thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=3.5 | 😘=2 | 🤬=2 | 14+

summary: Twelfth Night retelling but it’s a geek/jock story and bickerers to lovers and You’ve Got Mail-adjacent

thoughts: so this was… okay? I really really liked the character arcs—romance is always always always about character—but I am excruciatingly picky with my Shakespeare retellings. why isn’t a Twelfth Night retelling as queer and gendery as possible? why is Shakespeare mentioned a plethora of times throughout—implying that despite these high schoolers having Shakespeare-adjacent names and literally attending Illyria High they have not clocked that they’re in a retelling?? is it too Champagne region of France of me to complain about that?? idk. also justice for Olivia. she deserved better.

Thank you Netgalley and Tor publishing for allowing me to review this book, all opinions ions are my own.

Oh man, our girl Alexene, ( pen name Olivie Blake) has dipped her toes in the YA high school romcom enemies to lovers stint. Which apparently isn’t her first soirée into this realm— news to me—.

I think I liked it, I mean I read it in 5 hours so I must have enjoyed it. But, did I care about the main male lead? No not at all, can I tell you his name off the top of my head? Absolutely not. Did I wish our main girl Vi had a bi awakening with one of her besties? Yes—and yes, but unfortunately no? NOOOOOO?

Vi a character is -whew- kind of a drag, she is unnecessarily mean for no reason, sometimes people deserve it but in most cases she tends to make assumptions. Of course we love our characters to be flawed, and the girl is in high school so I can definitely relate to the teenage rage. I just felt there could have been some growth here, but she stayed pretty similar from cover to cover.

But maybe that’s the point, our female main leads don’t have to always be likeable.
women can never not be anything other than perfect smiling dolls, this girl— and she’s a girl let’s remember she’s in high school— is surrounded by a friend who doesn’t really care about her, boys who don’t take her seriously, a guy who won presidency cause he was hot and popular, and a hobby that is primarily male dominated with so many unsolicited advances and dick pics.

She’s angry because the world is unfair and she’s a teenager. we got to cut the kids some slack.
I did enjoy the banter and mostly the dungeon and dragon references. Vi was actively the grumpy to *checks notes* Jacks sunshine ( how could I forget the name jack?) and I enjoy when the male is the sunshine rather than the other way around to me that’s a good fun time.
#books #bookblogger #canadianbookstagram #booklovers #booksofig #Arc #netgalley #bookreview #fantasy #cozyreader #cozy #canvai #aiart #ai #olivieblake

i would definitely recommend this to my romance girlies, i feel that if you like the writing style and a slower burn romance then this would be a hit with you.

It took me about 120 pages to get into this but once I did I enjoyed it. The love interests have no interaction for the first 60 pages which I felt was weird for a romance book. There was also a lot of side statements in parentheses that really had nothing to do with moving the story along and could have been left out. This book is also, I would say, very niche in that the story line is about a video game like World of Warcraft and table top games like dungeons and dragons. If those aren’t things you’re into it would be hard to enjoy the book. Saying those things I gave it 3 and a half stars because it is a cute book and I enjoy the types of games deeply discussed in the book.

I am a sucker for modern adaptations of classic literature (“Anyone But You,” “Clueless,” the list goes on), and this book scratched my itch for a fun fresh take on Shakespeare!

Set in high school, Vi was a strong yet prickly female character who I couldn’t help but root for. Although it doesn’t have the typical pacing or storyline of a young-adult romance that one might expect, it does make sense for the overall plot— I’m so glad that this risk was taken!

If you’ve ever played an RPG, love Shakespeare, or just crave drama, then this book is perfect for you!

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for this Advanced Reader’s Copy! “Twelfth Knight” will be released on May 28th, 2024.

I felt all the feminine rage that is present everywhere explained perfectly by Vi. I understood her valid feelings but beyond all the anger Vi felt lonely. The journey showed her how she had people in her life that loved her and had her back. She is able to and did make friends who saw her and liked her as is. Jack had a similar journey as he was lost after his injury. I completely love how complex and unique all the other characters are. I loved the fandom and how perfectly it’s explained. I loved MagiCon!

