Monday Reviews: The Lost Knight by Candy Atkins

Although I adore fantasy, I also love reading something fresh and new and in that sense, Candy Atkins has deliver something wonderfully fresh in the Lost Knight. This tale may start off like your typical YA venture with a young protagonist living in unenviable conditions, but what feels familiar is quickly dissolved when Agatha sees something in an orb… what was it? She can’t tell but she knows her aunt and a visitor show great interest in this. And that’s when a specter shows up to take Agatha to safety. The shadow’s name is Jonah and this is one magnificent character with powers and a personality that make him as likable as they come.

It turns out that there are two world coexisting and the only person who can help connect both worlds if she wishes it, is Agatha. What ensues is an adventure where we see full reimaginings of elves, faeries, and countless other creatures.

One of the moments when Atkins truly excels is when she takes her time with a subject and character development. Some people may make a case that Agatha is too stroppy, but being a teenager, I think the angst is appropriate and if it annoys, by all means remember how “cool” you were at thirteen. On the other hand, characters like Jonah, Albína, Dathid, and the lovable Lenox all have wonderful developments and variety. Another is with her locations, I won’t ruin the discovery of them but there are places where she truly takes her time to flesh things out and this is always a good thing. When I lost touch a bit with the story is in instances when it feels like the story was rushed and situations resolved in a paragraph. It’s not something that always happens, but when it does and you compare it to those lush, gorgeous scenes in caves, and the ocean, when she really unleashes that imagination, you can’t help but wish those few parts that were rushed got the same treatment. The ocean scene in particular I think should be mandatory reading for all teens due to the craft as much as the message.

The only other critique I could offer the work is that it ends a bit abruptly and I feel we could have gotten a couple of more chapters even if we didn’t get the whole thing. It felt cut short and true I was left wanting to read more, but instead of hungry it was more like ugh, I wanted more before I wanted more.

Still, this is a wonderful addition to the collection of any lovers of fantastical worlds who are eager to find the Lost Knight.

Happy reading.