I really loved the unique concept of this book and the fun modern twist on the Arthurian legends.
However much I liked the idea of this book though I could just never find myself connecting to this story. I think it was a mix of both the characters and the constantly twisting story that at times felt a bit jumbled. This had great representation and I think there will be a lot of people that will love this but for me, the writing style just didn't work.

Wayne is a reincarnated Knight; a myth destined to stumble its way through history again and again, recreating itself in new ways. He doesn't feel as though he's connected to a grand tradition. In fact, between his undiagnosed neurodivergence and his complicated home life, he doesn't feel connected to much of anything. Except his best friend, of course. They find themselves at the heart of an investigation into the murder of another prominent myth, which the Valkyrie's are investigating. But Wayne also has his eye on another student, one he met the night of the murder. Is it a bad idea to start trusting someone new when anyone could be a suspect? Probably. But when else will he get a chance like this?

This book is a diverse, chaotic, rollercoaster of a book that takes a great deal of delight in its own potential. Primarily a case-investigation on Hildie's side, Wayne and Kai spend their time exploring how magic works in this world of echoing stories. It's a fun book with some very creative world-building - swords in mirrors! Yes! - but I often found the pace of the investigation itself dragged its feet. Wayne's side of the story has a great pace, and I really connected with his character, but the contrast between him and Hildie is stark. Hildie is the surly, sarcastic, noiresque antihero, who somehow makes headway without making any real connections to other characters (her 'it's complicated' aside).

Overall, I had fun with this book. As a fan of Arthurian retellings, it hit a great spot. I loved the idea of them as 'myths' reincarnating, and enjoyed trying to puzzle out the mystery.

Thank you NetGalley!

I love Arthur legends, I love magic. I love fantasy. This book was a mixture of all these things. Such an enjoyable read!

I am so grateful for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this just turned out not to be for me. It was a little hard for me to follow and dragged a bit.

I do think the YA crowed will enjoy this retelling, but unfortunately it just didn't work for me.

This book was magic. Set against a very picturesque Vancouver backdrop, The Winter Knight blends myth and Arthurian legend with a rich urban fantasy.

Full disclosure I live in Vancouver, so the book came alive for me in a visceral way because of the setting. Wayne and Hildie, the two main protagonists, are at very different places into their lives but both are searching for how their places as myths blends in to their purpose and meaning.

Battis does a wonderful job weaving legends with a current modern plot and I couldn't put this book down.

Definitely recommend you check this one out!

I super welcome queer and inclusive reimagining of all kind of myths, and while I’m not a big expert on Arthuriana I was curious to see what The Winter Knight did with it. It definitely has a modern style - I’ve seen someone compare it to Schitt’s Creek and I agree a snarky queer sitcom vibe is there. The ideas of circles of reincarnation seemed very fitting for the mythological backbone of the story, but I felt the plot component and - the mythological whodunit if you will — to be a bit too meandering and exposition too clunky. If you don’t expect a tight plot and go there for the sitcom with Arthuriana-inspired queer mess, you could have a good time.

Really interesting premise, and I rlly enjoyed the autism rep !! I liked the characters, some more than others, and was intrigued as to where it was going !! There were a couple of places in the beginning that were pretty slow, but I rlly enjoyed it in the end

The Winter Knight takes the retelling of myths/legends to a new level! It took me a second to get into the rhythm of this one, but once I did I was hooked. I have only a basic knowledge of Arthurian legends, but it was fascinating to read about how these mythical figures lived out their stories over and over again, making new choices while still being influenced by their legends that have played and replayed across time.

Thank you to ECW Press and NetGalley for providing a digital copy of The Winter Knight in exchange for an honest review. The Winter Knight will be available April 4, 2023.

For fans of Arthurian legend and humour - this novel follows a reinventing, investigative story about Camelot in modern Vancouver but I didn't feel that it offered anything different from other retellings. I felt distracted and uneasy with the writing and the story left me feeling bland and unimpressed.

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

This was a fun story pulling Arthur into a modern era leaning heavily on the idea of various Myths coming back again and again. I really enjoyed the personifications of Hildie and Wayne especially as the POV Characters and Morgan was a delightfully complex woman. I also enjoyed the way magic / myths / heroes work in a cycle of rebirth in the author's universe.

However, I also found the book a little slow and harder to move through. Up front it felt like there was a lot of exposition and I was still left confused about how things work, in addition to the useful mystery of the story itself. As the book continued, some of the story felt a little sluggish and I think it could have clipped along at a faster pace.

A smart, intelligent and original retelling of the Arthurian legends, that manages to combine historic myth with something modern. Retellings of the Arthurian tales have been done to death, but with a clever murder mystery, LGBQTIA+ and Disability representation, compelling characters, and a respect but not deference to the original stories, this is a refreshing, clever read

Arthurian legends are reborn in this upbeat queer urban fantasy with a mystery at its heart

Knights , Valkyries rune smiths what’s not to love This is a book that takes a bit of work but is worth the effort the story gets more intricate and exciting as it goes on . It’s nice to have fully told story with an ending but scope to expand later.

It seems that retellings of Arthurian legends have become increasingly popular over the past few years, but I feel like the direction this book took really stood out from the others. A lot of these retellings rely on the characters being reborn, with the action following the reincarnations as they act out a plot similar to one you'd find in the original legends. Here too, the characters are largely part of an endless circle of reincarnation, with the Knights and other key players from the stories making their appearances. Here though, the modern characters stand apart from their legendary lives, as I wouldn't have known who anyone was supposed to be if it had not been stated in the book. The main plot follows the pov of two different characters: Wayne, a Knight, and Hildie, a Valkyrie, both of whom get involved with the murder of Mo Penley (formerly Mordred). The focus is solving the murder, but the plot tends to meander through a lot of different points, sometimes seemingly dropping the murder plot completely for a few chapters. While there is good representation in this book, I felt like the author was trying too hard at times, and that there were too many aspects fighting for the spotlight, making it hard to follow. I also wasn't a fan of the writing style, but that is a personal issue. Overall, this is an interesting take on Arthurian legends and one that I can see appealing to a lot of teen readers.

Thank you Netgalley and ECW Press for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I really enjoyed this one. The characters were enjoyable and the story felt realistic to me. I enjoyed the representation in the book, both with the LGBRQA+ representation and disability representation. I think Jes Battis did a good job of portraying someone with disabilities and it was relatable. I also enjoyed that this was a mythic mystery type of story! I also liked that as someone who doesn’t know a lot about Arthurian Tales I wasn’t confused in terms of what was going on the author mixed the tales well with a modern take!

Thank you, ECW Press, for allowing me to read The Winter Knight early!

Jes Battis reimagines Arthurian legends in a very original way in The Winter Knight and quickly captures the heart of the reader with their characters and their writing,