I enjoyed this book. It did tend to drag in places which is why I gave it four stars. The second half of the book introduced a new location and characters that questioned everything that happened in the first half of the book. The story line was good and kept my interest and the characters were well thought out and relate-able. It did end with quite a cliffhanger! I'll be looking for the next book to see what happens.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this one. The premise was interesting and it was easy to get pulled into the story. From there, the pacing was a little...interesting. At times it kind of dragged and at other times, it felt like too much was happening and there was just too much going on. There was also a romance that felt kind of forced and I'm not sure how well it will hold up in the next books.

While the idea of a conspiracy against the person on the throne is not a new one, I actually really enjoyed one of the plot lines introduced in the second half of the book and so I will likely be picking up the second book to see where that takes us, especially as it was set up so well at the end of this one.

I loved this action packed fantasy full of mystery and intrigue! I can’t wait to read the next addition to this series!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

A fun light read featuring a young woman in disguise as a man and a knight, in a land where women have few rights and cannot own property. I liked this and want to continue with the series. I am also once again irked by the medieval-esque European setting and the unnuanced set up of women having no rights. Medieval Europe really wasn’t that straight forward and it bugs me when authors use it as a springboard because there’s an easy and completely incorrect chain of association there. That said, I really do enjoy women in disguise stories and if I leave my own personal bugbears out of it, this was decent standard fantasy fare.

I'm a really big fan of fantasy novels that have a historical feel to them, so I really liked the idea of a girl who has spent her life pretending to be a boy and becomes part of a secret society of knights. The cover and synopsis of Realm of Knights captured my interest and I'm so happy I was sent this book, because I ended up really enjoying it!

Not a Romance (And I’m OK With It!)
I really, really liked that this was a story about Reid and her missions instead of a story about Reid, her missions, and then all of that being pushed aside for a romance. Although there are definitely undercurrents of romance (of course), I appreciated that the true bulk of this story is about Reid trying to figure out how to maintain her freedom as a man while now dressing like a women. That said, there's definitely hints of a romance coming up in future novels, and I am looking forward to seeing how Reid juggles that aspect of her life.

Time to Move to Axian
Let’s be honest and admit that Axian already seems 1000% better than Marsden. Within one page of Reid being there, it’s clear Marsden has some intense catching up to do, otherwise I’m really hoping that Reid decides to just move to Axian. The people, the values, the choices that are offered to people of both genders are wonderful to see and I can only hope that if there is a war, Axian troops win. After reading about what Axian is like, I’m Team Prince Hendricks all the way! That is definitely a ruler who builds up his people instead of keeping down half his population.

Reid Needs More Development
A drawback in this novel was how underdeveloped Reid tended to be. There are moments where she will change her mind on something within half a page, and while that's completely fine, it also goes to her character not being fully developed yet. I'm looking forward to seeing more of Reid and hopefully a more developed version of her. She has a lot of potential and I hope we see her grow into it.

So Many Potential Futures
I’m really excited to find out where the next book takes us! I have no idea how long this series is going to be, but I really enjoyed that the story could really go anywhere at this point. It’s a nice change not to be able to completely predict how the next book (or more!) will move or who we’ll be introduced too. While I have some guesses, I’m already looking forward to Shadow Knights (which apparently comes out in December!).

Overall, I really enjoyed Realm of Knights and the world that Davis has begun building. I'm really excited to see where Reid's story moves from here and I appreciate that her future doesn't seem easy to predict. In my excitement, I've realized that the next book in the trilogy actually comes out in December (so soon!). I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA fantasy, liked Grace and Fury, or is looking for an interesting female protagonist.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this arc. I will be reviewing this book in the near future with an honest rating and review.

The story is interesting from the start. The writing is good and i couldn't stop reading this book. I really liked the main character and i think this first book is a really good start to this trilogy.

