This was a lovely adventure story for younger readers about Brontë, the first girl to go to a training college for knights. Brontë was a great character - brave and impulsive but who turned out to be a great friend and who always wanted to do what was right. It took me a little while to fully understand the world they lived in and how everything fitted together but after a few chapters I got there. There were some great side characters and some really funny moments - a fun and different read.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Bex is one of my favourite young adult authors and I was so excited to see her branch out into middle grade books - especially as Bronte is aimed at the younger end of that category, something I don't see a lot of. Plus it's illustrated and there are maps! I always love to see those.

Bronte is a super cute story of a princess who wants to go to knight school, but when she gets there she notices everything is going a little wrong. The story is so well put together with adventure and bravery and fun at its core. The animal characters were great, especially Lord Errol <3

I especially liked that no one wants to really be a hero at the school, except poor Bronte!

I can't wait for the second book, which is coming out soon. Definitely a great one for younger readers. 4 stars.

I absolutely loved this book. Bronte is a wonderful character and there is such a lot of brilliantly silly humour that I know the children at school will love. I'm now off to investigate Bex Hogan's young adult books, as these look great too.

This was super cute, its a little on the younger side of middle grade but it's a really nice story and had a couple of twists. Bronte herself is a great character and I really like the world.

I can't wait to recommend this to my LKS2 class.
The characters are superb and ones that children will readily relate to. Bronte is strong willed and decisive whereas Tonkins is her exact opposite. I love the idea of a princess wanting to be a knight when no-one else want the job. With gorgeous illustrations, secrets to uncover, fantastical creatures (I personally like the fixels and the firecats) and silly humour, this would be a perfect story to share as a read out loud.

Bronte Tempestra and the Lightning Steeds originally grabbed me because of the name. However, the story gripped me right from the start and the pace kept going strong until the end. What I particularly loved about this book, alongside the positive female representation (Bronte is the first girl to go to Knight School) and the wide range of characters and creatures, is that it's the perfect pace, word count, amount of illustrations and vocabulary for so many children in school who don't yet have the stamina or desire to read longer chapter books so get stuck in the world of Tom Gates (not knocking Tom Gates) or the terrible DW. There is such a need for books in the middle and Bronte Tempestra is one of these. The only problem I have now is deciding which child gets to read it first!
Bronte's desire to become a knight and save her world from the strange and terrible things happening around her (things that everyone else appears to be turning a blind eye to) will captivate and enthral young readers as much as it did me. A great read.

Brontë, “spare” princess of the Storm kingdom has always wanted to be a knight, so when the best school for squires in the kingdoms announces they’ll be accepting girls, Brontë signs up immediately. But, as she leaves for her new school, the de facto guardians of the kingdom, the lightning steeds, seemingly vanish…

This is brilliant, a great story of friendship, bravery, and following your gut, that rattles along at the perfect pace and leaves you wanting so much more. I can’t wait for more stories of Brontë, Tonkins, Blue and the bizarre, wonderful kingdoms that Bex has created.

Brontë Tempestra has always wanted to be a knight so when the doors open for all at Knight school she can’t wait to get stuck in.
Beautiful illustrations throughout, bringing all the characters to life.
There’s adventure, magic and mayhem and Brontë manages to save the day and show everyone that girls can make amazingly brave knights too!
My children and I really enjoyed this and look forward to more adventures with Brontë and her friends.

It makes a refreshing change to read a Bex Hogan book that doesn't eviscerate the soul.

Brontë Tempestra and the Lightning Steeds is an absolutely delightful read.

Brontë is a Princess who always wanted to be a Knight but wasn't allowed, because until now only boys could be Knights (and it turns out they're not that great at it, preferring prancing around to actually protecting anyone). She's not having that and when the Lightening Steeds go missing she sets out on a true Knights quest to find out what's going on.

Packed with brilliant magical creatures (I was a huge fan of the very pompous Lord Errol), lots of silly humour (right up my street, and perfect for younger readers) and a gorgeous cast of characters.

The perfect book for any girl who grew up wanting to be the Knight and not the Princess. I can't wait to share this one with my niece.

Brontë is a princess in the storm kingdom but she wants to be a knight more than anything else! When Sir Sebastian’s Sxhool for Sauores decides to allow all children to attend, not just boys, Brontë is thrilled.

She heads off but as she does, she notices that the thunder trolls are on the move and the lightning steeds are missing. She bears this in mind as she begins her new adventure at knight school. She has much to learn and being the only girl, she must truly prove her worth.

She soon befriends Tonkins, and finds her place but she also becomes disillusioned and disappointed at the attitude of the school towards the role of being a knight. She wants to be bold, brave and true but the teachers seem to be more about the pomp and ceremony of knight hood.

Brontë has a heart of gold and is determined to save those who need it. She uses her head and her instincts to begin putting the puzzle pieces together and heads into the forest for answers.

She meets Lord Errol and he becomes an ally, one who will be very helpful, against his griffin nature. Brontë proves she is more than up for the challenge of being a knight, one who is just and courageous.

A brilliant start to a new series. I can’t wait to see more adventures from Brontë, Tomkins and ice kitten Blue!
Fantastic illustrations allow the reader to enter this fantasy world of creatures, myths and legends!