<i>"I'm the kind of girl that other people want to make suffer because I refuse to be as small as they want me to be. I know that, and I don't take it personally. If other people think I'm a bitch, that's fine. I don't need to be loved. I don't need to be liked. I don't need anyone, and that's the gospel truth."</i>

I should confess up front before starting this review that I have somehow never read Shakespeare's original 'Twelfth Knight.'
I know, I'm ashamed of myself. I love Shakespeare but I find I have to pace myself with his plays because they can be difficult to understand with my 21st century brain.
Not at all like this book, of course, which took, what I understand is, the basic plot of the play and gave it a fun, modern, YA spin.

I knew pretty much immediately upon starting this that I was going to enjoy it, because the first scene was tense and tightly written.
Normally, I'm not a big football girly (I only know the basics of the game and I only learned them recently and for Taylor Swift-related reasons) but even the football scenes in this were interesting to me!
The gaming stuff was all great, too. But I am a gamer, so it makes more sense that I would like that. I just really appreciated how it added an extra fantasy element to the book.

I appreciated both of the main characters and grew to love them a lot over the course of the novel. Viola especially, as she reminded me so much of myself. Especially myself at 17! OMG! It was like looking into a mirror that shows past versions of yourself.
She was so angry and lonely and she was pushing that off onto everyone that she could reach.
And while that changes little by little over the course of the novel, I really appreciated that the Follmuth gave her character growth while not changing her entirely.
The point of this book was not 'Vi needs to learn to be likable so that she will fit in' it was 'Vi needs to learn to let in people that have proven they are worthy of her trust,' which was excellent.
I especially appreciated that her fight with her friend Antonia ended with the other girl apologizing first and that Vi didn't eventually have to concede to Antonia's view of womanhood.

I don't want to say too much, because I don't want to spoil anyone, but this is an excellent and worthwhile read for any YA lovers and/or romance lovers. This was very cute!

There are things I enjoyed about this books but there were things that....turned me off to it.
Twelfth Night is supposed to be a comedy (at least as far as I recall), but there wasn't much humor in this novel. Vi is supposedly a feminist, but she's the toxic kind. She even starts shutting her mom out for daring to have a real relationship, thinking her a sell out to The Man, instead of just accepting that her mom is happy.
Vi makes valid points about how men can be so rude and make girls/women feel like they owe them. She has horrible experiences and her feelings are valid but....she's also just plain rude. I liked her "devil may care attitude" sometimes but other time she was just mean. She seemed to think that to be strong, or at least thought of as strong, is to be cold and keeping others at a distance and judging.
While I did not love Jack's approach to things half the time, I liked that he helped Viola see that it was OK for a girl to show emotion, to feel, to open up. And I liked the Viola help Jack see that there was more to life than football and that he had options and wasn't alone. Hated his reaction to the truth, but it was to be expected. What came as a surprise though was the reaction right after. He wanted to fight it out, which was.....different and healthy approach imo lol
Also love the super cute moments between these two 😍
Viola's friendships with girls weren't the best either but I'm glad she finds a friend in Olivia and how those two helped each other too even when her best friend refused to understand Viola. There were topics of women understanding women, friendships, sexism and sexism in gaming, men taking NO, judging others past times, family, feminism, respect others happiness, pop culture, etc. Lots of important stuff but felt it laid it on too thick sometimes and wish I'd had that comic relief I've come to enjoy in Twelth Night.
Not what I was expecting but overall still enjoyed it and appreciate the cuteness at the end 🤭

4 Stars

Twelfth Night is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, so I knew I would eat this up.

Jack is the star of his high school football team, setting records and guaranteeing a promising career as a pro athlete, until he tears his ACL. To get his mind off of his slow recovery and fears about if he will ever be able to play again, he turns to the MMORPG game, Twelfth Knight. What he doesn’t know is his VP to his Student Body President, Viola, plays this game, too. Except Viola plays under a pseudonym whereas Jack made his gamer tag recognizable as him. The two start playing online, but Viola blows her cover by admitting she knows Jack in real life. To save herself, she claims to be her twin brother, Sebastian. It would be an innocent lie, if it wasn’t for Jack and Viola starting to spend more time together IRL. Viola knows she needs to come clean, but doing so might destroy whatever it is going on between her and Jack.

The thing that absolutely shocked me about this book is how relatable Viola was to me. It was like Follmuth took direct inspiration from my personality and it was… it was strange. Like Viola, I can be curt with people. Especially people who I feel aren’t worth the energy of being polite. We see Viola treat several of her peers and strangers with no respect, but no one shows her any respect, either. Viola’s friends start growing tired of always having to apologize for her harsh behavior, which just upsets Viola. Can’t they see her behavior is justified? Can’t they take her side, for once? Everyone already thinks Viola is a bitch, so why shouldn’t she just play the part? Suffice it to say, it’s how I feel nearly all the time. Seeing it in a character was comforting yet also uncomfortable. But what I’m really trying to get at, I guess, is that these characters just feel so real. They’re flawed, they make mistakes, they grow. Hopefully others are able to relate to them as much as me.

I will confess there’s a lot of names thrown at you from the beginning, and I wasn’t always on the same page when the storylines of Twelfth Knight of War of Thrones were being discussed, but when I read complex stories like this one I just trust the author to ingrain the information I need in my brain without my effort. Follmuth (a.k.a. Olivie Blake) is an incredibly talented author and handled these complexities effortlessly. I didn’t need to follow along with all these intricacies to get the story. They were just a vehicle to get our characters to bond or fight or interact or whatever. Trust the process with this story and it will be worth it. Not only that, but this book can be so heart-warming yet also hilarious. I’m almost sad that I read this as an ARC cause I can’t share my highlights on GR, but I have so many!

I do have one qualm, though. With the ending, I feel like Viola could’ve learned a bigger lesson there. Jack had to do a lot of hand-holding and it took the importance of the moment out of it. I won’t get into it any more than that for the sake of spoilers. Besides that one thing, this was a thoroughly deep yet entertaining read. If you love Shakespeare retellings, nerd culture, or just well-written YA novels then this is a must-read for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Twelfth Knight. I typically love adaptations of this particular Shakespeare play, so I was looking forward to giving this one a go!

From Vi's first "bitchy" encounter with Matt Das, I knew I was going to like her. Yes, she's prickly. Yes, she's blunt. But she's also so much more than that, and I loved the way she grew and got to know herself throughout the novel.

I enjoyed the world-building and the descriptions of the game. I enjoyed the secondary characters. This was a good book, even if it's not one that I think will become a classic. Not all books are, and that's okay. Some are meant to be enjoyed in the moment, which this one provides.

My only quibble is that everything ends really quickly after a lot of build up. Overall, though, this was thoroughly enjoyable and will be a must-purchase for my library.

I had such a fun time reading this book and loved everything about it. The main thing that stuck out to me was the conflict the main character faced and how she handled it/ forced to handle it; I thought the conversations she had with her friends and family were handled well. While the author is known for her romances, I hope everyone knows this isn’t the primary focus of this story, but is still enjoyable to see the two mcs grow with and around each other.

This was an excellent modern YA adaption of the Shakespeare play with the same name. As I’ve gotten older, I find it hard to enjoy YA books-way too much juvenile angst and never enough communication, but this book handled the angst well. You have an adorable grumpy/sunshine trope in the book. The gaming parts were also fun to read.

I received an ARC from netgalley and the publisher.