I'm not sure how I feel about this novel. I definitely did not hate it, but I couldn't bring myself to care about any of the characters. I did appreciate how it went a different route than most books I read, like how the main character did not clearly show interest for a boy even after the end of the novel.

I also liked how the character is figuring it what gender she indentifies with. I'm not sure I will pick up the second book, I'll see if I have any interest when it gets released, but the character growth is definitely an answer I'd like to have.

Wow! This was so good! At times I grew a little frustrated with how dense the main character could be, however the side characters and intriguing plot more than made up for it. I really liked the youngest prince, Ackley, and was happy that the author never tried to force any feelings between him and Reid. His brothers on the other hand, well, let’s just say I was never really their biggest fan. I understand that women are not viewed as equals to men in their society, but some of the things the other princes or citizens would say made me really angry. It was refreshing to come across a book that made me feel such strong emotions. As for the ending, I can see how it could go many different ways and feel confident that the author will chose the right one. I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it to fans of fantasy or young adult fiction because of its well developed plot, rich world building, and unique cast of likable characters.

I always love a story where a girl poses as a boy to get things done. This story has a strong lead character in Reid. She is a tough and determined female who did what she had to do for the times. I will say that the book rambled on a little too much and the flow was a little clunky. But overall, a good story to inspire young women. I would recommend it for that alone.

I'm going to be honest with you here:
I hated everything about this. And I only read about twenty pages, if that.

The writing style did not work for me at all, and Reid was entitled, unlikeable character. In the few pages I read, she talked about how she wouldn't sleep in the servants quarter (on her birthday!!!) multiple times and, frankly, it was annoying as fuck.



Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing this ARC!

I didn't enjoy Realm of Knights at all. The writing was overly simplistic, and the world-building was almost nonexistent. The names of the different counties sounded more like the names that millenials are supposedly naming their children than names of counties in a country. Reid was a very one-dimensional character, and the author frequently told us what Reid was thinking and feeling instead of showing us. One example of this that I remember was when Reid was thankful that Harlan was still a loyal friend even after he learned that Reid was a woman. The author said that Reid was thankful, but she and Harlan didn't have the kind of dynamic that lifelong friends would have. Instead, Harlan was so one-dimensional and forgettable that I couldn't tell you anything specific about his personality or his life, other than that he was supposedly such a good friend to Reid.
Just like with Harlan, Gordon had absolutely no personality and I didn't understand Reid's attraction to him, other than that he was physically attractive. Ackley didn't have much personality either, but he at least had more depth and would make much more sense as a love interest than Reid.
The political intrigue was mildly interesting, especially as Reid has to consider whether she's really on the right side of the impending war.

☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2 STARS

Realm of Knights was an empowering delight to read. Rich description brought to life a medieval setting that inspired my recent obsession with historically-set books. Well-developed characters were also at the forefront of my reasons for liking this book. This story vividly portrayed the internal conflict of being forced in to harsh situations for the sake of one’s family. Realm of Knights was an advocate for female power as well as gender equality in a time setting that was not known for either.

I adored the main character Reid as she was a comforting sentimental reminder of my childhood obsession with Alanna from Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness series. I grew up reading and fantasising about being a strong warrior maiden as a result of Tamora’s books. Realm of Knights started out with a similarly well-written and descriptive tale of a woman’s plight to save those she cares about most.

While I thoroughly enjoyed majority of this book there were however, a few aspects that negatively caught my attention and brought down my overall rating. The mystery entwined with this story was intriguing at first, yet the consistency of it throughout the book without providing any answers to the reader became tiresome. I was left with SO MANY questions, half of which I had formed during the first half of the book. I had been expecting at least some of them to be answered by the ending, to no avail.

In addition to this, a dramatic alteration in pace from the beginning’s action-filled moments to a slow trudge through the middle was quite jarring to the reading experience. When paired with some questionable decisions from Reid, of which I couldn’t quite reconcile with my version of her as a character, I was left feeling a little bit lost. The inclusion of more ‘bread crumbs’ and consistency throughout the book would have made it worthy of the story’s highly impactful beginning.

