A review by keandrews95
The Return of the Knights by Gregory Kontaxis

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I was given a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. First off, the cover of this book is so gorgeous. Kontaxis has created a world that is filled with lore, magic, and mythical creatures. It gave off Game of Thrones and Percy Jackson vibes. There were several different POVs in the story that give you a look at almost all sides of those involved in the conflict. Walter is definitely a terrifying villain and Sophie becomes morally gray compared to how she is first portrayed. There were a lot of great female characters and the twist at the end was interesting. I struggled to like Elliot. While his arrogance is noted, not many people do much to set him straight. He does learn his lesson in the end but it doesn't really feel like he changed much. While he sets off while an interesting group of people, the only person we don't get a POV for us Eleanor and I felt that was a missed opportunity to bring out her character besides her being a woman who fights and needs to be protected by the group.

Her romance with Morys felt rushed and almost out of nowhere. I also thought she was much younger than him so it caught me off guard. I wasn't a fan of Morys dying and still felt like the character had more to offer.

The pacing in places felt a bit off. There was a lot of exposition that bogged down the narrative and some of which felt unnecessary. I did like Syrella, Peter, and John as characters. This series has a lot of potential and no doubt Kontaxis has a lot in store for Elliot and the others. 3.5 out of 5, rounded up