#Twelfth knight

[olivieblake]

TWELFTH KNIGHT - THE PLAYLIST

all american bitch; olivia rodrigo the man; taylor swift me & me; the beaches hate me; p!nk hell is a teenage girl; nessa barrett the man; the killers olivia; one direction touchy feely fool; AJR the feminine urge; the last dinner party quarterback; wallows flu game; fall out boy i like the way; lovelytheband what you do to me; blanks different; sir, please friend like you; WILD mona lisa; dominic fike stupid for you; waterparks nonsense; sabrina carpenter dying in the subtlety; cautious clay easy; pale waves glad to be here; friday pilots club young in america; barns courtney can I shower at yours; amy shark moped; peach tree rascals float; harbour unbelievable; tori kelly ft. ayra starr i like you (a happier song); post malone ft. doja cat sick; aidan bissett say; moon taxi kind of girl; muna mother we just can't get enough; new radicals

listen now on spotify | preorder may 28 release

[quillandqueer]

Interesting New Releases ✨

Dreadful: high fantasy farce featuring killer moat squid, toxic masculinity, evil wizards and a garlic festival - all at once.

Evocation: queer, poly romance with secret societies and a deal with the devil

Housemates: Two young housemates embark on a (queer!) road trip to discover themselves in a fractured America

The Only Light Left Burning: The highly-anticipated sequel to the queer genre-bending dystopian romance All That's Left in the World.

The Safekeep: twisted tale of desire, suspicion, and obsession between two women staying in the same house in the Dutch countryside during the summer of 1961

Twelfth Knight: a grumpy/sunshine YA romantic comedy and coming of age story about taking up space in the world and learning what it means to let others in

[colubrina]

I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS BOOK. Alexene (AKA @olivieblake) had the GALL to make me CRY about a FOOTBALL PLAYER. I do not cry at books. I am a cold, emotionless bitch, and also I do not like football. And she made me CRY. Go pre-order this RIGHT NOW!!!!

US preorder: http://bit.ly/PreorderTwelfthKnight

UK preorder: https://buff.ly/44GLFwO

[bookishfreedom]

"I don't want to be considered beautiful without being seen as capable, too."

YA romcom Shakespeare retelling? grumpy x sunshine? mistaken identity? endless nerd content? I was so excited to read this book and I was NOT disappointed.

It did take me a little bit to get into the story. On the surface, both of our main characters can come off straight-up... unlikeable. Viola is abrasive and Jack is a little too 'Mr. Popular! But that only made their growth and getting to know them that much more impactful. This book is full of characters who leap off the page with distinct voices and depth, side characters included. (Bash and Olivia, my beloveds<333) This is one of those YA books that I think will appeal to readers of all ages. The characters authentically feel like teenagers - they are flawed and messy and just trying to figure things out - but also deal with issues that are universal and relatable.

I also loved just how much was packed into this book. Twelfth Knight is so much more than just a romcom, it's also a coming-of-age, with social commentary and a love of nerd culture smoothly weaved in. This novel explores everything, from video game and fandom culture, social and parental pressures, misogyny, sexuality, family dynamics, and so much more, all without losing its humor and heart. The romance isn't the sole focus, which may not be for everyone, but l thought worked well for this story.

As for the romance itself, the slow burn was, in my humble opinion, perfection. It felt so real and unrushed and believable, which isn't always easy in a contemporary 'enemies to lovers' setting. I loved every second of Vi & Jack's interactions.

I fully expect this book to take the internet by storm because it's just so darn QUOTABLE! There were so many lines that just hit perfectly that I wrote a LOT of them down, and the banter was laugh-out-loud-worthy. I hadn't read any Olivia Blake/Alexene Farol Follmuth before, but the writing was so excellent that I will absolutely be picking up everything else she's written.

My actual rating is 4.5 stars, but rounding up because I had so much fun reading this. Literally read this book in one sitting and could not put it down.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and tor teen for the arc in exchange for an honest review. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy for myself!

[slicklike007]

Long due oc redesign

[maryxoliver]

books i read in 2024: twelfth knight by alexene farol follmuth

"I think we're lonely. Like, as a species." "So what does that mean?" "That we can like who we are and still like being alone and still want to feel connected."

[yourfavebooklrsfavebooklr]

New Releases of June!

[starplanes]

A review of Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth

Viola Reyes is annoyed. Her painstakingly crafted tabletop game campaign was shot down, her best friend is suggesting she try being more “likable,” and her school's star running back Jack Orsino is the most lackadaisical Student Body President she’s ever seen, which makes her job as VP that much harder. Vi’s favorite escape from the world is the MMORPG Twelfth Knight, but online spaces aren’t exactly kind to girls like her—girls who are extremely competent and have the swagger to prove it. So Vi creates a masculine alter ego, choosing to play as a knight named Cesario to create a safe haven for herself. But when a football injury leads Jack Orsino to the world of Twelfth Knight, Vi is alarmed to discover their online alter egos—Cesario and Duke Orsino—are surprisingly well-matched. As the long nights of game-play turn into discussions about life and love, Vi and Jack soon realize they’ve become more than just weapon-wielding characters in an online game. But Vi has been concealing her true identity from Jack, and Jack might just be falling for her offline…

This was a very fun read! I thought it was a great modernization of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, and entertaining in it's own right. It took me a little bit to get pulled into the story, but once it got going, I was hooked.

Viola comes off very strong at the start of the story (as I suspect is the intention), but it's tempered well by Jack's perspective. There's absolutely frustrating moments of "just tell him!!" but Vi's reasons for secrecy are believable enough for high school. Their romance blossoms in a cute way and the stakes are consistent throughout. The secondary plot(s) of Vi's favorite video game and tv show are very entertaining; I loved the fantasy flavoring it added. Vi's dealings with sexism in fan spaces were really relatable, and as Twelfth Knight progressed I found myself understanding her rage.

