Book Review & The Write Reads Blog Tour: Knightmare Arcanist by Shami Stovall

Hey everyone! I am so excited to be taking part in this epic blog tour for the Knightmare Arcanist by Shami Stovall, which is hosted by the legendary Dave over at The Write Reads!

Knightmare Arcanist

Author: Shami Stovall

Publication Date: 18 June 2019

Genre: YA – Fantasy

Pages: 338

Publisher: Capital Station Books

Magic. Sailing. A murderer among heroes.

Gravedigger Volke Savan wants nothing more than to be like his hero, the legendary magical swashbuckler, Gregory Ruma. First he needs to become an arcanist, someone capable of wielding magic, which requires bonding with a mythical creature. And he’ll take anything—a pegasus, a griffin, a ravenous hydra—maybe even a leviathan, like Ruma.

So when Volke stumbles across a knightmare, a creature made of shadow and terror, he has no reservations. But the knightmare knows a terrible secret: Ruma is a murderer out to spread corrupted magic throughout their island nation. He’s already killed a population of phoenixes and he intends to kill even more.

In order to protect his home, his adopted sister, and the girl he admires from afar, Volke will need to confront his hero, the Master Arcanist Gregory Ruma.

A fast-paced fantasy with magical creatures for those who enjoy the Furies of Calderon (Codex Alera series) by Jim Butcher, Unsouled (Cradle Series) by Will Wight, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan.

Volke Savan is a disgraced orphan that now leads the life of a gravedigger. Volke wants more out of life than being a gravedigger. In fact, his desire is to bond with a mythical creature and become an arcanist to wield magical powers.

Volke tries to prove himself by entering the Phoenix Trials competition, which someone of his standing is forbidden to do. He tries to bond with a phoenix, but it is immediately clear that he is out of his league. Volke and his adopted sister end up traveling to the Endless Mire, which is rumored to have mythical creatures to bond to.

As you can imagine, things don’t really go to plan on the island. Volke’s sister Illia ends up bonded to a rizzel named Nicholin (who is probably my favorite character in the story…not gonna lie). Volke ends up bonding to the knightmare Luthair. The catch? Luthair’s first arcanist was murdered, so this is his second bond and he’s determined to get his revenge.

Right from the beginning, I was sucked into this plot. I couldn’t help but immediately get behind Volke and his determination to rise above the disgraced reputation of his parents and become an arcanist. Time and time again, we see his past being thrown in his face, but he never lets it beat him down. Don’t get me wrong, Volke isn’t perfect and he definitely has his moments where he makes questionable decisions, but I loved his character arc and journey throughout this story.

So I briefly mentioned this before, but I absolutely loved Illia and her relationship with Nicholin. Their bonding was honestly effortless, and you could tell that they were meant to be. Nicholin is definitely a loud mouth who is way too curious and gets himself into trouble constantly, but he is just so lovable. I loved all of their scenes.

From start to finish, the plot was action packed. From the Phoenix Trials, to the island of Endless Mire, to the final showdown, the plot was full of action and adventure. The magical showdowns were probably some of my favorites. I loved all of the different magical creatures and the powers that the different arcanists exhibited.

Overall, if you’re looking for a story filled with action and adventure, magic, and magical creatures, this one is for you.

Thank you to Dave from The Write Reads for my blog tour invite and for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

Shami Stovall is a multi-award-winning author of fantasy and science fiction, with several best-selling novels under her belt. Before that, she taught history and criminal law at the college level, and loved every second. When she’s not reading fascinating articles and books about ancient China or the Byzantine Empire, Stovall can be found playing way too many video games, especially RPGs and tactics simulators.

If you want to contact her, you can do so at the following locations: