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The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly
Kit Sweetly slays sexism, bad bosses, and bad luck to become a knight at a medieval-themed restaurant.
Working as a wench―i.e. waitress―at a cheesy medieval-themed restaurant in the Chicago suburbs, Kit Sweetly dreams of being a knight like her brother. She has the moves, is capable on a horse, and desperately needs the raise that comes with knighthood, so she can help her mom pay the mortgage and hold a spot at her dream college.
Company policy allows only guys to be knights. So when Kit takes her brother’s place and reveals her identity at the end of the show, she rockets into internet fame and a whole lot of trouble with the management. But the Girl Knight won’t go down without a fight. As other wenches join her quest, a protest forms. In a joust before Castle executives, they’ll prove that gender restrictions should stay medieval―if they don’t get fired first.
Working as a wench―i.e. waitress―at a cheesy medieval-themed restaurant in the Chicago suburbs, Kit Sweetly dreams of being a knight like her brother. She has the moves, is capable on a horse, and desperately needs the raise that comes with knighthood, so she can help her mom pay the mortgage and hold a spot at her dream college.
Company policy allows only guys to be knights. So when Kit takes her brother’s place and reveals her identity at the end of the show, she rockets into internet fame and a whole lot of trouble with the management. But the Girl Knight won’t go down without a fight. As other wenches join her quest, a protest forms. In a joust before Castle executives, they’ll prove that gender restrictions should stay medieval―if they don’t get fired first.
384 pages, Unknown Binding
First published May 5, 2020
70 people are currently reading
11902 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 828 reviews
March 13, 2020
This is the most unpopular opinion in the history of the world.
This opinion is so unpopular that even I’m like “wow, this must be wrong,” and it’s MY opinion.
In fact, I strongly advise you to stop reading now, because it’s clear that I am incorrect, and me myself and I will stay over here in the dunce corner and write a review just for ourselves.
Sound good?
...
Okay, now that everyone’s gone.
I often have the same issue with feminist young adult books, where I feel like everything in the book that isn’t the feminist plot falls by the wayside. Characters are undeveloped, relationships jump from place to place inexplicably, etc. And I definitely had that issue with this one.
This follows Kit Sweetly, a “serving wench” (yes, for real) at a Medieval Times-type restaurant. She wants to be a knight, but girls (and all genders besides male) are not allowed. So this is four hundred-ish pages of her and some other employees fighting for their right to, well, fight.
(YOU GOTTA FIGHT. FOR YOUR RIGHT. TO...fight?)
This plotline would be more exciting if I were given a real reason to care about Kit’s role at the restaurant, but even the insight we’re given into the joint seems more bad than good. I mean, the patrons are mean, many of the co-workers are mean, the management is mean, the money is not great, Kit doesn’t even want to work there for much longer than a few years…
But hey, do you.
The best part of this book was the inclusion and representation. We get characters across gender and sexuality spectrums, an interracial relationship at the center, a budding F/F relationship on the sidelines...it’s nice.
The worst part of this book was that every little detail of our protagonist’s day was described. No time is skipped at all: every time she eats, pees, showers, watches TV, ANYTHING, we get full coverage.
It drags.
The romance also felt strange and rushed to me. Kit has a sudden-onset crush on her friend Jett, and throughout the entire story there is not a modicum of interest shown from him, but boom, at the end they kiss and one page later she calls him her boyfriend.
Again, do you, Kit.
There’s also a subplot in which Kit is an extremely bad friend, and it is never resolved!!! Her friends do EVERYTHING for her and she did nothing for them and also lied to them...but they all live happily ever after.
All this is a bummer, because I really liked what this set out to do. I don’t think this is a bad book, and I think great things will come from this author. It’s heartfelt and coming from a good place. This just feels...unfinished.
Bottom line: THIS OPINION IS WRONG AND NO ONE SHOULD BE READING IT. But...this was not for me.
-----------------
trying not to think too much about the fact that my very first read of the year was just a liiiittle bit disappointing.
review to come / 2.5 stars
-----------------
this book has everything:
cheesy medieval restaurant ✓
feminism ✓
lists ✓
banter ✓
friendship ✓
nerding out over history ✓
the cutest cover i've ever seen in my life ✓
i am ready to read.
thanks to the publisher for the ARC
This opinion is so unpopular that even I’m like “wow, this must be wrong,” and it’s MY opinion.
In fact, I strongly advise you to stop reading now, because it’s clear that I am incorrect, and me myself and I will stay over here in the dunce corner and write a review just for ourselves.
Sound good?
...
Okay, now that everyone’s gone.
I often have the same issue with feminist young adult books, where I feel like everything in the book that isn’t the feminist plot falls by the wayside. Characters are undeveloped, relationships jump from place to place inexplicably, etc. And I definitely had that issue with this one.
This follows Kit Sweetly, a “serving wench” (yes, for real) at a Medieval Times-type restaurant. She wants to be a knight, but girls (and all genders besides male) are not allowed. So this is four hundred-ish pages of her and some other employees fighting for their right to, well, fight.
(YOU GOTTA FIGHT. FOR YOUR RIGHT. TO...fight?)
This plotline would be more exciting if I were given a real reason to care about Kit’s role at the restaurant, but even the insight we’re given into the joint seems more bad than good. I mean, the patrons are mean, many of the co-workers are mean, the management is mean, the money is not great, Kit doesn’t even want to work there for much longer than a few years…
But hey, do you.
The best part of this book was the inclusion and representation. We get characters across gender and sexuality spectrums, an interracial relationship at the center, a budding F/F relationship on the sidelines...it’s nice.
The worst part of this book was that every little detail of our protagonist’s day was described. No time is skipped at all: every time she eats, pees, showers, watches TV, ANYTHING, we get full coverage.
It drags.
The romance also felt strange and rushed to me. Kit has a sudden-onset crush on her friend Jett, and throughout the entire story there is not a modicum of interest shown from him, but boom, at the end they kiss and one page later she calls him her boyfriend.
Again, do you, Kit.
There’s also a subplot in which Kit is an extremely bad friend, and it is never resolved!!! Her friends do EVERYTHING for her and she did nothing for them and also lied to them...but they all live happily ever after.
All this is a bummer, because I really liked what this set out to do. I don’t think this is a bad book, and I think great things will come from this author. It’s heartfelt and coming from a good place. This just feels...unfinished.
Bottom line: THIS OPINION IS WRONG AND NO ONE SHOULD BE READING IT. But...this was not for me.
-----------------
trying not to think too much about the fact that my very first read of the year was just a liiiittle bit disappointing.
review to come / 2.5 stars
-----------------
this book has everything:
cheesy medieval restaurant ✓
feminism ✓
lists ✓
banter ✓
friendship ✓
nerding out over history ✓
the cutest cover i've ever seen in my life ✓
i am ready to read.
thanks to the publisher for the ARC
May 10, 2020
this could have been a cute story i adored whole-heartedly if it wasnt the poster child for my biggest pet-peeve of all time - which is the onslaught of pop culture references in fiction. i swear my eye was twitching by the twentieth mention of game of thrones. every reference (and there are sooo many of them) took me out of the story and ensured an eye-roll. i know pop culture references arent a problem for most readers but, for me, its a deal breaker.
which is a shame because i did enjoy the message of the story. its one i fully support and i know many young readers will be influenced positively because of it. so its too bad that the focus on such an important topic leaves everything else in the story underdeveloped (the father, the friends, the love interest, the college planning, etc). i just dont think the author knew how to balance everything out, so she gave the predominate theme (gender equality) the main focus. i realise this is a debut novel, so i hope this is something she can improve upon in her future novels.
i guess the tl;dr of this review would be there are too many issues with the writing and style of this story that kept me from loving it, but i fully acknowledge the importance of its message.
↠ 2.5 stars
which is a shame because i did enjoy the message of the story. its one i fully support and i know many young readers will be influenced positively because of it. so its too bad that the focus on such an important topic leaves everything else in the story underdeveloped (the father, the friends, the love interest, the college planning, etc). i just dont think the author knew how to balance everything out, so she gave the predominate theme (gender equality) the main focus. i realise this is a debut novel, so i hope this is something she can improve upon in her future novels.
i guess the tl;dr of this review would be there are too many issues with the writing and style of this story that kept me from loving it, but i fully acknowledge the importance of its message.
↠ 2.5 stars
December 16, 2025
4.5 stars!!
It was sweet, funny, eye-opening and I loved it. The end!! 😉
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
It was sweet, funny, eye-opening and I loved it. The end!! 😉
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Read
September 17, 2021Cute, wholesome and slightly overdramatic - just how I like my Netflix romcoms.
The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly is a very cute and lighthearted contemporary. This is not to say that it's all smiles and hugs - it deals with poverty, parental neglect, sexism and drug abuse - but it's almost all smiles and hugs. It's a super fun concept: a medieval theme restaurant with knights on horses fighting tournaments. (I mean, I wanna go!! Make it happen!) The problem: only men are allowed to become knights and this is where the story starts. The main character and her friends want a chance at show-fighting in the arena too. Add the friends-to-lovers trope, a band of female and non-binary wannabe knights, and going viral on social media and you know what you're in for. I only missed were some emotional involvement and moments of surprise. It was a steady, light and creative story that was slightly too predictable. But I repeat: I want the Netflix romcom now. This book would make a great film.
Find more of my books on Instagram
The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly is a very cute and lighthearted contemporary. This is not to say that it's all smiles and hugs - it deals with poverty, parental neglect, sexism and drug abuse - but it's almost all smiles and hugs. It's a super fun concept: a medieval theme restaurant with knights on horses fighting tournaments. (I mean, I wanna go!! Make it happen!) The problem: only men are allowed to become knights and this is where the story starts. The main character and her friends want a chance at show-fighting in the arena too. Add the friends-to-lovers trope, a band of female and non-binary wannabe knights, and going viral on social media and you know what you're in for. I only missed were some emotional involvement and moments of surprise. It was a steady, light and creative story that was slightly too predictable. But I repeat: I want the Netflix romcom now. This book would make a great film.
Find more of my books on Instagram
May 27, 2020
This book was cute and fun, but not quite what I was hoping it would be. It had a lot of good discussion about archaic gender roles and great representation of what it is like to grow up in a house where you're living paycheck to paycheck, but the rest of the book honestly felt a little.. boring? The writing was pretty average and the plot didn't do anything especially fun or risky so everything just kind of fell a little flat. I feel like this book had an amazing premise but the book as whole didn't really live up to it and I am SAD.
June 1, 2020
3.5 stars
You gotta fight for your right...to be a knight. Or so it goes in The Life and Medieval Times of Kit Sweetly .
Kit is a “serving wench” at The Castle, a medieval restaurant, but what she really wants is to be a knight. Her older brother, Chris, is a knight, and she knows all of his routines really well. But company policy for the entire Castle franchise states that only guys can be knights, Game of Thrones be damned.
One night when Chris gets hurt and can’t perform, Kit puts on his costume and pretends to be him. She goes off script and beats the knight she is fighting, and the moment that she reveals she—not Chris—was behind the armor quickly goes viral.
Although she is threatened with the loss of her job, or even the shutting down of the entire franchise, Kit can’t get the thrill of being a knight out of her head. And judging from the responses the video is getting, more and more people want to see female knights. So she and some Castle colleagues start training, with the plan of showing corporate management just how smart and valuable of an investment female knights can be. Sounds like a foolproof plan, no?
Meanwhile, Kit also has to deal with her family’s financial woes, which might impact her going to her dream college, Marquette. And not only that, but she tries to fight her growing attraction to her best friend, Jett, despite the fact they’ve agreed to only be friends.
This is a fun book that takes its feminist message seriously but isn’t heavy-handed. I’m also impressed at the diversity in this book—there’s an interracial relationship at its core, there are bisexual, nonbinary, and trans characters, and no one makes a fuss. (It's ironic that a restaurant would have a problem with a woman being a knight but doesn't have a problem with a trans character being a serving wench.)
I read this really quickly and like in the movie A Knight’s Tale , I played lots of Queen music while reading. Although I felt the ending was a little rushed, this was still a fun read, and Jamie Pacton created really likable characters.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
You gotta fight for your right...to be a knight. Or so it goes in The Life and Medieval Times of Kit Sweetly .
Kit is a “serving wench” at The Castle, a medieval restaurant, but what she really wants is to be a knight. Her older brother, Chris, is a knight, and she knows all of his routines really well. But company policy for the entire Castle franchise states that only guys can be knights, Game of Thrones be damned.
One night when Chris gets hurt and can’t perform, Kit puts on his costume and pretends to be him. She goes off script and beats the knight she is fighting, and the moment that she reveals she—not Chris—was behind the armor quickly goes viral.
Although she is threatened with the loss of her job, or even the shutting down of the entire franchise, Kit can’t get the thrill of being a knight out of her head. And judging from the responses the video is getting, more and more people want to see female knights. So she and some Castle colleagues start training, with the plan of showing corporate management just how smart and valuable of an investment female knights can be. Sounds like a foolproof plan, no?
Meanwhile, Kit also has to deal with her family’s financial woes, which might impact her going to her dream college, Marquette. And not only that, but she tries to fight her growing attraction to her best friend, Jett, despite the fact they’ve agreed to only be friends.
This is a fun book that takes its feminist message seriously but isn’t heavy-handed. I’m also impressed at the diversity in this book—there’s an interracial relationship at its core, there are bisexual, nonbinary, and trans characters, and no one makes a fuss. (It's ironic that a restaurant would have a problem with a woman being a knight but doesn't have a problem with a trans character being a serving wench.)
I read this really quickly and like in the movie A Knight’s Tale , I played lots of Queen music while reading. Although I felt the ending was a little rushed, this was still a fun read, and Jamie Pacton created really likable characters.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2019 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2019.html.
Check out my list of the best books of the decade at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2020/01/my-favorite-books-of-decade.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
May 14, 2020
I received an ARC of this book for free as part of The Fantastic Flying Book Club’s Instagram tour for this book. Since I received an ARC, my quotes from the book are tentative.
This was such a fun feminist YA debut!
I liked how inclusive and diverse this book was. Kit’s best friend Layla is bisexual. One of the characters, Penny, is a transgender Serving Wench at the restaurant. There is also Alex who also works at the restaurant and goes by the pronoun, “they.” Kit’s love interest, Jett, is half Indian. I also liked that Kit checks her own privilege. At one point she states:
“[W]e need this to be bigger than me. I’m just a white girl from the suburbs. Maybe my privilege makes it easier for me to say this isn’t fair, but we need to show people that this is more than just me doing a man’s job. It’s about getting rid of gender restrictions altogether” (pg 114).
I liked that Kit wasn’t a traditional “good girl”. She is a smart girl who gets into college, but she also smokes cigarettes and drinks alcohol.
I loved how medieval history was incorporated into the story. You actually learn some cool facts.
This book was also incredibly fast paced. I flew right through it.
One thing I didn’t like was that the romance aspect didn’t thrill me. It didn’t add much to the plot and the book would have been just fine without it.
Overall, this is an entertaining YA novel with lots of female empowerment and some medieval merrymaking!
This was such a fun feminist YA debut!
I liked how inclusive and diverse this book was. Kit’s best friend Layla is bisexual. One of the characters, Penny, is a transgender Serving Wench at the restaurant. There is also Alex who also works at the restaurant and goes by the pronoun, “they.” Kit’s love interest, Jett, is half Indian. I also liked that Kit checks her own privilege. At one point she states:
“[W]e need this to be bigger than me. I’m just a white girl from the suburbs. Maybe my privilege makes it easier for me to say this isn’t fair, but we need to show people that this is more than just me doing a man’s job. It’s about getting rid of gender restrictions altogether” (pg 114).
I liked that Kit wasn’t a traditional “good girl”. She is a smart girl who gets into college, but she also smokes cigarettes and drinks alcohol.
I loved how medieval history was incorporated into the story. You actually learn some cool facts.
This book was also incredibly fast paced. I flew right through it.
One thing I didn’t like was that the romance aspect didn’t thrill me. It didn’t add much to the plot and the book would have been just fine without it.
Overall, this is an entertaining YA novel with lots of female empowerment and some medieval merrymaking!
August 28, 2024
Wow, this is the book for pretty much every girl who’s ever been to a medieval roleplay restaurant, wondered why all the knights and falconers and people having all the fun were dudes, and loved that line in LOTR where Eowyn rips off her helmet after defeating the Wraith King and declares “I am no man.” (our MC so goes there!!)
In this one, we have Kit from a family experiencing financial insecurity (as in the electricity gets turned off, she has to take toilet paper from gas station bathrooms and eat at friend’s houses on the weekends), but she still longs for a world where she can fight like a knight just like her older brother in the show (even if it is against company policy.) Great friendships and a dash of friends-to-lovers romance as Kit take on corporate and tries to come up with a way to get girl knights into the show. This a good read for those who like lots of medieval trivia!
In this one, we have Kit from a family experiencing financial insecurity (as in the electricity gets turned off, she has to take toilet paper from gas station bathrooms and eat at friend’s houses on the weekends), but she still longs for a world where she can fight like a knight just like her older brother in the show (even if it is against company policy.) Great friendships and a dash of friends-to-lovers romance as Kit take on corporate and tries to come up with a way to get girl knights into the show. This a good read for those who like lots of medieval trivia!
