This was easily one of my favourite reads from this year!✨️

It had great characters, an intriguing plot and good pacing throughout the whole book. I'll definitely recommend reading it if you love medieval battles, fantasy, some romance and great character growth!🤗

The book started off strongly, you get to know Clìa's motivation and personality for a bit, and then it gets more and more action packed as you keep reading.  This made it a fun story to me, which definitely had some twists I hadn't seen coming😱

It was Clía's stubborn personality that made me love her👸🏼. Although her initial motivation to go to Caisleán (winning back a prince), was somewhat questionable, she learned a lot along the way, and her character development was impressive. I also loved Ronan, a non-royal, as Clía's love interest. He was so patient and kind when teaching her fighting techniques, but always treated her as an equal and believed in her⚔️ (seriously, where can I find someone like him?). I also enjoyed the parts of the story from his perspective; it made him feel like more than just the love interest as we got to read about his emotions and thoughts.

All the side characters were lovely in their own way. The way Niahm and Clía went from rivals to good friends felt natural. Kìan and Sarait were adorable. And let's not forget about the cutest addition: Murphy😍 Domhnall wasn't my favourite character in the story, but he was well written, and had to be a bit of a dumbass for the plot🫣.

The ending was satisfying, and hopefully there will be a sequel👀, since it feels like there is so much more Inismian lore to be uncovered!🩷

Conclusion: 5⭐️ read
⚔️A more detailed review can be found on my Goodreads, Fable, Instagram and TikTok⚔️

🩷~ This was an ARC read, huge thanks to Cait Jacobs, HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me with this e-arc! ~🩷

I don't know if this is going to be a series, I hope it is, but oh my god, I am obsessed with The Princess Knight . I was a fan of the OG title, but I like this one too, since it feels more fitting for Clía. If you've watched Legally Blonde (and know the previous title), you're gonna recognise so many things. This book is an ode to the movie in the way it presents itself, but at the same time, it is a unique take on a familiar plot and offers a thrilling sense of adventure.

This is the story of Clía, who, after being rejected by Prince Domnhall for a marriage, joins a deadly military academy in hopes of convincing him that she can be a queen and lead a kingdom. One of the many things that the book does really well is show us how Clía struggles at first, living outside her privileged life as a princess in a castle. You can easily tell in the first couple of chapters that she's struggling with the changes. But slowly she grows used to them and comes into her own as a determined fighter. Her character development is incredible, and if you were to compare her in chapter one to her in the last chapter, she has clearly come a long way from how she used to be.

Then, of course, there's Ronan, the fierce knight and Captain of Prince Domnhall's guard. He is so kind and offers to train Clía in sword fighting. He very clearly recognises the fire in her when they train, and the banter they exchange is so much fun. I loooved it when he defended her, especially when Domnhall was being exceptionally rude; those scenes made him infinitely more attractive in my eyes. I also really loved how Ronan's chronic pain was written about in the story; it was heartfelt and very much a part of him, and the way he fights his battles.

Ronan and Clía's relationship is packed full of yearning (and there's a lot of it) and I honestly love how we get to see them as a friends first before we see them developing feelings for each other. That's also one of the reasons I loooved this book. This was friends to lovers done right.

This book also has some amazing side characters and an animal companion, which I always love. Although I was a little (a lot) annoyed by Domnhall at first, I think the way he also changes and learns was done amazingly, and I started liking him towards the end. The story also contains court politics and war strategies, and is just action packed till the end. The fight scenes and the battle scenes were some of my favourites in the book. Overall, the pacing was also damn good; it stayed steady and when it picked up, it picked up. Cait Jacobs' writing was absolutely incredible, and their way with words made this book extra immersive.

All in all, The Princess Knight was a well-crafted fantasy with gorgeous worldbuilding and I had a blast reading it. I can't wait for the release day for this one to come around so that I can have a physical copy in my hands to annotate!!

