This book had the potential to be great but it wasn't executed very well.

I loved the plot, It reminded me of Mulan in the sense that the MC was pretending to be a man. The difference is that her dad was the one that thought of the idea from when she was young. This is illegal in her society so when one of the Princes finds out, She was given a choice: It was either she joins the army and uses her advantage of a woman pretending to be a man, or her and her family would be punished for the crime.

What i didn't like about this was how fast-paced it was. Don't get me wrong, I hate slow books but books that are too fast are also problematic. This book brought up like 4 subplots in less than 300-pages. None of these plots were sufficiently built up so it was hard to get invested. It felt like the author was more concerned about adding new elements to the story than building up a few. I believe in quality over quantity! Even the hinted romance was all over the place.

I will probably still read the second book when it comes out because a few of the subplots were interesting enough but I hope the storyline becomes more focused!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

"Realm of Knights" is a thrilling adventure story with an exciting premise: a girl pretending to be a boy, in order to secure her family's legacy. Reid has been raised as a boy, and since she was brought up in a male-dominated society, she has enjoyed the freedoms and education that would not be normally available to a woman. Due to this, Reid now possesses a unique combination of skills that include sword-fighting and being a talented impersonator, which in turn catches the attention of two visiting princes. With them she embarks on an adventure full of mystery and danger.

This book delivered everything I hoped for and turned out to be so much fun! I love stories where the main character has to hide his/her identity, and I was getting major "Mulan" vibes from this one, so it instantly grabbed my attention. I also really enjoy reading about a woman who knows how to fight and can stand up for herself. Reid is no damsel in distress: she is brave, creative, and determined, while also being extremely loyal to her family.

My only regret with regard to "Realm of Knights" is having to wait for the sequels, I would have loved to binge this series. It is a wonderful story though, and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

I'm not a stranger to Jennifer Anne Davis' books, and I have to say this might very well end up being my favourite series of hers. I really enjoyed this book. I liked that this book was used to build the world and establish introductions to characters. Not a lot of conflict was resolved in this book. However, it didn't feel like filler to me. It felt like everything that Reid did - and everyone she met - had a purpose within the story. I can't wait for the second book. I really want to find out how she is going to get herself out of her current predicament. Or, maybe she'll end up not wanting to get out of it???

I like to think of this book as a fun-time read. I wouldn't take it too seriously, although it does try to tackle some serious topics. Honestly, I'll be basing my review on this mostly on how much fun I had. That alone definitely deserves the stars I gave it.

This is a Mulan-esque type of book, but it's very different despite similar themes. Reid is a great main character! I had a lot of fun following her as she tries to navigate through her new...situation disguised as a man. Some of the scenes are hilarious, though they may not be intentional. There are many, MANY cliches and tropes going on here. With that in mind, this book is very predictable but still enjoyable.

Overall, even though this is a predictable book that doesn't bring much newness to the table, it's still a very fun read! I'd rate it 4/5 based on fun alone, and possibly a 3/5 based on content.

I gave this book a chance but i was not sure i would like it. I was pleasantly surprised by the plot of this book and i thoroughly enjoyed it. I will be recommending this be to everyone. Great Book!

I spotted this and couldn't resist because it's a girl dressing as a boy trope and frankly I was reminded certainly initially of Mulan. Now there the similarities end because Lord Reid ( or do I mean Lady Reid ? ) is just pretending to be male due to old-fashioned ideas about who can inherit.
Initially the author had me convinced that Reid was fighting on the right side but as this story progressed both this reader and indeed our protagonist Reid starts to get serious doubts ! I enjoyed the juxtaposition of it all but sadly at times things did feel too easy and a little trite. I guess I just wanted more from Reid although I'm aware this is the first in the series so clearly introducing the situation and the characters.
Oo the characters are sneaky and I liked that and even though this isn't a romance the author does dangle possibilities although I'm pretty sure Reid's newly discovered libido has been barking up the wrong tree and perhaps any future ideas she gets will involve someone who could well be at this time far from Reid's romantic yearnings.
This certainly grabbed and kept my attention and I loved the way it ended as now I'm desperate to discover exactly what Reid gets up to next.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Realm of Knights follows Reid Ellington, who is a woman pretending to be a man so her fathers duchy can stay in their family. Under Marsden law, a female can not inherit land - so Reid's father made the difficult decision to force Reid to be a male in public. Reid's secret almost gets out when the Princes of the Realm come knocking on their door - blackmailing Reid into riding with them to the capital. Prince Ackley has a special mission that only Reid can accomplish. Reid is quickly swept away into a world she has no experience in, but is uniquely qualified to succeed in.

