Title: Knightmare Arcanist
Author: Shami Stovall
Pages: 338
Publisher: Capital Station Books
Published: 18th June 2019
Rating: 5/5 stars

*possible spoilers ahead*

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.

Thank you so much to Dave (@The_WriteReads) for sending me a copy to review for this Ultimate Blog Tour!

My thoughts:
Knightmare Arcanist follows the incredible journey of Volke Savan, an apprentice gravedigger, who wants nothing more than to become an arcanist and leave the small island he calls home behind him – for good. Arcanists are powerful magic wielders and must bond with a mythical creature to do so. And Volke will take just about anything.

On The Day of Phoenixes – a celebration for young budding arcanists – Volke is determined to prove his worth and bond with a Phoenix. However, life hasn’t been easy for him and being the son of two criminals, everyone in his village has already made up their mind about him.

Volke’s friend Illia discovers some interesting information about mythical creatures hiding in the Endless Mire, a swampy area close to their village. They both head off to track down these creatures and attempt to bond with them.

When Volke and Illia come across a rare white hart, it is desperate to bond and acting very strange. Volke knows something is wrong and refuses the white hart, which causes it to attack him. After a heart-stopping fight, in which Volke is almost killed, he is saved by a knightmare, a creature made of shadow and smoke.

After Volke bonds with the knightmare, named Luthair, he and Illia head to the mainland to join a guild and begin their arcanist training as apprentices to master arcanists. While here they learn about a deadly plague sweeping across the mainland, infecting mythical creatures and driving them insane. Volke and Illia set off on their journey to find the source of the plague and the person who murdered Luthair’s previous arcanist.

Knightmare Arcanist is a fast-paced fantasy, full of action and magic! If you’re a fan of Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto and Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan, you’ll love this! I could not put this one down! I’m obsessed with this story and these characters ❤️ My favourite character has to be Illia! She’s such an amazing, strong person and I loved her so much in this book!

Hope you all enjoyed my review 😀 I know I’m going to be obsessed with this series and I can’t wait to read the next one! Have you guys read Knightmare Arcanist yet? Let me know what you thought of it in the comments 😀 Bye guys, happy reading! x

About the author

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.

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