DNF

This book had one job—be fun, flirty, and maybe a little stabby—and it failed spectacularly. I got 40% through The Princess Knight before realizing I was more entertained by my laundry. And I notoriously hate doing laundry. Like, I would rather reorganize my Tupperware drawer blindfolded than fold a single towel. That’s how bored I was.

I was promised “Legally Blonde but make it medieval,” and instead got a confused princess, a war academy with no standards, and flirting on horseback. Clía shows up to a military school not knowing how to hold a sword (girl??) and is shocked to find out that people actually fight there. Instead of getting kicked out like anyone else, she gets a personal trainer in Ronan, the school’s top student, who apparently has nothing better to do than teach Sword 101 to someone who thought combat school would be vibes and tea parties.

The "action" is basically skipped, the “adventure” is off-page, and the romance is so dry it could be used as kindling. Clía somehow trains for like five minutes, complains the whole time, and we’re supposed to believe she ends up killing a legendary general? Sure, Jan. I didn’t even finish the book—I spoiled the ending for myself out of spite and, honestly, I regret nothing.

Every relationship felt forced, the worldbuilding was a name-dump mess, and the pacing was like someone kept hitting the fast-forward and snooze buttons at random.

The idea had potential, the cover is absolutely stunning, but this read more like “Medieval Times: The Fanfic” than a real romantic fantasy. If you want Legally Blonde vibes, just rewatch the movie. Elle would’ve had better aim with a sword on day one.

DNF

This book? Yeah... it’s a no from me. I got about 40% in and was shocked to discover that somehow nothing had happened except a lot of whining, awkward flirting, and one girl’s painfully slow realization that a war academy might actually involve, you know… fighting.

Clía, our heroine (I use that term loosely), shows up to this elite military school not knowing how to hold a sword—like, not even how to hold it. And then she's offended that people expect her to fight?? Girl, this isn’t summer camp. People are out here training like it’s The Hunger Games, and she’s like, “but what if we talked instead?” Please. And instead of getting sent home like any other useless recruit would, she somehow gets a personal tutor in the form of Ronan, the school’s top warrior dude. And he just agrees. No complaints. Just accepts his new role as Sword Daddy to the girl who thought war school would be like theater camp.

The book promised monster battles and magic but mostly delivered... flirting on horseback. The action either happens off-page or gets skipped entirely. I came for blood and spells and got vibes and vague danger.

Clía keeps insisting she wants to "get stronger" to win back her ex, but we never see her do much of anything besides complain and fall down. Yet somehow by the end (I spoiled it because I couldn’t take any more), she’s apparently strong enough to defeat a legendary general. Like, sure. A girl who didn’t know which end of the sword to hold six months ago is now taking down the nation’s strongest warrior. Absolutely. I, too, believe in miracles.

The romance was flat, the characters had the emotional depth of a paper towel, and the worldbuilding felt like being hit with a bag of fantasy nouns. I couldn’t keep track of any of the places or politics because it was all just name soup with zero context.

Honestly, the idea was fun and the cover is stunning, but this felt more like a first draft of Legally Blonde: Medieval Times Edition—minus the charm, intelligence, and actually good storytelling. If you're hoping for a magical Elle Woods with a sword, do yourself a favor and rewatch Legally Blonde instead. At least Elle knew what she signed up for.

DNF

This was a no from me. I got over 40% in and have never been this bored reading a book. The Princess Knight had so much potential—a “Legally Blonde goes to medieval military school” premise with a gorgeous cover—but completely fumbled the execution.

Clía, the main character, is whiny, privileged, and painfully unprepared. She joins an elite war academy without knowing how to hold a sword and is shocked that they expect her to fight. She’s terrible from day one but somehow isn’t sent home—no, instead the academy’s top student, Ronan, is told to train her on the side. And he just agrees? Really? She barely trains, complains constantly, and yet by the end (I spoiled it because I couldn’t finish), she’s supposedly strong enough to kill a legendary general. Sorry, but I don’t buy that a girl who picked up a sword six months ago could take down a veteran.

