by Jamie Pacton
Published on May 5, 2020 by Page Street
Format: ARC
Pages: 384
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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.
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Sometimes books fall right smack in the middle. And you know what? That’s fine. The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly wasn’t a favorite for me, but it was good enough. A nice palette cleanse after a series of severely disappointing reads. It’s one of those books where what you see is what you get, and for me those books can be refreshing. So while Kit Sweetly’s story probably won’t end up on any of my end-of-the-year-favorites lists, it didn’t disappoint me per say, and I think there’s something to be said for that.
First, let’s go over why it missed the mark for what I consider a stellar read. While I thought the titular heroine, Kit, was quirky and fun to read, the side characters all fell flat. No one else seemed truly fleshed out, which is a shame considering how diverse the cast of characters was. Even the love interest didn’t stand out to me, which caused me to feel way less invested in the romance than I normally am. The other issue that kept me from really digging this one was the pacing. Everything seemed to happen too fast. I would have loved for the whole story to be just a bit more drawn out, it might have added the needed depth and that extra special spark.
Now for the good! Two words: Kit Sweetly. Kit was such a charming and driven lead. I was drawn to her character right from the start. I laughed at/with her so many times just in the first few chapters. I also thought this book had some really good themes. They may have been presented a bit on the nose at times and the writing may have benefited from a bit more nuance, sure. But in the end, the feminist messages came across loud and clear and real and I loved it.
So, would I recommend The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly? Yes, I would, with a disclaimer to maybe go into it with expectations slightly lowered. It’s a good surface value read. It’s fast and fun and good hearted. And while it does have issues, I think they’re ones that can be easily overlooked in favor of enjoyment.
About Katie
I'm a twenty-something aspiring writer who really, really needs to get back to revisions. I've been reviewing books since 2014, and am determined to somehow make stories my day job. I truly think that every book out there contains something good and is meant for somebody.
This sounds like a good book. I like you acknowledge it’s not when you’re necessarily going to be shouting from the rooftops about but that doesn’t mean it was bad. Seems like there were flaws here and it sucks that the whole cast of characters wasn’t fleshed out more but it does sound like there was good to be had.