My Favorite Read of July 2026: Realm of Knights by Jennifer Anne Davis

Goodreads Description:

Reid has spent her whole life pretending to be a man so she can inherit her father’s estate, but when a chance encounter threatens to expose her lie, she is forced to risk everything.

In the kingdom of Marsden, women are subservient to men and land can only pass from father to son. So when Reid Ellington is born, the fifth daughter to one of the wealthiest landholders in the kingdom, it’s announced that Reid is a boy.

Eighteen years later, Reid struggles to conceal the fact she’s actually a young woman. Every day, her secret becomes harder to keep. When one of Marsden’s princes sees her sparring with a sword, she is forced to accept his offer and lead her father’s soldiers to the border. Along the way, she discovers a covert organization within the army known as the Knights of the Realm. If Reid wants to save her family from being arrested for treason and robbed of their inheritance, she will have to join the Knights and become a weapon for the crown.

To protect her family, Reid must fight like a man. To do that, she’ll need the courage of a woman.

My Thoughts

I got this because there was an ebook deal. I was surprised by how much I liked it. Reid has been raised posed as a boy her entire life to protect her father’s title. When her secret is discovered she is pulled into court drama in an effort to secure her father’s title and finally live as a woman. Along the way she becomes a member of the secret organization Knights of the Realm and discovers things are often not as they appear.

I loved Reid as a main character. She has a very interesting perspective of being a female who has been treated as a male. So, she sees the injustices toward her gender in a more powerful way than other strong female protagonists. She’s also able to switch between both roles depending on what suits the situation. It was interesting to see her identity evolve throughout the story. There are also great side characters in the royal family and her friends.

The book is listed as YA, but I really think it could be adult fiction as well. While Reid is young and naive, it’s due to her sheltered life as much as age. While there is nothing that would be inappropriate for a teen to read, the plot could also work in any adult novel. There’s a lot of twists and court intrigue that would keep any reader engaged. I am excited to continue the series.