Thanks to Netgalley and Jo Fletcher Publishers for an advanced copy of this book.

I really enjoyed Blackheart Knights. Its my first Laure Eve novel and I really enjoyed her prose. The world building was great,
I do expect a Londoner to have a cool take on London, but nethertheless Eve delivers.

In this alternate London, the city is divided into seven sectors and each district's ruling family has the right to have a champion fight for the throne whenever the old monarch passes. Enter our Arthur, known as Art, who has grown up isolated away from Palace life, but now finds himself his family's heir. We also follow a second timeline, set years later, seeing Red take on knight's training.

This world has some technology, including motorbikes and guns, but access to technology is restricted and expensive. It feels almost modern but gritty and run down. However, there is also magic but it's a crime to use it. Only a few are born with it and those without it are scared of the potential of that power.

Both Red and Art are interesting and complex characters. I enjoyed following their plots and seeing how the interweaving tinelines linked together. The casual bisexuality of basically all main and side characters was very refreshing too. However the big twists were a bit too heavily breadcrumbed in so didn't take me by surprise, and the ending was good until the very end which left me looking for the next page expecting something a bit more dramatic and final. Maybe this is the start of a series and I just didn't realise.

Overall, an enjoyable and fun read!

Every time I thought I knew where this book was going I was sent reeling with another curve ball.

Blackheart Knights by Laure Eve is a gritty, action packed reimagining of Arthurian legend, in a London much like our own, one which is ruled by electricity and powerplays, and one which feature leather clad knights on motorcycles fighting for glory in arenas like gladiators.

I am not quite sure what I expected of this book but the dual timeline of Art and Red which slowly merged was one I in the end supremely enjoyed even if the ending had me swearing.
I was originally not aware of the fact that this was a reimagining, and through that the novel was just inspired a little by Arturian legend - however by its end I am tempted to reread the whole thing just so I can see how is meant to be played by who.

I also have to point out the immensely well written casual queerness of this book and the wonderful aspect of seeing a non/binary character as a prominent member of the cast.

I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a bit of gritt with their fantasy/magical realism and who does not mind being punched in the face a few times while reading - because thats what it felt like Eve did.

The writing was beautiful, though occasionally a little pretentious.

I was a bit perplexed at the beginning as I'm always a bit wary of Arthurian saga (I'm a bit of a traditionalist in this case).
I was wrong as thoroughly enjoyed this story and had a lot of fun.
The author did an excellent job in writing a story that keeps you interested in the dual timeline and you know that somehow they will be converge but you are enjoying them and it doesn't matter.
The world building is excellent, great characters and a tightly knitted plot.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Ok, so I just wanna start off by saying this book is AMAZING! Honestly everyone needs to read this. It blends the Arthurian legend we all know and love with an intricate and amazingly built urban fantasy world and I completely devoured it. Art is the Bastard son of Uther, King of London, until one day everything changes and he finds himself dragged into a world he had no interest in. As the new King he has more than a few rivals, but it's sometimes the people closest to you that you need to be wary of. Red is a Godchild one of the few people who have magic, when she catches the eye of the Kings Champion she gets dragged into the world of the Caballaria Knights that ride on motorbikes and settle the differences of the land in epic fights. The training is gruelling and takes its toll, but Red is in it for the long haul. She has a score to settle, one years in the making, and nothing will stop her from getting her revenge. Told from two alternating timelines and focusing on two main POV's Blackheart Knights spans 19 years, but it isn't until the last few pages that you understand how the two timelines merge together.

The scope of this book is honestly amazing! Art's story spans a 19 year period, from his time as a lowly bastard, to becoming King and all that happens after that. He never wanted the crown, really wanted nothing to do with his father, especially after the rumours surrounding his conception. He has no eye for politics, tending to lead with his heart rather than his head. He wants to do what's best for everyone, but when feelings are involved he can become a little blind to the truth... something that may end up being his downfall. Red's storyline is set over a shorter period of time, starting with her first Caballaria fight and focusing on her time training to become a Knight. We know from the start that she has a plan, a score to settle, but we're not quite sure what it is or who it's with. Her power makes her something of a rarity, and she in unused to the spotlight but the more time she spends training, the more she struggles with deciding what she truly wants - her revenge, or to become the Callabra Knight she is training to be. Though Red and Art are different in a lot of ways, it's their similarities that truly stand out. They both want better for the people of London, only they have drastically different ideas as to how to bring that about. They both fall fast and hard when it comes to romance, and generally pick the people they absolutely shouldn't have relationships with and when spurned, they both get a taste for revenge that can't be quelled.

Eve manages to weave in a astounding cast of side characters, all of whom have a part to play in the story. The interweaving of the characters between the two storylines is superbly done, you're never quite sure how a person fits into the specific plot but once the pieces all start to fit together you can see the epicness of Eve's foreshadowing. Blackheart Knights is a heavily character driven story, and I couldn't help but bond with them all in some way, some may have a page and some may have more, but they all have a significant impact on the plot.