Before I begin, I would like to thank Alexene Farol Follmuth for giving me an ARC of her upcoming book, Twelfth Knight, which will be available on May 28, 2024.
Saying that Viola Reyes is dealing with a lot is a huge understatement. The tabletop game campaign she created was rejected by her gaming group, her best friend wants her to become more “likable,” and the Student Body President of her high school, Jack Orsino, doesn’t fulfill his responsibilities included in that position, so her job as the vice president is harder. The only escape that Vi has is playing a masculine alter ego character in the MMORPG Twelfth Knight because that’s the only way she can play safely. But after an injury, Jack also decides to play the game, and after a while, Jack and Vi become more than two people who play Twelfth Knight together. The problem? Vi has been keeping her identity a secret, and Jack might be falling in love with her when they aren’t online.

I love this book. I personally didn’t think Vi was off-base in regards to her views and reactions during most of the story. Yes, she made mistakes, but I understood her reasoning. Jack was adorable and relatable as well. Both Vi and Jack’s character developments were well written and I thought Follmuth did a great job explaining the evidence why feminine rage does and should exist. Minus one of Vi’s secrets, I think Jack and Vi’s relationship, enemies (more like annoyed and exhausted cat and dog), platonic or otherwise, had a lot of healthy communication that was realistic. I am absolutely taking notes from Jack and Vi on how to handle arguments. It was honestly refreshing that the main characters took each other’s perspectives seriously and didn’t necessarily need context from someone else. Overall, if you like books that discuss the impact societal expectations have on people, especially teenagers, humor, honesty, double standards people have for women, and a lot of heart, then I would highly recommend this book.

Viola knows what everyone thinks of her. But backing down on her beliefs and shoving down who she is just to be more “likable” is something she can’t do. She loves being her nerdy self. She loves her d&d games, cosplay, her online games, and so much more. And the truth of the matter is, she cares so much and when those around her let her down and don’t accept her, she’ll hide behind her mask and armor all in the hope of protecting herself. But things are about to change with Viola and that starts with Jack Orsino. Jack who always gotten on her nerves with his good looks, friendly personality, and being the football king at their school. That is util he get hurt on the football field that takes him out of the game for a long time. What Viola never expects is for Jack in his new free time to pick up Twelfth Knight. An online game where not only does he come across Viola, well he doesn’t know it’s her. Especially when she plays as a male character and ends up telling him she is her brother Bash so she doesn’t have to tell him. Online, they become friends who play the game together. Offline, well their social lives are starting to mix when Jack asks Viola for help with his on-a-break-girlfriend. But the more time they spend together and actually get to know another, and leave that enemy territory to actual possible friends? Well things get complicated for sure for Viola. And it is only a matter of time until the truth comes out. I really loved this story! I couldn’t put it down. It took me by surprise in a lot of places which I loved. And I loved the character development with Viola and Jack. Not only as they evolved from enemies to friends to more than, but just them individually. They were both going through a lot of difficult things but together they were teaching one another to open up and view everything differently. They were changing for the better. A really fun and quirky story! I definitely recommend.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 32%

So I loved My Mechanical Romance so I was super excited about this book but this was the disappointment of the century.

/rant incoming. Spoilers for first 32%

I see so many reviews complaining about the FMC, Vi, being a bitch. And can I just say…. Reading this book? I know why she’s a bitch. Because everyone else in this book is an antagonistic asshole!!!

The gaming guys are terrible. They never listened to her, never treated her with any respect. She also didn’t treat them nicely either. Two way street of being terrible to one another. Then the one guy who was a little nice was only doing it to get into her pants and then gets angry at her when she (quite nicely!) tells him she’s busy. He just goes off on her and she’s like “I don’t owe you a thing dude” And she does not. Thanks.

Then her supposed best friend decides to not take her side for ANYTHING that we see. She tells Vi that it’s her fault the guys hate her. Oh and when a guy makes Vi uncomfortable at the Ren Faire, her friend apologizes to HIM for her rude attitude?!?! What kind of best friend is this?!?!??