Characters:
REID – Was my favourite character in this HANDS DOWN. She was intelligent, brave and deeply loyal to her family. She commanded respect from everyone she met and earned mine within the first chapter. The sacrifices she had willingly made throughout her life for her family’s safety were commendable. I loved that at heart she was adventurous and progressive. Reid had experienced the freedom given to men and refused to accept any other treatment as a woman, which made me happy! She was definitely not easily manipulated nor weak of inner strength.

PRINCE ACKLEY – Was an intriguing and quiet character. He had considerable impact in this story though, despite his dislike of revealing any personal information. If I had to describe him at all it would be… cunning. Nothing about him seemed straight-forward or genuine. Instead I was constantly looking for an ulterior motive in his intentions.

PRINCE GORDON – Was the fiercely loyal army commander and as straight-forward as they get. He came across as brutish (in a good way) and of sound moral fibre. The prospect of him being related to Prince Ackley seemed almost unbelievable. The brothers could not have been more different. This was a captivating dynamic as their first loyalty was essentially to each other and yet despite Prince Ackley’s position (SPOILER… so I won’t reveal it) it seemed like only Gordon fought for the good of all in the Kingdom.

SIDE CHARACTERS – Harlan was an absolute and utter gem! There’s no other way to describe him other than to say he’s loyal, intelligent and Reid’s supportive best friend. Her other friends Royce and Knox were well-meaning but their attitudes altered for the worst when they discovered she was in fact a woman. Gone was their high esteem of her (at least in Knox’s case) and in its place they felt the need to constantly overpower and restrict Reid’s actions in a way that they hadn’t seen fit to when she was considered a boy.

Overall, this story was a very pleasant read and part of a series that I will continue with. I loved that the ending was not as I had predicted it was going to be and nicely set up some intrigue concerning Reid’s future. I look forward to the next book and hope the series continues to surprise.

In this world a kingdom exists where women are not aloud to hold land or titles. Ahem.. intriguing. Enter our main character Reid who has lived her entire life as boy. *See sentence above* has not been given much of a choice in life but SHE is about to rewrite history. The contours of the plot will undoubtedly feel familiar to genre fans, but the author continues to adeptly dress the bones of his premise. And dress them. And dress them. The result is a ravishingly vivid and convincing novel, relentlessly erudite and remarkably inventive.

The Realm of Knights is a lavishly ambitious novel, and it delivers on that ambition. Davis moves through her conceptual tangle with great thoroughness and startling clarity, leaving no stone unturned. Her ability to craft a complex, intricate and tightly wound mechanism of a story that brims and bubbles with detail without that information ever seeming tedious or encyclopedic, and to skewer modern tropes with a deft but direct hand, is enormous.

Reading this book, you’re always living in action's eye, bright and polished. The magic in this world is thrumming with restless energy, an unfathomable force that makes you feel as though you were part of something. It's what makes Realm of Knights an effortlessly charismatic novel. The story is always striving and seeking, eddying and turning in such slyly unpredictable ways, always delighting in some new twist of cleverness, some brilliance summoned out of the air, that, honestly, I sometimes laughed out loud at Davis's ingenuity. But it’s when she lays all her cards down at last that it becomes soundly devastating. Revelations come roaring at the reader, as deafening as any explosion, louder than the rending of the earth, and I drank it all in a daze of fascinated horror. The ending opened the chasm of my curiosity even deeper, kicking up a storm in my mind, the last line setting a nauseating quiver in the marrow of my bones.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed "Realm of Knights" by Jennifer Anne Davis. This is the story of a girl named Reid who has lived her entire life as a boy. Her father had only daughters and to keep his land, he must have a male heir. Reid has learned to spar with the boys and men in town and she has friends among the males. Only her sisters and her father know the truth. Her home land, Marsden, doesn't value woman. They can't own land or even choose who to marry. When two princes (brothers) visit her town they see her sparring and discover her secret. They decide she can be useful for their own politically reasons and bring her home to the castle. Reid is thrown into a game where she really doesn't know the truth about anything. She is given conflicting orders. One of the princes wants her for his secret Knight organization which even the King doesn't know about. Then the King gives her a mission as well. All Reid really wants is for the King to offer her father a pardon so he doesn't get in trouble for lying about having a son which is considered an act of treason. There are so many twists to the novel which really made for interesting reading. The book is also very well written. My one complaint is that there is absolutely no resolution to anything. We still have no idea who has pure motives and who is out to harm her. I never mind a good cliffhanger but the best ones are those where some huge threads are wrapped up but there is still an interesting thread left dangling to suck you into buying the next book. Well the good news is that I am invested more than enough to read the next installment. I think most fantasy readers will be pleased with this one.