January 25, 2021
oh to be a girl knight dismantling the patriarchy
May 11, 2020
“Bold, brave, saucy, and spirited.” I think Kit herself said it best here, as this book was all of those things and more. The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly is a feminist take on A Knight’s Tale that challenges gender roles and the idea that women can’t be warriors too.
Kit’s dream is to upgrade from serving wench to become a knight at the Castle, a restaurant that puts on medieval tournaments. Kit is spunky, driven and determined and I love her for it.
This story has strong family dynamics and a diverse and lovable friend group, plus an adorable friends-to-more romance!
This book was super modern and entertaining through its pop culture references, Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones anyone? I also really like all of the media components and the nod to how kind of crazy the internet is and what trends or random things can go viral. Remember Alex from Target, everyone? If not, this book will remind you of our favorite retail store employee 🥰
I also love all the little tidbits of history sprinkled throughout the book! The facts really helped to further the narrative and I liked feeling like I was learning something new.
Pacton’s debut is sure to make an impact with readers through its strong cast of characters, points of humor and levity, and call to action to fight the patriarchy. ⚔️
Kit’s dream is to upgrade from serving wench to become a knight at the Castle, a restaurant that puts on medieval tournaments. Kit is spunky, driven and determined and I love her for it.
This story has strong family dynamics and a diverse and lovable friend group, plus an adorable friends-to-more romance!
This book was super modern and entertaining through its pop culture references, Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones anyone? I also really like all of the media components and the nod to how kind of crazy the internet is and what trends or random things can go viral. Remember Alex from Target, everyone? If not, this book will remind you of our favorite retail store employee 🥰
I also love all the little tidbits of history sprinkled throughout the book! The facts really helped to further the narrative and I liked feeling like I was learning something new.
Pacton’s debut is sure to make an impact with readers through its strong cast of characters, points of humor and levity, and call to action to fight the patriarchy. ⚔️
June 26, 2020
I got to read an early version of this and LOVED it. Sassy, hilarious, with both a swoony romance and fist-pumping empowerment. SO, so good!
May 5, 2020
The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5/5 Stars
Full review HERE
I enjoyed reading about the main storyline of this book, which is Kit trying to fight against the company policy of her workplace. The Medieval-themed restaurant where she works won't let girls fight as knights and she's had enough of this absurdity and she's ready to put up a fight.
My issue was that apart from this storyline the others were very few and sounded a bit weak in my opinion. I didn't even find myself rooting for the main couple, which is something very unusual for me. I believe it was because we barely got to see the two of them together and so there really wasn't a lot to root for.
If you're looking for a nice read about equality in the workplace and you also want to see girls take on the fight to defeat gender roles, then you might want to give this book a chance!
3.5/5 Stars
Full review HERE
I enjoyed reading about the main storyline of this book, which is Kit trying to fight against the company policy of her workplace. The Medieval-themed restaurant where she works won't let girls fight as knights and she's had enough of this absurdity and she's ready to put up a fight.
My issue was that apart from this storyline the others were very few and sounded a bit weak in my opinion. I didn't even find myself rooting for the main couple, which is something very unusual for me. I believe it was because we barely got to see the two of them together and so there really wasn't a lot to root for.
If you're looking for a nice read about equality in the workplace and you also want to see girls take on the fight to defeat gender roles, then you might want to give this book a chance!
Want to read
July 25, 2019hi hello did someone mention A Knight's Tale???
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1645808644i%2F7494844._UX200_CR0%2C6%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
March 29, 2020
Trigger Warning: drug abuse, emotional abuse
Kit Sweetly is a Wench who wants to be a Knight—if only the patriarchal hegemony ruling The Castle Corporation would give her a chance to succeed. When a chance opportunity to take over for her brother leads to her revealing herself as The Girl Knight and a video of her "I am no man!" speech goes viral, Kit seizes the opportunity to allow herself—and a group of non cis male knight wannabes—her chance in the tournament grounds once and for all.
This was a solid debut novel that tries to smash the patriarchy with lances and swords.
Did it succeed? Sure?
Was it entertaining? Hell yes.
Kit has a lot going on in her life, with college hopes and A Plan that will lead her family out of poverty once and for all. Her mother and brother have both been working two jobs to make ends meet after their feckless father ran off with their college savings and emergency funds, leaving them all broke and stuck paying the mortgage for their house.
Kit tries to help with her job as a wench at The Castle, a medieval dinner-faire where attendees eat anachronistic medieval food and watch men in armor bash each other with swords, but her heart is on the ground wielding a sword herself.
Not hiding how poor she is to her best friends Jett and Layla.
Not worrying about getting into college or paying for college.
Not trying to figure out how to keep the lights on.
Not agonizing over what their mother has done to cause them to be three months behind in their mortgage payments.
I particularly liked the representation in this book. It's filled with queer characters and characters of color and queer characters of color—and they also make up Kit's Knights—without seeming like check-in-the-box representation.
And I liked their friendship and how they banded together to take a chance to become Knights and prove that it wasn't just men—that gender equality could extend to corporate organizations like The Castle too.
The plot moves quickly—I was able to finish this in an afternoon—but I was left feeling a little unsatisfied with the ending. I'm not sure why, though.
I really didn't like Len, Kit's uncle who was a skeez and asshole, despite being marginally better than his feckless brother. I did like how Kit gains the courage to tell off her father, who is a complete narcissistic asshole, and how family was an important theme in the book. Family being—the family who sticks by you and the ones you would lay down your life for, not necessarily the family you were born into.
Overall, this is definitely good and enjoyable. And there are a lot of references to A Knight's Tale, if you want to get weepy and sentimental.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
Kit Sweetly is a Wench who wants to be a Knight—if only the patriarchal hegemony ruling The Castle Corporation would give her a chance to succeed. When a chance opportunity to take over for her brother leads to her revealing herself as The Girl Knight and a video of her "I am no man!" speech goes viral, Kit seizes the opportunity to allow herself—and a group of non cis male knight wannabes—her chance in the tournament grounds once and for all.