I can't explain how amazing the world that Eve builds is. It has characters and events that hale back to the Arthurian legend we all know and love, but Eve took all that and made a world completely her own. A world filled with modern conveniences, Knights that ride on motorbikes, televised fights used to settle disagreements between people and magic. Because of the time period the story is written over, we get to see just how much of a difference Art makes on London. He has a lot of aspirations when he becomes King and plenty of people calling him naive because of it, but the changes he implements make a huge difference to the lives of the people living in London The people who haven't really benefited from it are those with magic. Godchildren are extremely rare, most choosing to stay hidden rather than willingly getting registered. Red knows this more than most. The storyline is dark and gritty, there are certainly some scenes not for the faint of heart ( and a few smuttier ones thrown in also), but Eve really highlights the brutality of the world, and shows that no matter how righteous a King may be, no matter how much he wants to change the world for the better, there will always be people who will be left behind, made to feel lesser for being different

The beginning was slightly info dumpy, but not enough to make me stop reading, and you are glad for it when it comes to reading later parts of the book. In fact the intricateness and uniqueness of Eve's world meant that I couldn't get enough of the descriptions and world building. Her use of the two different plots and timelines is brilliantly done. You never quite know how, or even if, the two storylines will merge but when they do, they do with a bang. There are plenty of plot twists throughout the story to keep you engrossed, and by the end I found myself devouring the story, stopping only for work and sleep. It's not a quick read, at over 400 pages it's definitely a chunk, but Eve's writing lends itself to a slower reading speed. This isn't a book you can binge, but one you should savour.

This has easily made it's way onto my favourite books of the year! Don't be put off by the slow start and you will find yourself engrossed in a world filled with familiar faces in a not so familiar setting. Eve's worldbuilding is off the chart and I need book two in my hands asap!

Short description: Arthurian legends… on motorbikes. Also magic.

Long description: set across two timelines, focusing on Art (fighting to determine if they will become the next ruler of the city), and Red (becoming a knight whilst hiding their (illegal) magic to get revenge). Knights, magic, power struggles, politics, casual LGBTQ+ representation - you name it, Blackheart Knights has probably got it.

I did enjoy this but I don’t think I was in the right frame of mind to take on the amount of information this book throws at you from the outset (I blame uni). Whilst I adore information heavy books that build an intricate world around you, this was still a lot. However, I persevered. My consequent lack of understanding as we shifted between the two timelines and perspectives was entirely my own fault and I think it detracted from me falling entirely in love with the characters. Don’t get me wrong, they were great - they are fleshed out with complex emotions and some truly excellent character growth - but you need to be ready to sit and just read, which I haven’t had as much time to do this time around.

I’ll be back for this book though, when I have time to sit and enjoy it the way it is meant to be enjoyed.

My thanks to NetGalley, Laure Eve and Quercus Books for this ARC.

This is a really original retelling of the Arthurian Legend! All of the traditional elements are there - Arthur's surprising route to the throne, deception and a Knightly Order, but with the inclusion of newer elements such as both modern and futuristic technology and female knights.

The story is told through two POVs, each starting at different points in time. The two tellings work seemlessly alongside each other until they catch up. I was absolutely hooked on Blackheart Knights from Chapter 1 and there were times that I definitely gasped out loud when reading it.

Based on the Arthurian Legend Blackheart Knights is a super grungy adult urban fantasy set in an alternative London where Camelot Knights are used as Champions to settle legal disputes and ride motorbikes instead of horses. Plus it’s filled with queer rep, revenge, morally grey characters, a badass MC and a lot of angst (what more could you want?!).

I really enjoyed the set up of the book and the two POV/time periods that the book is split between and the crossover between the two. There’s also a kind of count-down style to the chapters which was an intriguing concept! Overall I enjoyed reading this book if you like the idea of biker knights in an urban fantasy setting I definitely recommend reading this!

Thank you Netgalley and Quercus/Jo Fletcher for providing me and ARC copy of this book!

Firstly, thank you so much for the opportunity to review this title.

Sadly this book just wasn't for me. This might be the frame of mind that I am in at the moment, but I just really struggled to get into the story and the world. I found it was very info-dumpy at the beginning and I could not connect to the characters.

In the end I chose to DNF the book but it wouldn't stop me from trying another book by this author in the future. I will not be leaving a review on Goodreads as I did not finish the book and don't think it would be fair to do so.

If Camelot-style knights riding around on motorbikes in a grungy urban fantasy world sounds like your kind of book, I have great news for you! Let me introduce you to Blackheart Knights! I loved this book so much; it was a slow-paced fantasy read that tackled and power and vengeance. I can't believe I'll have to wait for the second part of the duology. I need more now.

Blackheart Knights is a slow-paced urban fantasy that follows its two protagonists through a gritty city obsessed with power. Art is a young man and reluctant King struggling with terrible loneliness. Red is a newcomer to town, her quest for vengeance leading her to train to become a knight.

This book focuses heavily on the protagonists. Art's perspective sits in the past, and the ramifications of his decisions can be seen in Red's present-day life. The detail in which Laure Eve wrote their complicated and conflicting emotions and desires was amazing. Both character's struggle with what they want and what they need, with their responsibilities and destiny.