Okay, and other characters? There are some underlings of Vi’s at school (in the student council) who just act like she’s not doing her job and they’re not following rules - like they want money but won’t provide receipts. MMC’s girlfriend, although we are told is a nice person, won’t confront him about them taking a break??? She legit just avoids him completely. 😢 So much that he doesn’t even get that they’re broken up.

Then to try to understand, he uses Vi … because Vi is working on a project with the girlfriend and so Vi is the closest one to her and is a perfect scapegoat to try to get info from her??? Does this cheerleader gf not have friends you can just ask? Anyway, MMC makes a deal with FMC to do his job properly and she will ask Olivia (gf) why shes avoiding him.

Oh, and Vi’s brother? Seemingly a good guy but the second he hears that Olivia and MMC (Jack right) broke up - from his NON-GOSSIP sister, he spreads it around the school. Like he believed his sister has gossip info??? The girl who doesn’t give two craps about anyone??? Why would you spread that around???

So everyone in this book is antagonistic and mean. I cannot stand it. Everyone else in the reviews is saying how lighthearted and sweet this book is and I’m here to say it is NOT. It is dramatic and mean. This was not my high school experience and I highly doubt it’s anyone’s because who has to deal with mean and rude people all the time in high school??

Seriously.

You want a light and sweet D+D book?? Go read Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce. Good day.

“From my vantage point, he looks infuriating. And perfect.
‘You are the bane of my existence, Jack Orsino.’
‘As you are mine,’ he assures me, and shuts my door for me.” - Alexene Farol Follmuth
⚔️
Knights, quests, RPGs? This book was so fun! Based on Twelfth Night by Shakespeare, this was such a fantastic adaptation! A true enemies to lovers, with BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ rep! Fun fact, I was in a production of Twelfth Night in 2020 right before the shutdown, and played Valentine, the manservant. It was so fun to get to see him again in this new, modern context!
🐉
Jack “Duke” Orsino is the star football player, dating head cheerleader, Olivia, President of the student body, and all around golden boy. Viola Reyes is a brash, nerdy gal who loves her favorite fantasy show, comic cons, and RPG game “Twelfth Knight.” She uses a male avatar so she isn’t harassed in the online gaming community that she uses as escapism from the “nice guys” who have kicked her out of their DnD group. When Jack gets injured and his football career and relationship with Olivia is in limbo, my boy Valentine introduces him to “Twelfth Knight.” Soon, he and Viola’s alter ego Cesario become a dream team. Viola doesn’t know how to reveal her true identity, and quickly says she is her brother, Sebastian when Jack asks. Soon, the Shakespearean level hijinks ensue with a fun, modern, nerdy twist that is great for fans of Baldurs Gate, Game of Thrones, and all thing nerdom.
🏈
This was such a fun romp. While of course I loved the romance, I loved the journey of Viola opening up to those around her, all the while combating the toxic masculinity and pitfalls that a woman in nerd culture faces. I felt very seen. I loved her friendship with Olivia, and I loved seeing how she grew. And Jack was so fun, the ever present golden retriever go Viola’s stark black cat energy. I can’t wait to get a special edition of this when it comes out! 4.5/5⭐️!
🧙‍♂️

5/5 stars

I really enjoyed this book... It was giving A Cinderella Story vibes :D

I was in a bit of a reading slump after reading a lot of fantasy books, and Twelfth Knight definitely got me out of it. I couldn't put this book down once I started. It was a nice and easy read with likeable main characters, and it's one of those books you can easily digest and is pretty fast paced. I have Alexene's other books on my TBR list and I am excited to read more from her. I'll be preordering this book so I have a physical copy :)

Thank you for the ARC!

There is nothing I love more than a Shakespearean retelling, so I was so thrilled to be given this arc. It has everything I could ever want in a YA novel. Romance, nerdy stuff, shakespeare? Count me in.

Big, big fan of the grumpy sunshine trope and this hit the nail on the head.

