Unfortunately this book was not for and DNF at about 15% and was a slow read and felt dragged out. The story felt like the writer had been rushed to meet a deadline and they didn't get the writing as smooth as they'd have liked

This copy was kindly gifted to me from the publisher in exchange for an honest review (submitted on Instagram)

They say a picture is worth a thousand words but.. what if we no longer had those words? What if all we had were the electronics that while amazing and so useful can’t replace the written word? & what if being a reader was a crime that you could be sent to a cold and dreary dungeon over it? Or that there were government officials who could go into your home and burn down your home libraries all because a crazy and power hungry woman said this was the law..

The Book Knights was a Camelot/Arthurian retelling where readers/writers were persona non grata and being caught with a book was a capital crime. At the height of this society was Morgan Fay, CEO of “The Corporation” who kept everyone in line with the help of her evil son Mordred. When Mordred is tipped off to a family having a hidden library, he arrests the family living there and not being able to find the daughter Arti, he takes this little girl’s parents and burns down their library on his way out. Arti, miraculously makes it out unscathed & along the way to trying to get her parents out she meets some new friends who show her that she is different. After meeting a wise old man by the name of Merl, she finds out that she is the “Challenger” meant to take down The Corporation and Morgan Fey.

With the help of her new friends and her pen “Excalibri” they change history itself in order to save the world.

Fast-paced, The Book Knights is the first book I read by this author and I am so glad I picked up a copy as it was quite enjoyable!!

Synopsis:
Knights wield words as weapons, librarians are wizards, and books can change the future!

When her parents are condemned to death by Morgan Fay for the crime of reading, Arti Penderhagen becomes a fugitive. Hunted by Mordred, the sadistic police captain who recites poetry to enhance his physical strength, Arti escapes to the Isle of Avalon, a sanctuary for outlaws. There she meets an old librarian named Merl who tells her about the Grail Tome, an ancient book in Morgan Fay's possession that can alter the course of history. Can Arti steal the book in time to save her family?

This was such nerdy fun! I really was engrossed in the world and could easily buy into what was being presented wrapped up in Arthurian lore. Definitely a fun quirky book!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!
This was a rare dnf for me. I slogged through until about 35% but nothing managed to get me into the story. I tried!

The Book cover definitely drew me in.. But unfortunately the story didn't hold my interest the way I wanted.. The narrative was pretty good but the Arthurian retelling with a dystopian twist didn't do anything for me. Had to DNF

The Book Knights is a retelling of King Arthur but McKenney has created an imaginative and descriptive story that hooks the reader.

I went into this book blindfolded, But I definitely could tell that it was a Arthurian novel. The language and descriptive writing from the writer gave it away and I was really engrossed in the novel. I've become really attached to Fantasy novels in the last couple of years.
Arti is the main character of the story. Her poor parent shave been locked up for reading, loving, and having books (the horror!)Art meets another girl...street smart if you will...and they form an alliance with other valuable characters to make things right, an avoid bigger more awful things from happening.

I love how imaginative J.G. Mckenney writing was. It was descriptive and just plain amazing! I really enjoyed this book and I loved the diversity included in it. I'm hoping theres a second book because that ending was just ufff! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Offering an Arthurian Tale, The Book Knights is a unique take on the characters of a story everyone already loves. Including a diverse cast, effective and healthy friendships, and an interesting combination of magic and tech the novel is a welcome addition to the genre.

This wasn't a winner for me. Sadly, I didn't find it captivating but it was a quick read. Still, it wasn't for me., it might be for you.

If I had to describe this book in two words, that would be: pretty awesome!
Very unique spin on Arthurian times.
Interesting plot.
Good character development.
I would say this author has not only an interesting spin on writing but also plot.
Great reading!

This is a great read for my teens that are looking for something different and out of the ordinary. This was a great read! New and exciting with vivid characters!
Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

The book is Arthurian based, which you dont really see too often. Reading is banned, what an awful world to have to live in right? This book was absolutely unique in the storyline and enjoyable.

**Disclaimer: I was given a free e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Title The Book Knights

Author J.G. McKenney

Description from Amazon

Knights wield words as weapons, librarians are wizards, and books can change the future!

When her parents are condemned to death by Morgan Fay for the crime of reading, Arti Penderhagen becomes a fugitive. Hunted by Mordred, the sadistic police captain who recites poetry to enhance his physical strength, Arti escapes to the Isle of Avalon, a sanctuary for outlaws. There she meets an old librarian named Merl who tells her about the Grail Tome, an ancient book in Morgan Fay’s possession that can alter the course of history. Can Arti steal the book in time to save her family?
Initial Thoughts

Full disclosure, I applied for this book without knowing much about it. I was sort of on an applying frenzy on NetGalley and came across this title. It sounded interesting enough, but it wasn’t one of the books I was super eager to get my hands on (partly because it’s already published and if I was rejected, I could always go and get a copy).

Favorite Character

Gal — I loved that she was super mysterious. And, she never let her lack of mention in Arti’s destiny keep her from trying to help her friend.

Somethings I Liked

I love that this is a retelling of the Legend of King Arthur. I loved all of the nods to the original as well as the changes made for this story.
The power of written word — I thought the magic and world building in this book were fascinating. I loved the dictatorship that Morgan Fay ran and how she monopolized reading and all books.

Some Things I Wasn’t Crazy About

The ending — it felt rushed. I didn’t feel like there was enough time to tie everything up nicely and yet somehow it all did.
The geography and the languages — while I applaud the use of real sounding languages and names for places, I found myself quite confused at parts because of the naming conventions. A little more background/explanation would have been nice.
Final Thoughts

I liked this book. I didn’t love it. I thought it was a unique concept and I really liked the idea of the magic and power of books. I am glad I read it, but, it’s not my favorite.

⭐⭐⭐

Recommendations for Further Reading

Kingdom Cold by Brittni Chenelle – if you liked the Arthurian Legend element of this book, check out the Kingdom Cold series by Brittni Chenelle.
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson – if you liked the magic of books represented in this book, definitely check out Sorcery of Thorns (the whole book centers around magical libraries).
The Shattered Moon by Alexander J. Wilkinson – if you enjoyed the idea of a slightly younger main character (than what is traditionally seen in YA books), check out The Shattered Moon.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of The Book Knights by J.G. McKenney from NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op.

…a wonderfully unique plotline, compelling characters and an interesting and terrifying (reading and books are outlawed *shudders*) world! …

I absolutely loved this book! The author has created a brilliant and unique take on Arthurian legend. Filled with a wonderfully unique plotline, compelling characters and an interesting and terrifying world (where reading & books are outlawed *shudders*😲)!

The story begins with Arti, our protagonist, on the run after her parents are arrested for being readers and having a hidden library brimming with books in their home. A neighbour has reported them and their home is raided. Hiding behind a shelf Arti barely escapes the destruction of her home and is on the run for her freedom. Morgan Fay, the head of “The Corporation” is an acting government of sorts and has banned reading and books throughout the land. Arti is being hunted by The Flames (Fay’s enforcement officers) who will stop at nothing until they bring readers to justice. Scared, lost and on the run Arti meets a young street smart girl named Gal who helps her navigate her new life on the run. Gal unable to read is moved and they bond when Arti introduces her to the beauty of reading.

With her world in danger and at risk of having any readers annihilated, Arti teams up with some interesting characters along the way. She meets Merl at an abandoned Garage called “Camel-Lot” when they stumble upon his motor home hidden in one of the Bays. Peeking in the window they notice him reading an ancient looking tome. Arti knowing he is one of “them” decides to talk to him and their lives change forever. Merl who has been looking for the “chosen one” who can read the hidden text in the tome and is elated when he realizes there is hope for the world. One by one her knights are drawn to her. Along with Merl, Gal and Arti, Lance and Gwen join them on a crusade to restore reading to their world.

A fun fast-paced and interesting take on a classic story that I would highly recommend for young and old alike.

This book started off really interesting. A young family that have been targeted by authorities because they have committed the worst of crimes in the book … Reading. After this it leads to two different story lines that are very common in fantasy books that are seen so much and they are teenager must save her parents from the authorities and she becomes the "chose one".

This book was an easy read for me and despite the couple of bad points I made in the last paragraph I did like the characters the author did write them very well. And the magic system in where words are used is quite unique as you don't see it in many fantasy books.

unfortunately the writing was very basic and this is told in third person but from different perspectives and that didn't sit with me to well as I am use to reading in first person when there are multiple POVs so this put the rating down for me as you couldn't get the thoughts and feelings of all the different characters.

Going into The Book Knights, I knew instantly it was going to be a hit or miss for me. With a promising synopsis of knights and magic. The plot of the novel is, ultimately, lacklustre. You've probably read several books with the same broad strokes. Once again, it's serviceable, but it never really caught my attention. The characters just felt too passive for me, without many active goals other than maintaining a status quo, so I didn't feel a momentum to the book. I went into this book ready to love it, but it never took itself one step further, didn't really employ any risks. It played its plot pretty safe, and so it just feels safe.

I will give credit to McKenney for setting up plenty of intrigue and mystery. The book walks the line between "too much information for me to be curious" and "so little information I'm annoyed." It's enough I can guess at subtexts and meanings and make guesses at what will happen in the future, but there's a palpable sense of mysteries waiting to be peeled back.

So overall, this book was just okay and I wish I could have gotten more invested in it.

I really wasn't sure what to think of this book when I requested it. I've read a million and one King Arthur retellings, some of them better than others. This one in particular was both interesting and unique. Although I'm not usually much of a dystopian fan, I did like this one quite a bit.

I thought the book was good. I loved the feeling of how it was like King Arthur’s tale, yet so fundamentally different. It did however take me a while to get into the book but once I did, I immensely enjoyed it.