I received a digital advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

So, this story was good. I did enjoy it and its Mulan-esque feel. Realm of Knights is incredibly fast paced. I feel it was almost too fast paced. I didn’t feel like I had enough time to get to know many of the other characters. I did enjoy getting to know Reid, but I do wish I had a chance to get to know the other characters from this story.

My other real complaint with Realm of Knights is that it left me with lots of unanswered questions, I do hope that the second book in this series will shed light on more of a backstory.

I also felt like there was no real build up for build up for the romance in this book. It felt super rushed and there was no real time for the characters to really build up feelings. I did love the strong female characters, and it was refreshing to have multiple feminine leaders.

Overall, this was a good book and I did enjoy myself while reading. I am excited to see where Davis takes this story!

4 knighted ★★★★✩
This book is for you if… you enjoy ya although that genre might have let you down recently. There is more plot than romance but you'll still get some lovin'. The writing and world-building is excellent, although there needs to be some more engagement with side-characters to make the story feel more genuine. Light cliffhanger ahead.

⇝Overall.
Excuse me but how dare you not provide me with the sequel instantly, Jennifer? This is outrageous. I can not WAIT to continue this story, seriously. It is well written from page one on and the world-building is excellent. I need to know what Reid will do next. OMG. Send help.

I was sucked into this fairly quickly and couldn't wait for work, social life and uni to be over so I could come back to it. (Yes, I will end up as a crazy dog lady - not ashamed to say it.) The plot twist was very unexpected, which I loved. I suspected there was something going on Reid didn't catch on to. The twist was executed fabulously.

The only distinct problem I had with the story was that it felt very difficult to connect to the characters - aside from Reid herself. The relationship-building between Reid and Gordon, Ackley, and Idina was very vague and made parts of the plot feel unrelatable. I think this is mostly owed to the little interaction of Reid with the characters that was paired with strong emotional opinions towards them, which doesn't make sense if the relationship is not drawn out more precisely. I also felt that there were too many men involved in the plot.

I immediately checked out Jennifer Anne Davis and was overjoyed that I already have one of her other books on my kindle app. I'll definitely check The Key as soon as possible (she said, fully well knowing she'll be overwhelmed by the sheer choice of books on her app as soon as she has to pick a read.)

↠What’s happening.
The youngest daughter of an heirless duke, Reid has played the role of the son for as long as she can remember. To ensure that her family will be able to keep their lands and title, she dressed, walked, spoke and acted like a man. Only men are eligible to inherit in Marsden, such is the law.

But then the princes Gordon and Ackley, brother to King Elodin, turn up and the entire act is uncovered. Forced to accompany them to their home and the king, Reid finds out that being a man is far easier than a woman. You have close to no rights, are not taken seriously by anybody and are underestimated and dismissed.

