Realm of Knights by Jennifer Anne Davis was my first book by her and I loved every last bit of it! It had a historical fiction feel while maintaining original story and the author’s creative spin. It reminded me of King Arthur and his knights with a loosely based Mulan twist. I devoured this book in two days flat. This is a plot where men oppress women until they need one to fix their mistakes. The main character sacrifices her fundamental being to masquerade as her father’s male heir and save generations of hard work her family’s done to keep their land. Along the way she discovers politics, court life and espionage. She realizes there are perks for both genders and her unique upbringing makes her the only one that can help the Royalty. It was an intense and addictive read with a fast paced plot and tons of curveball twists, the ending being the worst one of all. I am beyond excited to get my hands on the sequel. Absolutely stunning start to a brand new series!
I want to thank Netgalley and the publishers at Reign Publishing for this opportunity to review an early copy as well as introducing me to another great author! I look forward to more by her!
“Friends are rare. I’d rather not lose one over something so stupid. Don’t you agree?”
I absolutely loved Harlan and Reid’s relationship. After Reid’s identity is revealed, yes he acted weird because he always thought that Reid was a man but then he chose to embrace the truth rather than judge and leave her without a friend. He is a man of principles and throughout I kept relating him and his calming morality with Azriel from Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorn and Roses series (ACOTAR). They are very similar men in both demeanor and principle. Their friendship was adorable and he stuck with her through it all. Out of her four friends, he is hands down the only one who didn’t baby her because she was a woman. He treated her the same and respected decisions as if she were an equal.
“There’s nothing wrong with a woman who knows her place,’ said Gordon. The fork slipped through Reid’s fingers, clanking onto her plate. She hastily picked it up, hoping no one noticed her faux pas. She couldn’t believe Gordon had just said that. Anger coursed through her.”
My jaw pretty much fell through the floor after I read this. Gordon is the middle prince and his impending marriage would make you think that he wasn’t blinded by their society’s view of women. I was just as shocked as Reid and like her I expected more from him. He seemed wise for his 21 years and whether this was to appease his fiancée who definitely fits this subservient role, he shouldn’t have said something he didn’t believe. And Ackley mentions later how his brother’s type is the exact opposite of his bride. Now who’s being someone they aren’t? This was a shocking scene and I look forward to more grovelling from him to recover and fix this fundamental difference in opinions between him and Reid. Their attraction is undeniable and I’m hoping he ditches his new bride for Reid but only after he dissolves the marriage because Reid deserves that much.
“Ackley leaned in. ‘Control your eyes. If they could unleash fire, you’d have burnt my brother to a crisp by now.”
I loved Ackley’s character. He was dark and mysterious and full of wise cracks like this one. He could joke with Reid one minute and threaten her the next and it blossomed into a great friendship, as odd as that sounds. He became a friend who saw the value Reid could offer and extended an invitation to an elite post as one of Knights trained in combat and espionage. This whole concept made the story so much better and Ackley’s hilarious dialogues just leapt off the page. He reminds me a little of the trickster god, Loki and he certainly had the power and skill to back up all of his talk.
“You belong to me.’ Her spine straightened. She belonged to no one but herself.”
You go girl! This quote speaks for itself. Reid is definitely playing a dangerous game and threats are a dime a dozen for her. Even with everything on the line she does not compromise who she is or what she believes in and her feminist ways are so awesome to read! This is a world dominated by men and she knows it but she won’t let that get her down. She wants more for herself and she will not rest until she gets it!
“The cool, crisp air was refreshing. She reveled in the fact she was in public in pants and a tunic- the clothes she was most comfortable in—while being herself. A woman. She didn’t have to walk or talk like a man or cover her hair. She could be Reid. Just Reid. The thought brought tears to her eyes.”
The kingdom of Axian has me intrigued. I really want to see how Reid handles her new arrangement and how more time in Axian will change her opinion between its differences to her home in Marsden. Her brief time in this foreign kingdom gave her a glimpse into a future where she can be exactly who she wants to be and this is everything she dreamed of. I hope her duke’s ring from her father has the same sway in this place as it does for Marsden or it won’t be much help. Axian’s royalty seemed to be more reasonable than those Reid’s already dealt with so I have high hopes she excels here but I won’t know until I have my hands on the sequel! I will impatiently wait and bide my time for it haha!
When you make a reader get riled up over scenes and characters as much as I was, you know that it was a success. This book is hands down a 10/10! Well done!
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