3.75 stars

Lady's Knight is such a fun read and probably one of the funniest books I've read in a while, I loved that it combined medieval and modern aspects together, and the addition of a narrator was fun. Although I wish that more of the book was focused on the actual tournament and I felt that the pacing was a bit too slow in the middle of the book. Overall I definitely recommend it if you're looking for a fun fantasy read with sapphic representation and I'm interested to see what happens in the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

Gosh this was just such a fun read. It's an enjoyable YA historical fantasy, maybe on the younger side, but honestly fun for all ages.

A perfect mix of A Knight's Tale and She's The Man. With a little of The Princess Bride or Lemony Snicket style narration sprinkled in.

The writing is exceptionally funny, and had me grinning and smirking at my phone for the duration of the story. A great mix of adventure, whimsy, and silliness.

It has some great messages about female empowerment, unity and friendship,  and being true to yourself. Some people might say it was a bit heavy handed at times, but I disagree, especially considering the intended audience. It also had cute age appropriate queer rep, incase the blurb didn't make that clear ;)

-----Minor Spoilers------
No horses are harmed in this story, but unfortunately the same cannot be said about dragons. I may read a few too many shifter romances, because I kept waiting for the dragon to be sentient and somehow ally itself with the girl....

This ends with a HFN, and I thoroughly look forward to read book 2 and more of Sir Gwen's adventures.

*INCOHERANT SCREAMING* Look at that cover!
But seriously, I requested LADY’s KNIGHT before the gorgeous cover was revealed, completely sold by the idea of a sapphic version of A Knight’s Tale. A high standard to set yourself in terms of comp titles, but one which LADY’s KNIGHT well-deserves!
Interestingly enough, the part of this book that comps more to the Lady Jane books (breaks in the narrative where a sassy narrator breaks through to speak to the reader directly for a few pages in between some of the chapters) where the only thing about the book that didn’t work for me, and I think it would have been stronger without.
This is a great example of a story that does what it says it will! It’s unapologetically sapphic and feminist, it’s a campy romp through a medieval tourney, and there’s even a dash of dragons.
The chemistry between Isobelle and Gwen is cute and Isobelle’s ‘lady’ allies are a fun quirky gang. The action scenes are well written and fast-paced, and there’s a dash of social commentary thrown in for good measure.
A great read that somehow feels perfect for summer.

I absolutely loved this! Adored the main characters, both loudly and quietly fierce.
I found all the characters well fleshed out and engaging. Strong female relationships set in a medieval man's world, with themes of feminism and classism, and a really lovely sapphic slow burn.
Well written, I laughed, squealed and cryed a fair bit. It felt cozy at times and I gobbled it up! Just a really good read that left me full and happy. Really looking forward to the sequel.
Thanks to Farshore/Electric Monkey and Netgalley for the arc, all thoughts are my own and left voluntarily.

Thank you to the publisher for the earc!

Surprisingly this was my first book by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner, and I loved it so much. Lady’s Knight was inspired by A Knight’s Tale, which is something my whole family adores, so every time it’s on TV we watch it, no questions asked. So you can easily imagine the setting of the book, but there are a few twists, such as cocktails and cheerleaders.

I loved the characters, Gwen was determined, she wanted to be a knight despite being a girl. She already ran her father’s smithy, made her own armor, so when the opportunity came to participate in the Dragonslayers tournament, she went and won. Isobell seeked her out for both of their benefit, as she didn’t want to marry whoever won the tournament and thus her hand. So Gwen and Isobell teamed up to make sure Gwen wins, and both of them can be free. But being a woman in a world ruled by men isn’t easy.

I loved the story, but my favorite was the narrator. I can’t remember the last time I had a book with any kind of narrator! And also, there are chapter titles! The best part, the sentences are from the actual chapters, so it was so much fun waiting to read those words within the story!

It is not historically accurate, but if you’re looking for a sapphic book with amazing friendship, badass characters and dragons(!), definitely add this to your TBR! I cannot wait for the sequel!

You go girls 🎀

This was a fun little romp through medieval times with a badass knight and her lady (who is equally as fun). The narrator is very My Lady Jane in style and whilst it was funny I couldn't wait to get back to see if our lovers scheme paid off.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC

Lady’s Knight by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner was such a fun, easy read!
It’s got knights, secret identities, an evil dragon, and a sapphic slow-burn romance that had me fully invested.

The story follows Gwen, a quiet village blacksmith who disguises herself as a male knight to compete in a prestigious tournament. Meanwhile, Lady Isobelle is being offered up as the winner’s prize—but she’s got no intention of playing along. The two of them end up teaming up, and what follows is a mix of adventure, deception, and an unexpectedly sweet romance that builds from strangers to allies to something more.

I really loved the way their relationship developed—no insta-love, no unnecessary drama, just two people growing closer through trust and shared goals. The romance is definitely YA, meaning no superficial desire or too much focus on physical attraction, and that made it even better for me. It felt so natural and genuine.

The stakes of the knight tournament and the risks of Gwen’s secret being exposed kept me engaged, but I do wish there had been more focus on the actual knight training. A lot of the story leaned toward Gwen learning how to navigate court life and acting like "a lady". We did get to see some training sequences, but i would've preferred to see more knightly actions aside from the jousting competition.

Isobelle starts off as the stereotypical noble lady—graceful, privileged, and yes, a little selfish at times. She’s not always the easiest to like, but she has a sharp mind and comes up with brilliant plans that no one expects from her, which made her so much more interesting.
But Gwen? I absolutely loved her.
She’s not the usual “tough girl” fighter FMC who’s loud, brash, or constantly picking fights. Instead, she’s quiet, shy, and incredibly laid-back, yet she still pushes herself beyond her limits to chase her dreams. She has this steady, determined kind of strength, and following her journey was such a breath of fresh air compared to the usual hotheaded heroines.

Overall, I’d rate this around 3.75 stars—which, to be clear, is not a bad thing! It’s super enjoyable, more of a cozy and fun read than something heavy or deeply intense. I read it in one day, so that says a lot!

If you’re into stories with:
✔ Secret identities & disguises
✔ Sapphic Slow-burn romance without unnecessary angst
✔ A knight tournament with high stakes
✔ Just a hint of magic and dragons

Then definitely give this one a try!
Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!

I've been describing this to my friends as a paraphrasing of the authors comments at the start of the book:

It's like if two friends watched A Knight's Tale (with Heath Ledger) and went "Okay, but what if this was gay instead??"

Just like me, they all unanimously went 'I would absolutely read the crap out of that.'

And so I was basically rooting for this book even before I read the start of the story. And I was definitely not disappointed.

As a girl who had a crush on the badass woman blacksmith in the film, Gwen was RIGHT up my street, and I rooted for her the entire time. The themes of feminism, proving you're just as good as any man, and classism really stood out and drove the book all the way through. That and the queer angst (which we love to see).

I think some of the inner thoughts of both Gwen and Isobelle while they figuring out their feelings for each other and what they might mean were actually the exact thoughts I had when I was trying to figure myself out too as a teen and in my early twenties. It felt very genuine and real and easy to empathise with.

[One thing that I wasn't a fan of was the formatting of the Narrator's parts in the ARC on my kindle. I'm not sure if this was my kindle or an issue with the download or what, but the words ended up coming out so broken up it was a nightmare to read and I nearly missed some important plot points because of this! e.g. Th iswa s wh a t i t wa slike t o r ead - but I didn't drop a star because of this, because it was a tech issue, nothing to do with the book itself and likely won't be an issue in the finished copy]

I was hooked all the way through, the stakes were high and the tension was too - I loved the women supporting women themes and all the characters (even some of the bad ones). The ending didn't feel rushed and had enough drama that I felt it did justice to the book as a whole.

Overall, one of my most enjoyable reads of the year (not saying too much right now but I'm sure this will keep its to spot throughout most of this year regardless).

