Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

Lady’s Knight by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner is a third person dual-POV YA Sapphic historical fantasy romance. Lady Isobelle has been offered up as the prize in the Tournament of Dragon Slayers, meaning that she must marry whoever wins. In order to save herself from marrying one of the competitors, she recruits Gwen, the sword-wielding daughter of a blacksmith, to disguise herself as Sir Gawain. But things grow complicated as Gwen and Isobelle develop feelings for each other and the reality of the world they live in comes crashing down.

This is compared to A Knight’s Tale and I would say that is fairly accurate. There’s anachronistic moments, such as cheesecake on a stick, and there is a more humorous tone rather than something super serious from beginning to end. Roughly every ten chapters, there’s a brief interval chapter that is in the omniscient POV and talks directly to the reader about what is happening in the story and what is going to happen. This playfulness helps sell the comparison to A Knight’s Tale, but will also be a turn-off for readers who don’t really enjoy that wink-wink nudge-nudge kind of storytelling.

The story takes place in Medieval England and the fantasy elements are fairly limited to a dragon and hedgewitches. Most of the story doesn’t actually involve the fantastical and is more centered around the historical aspects of knights, sexism, and how women could and couldn’t move through the world. Because of this, it is more of a historical romance with fantasy elements and not a high fantasy. The biggest bit of lore is probably the lore around knights that has inspired Gwen to the point that she even takes the name Gawain, who is one of the most famous knights from Arthurian lore.

Gwen and Isobelle’s romance is on the sweet side and is as much of a slowburn as there can be in a standalone. The main thing keeping them apart is society’s sexism and homophobia as members of the upper class are not only not accepting of a woman putting on armor and beating them in a tournament, but they are not alright with Gwen and Isobelle ending up together. The pair do have allies and because this is a romance, it has a happily ever after, but there are points that did make me wonder ‘Oh, how are they gonna figure this out?’

Content warning for depictions of homophobia and sexism and mentions of arranged marriages between teen girls and men older enough to be their fathers

I would recommend this to fans of historical romance who want a light fantastical touch and readers of Sapphic romance looking for a historical

My first book by Amie and Meagan and now they are an auto-buy for me, the details were amazing, the plot was great and it's a sapphic fantasy? the trifecta of a book you need to read.

We need more sapphic fantasy period. This was cozy, queer, funny and emotional. I was wholeheartedly invested in Gwen and Isobelle, and I truly loved their dynamic and connection. The chapters where the narrator talks directly to us were a fun break in the story and provided some additional comedic relief. I wish more books featured this! This was a solid read, and I will absolutely be recommending it on socials!

Ooh. this was so much fun! If you liked My Lady Jane, this is absolutely for you. Amazing writing, very funny and tongue in cheek!!! I really enjoyed both characters and POV's. A lot of the feminist messaging was wonderful, maybe a little heavyhanded but it is YA.

I'd love to read another book in this world!!!

I went into this book expecting something cozy and queer, and that’s exactly what I found!

Lady’s Knight is a sweet and light-hearted sapphic fantasy that blends medieval tropes with modern humor in a way that feels fresh and playful.

One of the book’s standout features is the narrative voice. The unnamed narrator frequently breaks the fourth wall and throws in witty, self-aware commentary. While I wasn’t its biggest fan, it definitely adds a unique touch to the story.

I’m pretty picky when it comes to writing styles, and this can often shape my overall experience of a book. The writing here is charming and full of humor, but it didn’t stand out as much as I’d hoped. It's enjoyable but not especially memorable.


The dynamic between Gwen and Isobelle, which is the heart of the story, was absolutely wonderful. I loved how their relationship developed with mutual respect, banter, and emotional support.

I’m not typically a fan of slow-burn romance, but this one was genuinely well-written. The way their relationship unfolds felt natural and real, which really worked for me.

I’m always drawn to characters I can see myself reflected in, and in this case, it was Isobelle. I didn’t expect the twist she brought toward the end, but it was a great surprise. I absolutely love her!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book! This medieval tale was refreshing fun! Reminiscent of A Knight's Tale, My Lady Jane, and Ella Enchanted, I couldn't help but be charmed by this story. My favorite part was the interstitial chapters, I love when a narrator in a book breaks the fourth wall and just talks to the reader, it tickles me every time. This story has lady knights, sapphic romance, medieval fantasy, and dragons. In other words, it checks a lot of boxes that I love. Definitely check this one out if these are things you're looking for, I thought it was great.

2025 is a big year for lady knights, and before Tasha Suri and Alix E. Harrow hopefully bring us the most intense sapphic yearning in medieval times, Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner take on a more fun adaptation of the theme. Unfortunately, there was not half as much lady-knighting as one would expect from the title, and I was left a bit unsatisfied. We got Gwen, a blacksmith's daughter who dreams of being a knight, and then there's Lady Isobelle whose noble birth made her the price for this year's tournament champion. (It's not the book's fault, but I kept mixing them up. It's usually ALWAYS the princess who is named Gwen in stories like this.) Gwen sneaks into the tournament disguised as Sir Gawain (it does not get more arthurian than that, if that's of any interest to you), but Isobelle recognizes her immediately from their meet cute on the last market day. Isobelle is of course not keen on marrying just anyone, so they make an agreement that Gwen will do her best to reduce the number of possible suitors in the tournament. Gwen also disguises as Gawain's sister Celine, so that she can join Isobelle at court, and no I have no idea how that is supposed to make sense with her acting the part of three people. Maybe that was my biggest problem with this book: everything was a bit nonsensical. There is a comedic tone throughout and it's not a super serious story, but it also wasn't laugh out loud funny to me. I think I would have loved this book if it had really leaned into the silliness, but instead I was left with many situations I didn't know what to make of. Take their first meeting: Isobelle, a lady, is suddenly super interested in buying metal works from a blacksmith? Umm, why? Could the authors really not think of anything else to start the story? I also didn't understand how Gwen stood any change against actual knights who trained for their entire lives. I mean, good for her, but where did she get the abilities? She does some training during the story, but that surely can't be enough to be on the same level as everyone else in the tournament? Then there's this really weird mix of medieval and modern times. The world building felt unnatural with many clashing elements, and not in a somewhat charming way. For example: Isobelle is to be married off to the winner of a tournament, but she also regularly goes to a bar to drink cocktails. That just doesn't go together in my opinion. There were also plot points that either went nowhere, like the witches in the woods, or were very weirdly skipped over, like the tournament and the lady-knighting. The actual tournament only started in the second half of the book and many rounds were sped up, when I expected it to be the main focus of the story. Instead it was more about Isobelle and Gwen's relationship, and that was fine with me. I just love seeing a queer relationship in a somewhat historical setting, and I really liked the moments the girls stood up for themselves or for each other. Still, the execution of the story was kinda clunky in every way, especially for such a well-seasoned YA author duo. I didn't actively dislike reading this book, but it also wasn't a great read for me. My actual rating is 2.5 stars.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Storytide / HarperCollins Children's Books for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Storytide and Netgalley for the ARC.

"Why does that scare you so much?" Isobelle shot back.
"Why? Why are you so frightened when we go searching for the edges of the cage you put us in?"

Buckle up Lady's and Knights........it's time for medieval good time!! I adore Amie and Megan's books, and Lady's Knight is the cozy, sapphic romcom that you were looking for that's full of heart, action, fun characters, an epic dragon battle and lots of snacks. This was delightful to read and it's amazing how it doesn't take itself too seriously while at the same time making you care about what happens to these characters. It's a wonderful balance. I loved the Interstitial sections where the "narrator" talks directly to you and it's full of humor and the chapter titles are a hoot. Gwen is a blacksmith's daughter who has been doing his work while dreaming of being a knight and competing to show she is just as competent as men are. Isobelle is a princess who is trying to find a way to avoid being married off the winner of the biggest jousting tournament in ages. Hmm.........imagine what happens then!!! Both of these FMC's are so likeable and relatable and the romance is wonderfully sweet as are the group of ladies that are Isobelle's friends. The events move along nicely and there are some good twists, fun action and a fantastic horse, of course!! If you need a break from some heavier stories or just want to have a good time, I certainly recommend this story and hope there's another one coming after this!!

Fans of Ella Enchanted, Barbie and the Three Musketeers, My Lady Jane, and Gwen and Art Are Not in Love will enjoy this witty and entertaining novel set in medieval times with wonderful representation and swoon worthy love.

Lady’s Knight is SO freaking fun and fresh and perfect for young readers! Set in Medieval times, we meet Gwen, daughter of we the town’s blacksmith (but who’s been smithing for a few years on her own) and Isabelle, ward to Lord Whimsitt and prize for the Tournament. Gwen is an aspiring knight in a time where women can’t do such things and Isobelle longs for freedoms that aren’t bestowed upon ladies (such as not wanting to marry some rando man who’s good at jousting/swords…now a lady disguised as a knight on the other hand….)

This a sapphic romance which I adored and frankly need more of!!! Gwen and Isabelle are just the cutest and most unlikely pair, but their friendship and romance is sweet and genuine. I think they balance out each others quirks and impulsivity and I just loved the dynamics of these two. Gwen has so much depth and I love that while she IS strong and a great knight, she’s also still a girl and growing to be someone she wants to be proud of. Isobelle also has more depth than the shallow lady many people think she is, and I love that she’s so intelligent and masterful at handling the court. She’s a good pure heart and is so kind towards everyone. I love that she can be brave and inspires such loyalty with people she befriends and her open mind is a beautiful gift of character.

The pacing and plot of the story was well-done. It wasn’t too fast or too slow and the “narrator” chapters were very funny and allowed time for the reader to step back and think about the story and its current ongoings. I genuinely feel that readers who loved Ella Enchanted would adore this author style of writing. Fans of Barbie and the Three Musketeers would love Madame DuPont and her strong and powerful personality as well as the training to be a knight. My Lady Jane fans would adore the unapologetic chaos that this story brings forth and honestly if a show was made for Gwen and Isabelle, I’d totally watch!! I honestly felt like I was in the story with everyone, with the descriptions and everything. Amie and Meagan always do a spectacular job bringing new worlds to life and giving their characters a unique story in such a vivid world. The addition of the dragon was fun and allowed an opportunity for Isobelle and Gwen to work more closely than they already were. It definitely elevated the story to something more high stakes and allowed them both to be the heroes to each other.

I also loved isobelle’s ladies and their loyalty!!!! Being a woman can suck but this friendship and their strength are my favorite things and definitely not something to ignore. I also adored Gwen’s father and his unwavering support. It was truly so touching and a bit funny at how gobsmacked Gwen was when he came to rescue her.

I love that the heroes were not just Isabelle And Gwen but all the women they had met and befriended. It really gave me chills reading the interstitial and I got teary eyed 😭

Overall this story was fun and heartwarming. Amie and Meagan are always great at touching parts of the readers hearts and staying light and engaging. A good medieval vibe and definitely a book I’d recommend!

Thank you HarperCollins for this ARC!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review! This book comes out on June 3rd.

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

Gwen longs to be a knight but it’s an impossible dream for a girl - that is until she disguises herself as a man to fight in the Tournament of Dragonslayers. She expects to lose after one round but she wins. And keeps winning. Meanwhile, Isobelle’s fate is bleak: her guardian has offered her up as the tournament’s prize. When Isobelle learns of Gwen’s knightly ambitions, they hatch a scheme together: Gwen will continue to fight in the tournament while living in the castle with Isobelle as a lady. Winning means freedom for Isobelle, and glory for Gwen. Losing means the end of their lives as they know them.

This was fun! It has a great sense of humor - I especially enjoyed the “interstitial” chapters where the omniscient narrator speaks to the reader. I also liked the use of witty lines of dialogue as chapter titles.

I love Isobelle as a character so much. She’s overlooked and assumed to be stupid and vapid, but is actually so perceptive and clever. Her romance with Gwen is sweet, if not the most developed. I wanted to know more about Gwen and why Isobelle and Gwen were attracted to each other.

I wish the authors had fully committed to the anarchisms - they’re used very sparingly which made them feel rather random and a bit distracting. Same with the fantasy elements - I would have loved for these to be a bit more prevalent and to be foreshadowed properly. The dragon really comes out of nowhere.

Overall, I had a fun time with this book! It’s nothing groundbreaking and it has its flaws but I recommend it to anyone looking for a fun YA historical sapphic romance.

Lady’s Knight was a fun, slow-paced sapphic YA romance that really won me over with its lovable characters and emotional depth. I adored Gwen and Isobel and found myself fully invested in their journey—I was rooting for them the whole way through. I appreciated that the authors didn’t let everything go perfectly for the characters; the moments of loss and deception added great tension and made the story feel more realistic.

While I truly enjoyed the story and the romance, I do think the book was a bit longer than necessary. At times, the writing felt a little too wordy, and I found myself skimming just to keep the pace up. Some tighter editing might have made the narrative even stronger.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the Arc!

Dragons, Knights and Hidden Identities! I really loved the beginning of the novel where we get to see how Gwen is wanting to live her life far beyond what society wants her to live, and in a world where she does what is considered a man's job at the time, she wants to prove herself in being more than what she could ever be, even if it meant depressing up as a male knight, Sir Gawain. I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of the novel, but I was a bit sad that the Tournament and training weren't the main focus of the book. It was something I was thoroughly draw to when the book started and really wanted to have it developed more. The characters were also a bit predictable and made it for a quick read, and ai wish there was a bit more. Overall, it's still a fantastic read and definitely has its numerous moments that made me chuckle.

If you’ve ever wanted A Knight’s Tale with queer girls, dragon tournaments, and a feminist backbone, Lady’s Knight is your new favorite obsession. Gwen is everything I want in a heroine—scrappy, stubborn, full of heart—and her chemistry with Isobelle? Off the charts. Their banter is sharp, their yearning deliciously drawn out, and the way their relationship evolves from reluctant allies to something tender and electric? Swoon.

The world is both playful and pointed, with just enough satire to make the stakes feel fresh and meaningful. It’s a love letter to medieval tropes—with a wink and a sword to the patriarchy. Between the secret identities, the jousting matches, the subtle commentary on gender roles, and, yes, the literal dragons, this book balances humor, heat, and heart flawlessly. Gwen and Isobelle’s story is fierce, funny, and deeply romantic in all the best ways. I laughed, I rooted for them, and I didn’t want it to end. This was a total win.

I had a blast reading this book!! I didn’t realize I needed a Sapphic Knight’s Tale until it was in my hands, but oh man I did!! While it took me a bit to adjust to in the beginning, once I got used to the style of the book I found myself loving the ride! Gwen and Isobelle were dynamic, fun characters while having moments to highlight their struggles and inner turmoils. I adored Gwen!! She is so strong-willed, but also down bad for the princess! I loved every second of it. I felt like I was watching a medival jousting romantic comedy and you cannot really ask for more! We also got some fun interludes from the authors, and I thought that contributed to the general light-hearted nature of the book! Overall a super fun read!!

Lady's Knight was absolutely fantastic! The author wrote a story that was so well written I found myself flying through the pages, unable to put the book down, pondering what would happen next. My favorite piece of this entire story was how believable the characters were.

The writing is clear and clean, and very immersive. The book hums along at a good clip, but the pacing makes sure we're given time to breathe between plot-intensifying moments. The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb. I felt absolutely transported and I'm so incredibly glad I was able to read an arc of this story.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.Thank you to HarperCollins for providing me with an ARC for early review.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

This one is for the Merlin girlies. If you were on Tumblr in 2012-2016 you should probably read this because Morgause is one of the reasons you're not straight.

