What is it about?
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. (goodreads)
Book: The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly | Author: Jamie Pacton | Publisher: Page Street | Release Date: 5th May 2020 | Pages: 384 | Rep: Indian-Russian, bi, non-binary, trans | TW: alcohol, drugs (heroin), sexism, racism, sexual assault (mentioned)
What did I think?
Oh, I fell in love with Kit Sweetly on page one, both the character and the book. It’s fun, heartwarming and it has swords, bad jokes and lots of references to Lord of the Rings while being feminist and having a diverse cast of characters. Long story short: this book was basically what my dreams are made of. Minus being a serving wench.
I absolutely loved Kit. She has a big heart and loves list. She has her life planned out but isn’t so sure about her plans anymore. She tries to do what’s right for her, her friends and her loved ones and also for women in general. She’s unapologetically herself, acts impulsively but always with a passion for what she’s doing and for the goals she wants to achieve. Kit has flaws and makes mistakes but she’s growing and learning and tries to help others. She’s fighting sexism at the restaurant she works at with her wits, her skills with the sword and on horse and with facts and infos about the Middle Ages.
Kit’s family was amazing to read about. Her father is a drug addict who left the family a few years ago, taking most of their money. Kit, her mother and her brother are doing everything they can to make do with what they have, working a lot while still never becoming bitter. They love each other unconditionally, they help each other out and they have such tight bonds. Especially Kit and Chris, her brother, are as tight as can be.
I also loved Kit’s friends, all of them being unique in their own way, having their strengths and showing their wants and needs differently. But they are a wonderful group. They’re having fun, they go up against the owners of their restaurant, but they also have lives and limits. One person I liked especially was Jett, one of Kit’s best friends and also the guy she has had a crush on for years. He’s so nice and sweet and helpful and I adored him a lot.
The atmosphere of the book somehow felt like being in A Knight’s Tale, a film quoted at several points throughout the book, but mixed with feminism and family problems. I had fun through the whole of the book and my history-nerd heart got some nice medieval facts and as I mentioned, LOTR quotes.
What can I say? You love swords? Read Kit Sweetly. You love Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings? Read Kit Sweetly. You like feminism? Read Kit Sweetly. You want the cutest romance? Read Kit Sweetly. You like wonderful family relations? Read Kit Sweetly. Conclusion? Read The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly.
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