This is a really fun adventure. I enjoyed the combination of familiar myths and the new twist on these myths and new characters. The characters were well written, making it a great joy to see their friendships bloom throughout the story. The secret knight school setting was wonderful and I also enjoyed learning about the other kingdoms. The different school challenges and trying to solve the larger riddles and mysteries of Excalibur made some wonderful twists and overall I really enjoyed this story.

A fresh take on the legends of King Arthur and his knights! This story is told by an unidentified narrator that speaks to the reader in the form of witty footnotes and follows two very different children. The first is twelve-year-old Ellie, who desperately wants to be a Fairy Godmother––and to please her mother. But when she's rejected by the Fairy Godmother Academy and instead summed to train to become one of the legendary knights of the Round Table, she feels she has no choice. Especially since she knows deep down inside that she's no fairy godmother––she's a witch. Interwoven with Ellie heartaches, we also meet a modern twelve-year-old boy named Caedmon, who is struggling with his own heartache after the sudden death of his very best friend. Caedmon also receives a summon to train to be a knight, but it's not until his grief causes him to explode on his own family that he accepts the offer. Together, Caedmon and Ellie forge a friendship that carries them through the trails of their training and toward their destiny––but they'll only survive if they are strong enough to accept who they really are and stop the greatest evil ever to curse the land. With its mash-up of Arthurian legend, fairies, and witches, this adventure will appeal to fans of The School of Good and Evil.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a delightful story! I was entranced with how the spells, lives, curses, and setting wove together.

Have you ever wondered if you would choose to be a fairy or a witch? Both are so iconic. What if you had both types of magic? Have you ever wondered if you would choose to be a fairy or a witch? Both are so iconic. What if you had both types of magic? What if witches were hated? What if witch magic called to you?

And what if you were a boy with no outstanding skills who received a secret letter to learn to be a knight? I can't imagine not jumping at the chance. What if you family was in danger? Would you go or stay?

I loved the characters. The heroes worries of not fitting in felt true and well grounded from their backgrounds. As fair warning people die in this book—but I believe most middle-graders are okay with that when it ties in and remains on the periphery. It's also unfortunate that any middle-grade book with a school for magical children reminds me of a famous one (you can fill in the blank), but the similarities were superficial and didn't take away from my enjoyment. The "bad guy" was also fascinating. I'm guessing we'll learn more in future books about this character's motivations.

The tie in with the knights of the round table was well done and will bring the old myth to a new generation. I'm curious to see more how this will play out. I feel like the author has so much she can draw on to create an adventurous series.

I definitely recommend this story!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy.
This book was incredible! The use of Arthurian legends was fantastic and created an amazing world. I am left wanting more stories in this world and hope there will be another book. The characters were engaging and dealt with difficult subjects in a great way. This book was so wonderful and is a real page turner.

When I heard this book takes inspiration from Arthurian legends I immediately wanted to read it. With a magical realm adjacent to (but completely unknown by) our own contemporary world and an exclusive and secretive school for the Knights of the Round Table, this book has a lot of promise. I enjoyed the concepts introduced, particularly the inhabitants of the magical world; Fairy Godmothers, talking skeletons, evil clans of mermaids, and the Knights of the Round Table were all fun additions. I’d recommend this book to readers who enjoy reading longer fantasy retellings or are into books with a magical school element.

The Witch, the Sword, and the Cursed Knights is a middle grade fantasy novel. It follows the format of many Harry Potter style books: there's what is essentially a boarding school for knights where the students enter a new and unfamiliar environment and make new friends, face mysterious challenges while they learn about magical things, and try to become knights of the Round Table. The story has a King Arthur theme, with legends of Camelot, Merlin, and Excalibur serving as a sort of history behind the school.

The characters are the weakest part of the book, and as someone who enjoys character driven stories, this was a disappointment. The two main characters are Ellie, who is from a magical realm and wants to be a fairy instead of a witch and Caedmon, a kid from the regular world who handles grief poorly. The book switches between their respective viewpoints. Ellie is a reasonably interesting character, although she does develop a crush on a character who is clearly in a relationship, which was kind of weird. She spends most of the book fretting over whether she will be invited to her sister's wedding, only to reveal at the end that she had never actually spoken to her sister about her concerns. Caedmon is annoying in the beginning of the book but he becomes less so over time.

How well side characters are used and developed can make or break a story, but here they were unfortunately very one dimensional. There's a headmaster in the form of Sir Masten, who appears occasionally to dispense advice about becoming a knight and then disappears during key plot points. A couple other teachers also appear, but they don't appear often enough or with enough characterization to really be memorable. There are two students who spend the most time with the protagonists, Omari, whose defining characteristic is being attractive, and Lorelei, whose characteristics are being attractive and pompous. There's also a pirate and a skeleton girl who were more interesting characters, but they don't get as much page time. The villain character is generic and is evil for reasons that aren't really clear.

Overall, I would rate this book as average (2.5 stars). It isn't dynamic enough to be good or great, but it also isn't terrible or particularly offensive. It was a relatively easy read. Kids who are big fans of King Arthur may like the book. This review is based on an ARC received from the publisher and NetGalley.

Incredible, stupendous, perfect, fun, brilliant, FAVORITE.

Sorry; little excited. This book took my expectations, laughed in my face, and ended up being one of my top MG reads of 2021.

At first glance, Alexandria Rogers' debut might seem weighted down by familiar tropes. We have a prophecy, a Camelot mythos, and plenty of other familiar fantasy cornerstones. But Rogers writing feels SO engaging and SO fresh, the familiarity actually adds to the charm of the story; it had the warmth of a classic combined with a humorous, whip-smart, whimsical voice that refuses to be forgotten.

So, if magic schools + knights-in-training + heartfelt friendships + FEELS sound good to you, no matter your age, I would unfalteringly recommend THE WITCH, THE SWORD, AND THE CURSED KNIGHTS. It's going to be a favorite everywhere, and I cannot wait to see what Rogers writes next.

I loved it! There was so much whimsy and unique magic woven throughout. I was obsessed with Ellie and her spunk and really loved Caedmon's steadfast, genuine personality as well. The side characters like Princess Lorelei and Roxy the skeleton were wonderful and really added charm. I think this would be a great book for all kids into fantasy stories and can't wait to see where it goes from here!

Chaotic and confusing. Given the complete lack of set up and/or world building, I initially assumed I had accidentally begun reading a book from the middle of an established series. The lack of grounding material, the switching back and forth between two main characters (but not two narrators, that role belongs to a third party entirely), and the decision to cram 8 or 9 plots in at once only add to the reader’s disorientation. There are good ideas in this book, lots in fact, but they have to complete with each other to be heard. Most plot elements are either rushed through to their conclusion (such as Ellie’s magic) or mentioned but never developed (I’m looking at you, Bert).

Ellie wants nothing more than to go to the Fairy Godmother Academy, but unfortunately she’s a witch – something the world hates and which she tries to keep at bay. Caedmon, from Wisconsin, is struggling with the sudden death of his best friend and is angry at the world. And if that’s not bad enough, a dark presence suddenly attacks his family. These unlikely two become close friends after they are summoned by a jewelry wearing skeleton to serve as a knight of King Arthur’s Round Table. Can they survive the lessons/trials?
Magic, Camelot’s remaining knights, evil fairies, Excalibur – it’s all there.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley
My son loved this book with all the adventure and magic and I'm just happy he's reading so thank you.