The romance was flat and forced. Clía pines for her ex, Domhnall, but suddenly has feelings for Ronan with no chemistry or build-up. Their connection felt completely unearned. The “found family” angle was just as weak—the characters had no real development or dynamics that made me care. Honestly, Niamh and Domhnall were more interesting than anyone else.

The worldbuilding was a mess. There were way too many names, places, and political details dumped on the reader early on without context, and the writing constantly told instead of showed. The pacing was off, the plot felt choppy, and there were strange inconsistencies—like characters arguing over a creature being “poisonous” when it was clearly venomous (seriously, that’s basic stuff).

I really wanted to love this, but it just didn’t deliver. If you’re looking for clever, empowering fantasy with Legally Blonde vibes, watch the movie instead. This read like a YA draft in need of serious revision. Not funny, not romantic, not engaging—just a letdown.

The Princess Knight is a medieval fantasy that is inspired by the plot of Legally Blonde which is one of my favourite romcoms so I was so excited to jump into this book. I really enjoyed the plot and could definitely see the Legally Blonde inpso at the beginning of the book but felt the story also held its own. We follow Clia, a medieval princess who enrols in a military academy to train to become a warrior and win back her betrothal to Prince Domhnall. Obviously things are not as straight forward as Clia expects and I really liked the character development and found family aspect of this book. It has great characters and well done LGBTQ+ representation throughout. I also enjoyed the Irish/Celtic mythology and folklore that was woven into the story and would have liked to see this developed more - perhaps this will be explored in potential future books by the author. My only criticism would be that I felt the book was longer than it needed to be which made it feel like it dragged on for a bit in places and the pacing wasn't quite right. However this is a fun story which I would recommend to anyone looking for a unique fantasy read.

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, Magpie and HarperFiction and Cait Jacobs for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this one so much!

It’s a story of courage, charm, love, discovery and (quiet) rebellion, with interesting lore and politics interwoven into the story. It’s very fast paced, easy to read, with worldbuilding that’s easy to follow. There’s an amazing found family, too. There are quests and missions that will keep you on your toes, and the story is full of secrets and twists.

The character growth is amazing, and I love the FMC Clía in particular, and her growth throughout the story is frankly remarkable.

The main thing that resonated with me was the representation in the story. The story had wonderful chronic illness and chronic pain representation - it’s incredibly realistic and very well done. As someone who has several chronic illnesses and deals with chronic pain daily, this was so refreshing to see. Additionally, Clía, the FMC, is neurodiverse (autistic), and this is done well, and also done subtly. I felt seen in this story, and resonated so much with these characters. The world is also queernormative, with characters who are incredibly diverse, which I loved to see.

Do you know what? I actually loved this medieval take on legally blonde. I thought the concept was so unique & fun, and Clia and Ronan were the perfect match. Their interactions were super sweet and I enjoyed the chemistry between them, albeit a little dull at points. The whole aesthetic of this book was so me, and for me personally, this was a great read.

Arc review -Okay I loved this 4 stars! ya medieval cosy fantasy!!!
Legally blonde myth with Celtic lore along with LGBTQ rep!

Absolutely loved the main characters Clía and Ronan’s bond as well as the side characters they were so fun! Highly recommend this read to any cosy fantasy lover for sure. I am intrigued to see if this will continue as a series as I definitely think it has potential to do so!

The Princess Knight is a medieval fantasy inspired by legally blonde, and let me tell you I ran to request this arc because I had to have it immediately.

When the prince, Clia has an arrangement with fails to propose she decides to follow him to a military training base to prove to him that she can be more than just a pretty face. In the process, just like Elle, she discovers that she has the potential to be so much more than she thought possible.

The writing was good and while there’s some debate around the classification I would place it solidly in the YA category. The characters were also interesting, the cast was compelling and very true to their counterparts from legally blonde and I loved some of the supporting characters like Kian. We had a wide array of characters with some great LGBTQ and disability rep which I thought were really well handled.

I found the world building to be a little basic for a fantasy novel tho this could be due to the fact that it’s a standalone. The author has hinted to returning to this story so I hope to see it further developed down the line as it was definitely coming across as unfinished. We had a scene with a bean sidhe which was never followed up so felt kind of pointless to the plot? And even the pantheon native to the universe only ever seems to mentioned just to make the point that the gods can’t be controlled. They didn’t feel very meshed into the universe. My favourite aspect was that it was a queer-normative world as I always find that the representation feels so natural in worlds like that and I love to see it. None of it was contrived, none of it was a big deal and it reminded me of one of my fave lgbtq+ reads.

The naming conventions were more than a little confusing. I appreciate it was Irish inspired but I couldn’t for the life of me pronounce ANYTHING 😂😂 I only finished the book last night but I couldn’t name a single location to you now 😂😂

I solidly enjoyed the first half of the book, but I was honestly just not invested in it. It was a little shallow in the end and lacked depth and there were too many things that just didn’t make sense to me and I found myself wishing to finish so I could move on to something else. I’m not entirely sure if I would read a sequel but never say never.

Thank you so much to Cait Jacobs, Harper Collins and NetGalley for providing me with an earc for the Princess Knight. I’m grateful I didn’t have to wait until October to read this x I

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for this arc.

I enjoyed this, it was a nice easy fantasy romance to pick up. I did struggle a little with the names of people and places and trying to work out their pronunciation but that was more of a me problem than anything with the book.

The characters show a lot of growth throughout the book and I was invested in them as people. I also like how they became such a connected friend group even with their difficulties with each other at the start.

If you want high fantasy this probably isn’t the book for you but if you want something light, fun and bingeable with nobility, warriors and a touch of magic then definitely give this a read.

Legally blonde but set in a medieval fantasy world with knights. A great concept but sadly I was quite bored with this one. I felt like the book was overlong as it dragged near the end.

NetGalley Review – A Princess in the Arena
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5/5)

A Princess in the Arena is a sparkling, romantic fantasy debut that blends royal drama, slow-burn romance, and a touch of magic with heart and humor.

Princess Clía is determined to win back her ex, Prince Domhnall, by following him to the kingdom’s elite military academy. But instead of reclaiming his heart, she finds herself drawn to Ronan — Domhnall’s brooding best friend and a fierce warrior who’s sworn off distractions. Sparks fly, loyalties are tested, and Clía learns that love and war are rarely simple.

Clía is a delightful heroine — bold, stubborn, and full of heart — and her banter with Ronan is electric. The worldbuilding is rich, the romance slow and satisfying, and the emotional payoff well-earned. Bonus points for the adorable otter-like pet and strong female friendships.

Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing and The Selection, this is a charming, empowering read with real depth beneath the glitter.

Highly recommended for fantasy romance lovers.

˙₊➴ ꒰ 4-stars★ ꒱ ꒷⊹࣪˖

📜┆ ARC ⤿ HarperCollins UK & NetGalley
✒️┆ Author ⤿ Cait Jacobs
💌┆ Pub Date ⤿ 10/23/25

❝ She may never be the best, but that could be forgiven as long as she didn’t stop. ❞

When a royal engagement shatters, Princess Clía refuses to be cast aside. Determined to prove her worth, she enters Caisleán Cósta, the kingdom’s most brutal military academy. As war looms, Clía must choose: win back Prince Domhall’s heart or forge her path to save the kingdom.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ੈ Thoughts

I picked up The Princess Knight expecting a light. sweet, and soft-hearted tale wrapped in pretty pastels, but what I found was a story brimming with courage, charm, and quiet rebellion. Clía’s time at Caisleán Cósta wasn’t just about learning to fight. It was about discovering who she truly was. Through battles and needlework, she became more than a knight. Clía became her kind of hero.🪡🎠

The journey that led her to it was enjoyable to see, as she grew despite the doubt, dismissal, and belittlement she faced at every turn. What made her growth more powerful was having Ronan in it. I just loved how much he believed in her, how much he respected her, and how fiercely he supported her (where do I order this type of man? Can someone send me a link? Becasue he is just perf and seeing him admire and respect Clía just made me love him even more!😩💘). In the end, he did help her become a goddess!!!👑⚔️

❝ Whenever you’re here with me, know that there is no role, no script you need to follow. I have no use for them. You need only be yourself, and that’s enough. Anyone who makes you feel otherwise is a waste of your time. ❞

❝ Your resolve, your strength, your loyalty. Sometimes I feel as if you could will the stars into the sky. I like to think you would have found a different route to get here. I’m only glad I was blessed to witness the creation of a goddess. ❞

I didn’t expect the history and politics of Inismian to run so deep, but the more I read, the more it pulled me in and became a big part of why I admired the story even more. The military training/missions, conflicts, and war contributed to the action and excitement I needed. However, I wish there had been more of it. There were only a few scenes of Clía’s training, with several skips in between (though the time skips were handled well and didn’t make the story feel patchy, I just wanted to see more of her training arc). The same goes for the fantasy elements, especially the Gifts of the Treibh Anam and the lore surrounding them. Still, this book seems to just scratch the surface of their power, so imma just be patient and look forward to uncovering more in the future.

A solid 4🌟! Why? Because it had everything I was craving! Lore and politics, thrilling missions and action, a journey of self-discovery, a resilient fmc, a chivalrous mmc, heart-fluttering romance, found family, and even an adorable otter-like monster pet 🦦, all set in a vivid fantasy world. I loved it have a cupcake, Ms. Cait Jacobs! I can’t wait to see what comes next for this band of heroes!🧁💓✨

❝ This was not the end. The snow would melt, and flowers would bloom where there was once blood and death. More battles lay ahead. And she was ready. ❞

➳ Huge thanks to the publisher & author—HarperCollins UK, Cait Jacobs & NetGalley—for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

╴╴╴╴╴⋅˚₊‧ ୨ Full and more detailed review is on Goodreads & Fable! ୧ ‧₊˚⋅ ╴╴╴╴╴

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC!

The premise of this, at a basic level, is Legally Blonde goes fantasy medieval. But honestly, it's so much better than that. Our MC, Clía, is a Princess of one of three Kingdoms who has been molded into the perfect princess mould. She's demure, mindful, kind and anything you want her to be in that moment. Her main stress at the moment is her imminent betrothal to the heir of another kingdom, Prince Domhnall. Her kingdom needs the marriage to appease the draoi, and thus maintain the kingdoms well being.

Only Domhnall rejects Clía, in quite a harsh way. To put it bluntly, he basically calls her pretty and shallow, not someone he wants to lead next to him. This breaks something inside Clía, as she puts a lot on being whatever people want her to be.

So, in response, she joins the military academy that Domhnall goes to in an effort to prove she's not just a pretty face. She goes through a lot of personal development and improvement through the book, and thankfully she's smart, so it was great to see her develop for herself and not for anyone else.

Her love interest, Ronan, is the captain of Domhnall's guard and an exceptionally good warrior. Unknown to anyone except Domhnall is the chronic pain he lives with. He works with Clía to train her, helping her to grow with her battle skills and giving her the support she needs.

Behind all this is an overarching plot of a rival kingdom that's looming as a threat, alongside the kingdom across the sea that's always threatening. Clía and Ronan work together very well, both on the battlefield and off it, and they're chemistry is great together. I really enjoyed them, and their individual storyline. The side characters were equally good, with their own plots going on and developed personalities.

There's also plenty of representation, with people of all skin colours, genders and sexualities, alongside the chronic pain representation in Ronan. Overall, I really enjoyed my time with this!

The Princess Knight was a refreshing read - think Legally Blonde (a movie I adore!) but set in a Medieval world.

Princess Clía of Álainndore and Prince Domhnall of Scáilca were betrothed and expected to marry in order to form an alliance and to strengthen these two kingdoms. However, Domhnall last minute calls it off, his reason being that Clía is too weak and does not have what it takes to be a ruler by his side. Clía, determined to prove Domhnall wrong and to win him back, joins the Caisleán Cósta, the military academy which he is attending, in hopes of undergoing elite training and to become a strong enough warrior to prove her worth.