A fun, fast-paced adventure story for younger readers. Bronte Tempestra is a princess, and now a Knight in training, but it feels like she's the only one at her new school who truly understands what it is to be a Knight.

When the thundertrolls from her own kingdom escape into the others, Bronte knows that something is wrong- what's happened to the lightning steeds that should keep them under control? And why isn't anyone else bothered? And what are these other funny goings-on at her school? Only Bronte, and her gluttonous new friend, can save the day!

There are a few parts that are a bit silly, but it's a fun and imaginative setting that makes a quick start to what could be a delightful series for younger readers.

Also, a big shout out to the illustrations, which are fantastic.

Adorably funny middle grade fantasy that is sure to grab kids and adults alike. I loved feisty Bronte and the world that Bex Hogan has created; I could have done with less toilet humour but that's so often the case with being an adult reading funny middle grade!

An engaging adventure with an intrepid female character, and a fun supporting cast. The quest elements are perfectly pitched for the target age group - this is an undemanding but great lower JF read. And the title sounds like an 80s indie band :)

Much to Princess Bronte Tempestra's disgust if you want to go to knight school in Everdale you have to be a boy!  Sometimes though, things change for the better  and now the nine year old is joining Sir Sebastian's in year four! Lessons to teach her all the exciting skills she will need to protect her kingdom seem sadly lacking however, and when she discovers a plot which puts everyone in danger no one else seems at all bothered!  Apparently it's all down to her and just how brave she really is!

Book one in Bex Hogan's excellent new series for those aged 7+ is a fun read which will introduce younger readers to fantasy adventures gently and without too much trauma! The story moves at a cracking pace with just enough of Hannah McCaffery's brilliant illustrations to give anyone's imagination a little nudge. Bronte is instantly likeable and relatable but her new friend Tonk was my favourite character who was drawn, albeit unwillingly, into various events he couldn't quite believe he was a part of!

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Bonnier Books UK, but the opinions expressed are my own. A great bedtime story this suitable book for reluctant and confident readers alike and is easy to recommend.

BRONTE TEMPESTRA AND THE LIGHTNING STEEDS (not seeds, as I've written a few times!) is an utterly adorable novel about being courageous and learning to be a knight!

It is a lower middle grade novel for readers who are gaining confidence around 7-8. Bronte herself is just going into year 4. I like finding books at the lower end of age ranges as they're not as common so it's nice to be able to add more to my recommendation list!

Bronte wants to be a knight and she finally can! Except knight school is not everything she thought it would be... I enjoyed how utterly unbothered everyone was by the very idea of being knights. "Be a hero? Nah, stay alive." Knights are an institution here and that means no one is rushing off to do anything when strange things start happening.

This is a world of magical creatures, more magical version of animals in ours. But they're going bad! I really enjoyed the imagination in both the "good" version of the creatures and the "bad." The names are especially fun - zombits and horrorflies and more!

The book is illustrated by Hannah McCattery. The illustrations are mostly large ones - a full page bringing with details. I personally prefer these to a larger number of smaller, single object illustrations. I think these big ones give you a better sense of what's happening.

Bronte is so excited when Sir Sebastian's school for knights opens it's doors to girls for the first time. But it turns out to be quite a disappointment, with the knights mostly just there for the flair and ceremony. No one seems interested in actually saving the world any more. But Bronte is a great heroine and she's there to show them all what a real knight is! I loved all the unusual and magical creatures and all the wonderful lands of Everdale. Plus there are some very funny characters, like Sir Ripple who loves himself far too much and is extremely useless!

I really enjoyed this! It’s such fun and I loved Bex’s first foray into children’s books! I also really loved the illustrations! I can’t wait to own a physical copy of this to share with the kids in school.

Packed full of pacy action, the first in this new series sees Bronte Tempestra follow her dreams of being a knight. But what does being a knight entail exactly..?

Bronte, Princess of the Storm Kingdom, knows what she wants...to be the first princess to ever train to become a knight. But when she heads off to knight school, she is surprised to find that the knights are more interested in bravado than being brave. Is saving and protecting kingdoms really second to showing off?

But when Bronte finds out that the Lightning Steeds from her kingdom have gone missing, leaving the thunder trolls to cause havoc in their absence, Bronte takes matters into her hands and sets off on a quest to find the root of all the strange happenings in the realm.

This is a great concept which places a strong, female character centre stage. We loved how Bronte knows exactly who she wants to be and how much she cares about her kingdom. With bags of agency and a fighting spirit, you just know that this is a girl set for lots of adventures and that we, as readers, are definitely going to enjoy riding along with her.

The world-building is brilliantly done with a cleverly constructed setting (again paving the way for lots of future adventures) and a cast of fun and creative characters. We loved the pompous griffin lord and the fire cats and we also loved the plot twist which centred around Bronte's own cat. There's a real sense of tension and imminent threat running right from the start and this escalates into a villain-busting climax which will leave readers as breathless as if they were the knights on a mission.

There's so much to love about this new story and we can't wait to explore more of the world. We're particularly keen to meet the thunder trolls and find out what kind of peril Bronte will be facing next.