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A review by kevinscorner
Of Knights and Books and Falling in Love by Rita A. Rubin, Rita A. Rubin
4.5
Of Knights and Books and Falling in Love is a queer cosy fantasy romance between a former villain’s minion and a knight in shining armor. Jayce was kidnapped as a child and trained as the Dark Lord’s protege and minion in servitude. When he forms an uneasy alliance with captured knight Alexius, he peripherally aids in defeating the Dark Lord. Now, Jayce must rediscover who he is outside of being the Dark Lord’s primary underling.
This was just a remarkably heartwarming and delightful read. There’s just something about a low stakes fantasy that’s like a warm hug, hence the recent fascination with cosy fantasies. Without the big action set pieces or world ending stakes (excluding the opening set-up), the book relies heavily on its central character Jayce and the bonds he forms. And that was indeed done to great effect. I only just wish that the book had been longer.
Jayce follows Alexius to his hometown and just proceeds loving his now mundane life—working in a bookstore, making friends, and figuring out what life he wants to build for himself—all while trying to reconcile the evil things he was forced to do and his feelings of guilt. He was just compellingly likable and impossible not to root for. And of course, Jayce and kindhearted Alexius fall in love. Their romance was as sweet as it was a slowburn even in its inevitability. Alexius just delivers his golden retriever energy and all around goodness and sunshiny-ness despite some quite moments of suggested PTSD.
Of Knight and Books and Falling in Love is a charming and heartwarming queer cosy fantasy romance.
*I received an eARC as part of a book tour.
This was just a remarkably heartwarming and delightful read. There’s just something about a low stakes fantasy that’s like a warm hug, hence the recent fascination with cosy fantasies. Without the big action set pieces or world ending stakes (excluding the opening set-up), the book relies heavily on its central character Jayce and the bonds he forms. And that was indeed done to great effect. I only just wish that the book had been longer.
Jayce follows Alexius to his hometown and just proceeds loving his now mundane life—working in a bookstore, making friends, and figuring out what life he wants to build for himself—all while trying to reconcile the evil things he was forced to do and his feelings of guilt. He was just compellingly likable and impossible not to root for. And of course, Jayce and kindhearted Alexius fall in love. Their romance was as sweet as it was a slowburn even in its inevitability. Alexius just delivers his golden retriever energy and all around goodness and sunshiny-ness despite some quite moments of suggested PTSD.
Of Knight and Books and Falling in Love is a charming and heartwarming queer cosy fantasy romance.
*I received an eARC as part of a book tour.