Ronan Ó Faoláin⁠, the (handsome) captain and warrior at Caisleán Cósta and Domhnall's best friend, is also there to prove himself to his mentor. He has only known duelling all his life and has no time for anything else. However, Clía catches his attention, and the more he helps with her training, the more he becomes intrigued by her...

When I first came across this book, I was immediately drawn to it as I adore Legally Blonde and a medieval tale inspired by this movie as a premise sounded so GOOD. Also, the cover is absolutely stunning (if not one of the most beautiful covers I have ever seen).

Overall, I enjoyed this book - I enjoyed seeing Clía's character growth and self discovery, as well how the feelings between her and Ronan blossomed. We all love a strong and badass FMC and Clía for sure is one. I found Domhnall hard to like but towards the end I warmed up to him a bit more. The plot twists were twisting and some of which I didn't see coming. One thing that surprised me though was the fact that Clía joined such an elite military academy with absolutely zero training or knowledge beforehand - that got to me a bit as it was like one throwing themselves into the fire - but that aside, overall it was a lovely read. The rest of the characters were also great. Niamh was cold, smart and frightening (so Vivian-esque), and I also loved Clía's friendship with Sárait. The LGBTQ and chronic pain representation was also done really well!

Thank you so much to the author, HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for the ARC. The Princess Knight releases on 23 October 2025 in the UK!

The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs is a 5 star read for me. Such a good story. Totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic.

The Princess Knight fuses everyone’s favourite girl power film ‘Legally Blonde’ and medieval Celtic folklore into this fantasy novel. I had a fantastic time reading it. I really enjoyed the story, the characters and the world. It follows the main plot points of legally blonde but adds a nice twist to keep it fresh and exciting. The chemistry between the two main characters was lovely and some of the banter made me laugh out loud.
A great, easy fantasy read that reminds us that we are more than the boxes people label us into and that we can do whatever we want - like go to university to become a trained warrior (and look good doing it too!)

Celtic myths smash into military academy chaos, starring a princess who’s stubborn as hell and zero chill all set in a medieval world that’s wonderfully queer and actually ditching the usual misogyny trope. Plus, there’s legit chronic illness rep that doesn’t feel like an afterthought. That’s the kind of energy we’re talking about.

If this combo sounds like your jam, buckle up, because this book hooks you fast.

The characters are glorious mess of lovable flaws. The heroine’s super easy to root for, while the prince pushing her away is a whole mood complicated, layered, and just the right amount of frustrating to keep you guessing.

Underneath all the sword fights and snarky banter is a quietly sweet romance that doesn’t feel forced or overdone. What really made me stay, though, was the queer-normative worldbuilding it gives the story a warm, lived-in feel that’s easy to get lost in.

And can we talk about the concept? A war academy where a princess throws shade at her royally useless parents? Love it. I dubbed this one Medievally Blonde because the royal family drama is that next-level.

That said, I wanted more grit, more digging into the social divide between the nobles and the peasants. The story leans heavily on the heroine’s privilege and inexperience, but I felt like the class struggle could’ve hit harder. Also, there’s a cool nod to Fear Gorta the famine spirit that felt like it had so much potential to expose inequality between Álainndore and its neighbors but kinda got left in the background.

Irish mythology is a rare gem in fantasy these days, and this book nails the sweet spot between welcoming newbies and pleasing the lore buffs.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book.
I was intrigued when I saw that this was inspired by legally blonde. The beginning is quite similar, but then it becomes its own story. I really liked the medieval setting. Clia’s and Ronan’s growth were really nice to see. The romance is a slow burn. There is a lot of political intrigues and also action scenes. I found that some parts were a bit long and it was dragging, but in the end it all made sense. I think some parts could’ve been shorter especially in part 3. In the end, i enjoyed this story, it had a good story building but the pacing was a bit off for me.