Lady’s Knight

Seventeen-year-old blacksmith’s daughter Gwen yearns to be a knight. As a peasant and a woman, she’s twice barred from trying, but that doesn’t stop her from forging her own armor and practicing her swordplay in secret. A chance encounter with Lady Isobelle of Avington, who affects a bubbly exterior to hide her cunning mind, compels Gwen to enter Darkhaven’s Tournament of Dragonslayers disguised as Sir Gawain. The two strike a deal: Isobelle will support Gwen in the contest if, upon Gwen’s victory, she frees Isobelle from her role as the winner’s prize. Meanwhile, Gwen and Isobelle’s newfound friendship deepens into mutual attraction. But the further Gwen gets in the tourney and the bigger her popularity grows, the more the white-cued duo stand to lose if their deception is discovered. Set in a vaguely medieval England, this hilariously anachronistic adventure—a contemporary homage to A Knight’s Tale—balances slow-burning romance alongside serious examinations of privilege and gender. Fourth-wall-breaking asides and sardonic commentary from the novel’s omniscient narrator add charm to this freewheeling collaboration by Spooner (Hunted) and Kaufman (The Heart of the World). Ages 13–up. Agents: (for Kaufman) Tracey Adams, Adams Literary; (for Spooner) Josh Adams, Adams Literary. (June)