similarly, I thought Ronan was an interesting take on the usual 'brooding knight' style of character, and was approached with much more depth than I am used to seeing, with genuine love and care for those around him, and a backstory that helped to shape his motivations. Their romance was very sweet and respectful, and I enjoyed reading it. It may have been slightly cheesy at times, but I honestly didn't mind that here. My very favourite aspect of the book, and of these two characters, was the disability rep. Clía's autistic rep and Ronan's chronic pain rep - as someone who is both autistic and has chronic pain - meant the world to me. I resonated so deeply with both characters and their struggles, and was so moved by their positive disability journeys and the overall representation. Reading this really reminded me once more of the importance and power of diverse representation, especially when it is written by authentically disabled authors, as this book is. The representation in this book as a whole was excellent and respectfully done, with both MCs being bi/pan and a wider LGBTQ+ cast of characters, as well as other diverse identities, and this served to make this book feel safe to be immersed in.
Whilst I did really enjoy this book, and will be heartily recommending it in the lead up to its release, I did have a few issues. I think, on the whole, this book just needed a bit more polish, and whilst it is a promising debut, I think it is still very clear that it is a debut. Whilst I think the side characters were distinctive and nuanced in their characterisation and identities, they just seemed to exist simply to be there, and I think could've been utilised much more for the plot. Similarly with the war and politics and villain motivations: it all existed, but never felt fleshed out quite enough. The pacing faltered a bit in places, (especially in the middle, where the switch from the 'knight-school' style of plot to wartime scheming felt a bit unsteady and awkward) and some scenes felt skipped over or simply addressed in monologued narration where they should've been drawn out, and vice versa, some scenes felt too focused on when it wasn't needed. There was also a little bit too much convenience (beware some minor spoilers here), for example Clía finding the jewel, and serious injuries seeming to disappear/be forgotten about after they happen (especially after the camp battle/kidnapping section). I think this book/world/characters just needed more time to develop/be neatened up. There were some loose threads in this which might suggest future books, and I'm really hoping we get more in this world to allow for that development and strengthening.
Overall though, I did really enjoy this book and do recommend checking it out! Whilst I thought it was a fun read, it managed both light and dark moments satisfyingly, and the representation was outstanding and did really move me. I think this was a promising debut, and I am really looking forward to whatever Cait Jacobs does next!
Just managed to squeeze this one in before the end of the month! This was such a fun read! I've been following this author since the early days of Bookstagram/BookTok, and I've been excited for this book since even before its days as 'Medievally Blonde', and so I was very grateful for the opportunity to read this E-ARC. And, on the whole, despite my issues which I'll get onto in a little bit, I really enjoyed this book and I think it's a really promising debut!
The concept for this book is original, taking the general plot of Legally Blonde and twisting it to fit a medieval, fantasy setting. I thought this was an interesting spin on a well known story, without relying too much on the original film, and instead still reading as unique and fresh. I found the worldbuilding to be very interesting, with a continent of distinct nations, an impending war, and really clever use of Irish mythology. This was one of the stand-out elements of the book to me, and it was clear how much thought and love had gone into this element, with careful respect given to the Irish language, naming, culture, and mythology, and I thought it fit wonderfully into this fantasy world. I thought this book balanced the light-hearted elements and the darker, harsher realities of war and suffering really well, and this brought an added depth to the story.
I also really enjoyed Clía's character, finding her to be an interesting take on the typical 'spoiled princess' character type, and I enjoyed seeing her come into her own and learn how to take responsibility to do what was best for her and her kingdom. Similarly, I thought Ronan was an interesting take on the usual 'brooding knight' style of character, and was approached with much more depth than I am used to seeing, with genuine love and care for those around him, and a backstory that helped to shape his motivations. Their romance was very sweet and respectful, and I enjoyed reading it. It may have been slightly cheesy at times, but I honestly didn't mind that here. My very favourite aspect of the book, and of these two characters, was the disability rep. Clía's autistic rep and Ronan's chronic pain rep - as someone who is both autistic and has chronic pain - meant the world to me. I resonated so deeply with both characters and their struggles, and was so moved by their positive disability journeys and the overall representation. Reading this really reminded me once more of the importance and power of diverse representation, especially when it is written by authentically disabled authors, as this book is. The representation in this book as a whole was excellent and respectfully done, with both MCs being bi/pan and a wider LGBTQ+ cast of characters, as well as other diverse identities, and this served to make this book feel safe to be immersed in.
Whilst I did really enjoy this book, and will be heartily recommending it in the lead up to its release, I did have a few issues. I think, on the whole, this book just needed a bit more polish, and whilst it is a promising debut, I think it is still very clear that it is a debut. Whilst I think the side characters were distinctive and nuanced in their characterisation and identities, they just seemed to exist simply to be there, and I think could've been utilised much more for the plot. Similarly with the war and politics and villain motivations: it all existed, but never felt fleshed out quite enough. The pacing faltered a bit in places, (especially in the middle, where the switch from the 'knight-school' style of plot to wartime scheming felt a bit unsteady and awkward) and some scenes felt skipped over or simply addressed in monologued narration where they should've been drawn out, and vice versa, some scenes felt too focused on when it wasn't needed. There was also a little bit too much convenience (beware some minor spoilers here), for example Clía finding the jewel, and serious injuries seeming to disappear/be forgotten about after they happen (especially after the camp battle/kidnapping section). I think this book/world/characters just needed more time to develop/be neatened up. There were some loose threads in this which might suggest future books, and I'm really hoping we get more in this world to allow for that development and strengthening.
Overall though, I did really enjoy this book and do recommend checking it out! Whilst I thought it was a fun read, it managed both light and dark moments satisfyingly, and the representation was outstanding and did really move me. I think this was a promising debut, and I am really looking forward to whatever Cait Jacobs does next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, War
Moderate: Ableism, Kidnapping
Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent