Maybe the gods of the literary world heard my prayers. That’s the only thing I can think of as to how this book, a book about a girl who wants to be a knight, came into existence. I had tweeted in March that I was in desperate need for a book about a lady knight that was feminist and gay, and while this may not have had the female/female main character romance that I wanted, it was super gay beyond that. We all know that the rule is The Gayer, The Better and this definitely qualifies. Bonus? It takes place in Chicago! Where I live! I love it.
It’s about Kit Sweetly and her job as a serving wench at this place called The Castle (think Medieval Times) and her brother Chris who plays the Red Knight. One night, Chris is having a bad day and he and Kit agree to have her take his place. It was going well, no one would know it was Kit and she wouldn’t get in trouble or potentially lose her job… until she was overcome with Lord of the Ring feels and she pulled an Éowyn. (I may have cheered out loud at this). And then there’s a viral video. And then there’s a movement to get more lady knights at The Castle. But Kit doesn’t have a lavish life, she needs her job at The Castle and she needs her Uncle Len, her boss, to not let her go. She’s balancing a feminist movement, feelings for a friend that she agreed to never ever date, financial strain, and familial problems. It’s a lot for anyone, but especially heavy for a teenage girl.
The story of this book is fun and fast paced, there’s enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. There’s a good balance of normal YA bad decisions with a refreshing amount of not bad decisions including a good amount of talking about problems and feelings. I admit, I was wary that this was going to fall back on old, tired tropes that I wish would go away (although I do acknowledge that teenagers haven’t had the maturing to understand that miscommunication is LAME), but it kept surprising me with its honesty and daring to be something more. Kit has grown up in a life that forces children to be mature beyond their years and while she doesn’t make every good decision, it does mean that she is aware of what choices matter more than others.
I highly highly highly recommend this book and I’m so excited for whatever stories Jamie Pacton comes out with next, I hope it’s just as fun, just as filled with lady knights, and even more gay.
Just Read It 