All in all it's an easy read that I think fans of YA romcoms will enjoy. There's great character development, fun banter, and a story with a lot heart!

[bubbl3s-dot-jpg]

I'm like a fifth into Twelfth Knight and... everyone in this book is so mean to everyone else all the time. Olivia and Sebatian get a pass, but that's it. Everyone else is mean to their friends, to their classmates, to strangers, and it's really grating imo

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Twelfth Knight | Author: Alexene Farol Follmuth | Publisher: Tor (2024)

[olivieblake]

thank you readers, booksellers, and my incredible team at @torteen!

[bookishbethanyerin]

• twelfth knight •

If 10 Things I Hate About You and She’s the Man are your comfort films, then Twelfth Knight is about to become your new comfort read.

A clever YA take on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, the story follows Viola Reyes, a black cat girl who takes gaming as seriously as her student council duties, and Jack “Duke” Orsino, an enormously popular football player and the bane of Vi’s existence, who finds himself sidelined after an in-game injury and turning to Twelfth Knight, an Arthurian-inspired MMORPG, to fill his time. In the game, he meets another player whom he befriends – and believes is a guy. But of course, Duke’s new friend is actully Vi.

Though the plot beats here are very, very familiar, the way Alexene Farol Follmuth reimagined the characters and circumstances of Twelfth Night is extremely well done. I adored Vi, a fiercely indepedent feminist learning how to bend rather than break, and the banter between her and Duke is SO GOOD.

The character development is superb, there are as many tender moments as ones that make you laugh out loud, and even though nothing about this story is a surprise, it’s still outrageously satisfying.

So the next time you’re in the mood for a high school-based Shakespeare retelling, give Twelfth Knight a go. Then grab your popcorn and marathon your fave films.

5🌟

[mercerislandbooks]

Book Notes: Twelfth Knight

Football and tabletop games. Shakespeare and MMORPG’s. Fandom, feminism and the perils of falling in love. Alexene Farol Fallmuth's new YA, Twelfth Knight, has all this and more in its pages.

Viola (Vi) Reyes would like it if she lived in a world where no one questioned her abilities in ConQuest, a tabletop game, or in the MMORPG Twelfth Knight simply because she’s female. Since that isn’t the case, and Vi spends enough of her time fighting to be taken seriously in real life, she’s crafted a male alter-ego, Cesario, for Twelfth Knight, so she can simply play the game.

Jack (Duke) Orsino is ready to have the senior year of his dreams, leading his high school football team to state championships. But when an injury sidelines him indefinitely at the beginning of the season, Jack’s friend introduces him to the diverting world of Twelfth Knight. In the online game, Jack has a body that isn’t restricted by injury, and he quickly becomes engrossed by the challenges and quests. Before long, Jack encounters Cesario in the game, and the two team up to take on the most epic quest in Twelfth Knight-- the quest for Camelot.

Jack has no idea that Cesario is really his classmate, Vi Reyes, the thorn in his side, perfectionist Vice President to his laid-back Student Body President. Viola, on the other hand, is very aware of DukeOrsino12’s actual identity, but has no intention of outing her real gender in Twelfth Knight. As the two grow closer, both on and off-line, Vi is increasingly aware what coming clean could cost her.

Alexene Farol Fallmuth also writes under the name Olivie Blake in the adult fantasy space. She’s taken on Shakespeare before, with One for my Enemy, as well as crafting the Atlas Six trilogy and several other fantastic novels. The broad strokes of Twelfth Night (twins, false identities with gender swapping, misunderstandings galore) undergird this contemporary YA retelling, while bringing in sharp commentary on toxic masculinity and female inclusion in places like tabletop game communities, online gaming communities, and fandom.

Fallmuth is unvarnished in her portrayal of how Vi struggles to belong in places she’s passionate about but aren’t inherently welcoming to her and the anger that burdens her as she continues to fight. It was hard to read in the beginning. I wondered what shape Viola’s character arc would take because all the reasons she is so angry were justifiable. I didn’t want her to stop being angry. But I did want her to stop feeling so alone. You can see her tender heart, when people show up for her, when they see beyond the barbed exterior and trust her with vulnerable things. She might have a sharp tongue, but she is also wants to be accepted for who she is, prickliness and all, and she’s afraid that no one ever will.

Meanwhile Jack is trying to figure out who he is if he can’t play football. What will the future look like for him? He’s torn between the expectations of his father and the concerns of his mother, all while having completely new avenues open up before him when his injury forces him into trying new things. In this season of graduates heading out into their next chapters, this advice from Viola to Jack about the future from the middle of the book feels especially poignant:

"Personally, I don’t think there’s only one outcome for life,” I add, and when he says nothing, I continue, “I mean, I don’t think there’s a predestined fate or anything. You’re not born to play football. There’s a version of your life where you do other things. Infinite versions. And when you make a choice, you cast off one possible outcome, but then, I don’t know—ten more pop up in its place. And you just keep going like that, choosing a path and watching new paths branch off in front of you. Even if the old ones disappear behind you, it doesn’t have to be sad…" (pp 161-162)

Not a bad worldview for any age.

We’ve got a few special editions of Twelfth Knight on hand with gorgeous, illustrated endpapers and an enamel pin for giveaway with purchase. If you’re an audiobook reader, I highly recommend Twelfth Knight on audio. Twelfth Knight would easily fit Young Adult square for your Summer Book Bingo, but also Friendship or BIPOC Romance!

-- Lori

[gcantread]

🔭👀📚 bookstore spotting:

books Shannon and I have ARCs of

[kingsbridgelibraryteens]

Looking for a YA book with a little extra PIZZAZZ? Check out Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth!