LOTS OF SPOILERS!
Thank you for the Advanced Readers Copy

Stories like this where a woman is pretending to be a man have always interested me, even though I believe that it is almost impossible to getaway. I'm not surprised when the Prince's knew about it straight away.
But I can't wait to find out what they want Reid for.

The writing style is very interesting, it's not hard to follow or confusing. I find myself sucked into the story and not wanting to stop reading about Reid's story.

I feel like the royal family trust Reid way to quickly. They put her in charge of the Princess very quickly, let her stay alone, send her on important missions, and then the King is telling her deep, dark secrets without even knowing her. You would think they would need more than a couple of days and watch her a little longer to trust her that much.

I did not like the trajectory of Reid and Gordan, not because I didn't want them together, but because it happened way to fast with very little interactions between the two. I would have loved to see more interactions between the two so we can see the build-up of feelings.

Basically this is how some of the plot goes.
Ried: I have an idea. - Reid's father: Don't do it.
Reid: I have an idea. - Knox: Don't do it.
Reid: I have an idea. - The Princes: Don't do it.
Reid: I have an idea. - Everyone in Ellington: But...but... You're a woman? A woman can't think for herself!
Reid: I have an idea. - Harlan: Don't do it. Well... Maybe. Actually seriously, Don't.
Reid: I have an idea. - Princess Nara: Don't be stupid.
Reid: I have an idea. - Harlan: Seriously, don't do it.
Reid's father and Royal Family: We have an idea. - Reid: Dammit!

I think the plot twist with the Axian Royal family is very interesting. It opens up so many more questions about the other characters in the book and who to trust.

And seriously, a box with letters in it rattled! You don't investigate? Seriously Reid? *facepalms*

The end of the book left me craving more! I really NEED to know what will happen when Reid reaches Axian and faces Dexter!

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and am waiting anxiously for book two!

I'm having a hard time writing a review for this book. The ideas, world and and story are great. But the execution leaves somethings to be desired. A lot of the book is completely flat. Where I wanted emotion and feelings I got nothing. And it was made worse by the fact that I liked the story enough to finish it! In fact, despite this poor review, I will be looking for the next book in the series!

Woah.
This was quite exciting to read. Reid, due to her upbringing masquerading as a son instead of a daughter, knows not what it means to be a submissive woman. It’s almost like Mulan, but the story maintains its own bit of individuality. She’s not a rough and tumble character, but she remains strong throughout the book. She finds new friendships, loses old ones, and navigates her way through royal politics. While that may sound familiar, there is a twist in the last third of the book that made me eager to see how future books will play out.

ARC provided by publisher on Netgalley.

This book is the story of a girl, Reid, who's father had raised her as a boy all or life because in the land of Marsden one can only pass is titled and land to a male heir. But one day, the Prince's of Marsden visit the Duke Ellington, Reid's father, demanding soldier to protect the border and they asked that Reid leads the soldier's all the way to the border. But the problem is that both Prince's knows that Reid's a girl.
And then began the journey of Reid, Prince Ackley and Prince Gordon, following by Reid's friend Knox, Harlan and Royce.

First of all, I loved that book ! It was a quick read since it's not a long story to begin with, but also because I really loved the plot and the main characters. We have a lot of little plot twist all the way through until the end of the book and I didn't saw most of them coming. Every time the author put another twist in the story I wanted to know more about the adventure of the characters and didn't want to put the book down. Until the last few page we had new plot twist and the last one was the best of all. I didn't know it was the end until I saw the "end of book one" at the bottom of the page. And now I need to know what will happened to Reid.

Regarding the character, I really loved Reid's character. It's important to know that, since her father raised her as a boy all her life and she always appears as a boy everywhere, she really struggle with her identity. The way the author transfert the struggle into the story is really interesting. She explain really well how women are treated in the country of Marsden and it's an important topic since it influence a lot the actions of the characters and the story.

Even if the majority of the men in the country think women are inferior to men, we have some characters that have an opposite view on this situation, like both prince's. One of my favorite quote is this one, from Prince Ackley : " I could see myself marrying if the right woman cam along. Someone feisty and strong-willed. Someone who challenges me."

Finally, the only issue I have in this book is that sometimes we lack in description of certain situation. Some part of the journey is past through really fast and I think we can have a little bit more of the story.

I'm looking forward for the second book in this new series of Jennifer Anne Davis. This book is really good and you should give it a try on it's release today !

Overall, this was a fun, easy read. Just like everyone who already reviewed this book, Mulan was the first thing that came to mind when I read the summary. A female character disguised as a male, who sounded legit with her sword skills? Sounds like a fun adventure!

The plot was promising, and while I wasn't 100% disappointed, I do have a few gripes. The first one, the character building was just okay. I never truly felt connected to any of them, and I felt like relationships happened awfully fast. I mean, what is up with everyone trusting the main character (Reid) so quickly, and with SO MUCH?! Apparently she has superpowers, because everyone in the book was immediately divulging their biggest secrets. Trust issues are not a thing in this world apparently.

The second, along the same lines, everything was way too easy. All of these dangerous tasks could have been set up for intense situations that left me on the edge of my seat... instead they really fell flat. Everything felt unrealistic and lacked suspense.

With that said, I will definitely read the next book in the series. With that ending, how can I not? This story has huge potential, and I am ready for it.

Possibility of a hate-to-love romance in coming books, but this one was a little too short to really get into much. Otherwise, the story is a little predictable, but still a good read.

A promising start to a new series.

As with most of Ms. Davis’ books, this is a clean and typical YA. If you’ve read any of her other books, the writing style is the same. Simple and straight forward. Some things were quite predictable, but that might just be me.

Pros:
- A strong-willed heroine who can actually hold her own in a fight
- Mysterious Third Prince who isn’t a love interest and is actually dedicated to his job
- Smart and friendly princess who treats the heroine as an equal
- Heroine‘s father and sister love and support her
- One solid best friend who stands by the heroine through all the craziness
- Main “villains” aren’t dumbed down in order to make the heroine seem smart

Cons:
- A plot that’s rather predictable
- Heroine accomplishes supposedly difficult missions far too quickly and easily
- Generic Second Prince who catches feels for the heroine, who unfortunately does the same 🙄
- Book is too short to give characters enough time for growth and development

The ending has me excited for a potentially promising hate to love relationship aka the one of best kind. So chances are I’ll probably pick up the second book to see where this adventure goes.

An amazing start to a new series by Jennefire Anne Davis. Reid Ellington has been raised a boy all of her life. However once the Prince Gordon and Ackley arrive at her home her secret is discovered and her families future rests on her shoulder. As Reid learns to navigate this new world she's thrust into; she finds everthing she thought was true may not be. She will have to learn who she can trust as she begins to unravel the secrets of the kingdom in the hopes she can save her father and maintain the family lands.

Loved this book from the first page. I could not put it down and can't wait for book 2 and 3. I will most definetely be picking the next two books up to as soon as they come out to find out Reid's story turns out.

As with all series by Jennifer Anne Davis, I enjoyed this well-written YA fantasy. Reid is an easy character to relate to and root for. The tale begins on her eighteenth birthday, as she is biding her time until one of her sisters gives birth to a boy, so that Reid can finally be known as a Lady and stop pretending to be the Lord and heir to her father’s dukedom. Instead, two royal princes make a surprise visit to her father’s castle, discover her secret almost immediately, and insist that she join them as her father’s troops are led towards the border to prevent war. Though the princes insist upon her presence and treat her well, she is left to ponder the mystery of what they could possibly use her help with.

Reid goes through much of this tale without knowing who to fully place her trust in, which translates to the reader also not knowing which members of the royal family to trust. Not necessarily in a malicious way, but everyone has secrets, and this intrigue was one of my favorite things about this book.

Read quickly over 1.5 days, I found it difficult to put this book down, and even harder to reach the end and realize I’d have to wait until December for its sequel. Very much looking forward to continuing this trilogy.

[[I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]]

thank you to netgalley for another superb arc!

i love a good "female pretending to be male" trope, and this was no exception. i enjoyed that our main character, reid, started to realize that women are so much more than what men and society thought they were back in medieval times. reid had been brought up her whole life to be a male, and i'm sure after she was forced to be a female for certain people, she missed the freedom of being a male.

i enjoyed this book very much. however, i did think that there was something missing from the plot, and it was a lot of description. everything moved so quickly. there was hardly any description of places or people, other than maybe what they wore or what their hair looked like. i'm super into description and i'm driven by characters, and i felt that that was lacking in this book.

i also wish i connected more with the characters. there were a lot of them, and some i just knew by name and never really got a full picture in my head.

however, i will say, this was a quick book to read and very enjoyable. i will for certain be reading the next one.

This book is confused.

There’s nothing glaringly problematic with it, and the plot itself has some good ideas. Unfortunately, the execution proved terrible. In my opinion, the biggest contributing factor was the writing style: very matter-of-fact, with the rhythm of an essay but without personality, that made everything sound flat, emotionless. I felt disconnected from the protagonist the entire time; the stakes, though high, never hit me; and the poor imagery never charmed its way in my hand, creating then a bleak, dull adventure. Moreover, the narrative ditched logic about half-way through, relying on an inconsequential series of events rather than a bonding, thematic thread, eventually ending with a nonsense “cliffhanger”.

There’s not much to talk about for me because, overall, I felt like I’ve read the general idea of a story, not its final, polished draft. It wasn’t engaging, provocative, or even a nice way of passing time. I'm saddened for my disappointment because I was really looking forward to like this book, but I absolutely don't recommend this.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me and ARC in exchange of an honest review.
Since the day Reid was born, she has pretended to be a boy/man at her father’s direction. As the youngest daughter of one of the wealthiest landowners in the kingdom, the only way her father can pass on his land is to a son, so this was his solution. Unfortunately, they are now in a bit of a situation. Everyday Reid struggles with keeping her secret and when one of Marsden’s princes sees her sparring, she is forced into an agreement. In order to protect her father and family, she needs to lead her father’s troops to the border and work with the prince on a secret task. She eventually learns of the covert organization called the Knights of the Realm and finds herself right in the middle of Marsden’s secrets.
I thought that the characters in the book have a good relationship and Reid was a strong main character. I felt that Reid grew well in the book and the changes of her relations between other characters was done well too.

overall I really enjoyed the book and the ending was diffidently a great point for book two. I like the world building in this book too.

3.5 stars

Realm of Knights by Jennifer Anne Davis is the first book in the Knights of the Realm series and when I came across this one, I immediately added it to my TBR. It had everything I typically look for in a book and I’m glad I picked it up.

This book centers on Reid Ellington. Since the day Reid was born, she has pretended to be a boy/man at her father’s direction. As the youngest daughter of one of the wealthiest landowners in the kingdom, the only way her father can pass on his land is to a son, so this was his solution. Unfortunately, they are now in a bit of a situation. Everyday Reid struggles with keeping her secret and when one of Marsden’s princes sees her sparring, she is forced into an agreement. In order to protect her father and family, she needs to lead her father’s troops to the border and work with the prince on a secret task. She eventually learns of the covert organization called the Knights of the Realm and finds herself right in the middle of Marsden’s secrets.

The story revolves around the kingdom of Marsden and the fact that the current king is being threatened by his uncle who happens to be king in another country. Reid needs to navigate the truth to figure out what really is going on and she doesn’t really start to learn what she needs to know until it’s almost too late to turn back. I can’t say too much here but there are some political secrets that could make things very dangerous.

As for characters, I thought Reid was a solid MC. There were times that she did something I had to shake my head at but overall, I thought she showed solid growth throughout the story. I liked how Davis reflected the changes in Reid’s relationships with Knox and Harlan when they find out who she really is, and I appreciate her attempt to make them realize she’s still the same person.

Reid’s relationships with the princes (Ackley and Gordon) were interesting. I thought I knew who her love interest was going to be, but all the twists made my guesses completely wrong. Adding the king’s agenda to the mix was an interesting challenge for Reid and it really showed how much she doesn’t know and needs to learn.

Secondary characters were great. I mentioned Knox and Harlan before along with the princes, but we also get introduced to the princess, Idina, who has a fairly important role, both in the Realm as well as the story. I like that we got a peek into Reid’s relationship with her family too.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. With the way this one ended I will definitely be picking up book two. I can’t wait to learn more about the other kingdom and its prince. I am also looking forward to seeing how Reid gets along. If you haven’t added this one to your TBR yet, definitely consider it. The story is interesting, the characters are well developed, and there are a number of twists and turns that will keep you wondering what will happen next.

Realm of Knights by Jennifer Anne Davis was my first book by her and I loved every last bit of it! It had a historical fiction feel to it while maintaining original story and the author’s creative spin. It reminded me of King Arthur and his knights with a loosely based Mulan twist. I devoured this book in two days flat. This is a plot where men oppress women until they need one to fix their mistakes. The main character sacrifices her fundamental being to masquerade as her father’s male heir and save generations of hard work her family’s done to keep their land. Along the way she discovers politics, court life and espionage. She realizes there are perks for both genders and her unique upbringing makes her the only one that can help the Royalty. It was an intense and addictive read with a fast paced plot and tons of curveball twists, the ending being the worst one of all. I am beyond excited to get my hands on the sequel. Absolutely stunning start to a brand new series!

I want to thank Netgalley and the publishers at Reign Publishing for this opportunity to review an early copy as well as introducing me to another great author! I look forward to more by her!

“Friends are rare. I’d rather not lose one over something so stupid. Don’t you agree?”

I absolutely loved Harlan and Reid’s relationship. After Reid’s identity is revealed, yes he acted weird because he always thought that Reid was a man but then he chose to embrace the truth rather than judge and leave her without a friend. He is a man of principles and throughout I kept relating him and his calming morality with Azriel from Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorn and Roses series (ACOTAR). They are very similar men in both demeanor and principle. Their friendship was adorable and he stuck with her through it all. Out of her four friends, he is hands down the only one who didn’t baby her because she was a woman. He treated her the same and respected decisions as if she were an equal.

“There’s nothing wrong with a woman who knows her place,’ said Gordon. The fork slipped through Reid’s fingers, clanking onto her plate. She hastily picked it up, hoping no one noticed her faux pas. She couldn’t believe Gordon had just said that. Anger coursed through her.”

My jaw pretty much fell through the floor after I read this. Gordon is the middle prince and his impending marriage would make you think that he wasn’t blinded by their society’s view of women. I was just as shocked as Reid and like her I expected more from him. He seemed wise for his 21 years and whether this was to appease his fiancée who definitely fits this subservient role, he shouldn’t have said something he didn’t believe. And Ackley mentions later how his brother’s type is the exact opposite of his bride. Now who’s being someone they aren’t? This was a shocking scene and I look forward to more grovelling from him to recover and fix this fundamental difference in opinions between him and Reid. Their attraction is undeniable and I’m hoping he ditches his new bride for Reid but only after he dissolves the marriage because Reid deserves that much.

“Ackley leaned in. ‘Control your eyes. If they could unleash fire, you’d have burnt my brother to a crisp by now.”

I loved Ackley’s character. He was dark and mysterious and full of wise cracks like this one. He could joke with Reid one minute and threaten her the next and it blossomed into a great friendship, as odd as that sounds. He became a friend who saw the value Reid could offer and extended an invitation to an elite post as one of Knights trained in combat and espionage. This whole concept made the story so much better and Ackley’s hilarious dialogues just leapt off the page. He reminds me a little of the trickster god, Loki and he certainly had the power and skill to back up all of his talk.

“You belong to me.’ Her spine straightened. She belonged to no one but herself.”

You go girl! This quote speaks for itself. Reid is definitely playing a dangerous game and threats are a dime a dozen for her. Even with everything on the line she does not compromise who she is or what she believes in and her feminist ways are so awesome to read! This is a world dominated by men and she knows it but she won’t let that get her down. She wants more for herself and she will not rest until she gets it!

“The cool, crisp air was refreshing. She reveled in the fact she was in public in pants and a tunic- the clothes she was most comfortable in—while being herself. A woman. She didn’t have to walk or talk like a man or cover her hair. She could be Reid. Just Reid. The thought brought tears to her eyes.”

The kingdom of Axian has me intrigued. I really want to see how Reid handles her new arrangement and how more time in Axian will change her opinion between its differences to her home in Marsden. Her brief time in this foreign kingdom gave her a glimpse into a future where she can be exactly who she wants to be and this is everything she dreamed of. I hope her duke’s ring from her father has the same sway in this place as it does

for Marsden or it won’t be much help. Axian’s royalty seemed to be more reasonable than those Reid’s already dealt with so I have high hopes she excels here but I won’t know until I have my hands on the sequel! I will impatiently wait and bide my time for it haha!

When you make a reader get riled up over scenes and characters as much as I was, you know that it was a success. This book is hands down a 10/10! Well done!

This book is full of twists and turns.Reid ,the main character in this book is a girl that dresses like a boy and is her fathers heir.She is recruited by the kings brothers as a spy and eventually a knight.There are a lot of little sub plots throughout the book.
It is a fast paced read centered around the main character.#netgalley#realmofknights#jenniferannedavis

Sometimes, YA books are complex and filled with compelling, deep characters who are just waiting to be explored. Sometimes, YA books are completely set at the surface level and filled with tropes. Even more rarely, we find a book that is somewhere in the middle. Tropes abound, but the concept is interesting enough that you can forgive them and hope that the next book bridges the gap.

Realm of Knights falls into the last category. Reid Ellington is the fifth daughter of a duke (named Duke Ellington - can we talk about how distracting that is for somebody who is musically aware??) and has been raised as a boy to keep the line of inheritance intact. She is quickly found out by an astute princely observer and is blackmailed into using her unique skills in service to the kingdom. In the meantime, a dash of romance and a fair shake of feminism are thrown into the mix.

One of the themes that I hope is explored more is the role of women in the world of Marsden and its cousin country, Axian. Accepting your role in society and pushing the boundaries have to be deeply important to Reid and I'd love to see this explored more in the future.

I found myself caring about Reid, but only at a high level. She was a somewhat flat affect, and never seemed to explore what it means that she has had to bend her entire life to represent something she is not. The idea of exploring her identity and how being raised as a boy might have impacted that identity is very serious and is almost entirely unexplored. Maybe this will be there in book 2 (there is clearly a book 2, even perhaps a book 3 in mind here).

The romantic interest was even more of a flat affect. As a reader, I often find myself wanting to understand attraction, even if I find the person neutral or even unattractive. If I can see why the person attracted is attracted, I'm in for the ride either way. For a half a second at the beginning of the book, it felt like we might be in a love triangle. This is resolved by the author several times over the course of the book by her literally saying, with no context, that one option is a friend and the other is attractive. No reasons are cited, I'm not led there at all - we just have to take it because the author (not even really Reid) says so.

Ultimately, I'm quasi-neutral on this book. I'd read the second one if it is readily available to me, but is this one I'll dash out and pre-order the second book? Nope. Quick, easy read but there is so much more that could be done here and I hope that will be the goal if the next installment.

**My thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.**

I enjoyed following Reid on her adventures throughout the story. The book was full of suspense, plot twists, and adventure. Reid is the main character in the book, having grown up her whole life acting, dress, being a man in every possible way she gets sent on an adventure that requires her to step out of her comfort zone and actually portray herself as a woman which she has never done and is not comfortable with. In her time of living women are to be seen not heard. They must be escorted at all times and do other "boring" things. She is outspoken and never had to follow these rules in society. She meets two princes who change her world by bringing her on these quests and you never quit know who to trust or who is really helping who. She meets a secret society of a realm of knights who want her a part of their team since she can play both male and female roles which could help them infiltrate things. However, things are never as they seem and she quickly starts to realize it is getting harder to determine what is the truth and what someone wants you to think or know just to get their way. I want to thank Netgalley for the chance to read this book before it hits the shelves. I enjoyed this book so much I read it in a day. I couldn't not put it down. I look forward to following Reid on her journey especially after that cliffhanger ending!

I'm a fan of the gender swapping trope, so I enjoyed the parts where Reid, the MC, dealt with the social injustices she suffered as a woman. The plot itself, while a bit confusing due to it's complexity, was also intriguing.

This book had a lot of potential, between its plot and characters and all, but it really could've been executed better. Some of the writing felt a bit off - it didn't flow properly at times. Worse than that, Reid was more of a pawn than an active participant. She needed to be coerced into taking on her role, and every action she took was the result of others' cunning plots. I could feel her being pushed around the chess board, but she's pretty naive and just follows orders. I blame her upbringing. Even though she's been raised as a man, she's never been out among society, and is completely out of her depths when she's taken to court and faces all the political maneuvering. She's unprepared, and doesn't even know she is.

I also think all the fuss everyone makes about her ability to use swords in a man's world was overdone. Even if she is a good fighter, she's nowhere near ready for the tasks she was given. You'd think they would've trained her a bit. Plus, even though her neighbors and friends grew up thinking her a man, I don't see how she can pass as one the rest of the time. Especially since she's hardly an ugly woman.

Ok. I had a lot of issues with this book, but ignoring those, this book ended on a sort of cliffhanger, with a lot of unanswered mysteries. I'd be interested in reading the next book, if only to satisfy my curiosity on those points.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

A super-interesting plot with heaps of potential, which was unfortunately suppressed by mediocre execution, cut-out characters, and semi-odd pacing.

Due to legal and social issues preventing women from inheriting land and titles in the kingdom of Marsden, Reid has spent her entire life pretending to be a man. I had high expectations for her, but unfortunately she became an unrealistic Mary-Sue of sorts. She becomes a spy, uncovers (and stops) an assassination attempt, goes on a super-secret mission, etc, and everybody is so impressed with her. She’s boyish when her hair is up, but when it’s down everybody can’t stop staring. You know those movies where the nerdy girl takes off her glasses and suddenly the coolest guy in her school falls in love with her at first sight? That’s what this reminded me of. And while she’s supposed to be exceptionally skilled and smart, she often proves herself to be naive and whiney. The male characters suffer the same fate: set up to be tough and complex, we see nothing that actually portrays them that way.

The writing is pretty choppy at times, which annoyed me more than I could convey in words.

“Reid removed her cape.
She hated when people called her Ellington.
It reminded her of her father.
A few of the men standing around slapped her back as she climbed over the fence.
Since everyone knew her as the duke’s male heir, they expected certain things from her.
Like knowing how to fight so she could lead Ellington’s soldiers if needed.”

There is also a whole bunch of things “going through her”:

“An ominous feeling spread within her.”
“Fear shot through her.”
“Relief flooded through Reid.“
“A tingly sensation brushed along Reid’s spine.”

The pacing is quite detrimental to the story, as well. Readers have no clue how much time has passed, and everything goes so quickly. At one point a character asks something, and shortly after Reid refers to that interaction as something that happened weeks ago. It’s extremely fast-paced, which generally isn’t something I’d ever have an issue with, but this application reminds me of something I’d read on Wattpad, not a published novel.

Despite the fact that I didn't love the first instalment, this trilogy is something I wouldn't mind continuing just so I could find out what happens to Reid. I’d also really love to stick around to see how the author grows in her craft— I just know there's potential for something absolutely amazing here.

And just because it’d be basically criminal of me to finish this review without talking about that cover: it’s GORGEOUS. Have you ever seen something so pretty?

I received a free copy of this book in an exchange for an honest review.

This book really struck me as a more complex Mulan. This book represents the fight for equality, and the moral struggles of blindly following society.

This book really hit home for me as I have also experienced the feeling of not belonging anywhere, and that drove my connection to this main character! I absolutely can not wait for the next book, and you can bet I'll be keeping tabs on that!

The main character of this book, Reid, is a strong willed and opinionated woman living within an oppressed kingdom disguised as a Lord. In order to secure her families land and position Reid was pronounced a male at birth, and groomed to behave as a man. Within this kingdom land may only be passed to other male family members as women are not granted those rights. Women are expected to dress as a stereotypical lady and be subservient to men.
On this fast wild ride Reids world is shattered as her secret is exposed to royalty, and if she wishes to save her family and their land she'll be expected to follow the crown blindly. Only time will tell the fate of her families lives as she struggles to prove her worth.