The novel follows a 14-year-old girl named Mary McThomas who has spent her life dreaming of becoming a knight like her father. After an ambush on their village leaves Mary's father in critical condition, Mary's willing to do whatever it takes to save him. Together with her older brothers and a mysterious fae, Mary finds herself entering a world of danger and magic. While Mary searches for a cure, dark forces search for Mary, seeking her for their own gain.
The Knight's Daughter has four major characters: Mary, Drake and Joseph, her brothers, and Torren, the fae who approaches Mary, claiming she knows a way to save her father. Mary begins the novel as being very unsure of herself and she's not entirely sure about who she is and where she fits into the world. Drake and Joseph, both seventeen, are on the cusp of adulthood and the attack leaves them trying to fill the role their father usually holds in terms of protecting their family. I enjoyed reading the dynamic between the siblings and how their relationship grew and changed over the course of the novel. Given that this is a middle-grade novel, there isn't much character development to speak of, and the development that is there is mostly centered around the three McThomas siblings learning more about themselves and their place in the world. Torren is a fae who initially helps Mary because the man behind the attack on the village, Meverick Conan, had previously attacked her people. Conan serves as the story's main antagonist, who has people hunting for Mary for unknown reasons. He's filled with a desire for revenge and believes Mary is the key to achieving it. Along the journey, Mary and her traveling companions meet a plethora of people, both good and bad. My personal favorite was Reena, who belongs to a nomadic group. I thought she was the funniest minor character.
I found the story to be rather amusing. I enjoyed reading about the fae and the magic within the world. Cooper did an excellent job with the world-building, giving the reader plenty of information and exposition without making it feel like a lot. I also liked the theme of family that is present throughout the story. Mary's brothers join her on the journey, not to have a fun adventure, but to make sure nothing happens to her. The plot itself is centered on their family, which was refreshing because a lot of younger fantasy involves separating the main character from their family and having them go on a journey alone. I appreciated the explanation of why Mary was both the only person who could help her father and why Conan was hunting for her. I'm not a big fan of "chosen ones", which Mary is in a way as she finds out late into the story, but the in-universe reason given fits with this story.
Before I go into some criticism I have of The Knight's Daughter, I do want to briefly touch on how this book works as a middle grade novel. I don't do this for young adult works because YA and adult have a lot more overlap than middle grade and adult. From a technical perspective, this is an excellent middle grade book. The story and world aren't too advanced for younger readers. The writing itself is very easy to digest. Other than a few fight scenes, there isn't anything within the story that's too heavy or advanced for middle grade.
While I enjoyed The Knight's Daughter, there were a few aspects to the story that didn't quite work for me. As mentioned above, the writing is very straightforward, which as an adult reader is a negative, but as I said, it's great for the intended audience. As a result of the writing being so easy to digest, I don't really have an opinion on the author's writing style. I was a little confused by the pacing. There were parts where the narrative seemed to slow down more than it should've and then it took a while for things to pick back up. Conversely, there were parts towards the end that felt needlessly rushed. Lastly, there was a particular reveal/plot twist that seemed kind of tacked on. I don't want to give any spoilers, but to me, it felt like the twist had been added to set up the second book, and that wasn't needed since there was enough of the main plot was unresolved for the second book already.
The Knight's Daughter is an entertaining, quick read. It has relatable characters, magic and an overall good story. While I had some issues with pacing and the writing itself, I don't want that to deter others from reading it. I think it's great for middle grade readers who are trying to figure out what genres they like. I'd also recommend it to reader who enjoy Arthurian or medieval fantasy specifically.
Rating: 3.1 Stars
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