What a lovely cosy sapphic Lady/Knight tale! I enjoyed the dual perspective of Gwen and Isobelle, with the occasional input from the narrator.

Definitely more suited to a younger YA audience.

I did shed a tear or 2 towards the end.

As an awkward, straight teenager whose romantic interactions with boys were few and far between to say the least, the vast majority of the romance in my life came either from reading books or watching TV adaptations of classics in which the heroes were invariably tall, dark and handsome and the heroines pretty and often desperate to be swept off their feet. Being the 1980s, there were – of course – no stories told that featured relationships that were anything other than those between cishet couples and reading this new title, I was struck by how much has changed for the better for today’s readers.

Here, thanks to authors Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner, we are whisked back in time to days of yore to enjoy a sapphic love story that takes the traditional tropes of bold and brave knights and helpless damsels in distress and not only turns them on their heads but gives them a jolly good shake and a kick up the backside to boot. Full of fun and perfect for anyone wanting the joys of a read that is set in olden times but that is thoroughly modern, this is a great title that would make a wonderful film and is sure to win lots of fans.

After being introduced to the book by our narrator, we are transported to Market Day, where blacksmith’s daughter Gwen is trying her best to sell the wares that her father has allegedly crafted but that, in actual fact, have been forged by herself, in the hopes of earning enough money to pay the entrance fee for the upcoming jousting tournament. As she reflects on her bold ambition – one that would see her punished in the most violent of ways if she was caught not just impersonating a noble but also a man – her stall is approached by a small group of noblewomen, amongst whom is a stunning blonde who immediately catches Gwen’s attention.

Clearly the group’s leader, Gwen quickly learns that the young woman is the Lady Isobelle and manages to sell her enough of her goods to raise her entrance fee. Thinking little more of her until she discovers she has been recognised by Isobelle at the tournament, despite her face being hidden beneath her armour, Gwen soon learns that Isobelle’s hand in marriage is to be awarded to the overall winner as a prize.

With the prospect of being handed over filling her with absolute horror, Isobelle hatches a plan to avoid this happening and asks Gwen to carry on jousting in the hopes of her winning the competition and thus preventing the noblewoman experiencing a fate worse than death. Keen to help, Gwen agrees but with no practical experience of knightly combat and the constant threat of being discovered hanging over her, can she defeat the more experienced opponents against whom she is pitted? And even if she can, what will she do when the tournament is over and she is expected to claim her prize?

The reader is warned at the start of the book that the story is anachronistic and throughout the story there are devices that are used in the plot that clearly are not historically accurate but are enormous fun, such as when Gwen attends a tea party hosted by Isobelle, but the recurring themes of sexism and being forced to hide same-sex relationships most definitely ring true. Isobelle has been raised with the expectation that she – and her dowry – will make a good match, one based on finance and being of noble birth, with no consideration of how she might feel about it, and certainly no possibility of her marrying for love. Gwen, on the other hand, has had far more freedom, having more or less taken on all responsibility for her father’s forge since the death of her mother – something that is an open secret amongst those who live around her.

While both young women have no romantic interest in men, each of them is pretty much resigned to a single life until fate throws them together and they suddenly find themselves spending much of their time in each other’s company. When Isobelle’s schemes lead to Gwen staying in the noblewoman’s castle home, the two of them are gradually drawn closer and closer until the inevitable happens and they not only fall for one another but admit to it as well. Obviously, the course of true love never did run smooth and the two of them have to deal with obstacle after obstacle that is put in their way so that the story leaves the reader not knowing until very close to the end as to whether things will work out for the pair of them.

I hope it is not too much of a spoiler to say that there will be a second outing for our heroines, publishing June 2026, to which I am very much looking forward. Although not at all the book’s target demographic, I really enjoyed this and having been brought up on tales of derring-do that are probably better left in the past, this has ticked lots of boxes as far as I’m concerned. Romantic, full of fun and action, I can highly recommend it.

My enormous thanks go to publisher HarperCollins and to NetGalley for my virtual advance read. Lady’s Knight hits the shelves on 5th June.