Reid becomes a figure in the royal family's chess game against the rivalling kingdom of Elodin's uncle Hendrick, ruler of Axian, a country people know very little of. Hendrick is said to want the throne and the kingdom all for himself. And Reid is to be the one to prevent that.
_____________________
Writing quality + easy of reading = 5*

pace = 5*

plot development = 4*

characters = 3*

enjoyability = 4*

insightfulness = 3*

Oh man I don't know what to think of this. I had more cons with this than pros.
I thought the writing was really inconsistent.
I didn't like that all of a sudden she really liked Gordon when she had so much more chemistry with Ackley. I swear she better not get with Gordon especially because he's married. He's pretty sleazy because he was still trying to get with her.
I really hope she and Dexter are perfect for eachother and she stays in the other kingdom because it's such a better fit for her.
I will still red the next book just to see what happens.

Realm of Knights is the first installment in author Jennifer Anne Davis' Knights of the Realm series. 18-year old Reid Ellington lives in the land of Marsden where women have no rights, nor can they inherit land from their fathers. They are basically cannon fodder for political reasons. Reid is the youngest daughter of 5 who has to play the part of a man until one of her married sisters has a son. Reid has spent 18 years hiding the fact that she was born female so that Duke Ellington's land stays in the family.

In Marsden, lying about your identity is punishable by death. What's worse is that Reid is getting to that age where it’s obvious that she is not a boy, even by those who grew up with her. Trouble soon arrives in the form of Prince Gordon and Prince Ackley who demand that the Duke provide them with 500 soldiers to protect the border from incursions. They realize almost immediately that Reid is a girl, but instead of exposing her and charging her father with treason, they ask her to serve the realm and in doing so, she can earn a pardon for her father for lying to the king.

As a female who was trained in combat, the young princes believe her to be the perfect person to spy on the neighboring nation since she can "pass" as both male and female. Reid, in trying to do what's right and prove herself the pardon for her father, ends up involved in a family squabble. Ackley claims that his Uncle Henrick, who rules over Axian, is after the Marsden crown which his brother Eldon currently holds. After passing several challenges put forth for Reid to join the exclusive Realm of Knights, she finds yet more trouble. King Eldon, not knowing that Reid is a member of Ackley's Realm of Knights, is sent to Axian to steal something that is supposed to hold a life changing secret.

Thanks in part to Princess Idina and some blackmail, comes out in public as Lady Reid Ellington. She gets to experience what life as a woman in Marsden and Axian really means. Reid finds that Axian is a place where she should be living, not Marsden where women have no rights and no freedoms. In Axian, Reid meets the so called enemies who are not what they seem. Axian isn't a country preparing for war. Axian is a country that appears to be thriving. In fact, almost all of the family seems rather friendly to Reid except for one. Are they for real? Or, are they playing a game Reid as a pawn in a deadly game?

I liked Reid just fine. I would have liked the author to show more of her skills as someone who was trained in combat, but it's early in the series, right? I totally blame her situation on the fact that her father refused to remarry after his wife died thus leaving Reid to shoulder all the responsibility of being her fathers heir. In reality, I do believe that he loves his daughter unconditionally as is shown later in the story. There's so many things that need to be uncovered.

I would have liked a wee bit more world building in order to suss out this world. Is Ackley really who he pretends to be, and not just another hurdle for Reid to jump over? The question really is, who is the true antagonist, and who is not what they seem? If Ackley actually cared about Reid as he claims, why then stand silent when she is ordered to do the King's bidding? Not sure if I am all in on the suspected romance between Reid and Gordon.

However, yes, I will continue with this series since I trust this author and the stories that she writes. I loved her Reign of Secrets series, but need to finish reading the final (2) installments in the series.

I love girls who dress as boys trying to disguise the fact that they are boys, Mulan style. But it is hard to believe and I am not that easily fooled anymore.
Pros- I do like how the author weaves sexism in this world it does mirror our world. The MC is not annoying and horrible, feminism.
Cons- slooooooooooow pacing, not intriguing enough of a story, not knowing what the hell was going on, instalove.

I received a free arc copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, my opinions are my own.