I adore reading about knights, kings, queens, and epic quests. This sub-genre of book is what first captivated me and made me love reading. Add in a woman pretending to be a man, and I am SOLD. I loved the plot, the twists & turns, and all of the characters. The budding love story is such a slow burn, with an element of being unrequited as they are unable to be together. All told, this is a very well constructed book.

One critique I have is that I wanted more. I felt like the plot could have been expanded upon to explain more. The book is fairly short, not even hitting 300 pages. I would have loved to see more, and I can only hope that she will write longer books as the series continues. I will definitely be coming back to read sequels. After that ending, I need to know who the good/bad guys are!

For fans of Tamora Pierce, Jennifer Anne Davis weaves a tale straight out of Medieval times, with a hint of progression towards modern age thinking. If sword fights, political intrigue, and wily Princes get your bookworm senses tingling, I suggest you give this one a try!

This book was received as an ARC from Reign Publishing in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was by far the most inspiring YFantasy novel I have read this year. Reid and Mulan in my opinion have similar stories but by far, Reid displayed more bravery and more courage than anyone ever before. In order to inherit her father's land, Reid must be passed as a boy and her whole life she has been acting and pretending to be a boy so she can be the one that gets the fortune. But when her secret is threatened to be exposed, she has to step up more than ever and show courage and fight for her family's legacy. Once I began this book I could not stop reading. Such an enticing and thrilling book that is bound to leave you glued to the page until the very end.

We will consider adding this title to our YFiction collection at the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Blast. I should've known this was going to be the start of a series, but when I saw Jennifer Anne Davis had a new book coming out, I wanted to read it. I haven't read anything of hers since her True Reign trilogy, but I remembered enjoying it so I wanted to read her again.

This was a quick read for me. Slightly predictable in some aspects, but there was enough intrigue to keep me hooked because I wanted answers. Of course, there are no answers to be had at this point.

The romance aspect of the story was unique, a different take than I'm used to, but I have a feeling I will like how every turns out.

One thing in particular that annoyed me was how often Reid lamented about the inequality of women and how differently they are treated compared to men, etc. Completely understandable and relatable feelings; however, it became redundant for me.

All in all, I'm looking forward to the upcoming installments of this series. I just wish I didn't have to wait.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Predictable and easy to read. Reid, the main character, is not really fleshed out but I like how the author highlights her struggling with her gender role and her frustration with how women are treated.

But everything is just too easy....like Reid, who has this superrrr serious secret she needs to keep you know SECRET, happens to take a bath out in the open and the visiting prince who happens to need someone like Reid with missions, finds out shes a woman. Dun dun dunnnnnn!

And Gordon, who just happpensssss to love outspoken, strong women, cuz you know, men in this world just love that since you know, they don't allow women to do anything or own land, is interested in Reid. And Reid, who is used to being around men all the time somehowww finds this one MAN attractive.

And c'mon, Reid seems like the least manly looking gal around--how did people not figure it out? Because they knew her forever? Yeah, cuz not having a mustache in what I am assuming, a European/Medieval setting is sooooo believable.

Overall, the book is too safe but quick to read.

Thank you to Reign Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To start off, I give this book 3 stars. I think this book has a lot of potential. However, there are things the author can work on.

This story is about a woman who needed to pretend to be a man since she was a child. Her father, Duke Ellington, had five daughters. His wife died while giving birth to the fifth daughter. Since there was no son, Duke Ellington had no heir. Therefore, the fifth daughter, Reid, needed to pretend to be a man so that Duke Ellington could show everyone that he had an heir. However, the princes of the realm got wind of it. The princes offered Reid a deal: Reid would serve the crown, and in exchange they would pardon her father and make an exception so that Duke Ellington could appoint any heir he favored.
The idea of the story is nice and I think it has a lot of potential to make it into a series.

However, there are some things I noticed that the author can work on. For instance; in the beginning it felt like there were some chapters missing. There were no chapters to explain the surroundings, give some background information. You dive into the story immediately. I would have liked it more when I had some more information beforehand, and to ease a bit more into the story.
Furthermore, I noticed several spelling errors and sometimes the sentences didn't really flow into each other. That maked it harder to read, since I had to go back and forth. Another example; there was one moment in the story when a couple of weeks had passed, but there was no mention or any other indication of this. It was just mentioned in the text like "But you asked me a couple of weeks ago…". An indication would have made it better. Finally, there were some typical YA passages that I did not like that much, for example: "The wind blew Knox's brown curly hair into a tangled mess." So in the middle of a fight, it is important to know that his hair is now a tangled mess? What is the relevance of this? That was a bit annoying and not relevant to the story or situation.

In conclusion: I liked the story and think that there is potential. And I definitely see myself continuing this series, if there are coming out more books. However, the author could work on her world building, background information, and flow of the story.