This was a solid debut novel that tries to smash the patriarchy with lances and swords.
Did it succeed? Sure?
Was it entertaining? Hell yes.
Kit has a lot going on in her life, with college hopes and A Plan that will lead her family out of poverty once and for all. Her mother and brother have both been working two jobs to make ends meet after their feckless father ran off with their college savings and emergency funds, leaving them all broke and stuck paying the mortgage for their house.
Kit tries to help with her job as a wench at The Castle, a medieval dinner-faire where attendees eat anachronistic medieval food and watch men in armor bash each other with swords, but her heart is on the ground wielding a sword herself.
Not hiding how poor she is to her best friends Jett and Layla.
Not worrying about getting into college or paying for college.
Not trying to figure out how to keep the lights on.
Not agonizing over what their mother has done to cause them to be three months behind in their mortgage payments.
I particularly liked the representation in this book. It's filled with queer characters and characters of color and queer characters of color—and they also make up Kit's Knights—without seeming like check-in-the-box representation.
And I liked their friendship and how they banded together to take a chance to become Knights and prove that it wasn't just men—that gender equality could extend to corporate organizations like The Castle too.
The plot moves quickly—I was able to finish this in an afternoon—but I was left feeling a little unsatisfied with the ending. I'm not sure why, though.
I really didn't like Len, Kit's uncle who was a skeez and asshole, despite being marginally better than his feckless brother. I did like how Kit gains the courage to tell off her father, who is a complete narcissistic asshole, and how family was an important theme in the book. Family being—the family who sticks by you and the ones you would lay down your life for, not necessarily the family you were born into.
Overall, this is definitely good and enjoyable. And there are a lot of references to A Knight's Tale, if you want to get weepy and sentimental.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
April 17, 2021
My brain is like "yeah, it was cute and all but no more than 3 stars!" but my heart is like "knights that aren't cis guys! medieval restaurant! cute romance! feminist af!" and I can't really argue with that.
September 23, 2020
Charmed the hose right off me!
Kit works at what is basically Medieval Times, where she is trying to bring some gender equality to the world of knights, squires, and wenches. Added to that is the stress of having too little money, and so many big dreams, for herself and her mom and brother as well as her friends. I was very stressed for pretty much the second half of this book, as things really seemed to escalate, and I do wish that there had been a bit more justice served (this isn't a spoiler about the ending). There is a lot going on in Kit's life, and just like in the real world, things don't always get wrapped up neatly. Which is realistic but also so frustrating!
But so fun, and what a great debut for Jamie Pacton!
Kit works at what is basically Medieval Times, where she is trying to bring some gender equality to the world of knights, squires, and wenches. Added to that is the stress of having too little money, and so many big dreams, for herself and her mom and brother as well as her friends. I was very stressed for pretty much the second half of this book, as things really seemed to escalate, and I do wish that there had been a bit more justice served (this isn't a spoiler about the ending). There is a lot going on in Kit's life, and just like in the real world, things don't always get wrapped up neatly. Which is realistic but also so frustrating!
But so fun, and what a great debut for Jamie Pacton!
August 19, 2019
Wow. I loved it.
August 11, 2020
funny, sweet, & full of heart! intersectional feminism is such a refreshing look. definitely more friendship + kit centric than a romance, although you'll definitely see touches of best friends to lovers (three cheers for The Best Trope)!
July 8, 2020
Okay so I felt myself getting frustrated A LOT but sexism, a wanker of an uncle, double standards, deadbeat dads, people using religion as a scapegoat, and atrociously expensive post-secondary does that to a bitch (me. I am bitch).
I loved the characters. The ending was sweet. The setting was fun until you had to...interact with the staff. I have so much respect for people who grow up in that level of poverty and still manage to survive.
I loved the characters. The ending was sweet. The setting was fun until you had to...interact with the staff. I have so much respect for people who grow up in that level of poverty and still manage to survive.
April 3, 2019
can 2020 come any sooner?
May 19, 2020
May 19, 2020: Wow, I have taken almost a month to read this. This was definitely a predictable read but I mean, come on, surprises doesn't equal greatness. Definitely appreciated the feminism and unstable financial conditions that were highlighted in this one. Though, I wanted to know more about the side characters, especially Jett as a love interest and because he's half-Indian, hehe so definitely expected more but nonetheless, I'm happy about reading it. Full review to come!
April 26, 2020: Buddy reading with the lovely, Gayatri!
March 7, 2020: That cute cover needs to be appreciated. A feminist who fights the sexism at her workplace while also flaunting herself as a history nerd? Enough said, I'm excited to pick this up! Thank you, Page Street Publishing for the digital review copy via Netgalley.
April 26, 2020: Buddy reading with the lovely, Gayatri!
March 7, 2020: That cute cover needs to be appreciated. A feminist who fights the sexism at her workplace while also flaunting herself as a history nerd? Enough said, I'm excited to pick this up! Thank you, Page Street Publishing for the digital review copy via Netgalley.
July 11, 2020
Great themes but left me wanting. I loved the idea of this story, a girl who wants to be a knight, in modern times. Um yes. But unfortunately while it did deliver on what was promised upon finishing i could help but feel... let down? Not sure but this didn't meet the expectations I had for this book.
While I didn't like the execution I loved the themes of this story and everything they represented. I loved the determination of not only the main character Kit but most of the other characters as well. Overall great characters but lacking story
While I didn't like the execution I loved the themes of this story and everything they represented. I loved the determination of not only the main character Kit but most of the other characters as well. Overall great characters but lacking story
August 31, 2020
This book was so fun!! It was geeky and feminist and funny and honestly what more could I even ask for in a book??
Also, even though it should be the standard, I really appreciated that while this book was very much a story of a cis girl challenging the cis guys, it actually like . . . recognized that and admitted that there was more nuance to it than that, and like damn all books should do that but most just . . . don't.