I’m a total sucker for a good Shakespeare adaptation, especially when it comes to Twelfth Night, so when I saw the title and who the author was I immediately went “sign me up!” I’m glad I did, because this was a fun and fast read, filled with Easter eggs that left me wanting to play video games, DnD, and even give a certain show a second chance despite the finale that shouldn’t exist. The romance for the main character was obvious for anyone who knows the original play, or has seen the “She’s the Man” movie adaptation with Amanda Bynes, but as with everything, the getting there was the best part.
Our main character is accomplished, acerbic, and leaves me wanting to know how much sleep she actually gets with everything she does. The love interest comes off as a typical teenage jock in the beginning, before turning it around and proving they are more than their stereotypes. By the end of the book, I had side characters I was really rooting for who I’d love to see again, a main pairing that seemed they could last, supportive parent figures we could all use in our lives, and a renewed love for fan culture.
A couple minor details I wish had been better fleshed out were the relationships with the side characters and Viola’s Muay Thai interest, but not enough to detract from my giving it five stars, because this was a fun adaptation that had me laughing, crying, and nodding along at several monologue moments.

★ 4.75 stars

This book is a love letter to fandom culture, and speaks to me on levels I never thought a book would. Not only do I see myself in Viola Reyes (cosplaying her own original character from this world’s version of Dungeons & Dragons, not taking slack from toxic players, sticking to her guns even if it makes others resent her), but I see myself in her struggles to combat loneliness while not letting anyone in.

She was sort of a “not like other girls” girl at first, but she definitely developed throughout the story. And her experiences spoke so true to me: I could write an essay about how accurately this book nailed being a woman in nerd culture, especially at conventions or a TTRPG table.

And Jack! Love of my life. Sweetheart football player turned gamer. His character development was beautiful. Watching him find his true passions while learning to not be ashamed for what he likes and who he loves was adorable.

Twelfth Knight is rife with charming side characters (Olivia needs a whole book), witty banter, necessary conversations about misogyny in fandom culture, subtle Shakespearian references that made me kick my feet and remember this is a retelling and then kick my feet some more because it’s all so well-written--- just such a fun read.

I could write an essay about how accurately this book nailed being a woman in nerd culture, especially at conventions or a TTRPG table.

I loved the framing device of each character’s respective “big games” opening and closing the book. It showed how far they’ve come, and how happier they are now that they don’t confine themselves to the boxes they assumed they belonged in.

However, I did find this a little hard to get into, as Violet’s character can be irritating at first, and much of her fandom talk and Jack’s football sequences can feel overwhelming. But I finished this book in one sitting, which I RARELY do, so take my word for it that this book gets GOOD. If Follmuth wrote another Shakespeare retelling with some of the side characters in this book like Olivia and Bash, I’d be so giddy I’d probably kick my feet some more.

🎮TWELFTH KNIGHT🎮

Welcome to Twelfth Knight, where we play to win, both on the field and online. But is anything a game when hearts are on the line?

Jack Orsino needs help. With a torn ACL and a football scholarship up in the air, he’s floundering. As his girlfriend asks for ‘space,’ he’s THROWN.

Enter Vi, our RPG-playing student body council member who will get everything done yesterday. When Jack offers her a trade, she takes it and is thrown into an unlikely friendship where her loneliness begins to ebb.

As Jack and Vi work to reunite hearts and beat the impossible game Camelot Quest, it becomes clear that beating unwinnable games may be easier than mending these hearts.

Witty, endearing and sharp as a sword— Twelfth Knight is a retelling not to miss! This layered tale will have you cheering for the underdog all the way to her winning play.

✨Read if you like:
-Grumpy (her) / Sunshine (him)
-Role-playing games, online gaming & Comic-Con
-Shakespeare retellings
-Banter for DAYZ
-teens in high school (student body, popular kids, football)
-secret identities.. I mean, it IS Twelfth Night (or what you will… )

💕Thanks to the Tor Teen folks for sending this my way!