2025 really is the year for female knights and sapphic medieval stories. Lady's Knight is a fun and fresh romp through medieval times of dragons, jousting, and knighthood. While at times exceedingly YA, and also bearing a girl power message that doesn't so much speak to you as shout at the top of its lungs at you, there is enjoyable romance, good humour, and characters you definitely want to root for. I won't call it shallow, but it's definitely not something you need to sit and think about for a while after finishing. Light, both in terms of message and impact, it's almost what I'd call cozy low fantasy. And it is indeed pretty low fantasy. The dragon (yes, there's a dragon) is pretty much the only ode to magic we get in the world. I do really think that fans of shows like Merlin will love this. The overbearing king who mistreats his ward and the secret identity trope match up perfectly. The occasional reference to modern-day terminology like t-shirts or fandom are interesting but don't detract at all from the enjoyment of the story, and I think having the interludes placed periodically really gave this book a unique feel and vibe. I look forward to a potential continuation of the characters in the hinted sequel!

3⭐

Thank you to the publisher and the authors for the ARC! All opinions are of my own.

An undeniably fierce, unforgettably funny, unapologetically queer feminist romp through the England of medieval legend. Bestselling and acclaimed authors Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner bring readers along on an epic quest for valor, freedom, and, above all, love. A Knight’s Tale meets the Lady Jane series, with a dash of The Great!

I had decent expectations for this book but this novel seemed to work more on vibes than the plot. So many things were dealt messily and despite it being a YA novel, it didn't feel like one (except the minor use of explicit language). It felt more like a middle grade novel and it was so different than what the synopsis said. The depth of intelligence with Gwen and Isobelle was lacking. The focus on the actual tournament was less and so was the 'Lady Knight'.

Overall, I think it was a decent read but I'm not sure if I'll read the sequel.

I was really excited about the premise—give me knights, duels, and a girl challenging tradition, and I’m in. But the actual story barely spends time on the tournament or the training, which was a letdown. The narrative often zooms past the parts I wanted more of or shifts to a POV that doesn’t care about them.

I did really like the melding of the modern world with the medieval setting, including party games like “Hast Thou Ever”? It felt more quirky and also created an immersive world.

Tone-wise, it’s a strange mix—teen-level character voices with adult-level jokes and language. And the romance moved so fast it left little room for emotional development.

I didn’t dislike the book, but it didn’t quite deliver on its potential.

I am so in love with anything these two write, especially when they write together! And I absolutely LOVED the added twist of a princess and a knight romance - except make it sapphic! This was so incredibly fun to read, and I can’t wait to see what might be next from this author duo!

"An undeniably fierce, unforgettably funny, unapologetically queer feminist romp through the England of medieval legend. Bestselling and acclaimed authors Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner bring readers along on an epic quest for valor, freedom, and, above all, love. A Knight's Tale meets the Lady Jane series, with a dash of The Great!

Gwen is sick of hiding - hiding the fact that she's taken over her father's blacksmithing duties, hiding her attraction to girls, hiding her yearning for glory as a knight.

Meanwhile, Lady Isobelle of Avington, queen bee of the castle, has never once considered hiding who she is - until now. She's been chosen as the grand prize in the Tournament of Dragonslayers, to be given to whichever knight can claim her hand. And for the first time in her life, she can't talk her way out of trouble.

When Isobelle discovers Gwen's knightly ambitions, they hatch a scheme together - Gwen will joust in the tournament, disguised as Sir Gawain. Winning means freedom for Isobelle, and glory for Gwen. Losing means...well, let's not go there.

One thing's for sure: Falling in love was never the plan.

But the best laid plans…are often trampled all over by dragons."

I need something to fill the My Lady Jane hole in me. This will do nicely.