I especially loved Red. Although she struggled every step of the way, watching her character growth was delightful. Her course for vengeance battling against her slowly developing love of her new life. There's a character that I especially enjoyed her dynamic with, and I can't wait to find out what's going to happen to them in the next book.

Power is the main theme of the book. Everyone want's a piece of their own, and they'll get it however they can. From quick knight battles to a long politically motivated campaign, these people want to rise to the top. Art, the most powerful man in the city, struggles with it. He can't form honest connections; everyone wants him for what he can do for them, what power he can give them.

I also loved how there's a lot of casual queerness in this book. There are a few characters that use they/them pronouns and a couple of queer sex scenes. The book doesn't make a big deal out of these things; it's normalised in the world Laure Eve created. It's always great to see this kind of casual representation.

Overall, this book was a brilliant read, and I'd recommend it to people who are interested in slow-paced, character-focused fantasy with a lot of grittiness. Now to wait not-so-patiently for the next one...

A big Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this arc! This is so unique!! If the premise interests you then definitely give it a go :))

An attention-grabbing twist on the Arthurian tradition, Blackheart Knights takes you to an alternate-universe London of tough-as-nails trials and avant-garde technology, tail-gaiting between the timelines of antipathetic Art and avengement-geared Red. adrenaline-charged and always kinetic, Blackheart Knights brims with kenspeckle characters, cyberpunk-ish aesthetics, keen-bean companions to kings-in-training, a cabal of celebrity knights to get a kick out of, and a canny amount of backstabbing in the knife-edged contest for the collaring of the crown. metamorphosing a fairly far-flung fancy into a fine-spun, futuristic salute to the signature stars of the lore to reframe a lasting legend with lordly fracas, a fresh form of monetary means and lust-worthy futuristic motorbikes, Eve scripts fight sequences with finesse and shoves the lid off Blackheart Knights' final secrets with a flourish in the rollicking roll towards the story's finale.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books/Jo Fletcher Books for kindly passing on this ARC! 💫

I can't say I loved the book. I see it'll have a lot of appeal to edgier readers rooting for angst-driven (and leather-clad and driving motorcycles) characters with dark pasts. Not a bad book by any means, just not the right fit for me. Thanks for the publisher and NetGalley for giving me a chance to check it.

Let me start this by saying that I am obsessed with Arthurian legend.

I will read, watch, and listen to pretty much anything with even a vague connection. So when I saw this pop up on my feed, I wanted it immediately.

Blackheart Knights is an urban fantasy retelling/reimagining of Arthurian legend, where knights ride motorcycles and Arthur's political sparring partners are tech magnates. The book is split between two timelines - the first timeline follows Artorias Dracones, 'nineteen years ago', as he becomes the new king of London, and the second follows Red, 'one year ago', as she fights and trains to become a knight. The two timelines converge at the climax of the book, where Art and Red's stories finally meet.

The concept of this book is so cool. It is flooded with queer characters. It's a sexy, fresh, bloody, magical reimagining of the King Arthur story. I was expecting to fully froth it, and to not shut up about it for weeks and weeks, but when I finished it, I was just... whelmed. I can't even point to a particular reason! The setting is rich, the characters are interesting and their motivations deep, but it just didn't quite gel with me. Perhaps it was the dual timelines - both Art's and Red's stories were so interesting that I feel like the book could be written from either perspective only and be gripping and exciting, and maybe some of that was lost by switching between the two.

This feels like a cop-out of a review, because I can't actually point to any one thing, so I'm going to chalk this one up to personal preference. This is not my new favourite book, but it could be yours! It's a queer urban fantasy retelling of the Arthurian legend - like, come on. If that sparks your interest, definitely add this one to your TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Quercus/Jo Fletcher Books for providing me with this ARC.

Blackheart Knights is a book that I’ve been highly anticipating ever since I heard about it. You know those books where the concept alone is just immaculate, but then you open them and everything else about them is immaculate too? This was one of those for me.

The book follows two different timelines: Art, years in the past, who is about to be named king, and Red, just a few months before the present day. Both of which are steadily converging on a single point, although for a long time it’s not clear just what that is. It’s the kind of book you just have to immerse yourself in and let it carry you to its conclusion.

Because that’s probably the best thing about this book, the way it draws you in and keeps you hooked. You don’t know — and you won’t know for a long while — how the two stories link together (although you may have guesses, given who the characters are supposed to be), but the story does an excellent job of keeping you engaged, by giving you a world that you can all but feel.

It’s also helped by the fact that the characters are all great. You can’t help but love them from the start, even as you know they’re heading towards tragedy. Actually, a great strength of this book is that it makes you believe that maybe things will work out. Maybe this won’t be the normal Arthurian tale. Or that could just be me and my vain hopes.

As such, the ending took me completely by surprise (yeah, okay, it shouldn’t have really). It’s the kind you read with slowly growing horror (in a good way), as everything falls down around you, and tears start streaming down your face, because you know what’s coming, finally. But, like I said, that’s probably one of the best parts of the book: I knew where it was going, really, if I thought about it, but I still maintained the hopes it wouldn’t go that way.

And, honestly, I think my original review summed up this book quite well. Basically just ………..fuck.