**3.5 stars - review will be posted to my blog http://pastmidnight.home.blog on Sunday, August 25, 2019**

Thank you to Reign Publishing and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

I love the cover of the book, it’s what drew me to the story. Plus this is a girl dressing as a boy trope and I like those stories, I mean, Mulan – right? 🤷🏻‍♀️ After reading this arc, I can say I liked what the story was trying to do and I’m looking forward to book two. I can’t quite describe how I feel about this book thought – I want to read book two right away, but book one left me feeling…just okay.

Reid Ellington, a Duke’s daughter is living as a boy because her father has no male heir. To protect the title and lands, Reid grows up as a boy. Duke Ellington is breaking the law by lying to the court about having a male heir. Then one day the two princes of Marsden, Ackley and Gordon happen to stumble upon Reid, and they think her ability to disguise herself is a skill they need and blackmail her into being a spy for the crown. If she passes muster the princes will tell their brother, King Eldon, to pardon the Ellington family for lying.

What I Liked:

* Girl living as a boy trope because I like when the big reveal happens.
* Prince Ackley seems really intriguing, what is he playing at? Is he good or bad? I still don’t know. I don’t trust any of them, Reid shouldn’t either! He seems to pull the strings though, or should I say move the pieces. 🤔
* When Reid enters enemy territory, Axian, and meets her enemies…the princes there seem more intriguing than the ones in her kingdom! I want to learn more about Dexter and Colbert.
* The political intrigue is complicated, more secrets are going to be revealed. I’d like to see how Reid gets out of her current situation.

What I Didn’t Like:

* Reid is an okay character. She can fight…pretty good. She can blend in as a girl or boy but she doesn’t have much of a personality other than that she can follow orders. I hope more of her personality comes out in book two! I want her to fight a little more.
* The budding romance for Reid is unnecessary because there wasn’t much build up to it at all. There was a hint of something and then feelings! 🤷🏻‍♀️ But just because I think it’s unnecessary in book one, I hope to goodness there is romance in book two! An enemies to lovers…please. 😂
* I don’t know if it felt rushed because of how short the book is (270 pages), but at times I felt like it was rushing from one scene to the next. I wanted some things to build, like the relationships. I couldn’t feel for any of the characters until we are introduced to people in Axian. I keep wanting to say Axia instead of Axian… I don’t know why!
* The missions the Knights gave Reid, didn’t seem risky enough. I get they were tests, but I feel like there was no intensity or suspense to the scenes, except when she had to go on a mission given to her by King Eldon.

I don’t even feel Reid is special enough yet to warrant everyone needing her help! And they all seem to need her skill at disguising herself! 🤦🏻‍♀️ But because I am intrigued about Axian and the cliffhanger ending, I will definitely read book two. Overall, I find this a solid start to a new young adult fantasy series.

I first would like to start out by saying that I am a big fan of Jennifer Anne Davis' books. I read her True Reign and Reign of Secrets series last year and I thought that they were brilliant. She's an awesome writer.
I will say that this book started off really slowly for me. I didn't care much for the MC until the latter half of the book. The book centers around Reid Ellington, the youngest daughter of a lord who has been raised as a boy so she can inherit her father's title and property in the land of Marsden. Women are not highly regarded in this land and cannot make their own decisions, much less own property. This precarious position accidently throws Reid into the middle of the intrigue that is the royal court and sets her on the path to influence the course of nations. In the process, Reid learns to claim her own identity as a woman, and learns that the society she grew up in was not as ideal as she once thought.
I really liked how the main character grew into herself and became more self-assured as the book went on. The twists, which I will not give away, were vintage Davis. They are what hooked me and got this book a 4 star rating. As always, Davis' writing is sharp and clear. She has a great talent for plunging the reader into the MC's mind. I also liked how there wasn't really that much of a love storyline for the MC. Feelings are there for a character I won't name, but it doesn't dominate the narrative like other books do. Reid is focused on helping her father and her country. Any love interest is second to that. The climax and ending to this book was very satisfying. Another strong addition to Davis' litany of YA works.

Realm of Knights took me completely by surprise; it’s easily one of my favorite summer releases. Although a girl pretending to be a boy isn’t a unique concept, I was pleasantly surprised by the complexity of the plot and its characters.

Reid is the type of heroine I would have idolized as a kid. She’s independent, determined, and loyal. Throughout the story, she’s constantly fighting to understand her family, the king, the princes, and above all else- herself.

Rather than building Reid’s strength in contrast to weaker female peers, Davis has included other strong-willed ladies like Princess Idina and Princess Nara, which I truly appreciate as a reader.

Realm of Knights in unpredictable in the best way possible. Each plot twist was well executed, and quite literally kept me up at night wondering what might happen next. I’d highly recommend giving this book a try; I can’t wait to read the rest of this series!