Also, even though it should be the standard, I really appreciated that while this book was very much a story of a cis girl challenging the cis guys, it actually like . . . recognized that and admitted that there was more nuance to it than that, and like damn all books should do that but most just . . . don't.
November 22, 2019
Page Street Kids was kind enough to send me an ARC of this book, and I'm so glad they did! It is funny and fun and delightful and heartfelt and intersectional. It is somehow a cheery teen romcom romp and also a book about struggles with poverty and also about the romanticization of the Middle Ages and how that affects society. It is GREAT. Kit is a champion.
April 3, 2019
I was lucky enough to read an early version of this and I couldn't put it down! Kit is full of so much heart and humor, this is such a great read!
January 22, 2020
Three cheers for the Girl Knight! You’ll be cheering too, for Kit and all her friends, as they fight for their right to joust! The characters are not only endearing, but broadly diverse and reflective of real life. In addition, Kit feels incredibly authentic in her struggles and dreams, high moments and lows. But more than a fun read, I walked away feeling unexpectedly challenged, made more aware of my own privilege, and feeling more understanding of the struggle to get by on double shifts and a handful of tips. If you’re into rollicking good fun, standing up to ridiculous rules, and sweet, friends-to-more romance, ride out and add this to your 2020 TBR list! (I was provided an ARC by the publisher.)
April 13, 2020
review on my blog Kat from Minas Morgul
the good:
- feminist
- swords
- fun
- LOTR quotes
- pool noodles as swords
- swords
- medieval facts
- swords!!!!
- queer characters
- the sweetest romance
- so fun
- did I mention the LOTR quotes?
- and the swords?
- good portrayal of people being poor
- fighting sexism
- wonderful friendships
- SWORDS AND KNIGHTS
the bad:
- ?
the good:
- feminist
- swords
- fun
- LOTR quotes
- pool noodles as swords
- swords
- medieval facts
- swords!!!!
- queer characters
- the sweetest romance
- so fun
- did I mention the LOTR quotes?
- and the swords?
- good portrayal of people being poor
- fighting sexism
- wonderful friendships
- SWORDS AND KNIGHTS
the bad:
- ?
May 6, 2020
This was a super cute YA contemporary. Kit Sweetly works at Medieval Times-like restaurant/attraction called the Castle where she’s been a wench (server) for a few years, but really wants to be a knight like her older brother. Knights get to do fight, joust, and they make more money – something Kit is desperately in need of.
Content Warning: sexism and misogyny (always in a negative light), underage drinking and underage smoking (with little to no commentary), poverty, alcoholism, substance abuse
Inclusive Feminism
At the core, this is a feminist story as Kit Sweetly is challenging her workplace’s outdated and (historically incorrect) rules that only men are allowed to be knights. Ahem, that cis men only. One thing I absolutely loved about this book is how inclusive the feminism is in this book. It’s not just about white cis women. Kit’s coworkers and friends who join her in her crusade to remove gender restrictions are incredibly diverse. The book includes trans and non-binary characters, and the language used regarding gender identity throughout the book is wonderful.
“It’s company policy that only cis men can be Knights, and that’s absurd. People across the gender spectrum are now astronauts, soldiers, presidents, and more. To say only me can ride a horse at a dinner theater? C’mon.”
Kit also acknowledges that it is her white privilege to be able to confront the administration about the sexist gender restrictions. This is all done without being preachy. I can’t stand when books are overly preachy no matter the subject matter.
“And we need this to be bigger than me. I’m just a white girl from the suburbs. Maybe my privilege makes it easier for me to say this isn’t fair, but we need to show people that this about more than just me doing a man’s job. It’s about getting rid of gender restrictions altogether.”
Kit Sweetly is also a huge history nerd. She admires the women in medieval history who broke gender norms to forge a new life for themselves. There are little historical facts about the medieval history the author includes through Kit in the story and I loved those. It really set the tone and atmosphere of the Castle.
Poverty
Kit has a lot of weight on her shoulders as her family struggles with poverty. One thing I really appreciated about this book is the fact that poverty is depicted in a very raw way. I am fortunate to have grown up comfortably. My parents weren’t wealthy and there were times we struggled, but for the most part, they shielded me from any major financial hardships. Kit’s family was torn apart because of her dad’s alcoholism and later substance abuse. He cleared out savings accounts before leaving and he refuses to divorce her mom. Kit, her mom, and her brother are struggling to make ends meet. Because her mom is technically married she can’t claim a lower income which would provide her children with more scholarship opportunities for college. Kit is hyperaware of her poverty. She takes home restaurant leftovers almost daily. Their electricity and hot water are often cut off. She takes toilet paper rolls from other places to bring home. This level of poverty is not often included in books.
“When you’ve had nothing for a long time, it’s hard to get rid of anything. That’s why you see run-down houses with tires, old swing sets, broken down appliances, and cars piled out front. Not because people are too lazy to get rid of them, but because they know what it is to be desperately poor and needing to cling to every last scrap of things they have. Rusted and nasty though they may be.”
Her struggles with money and her relationship with her dad are heartbreaking, but Kit herself is one of the most resilient and positive characters. The tone of the book is overall lighthearted, but I think the author did a great job of balancing the light and heavy. Most of the time when Kit is training in secret or making plans to be a knight the tone is fun and happy, but there are moments when Kit feels defeated and wonders if it’s better to just keep her head down to make life easier for herself. I think these moments made Kit feel real as a person. It doesn’t hide the fact that when you stand up for something, it often doesn’t go your way or that there will be people who seek to tear you down.
One of the moments I loved best was when her friends crash the laundromat where she’s waiting for her clothes. They hold an impromptu training session and the whole scene was so endearing and sweet. There’s a lot of laughter and it’s a moment that brings Kit a lot of happiness. I loved how Kit really loves her friends. She makes some bad decisions when it comes to being honest with her friends, which leads to repercussions she has to deal with later, but the interactions between the friends were always fun to read.
