This Knight Topples Empires – ARC Review
Review of This Knight Topples Empires by Ry Herman
If you need a fantasy that is clever, funny, warm, and not afraid to get a little weird with its fairy-tale magic, This Knight Topples Empires is a genuinely delightful read. I am so grateful to receive an advanced reader copy from Netgalley and I am excited to share my spoiler-free thoughts with you.
Jules is tired of being treated like the least useful member of a very magically mismatched family. Their ability to make flowers bloom does not exactly feel like the kind of power that will save a kingdom. But when an invasion threatens the people they love, Jules gets the chance to become a knight, take on a dangerous mission, and prove that they are capable of much more than everyone assumes.
Of course, the quest does not go neatly. There are botched disguises, inconvenient crushes, absurd magical complications, talking animals with plenty of opinions, and enough chaos to make the adventure feel like a story someone has been enthusiastically retelling at a tavern for years.
What I enjoyed most was the tone. This book is playful without feeling empty, and silly without losing its emotional center. The humor lands because the characters and their relationships still matter. Jules’s journey with gender, self-acceptance, and love feels natural to the story rather than overly explained, and I really appreciated that.
The world has the familiar bones of a classic fairy tale, but Ry Herman twists those expectations into something fresh, queer, and deeply charming. Jules may not be a traditional hero, but that is exactly what makes their story work. This is a cozy, chaotic adventure with a lot of heart and a happy ending worth cheering for.