Realm of Knights completely blew me away!

Knowing that the book had a plot I’ve seen and read many times before (a woman pretending to be a man), I didn’t come in with the highest of expectations, but I never expected to fall in love with this book the way that I did.

Although the beginning was slow, the pace sped up after a couple of chapters, and I just couldn’t put this book down until I finished it because it was so much more than just a woman pretending to be a man.

Reid was an amazing main character! I was initially worried that Reid wouldn’t have much depth and would only have a bland personality revolving around how women were versus men, but it turned out that I worried for nothing.

She did keep circling back occasionally to how she thought women like herself were supposed to be treated, but I adored Reid for her strength, which is shown through her actions and not her words. Even in the toughest of situations, Reid never backed down against others, but she also wasn’t perfect and struggled to achieve her goals.

There was actually much more action than romance in this book. I really enjoyed the royal politics, and the book did well to show us what was going on within the kingdom and with its royalty and problems outside of the kingdom.

But what was so great with the royal politics was how Jennifer Anne Davis presented it. It wasn’t overly complicated. I was able to understand everything like who the enemies were, the relationships of the royal family with each other, etc.

The romance, however, was only a very small part of the plot, but I loved the love interest that the author chose, even if the romance didn’t quite take off. And that being the case, I’m fine with it because it was hinted that there’ll be even more romance in the next book, which I’m so excited for!

I absolutely can’t wait for the next book in this series!

I have read Ms. Davis' True Reign, Reign of Secrets, and Order of the Kriegers series. all of which I enjoyed tremendously. This novel to her new series did not disappoint! I could not put this novel down, for each page enraptured me immensely and I needed to know what happened next. Nothing is as it seems in the kingdom of Marsden. Reid has been raised as a boy her entire life, even though she is a woman. Only men can inherit and her father did not want to lose his land, but what he has done is considered treason. To keep her family safe, Reid travels with two princes of the kingdom and gets more involved with the royal family than she ever expected. Women are treated like property, yet Reid is different because she can fight and will speak her mind. So much deceit and unknown intentions in this novel. Whom is Reid to trust...for each time she has a piece of the puzzle, more get added. Everyone has an ulterior motive and Reid is the pawn that is being used by all. All Reid wants to do is keep her family safe and save them from being killed. However, she will have to be both man and woman, and along her journey she will question the very things she was taught to believe. I loved the characters, each so different from the other. Cannot wait for the next novel in the series!

Realm of Knights is a great book that pulls the reader into Reid's world, where she had to grow up as a boy to ensure her father keeps his lands since he has no male heir and women are not seen as equal in this kingdom.
Everything starts to fall apart and Reid's whole world view tumbles as the two princes of the kingdom show up one day, demanding soldiers and taking 'Lord Reid' with them...

Adventure, political intrigues, surprising twists and wonderfully written characters make this book a joy to read!
I could not put it down since I wanted to know where the story would take Reid, how the twists and turns would play out and who would out-smart who.
The ending of this book makes sure that you crave the next one. I hope book 2 comes out soonish.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this great read.

*4.5 Stars*

This was such a fun book-- I read it in one sitting not even stopping to grab a snack or anything. If you love Tamora Pierce's Tortall series, this book will be right up your alley.

"Realm of Knights" follows Reid: a girl raised as a boy since her father only had daughters and women cannot inherit. Reid goes from being a girl dressed as a boy, to a boy leading an army, to a girl spying on another country and both the evolution of how she sees herself and how she sees her country. I really appreciate that Jennifer Anne Davis has Reid and others rail against the sexism that both restrains what she can do and also frequently changes how Reid is viewed.

This story is so fun and I was so engrossed that I felt abruptly pulled out of the story when I had finished it-- I was completely unaware that I was nearing the end. I felt I was watching the story unfold before me and after I saw the words 'The End' I was reminded that I had indeed been reading. I read a lot of books and enjoy many of them but it is notable for me to be so sucked in that nothing else exists.

The reason I gave it 4.5 stars instead of 5 is that I didn't see any PoC. It is not uncommon in books to not mention skin tones and while this may seem like that makes it inclusive, in practice it means everyone is whitewashed. If the next book is as good as this one and just a bit more diverse it will definitely be 5 stars!

I need the next one already!

4,5 stars.

A story of a young woman pretending to be a man sounds always interesting and promising. I liked the book. I felt that some things there were a bit rushed, like the possible romance, it was a bit unbelievable .... BUT I have no problem with how it ended because I didn’t like that character enough to be Raid’s romantic interest. I was intrigued much more by some other men and one of them will be in the next book a lot I hope. :) Can’t wait to read it to be honest.

I received and ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.