Side Characters & Romance
While I appreciated the diversity in the characters, all the side characters were pretty flat. They only came on the page when it had to do with Kit’s agenda or her interaction with them. I didn’t really get a sense of their personalities or struggles so they served to move Kit’s story along. Not necessarily a bad thing since the story does revolve around Kit’s role in their campaign, but when it came to the romance I needed more. The romance is probably the weakest aspect of the book. I loved that the love interest was very caring and thoughtful towards Kit, but he had little character development other than his relationship with Kit.
The ending was a bit cheesy and rushed. The conflict between Kit and her friends and her does-he-or-doesn’t-he romance with her friend was resolved a bit too quickly. That said, I felt the author did a good job resolving the other issues in Kit’s life such as her college plans, her relationship with her dad, and her campaign to change the Castle’s policies.
Overall, this was a fun YA contemporary romance with a perfect amount of light and heavy themes. The inclusive feminism and diversity along with an awesome protagonist made this book a delight to read.
** Thank you to Razorbill for providing me with an arc to review. Any quotations used are taken from an uncorrected proof and are subject to change. Full disclosure that I was part of the author’s street team for Kit Sweetly. This review like all my reviews contains my honest opinion.
Content Warning: sexism and misogyny (always in a negative light), underage drinking and underage smoking (with little to no commentary), poverty, alcoholism, substance abuse
Inclusive Feminism
At the core, this is a feminist story as Kit Sweetly is challenging her workplace’s outdated and (historically incorrect) rules that only men are allowed to be knights. Ahem, that cis men only. One thing I absolutely loved about this book is how inclusive the feminism is in this book. It’s not just about white cis women. Kit’s coworkers and friends who join her in her crusade to remove gender restrictions are incredibly diverse. The book includes trans and non-binary characters, and the language used regarding gender identity throughout the book is wonderful.
“It’s company policy that only cis men can be Knights, and that’s absurd. People across the gender spectrum are now astronauts, soldiers, presidents, and more. To say only me can ride a horse at a dinner theater? C’mon.”
Kit also acknowledges that it is her white privilege to be able to confront the administration about the sexist gender restrictions. This is all done without being preachy. I can’t stand when books are overly preachy no matter the subject matter.
“And we need this to be bigger than me. I’m just a white girl from the suburbs. Maybe my privilege makes it easier for me to say this isn’t fair, but we need to show people that this about more than just me doing a man’s job. It’s about getting rid of gender restrictions altogether.”
Kit Sweetly is also a huge history nerd. She admires the women in medieval history who broke gender norms to forge a new life for themselves. There are little historical facts about the medieval history the author includes through Kit in the story and I loved those. It really set the tone and atmosphere of the Castle.
Poverty
Kit has a lot of weight on her shoulders as her family struggles with poverty. One thing I really appreciated about this book is the fact that poverty is depicted in a very raw way. I am fortunate to have grown up comfortably. My parents weren’t wealthy and there were times we struggled, but for the most part, they shielded me from any major financial hardships. Kit’s family was torn apart because of her dad’s alcoholism and later substance abuse. He cleared out savings accounts before leaving and he refuses to divorce her mom. Kit, her mom, and her brother are struggling to make ends meet. Because her mom is technically married she can’t claim a lower income which would provide her children with more scholarship opportunities for college. Kit is hyperaware of her poverty. She takes home restaurant leftovers almost daily. Their electricity and hot water are often cut off. She takes toilet paper rolls from other places to bring home. This level of poverty is not often included in books.
“When you’ve had nothing for a long time, it’s hard to get rid of anything. That’s why you see run-down houses with tires, old swing sets, broken down appliances, and cars piled out front. Not because people are too lazy to get rid of them, but because they know what it is to be desperately poor and needing to cling to every last scrap of things they have. Rusted and nasty though they may be.”
Her struggles with money and her relationship with her dad are heartbreaking, but Kit herself is one of the most resilient and positive characters. The tone of the book is overall lighthearted, but I think the author did a great job of balancing the light and heavy. Most of the time when Kit is training in secret or making plans to be a knight the tone is fun and happy, but there are moments when Kit feels defeated and wonders if it’s better to just keep her head down to make life easier for herself. I think these moments made Kit feel real as a person. It doesn’t hide the fact that when you stand up for something, it often doesn’t go your way or that there will be people who seek to tear you down.
One of the moments I loved best was when her friends crash the laundromat where she’s waiting for her clothes. They hold an impromptu training session and the whole scene was so endearing and sweet. There’s a lot of laughter and it’s a moment that brings Kit a lot of happiness. I loved how Kit really loves her friends. She makes some bad decisions when it comes to being honest with her friends, which leads to repercussions she has to deal with later, but the interactions between the friends were always fun to read.
Side Characters & Romance
While I appreciated the diversity in the characters, all the side characters were pretty flat. They only came on the page when it had to do with Kit’s agenda or her interaction with them. I didn’t really get a sense of their personalities or struggles so they served to move Kit’s story along. Not necessarily a bad thing since the story does revolve around Kit’s role in their campaign, but when it came to the romance I needed more. The romance is probably the weakest aspect of the book. I loved that the love interest was very caring and thoughtful towards Kit, but he had little character development other than his relationship with Kit.
The ending was a bit cheesy and rushed. The conflict between Kit and her friends and her does-he-or-doesn’t-he romance with her friend was resolved a bit too quickly. That said, I felt the author did a good job resolving the other issues in Kit’s life such as her college plans, her relationship with her dad, and her campaign to change the Castle’s policies.
Overall, this was a fun YA contemporary romance with a perfect amount of light and heavy themes. The inclusive feminism and diversity along with an awesome protagonist made this book a delight to read.
** Thank you to Razorbill for providing me with an arc to review. Any quotations used are taken from an uncorrected proof and are subject to change. Full disclosure that I was part of the author’s street team for Kit Sweetly. This review like all my reviews contains my honest opinion.
to-read-so-bad-it-hurts
November 17, 2019THIS SOUND SO CUTE AND EMPOWERING
July 1, 2020
Many thanks to The Nerd Daily and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this! You can find the review on The Nerd Daily as well here.
“This is about my friends and me getting a chance to be ourselves. It’s about fighting against inequality and showing the world that gender shouldn’t be a bar for any job these days. And it’s about taking a battering ram to the notion that the heroes of the Middle Ages were all men.”
Kit Sweetly has always been the girl with a plan and in this book, she’s focusing all of her efforts on creating equal chances for everyone at her workplace. She’s tired of working as a wench at the Castle, a medieval-themed restaurant – instead, she would like to be a knight like her brother, but the company policy has a strict rule that prohibits women from being knights. Her dream becomes more palpable though as she takes her brother’s place one night and impresses everyone with her skills and competence, becoming even Internet famous after a video of her riding and duelling is posted on YouTube. This new-found fame encourages her to come up with the idea of organising a tournament with the purpose of overthrowing the sexist policies and to create equal opportunities for everyone at the Castle.
I think some of the best aspects of this book were diversity and the friendships between everyone at the Castle. It was easy to see that friendships were the core of the whole book and even when Kit was trying to do things on her own, not involving her friends because she wanted to protect them or she didn’t want them to bail on her plan, they were still the force that kept her going. Without them, she wouldn’t have been able to do much. And I feel like without those amazing and rewarding friendships, the Castle wouldn’t have resisted for as long as it did. As I was reading the book, I definitely felt like I would have loved to work there because of how close-knit the group was. I enjoyed the family dynamics as well, they were all so devoted and the way they were taking care of one another was amazing especially with how many struggles they had…having to balance jobs, school and so many other responsibilities, yet always finding time to be there for one another.
Moreover, most characters were very nerdy and there were lots of pop culture references that all the other nerds are probably going to catch and appreciate. Kit would always mention great female warriors from Middle Ages and emphasise how wrong the conception that in the past all heroes had been male was, which I really liked because it was both informative and inspirational.
This main plotline of Kit trying to change things for the better at the Castle took over the whole book and even though there were other small plotlines (like her graduating and not knowing yet what college to choose, her family struggling financially, her strained relationship with her father who is a drug addict) – they didn’t seem consistent enough to hold the reader’s attention for long until the tournament become once again central. Besides that, I think the development of the secondary characters also suffered from the close focus on the tournament, which was a shame because they were all very interesting and I would have loved to know more about them. Even the romance, while sweet, felt a bit rushed and underdeveloped. I also had some issues with how Kit was handling her whole plan. I wish she would have involved her friends more and not keep them in the dark as much as she did because this whole thing was about all of them, not only her. I think she underestimated how supportive they were and how much they wanted to help her succeed.
But in the end, this witty, feminist story was one of empowerment and it surely will inspire its readers to fight for equality. The friendships will warm your heart and make you feel like you could do anything as long as you have loyal and supportive people on your side.
“This is about my friends and me getting a chance to be ourselves. It’s about fighting against inequality and showing the world that gender shouldn’t be a bar for any job these days. And it’s about taking a battering ram to the notion that the heroes of the Middle Ages were all men.”
Kit Sweetly has always been the girl with a plan and in this book, she’s focusing all of her efforts on creating equal chances for everyone at her workplace. She’s tired of working as a wench at the Castle, a medieval-themed restaurant – instead, she would like to be a knight like her brother, but the company policy has a strict rule that prohibits women from being knights. Her dream becomes more palpable though as she takes her brother’s place one night and impresses everyone with her skills and competence, becoming even Internet famous after a video of her riding and duelling is posted on YouTube. This new-found fame encourages her to come up with the idea of organising a tournament with the purpose of overthrowing the sexist policies and to create equal opportunities for everyone at the Castle.
I think some of the best aspects of this book were diversity and the friendships between everyone at the Castle. It was easy to see that friendships were the core of the whole book and even when Kit was trying to do things on her own, not involving her friends because she wanted to protect them or she didn’t want them to bail on her plan, they were still the force that kept her going. Without them, she wouldn’t have been able to do much. And I feel like without those amazing and rewarding friendships, the Castle wouldn’t have resisted for as long as it did. As I was reading the book, I definitely felt like I would have loved to work there because of how close-knit the group was. I enjoyed the family dynamics as well, they were all so devoted and the way they were taking care of one another was amazing especially with how many struggles they had…having to balance jobs, school and so many other responsibilities, yet always finding time to be there for one another.
Moreover, most characters were very nerdy and there were lots of pop culture references that all the other nerds are probably going to catch and appreciate. Kit would always mention great female warriors from Middle Ages and emphasise how wrong the conception that in the past all heroes had been male was, which I really liked because it was both informative and inspirational.
This main plotline of Kit trying to change things for the better at the Castle took over the whole book and even though there were other small plotlines (like her graduating and not knowing yet what college to choose, her family struggling financially, her strained relationship with her father who is a drug addict) – they didn’t seem consistent enough to hold the reader’s attention for long until the tournament become once again central. Besides that, I think the development of the secondary characters also suffered from the close focus on the tournament, which was a shame because they were all very interesting and I would have loved to know more about them. Even the romance, while sweet, felt a bit rushed and underdeveloped. I also had some issues with how Kit was handling her whole plan. I wish she would have involved her friends more and not keep them in the dark as much as she did because this whole thing was about all of them, not only her. I think she underestimated how supportive they were and how much they wanted to help her succeed.
But in the end, this witty, feminist story was one of empowerment and it surely will inspire its readers to fight for equality. The friendships will warm your heart and make you feel like you could do anything as long as you have loyal and supportive people on your side.
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