Knights Without Ceremony: Insurrection

BookLife Prize Semifinalist

Top 100 Notable Book of 2025 – Announcement Pending

Reader Views 5-Star Review

The first book in a planned duology, KWC is a coming-of-age upper middle grade novel that explores themes of identity, power, justice, and the quiet ways that boys begin to understand the world and emerge from the shadows of their fathers. On the surface, the novel is a fast-paced coming-of-age adventure story, a classic tale of knights, rivalry, and castle intrigue. The twist is that it’s also an allegory touching on the issues of authoritarianism, xenophobia, and racism.

From the cover:

In the war-torn Kingdom of Gorum, Ettan, Drogue, and Kemo dream of becoming knights, but for more than the title and armor. For Ettan, an orphan whose father had been a castle servant and who is now stuck tending the King’s chickens, knighthood would mean an escape from poverty. Drogue, the son of the kingdom’s most powerful lord, might win his father’s approval. And Kemo, despised by some citizens for his dark skin, would finally feel accepted. But the path to knighthood is not as straightforward as they believe, and the three rivals each face tests far more difficult than the battle exercises on the training field. What they choose about putting honor and justice over personal gain—and whether to put aside their rivalries to do what is right—will determine who they become and will set the stage for a final battle for the kingdom.

Praise for the novel:

“[A]n extraordinary novel, brimming with electrifying twists and turns while maintaining all the lovable tropes and engaging elements of the genre. With both exciting action and thought-provoking politics, there is something for all readers hidden within this tale…[A] perfectly paced page turner.” — Publishers Weekly‘s BookLife

“[Its] brisk pacing and relentless intensity…make it difficult to put down. The character development is also exceptional, as all the main players have deep, relatable story arcs….The novel’s secret weapon, though, is its courageous exploration of weighty and timely topics, including racism, xenophobia, and the rise of authoritarian regimes….Numerous sequences are chilling in their examination of an extremist political landscape….The brilliance of the novel is in the author’s presentation of such ideas, which offers social commentary in the natural flow of the narrative. Along the way, young readers will be able to process the characters’ decisions and actions on their own and come up with their own conclusions. A page-turning and thought-provoking adventure that insightfully explores a range of important issues affecting young people’s lives.” — Kirkus Reviews

“In truly great coming-of-age adventure tales, like Huckleberry Finn, boys on the verge of manhood often face moral trials that come to define their characters. Huck’s moment of truth comes when he realizes he has an obligation to help Jim because he finds his personal sense of morality and duty are at odds with those of the society that reared him. As he makes his choice, he does so with courage, knowing that it may well land him in hell and cost him everything he has. In Ari Magnusson’s fine fantasy thriller, Knights Without Ceremony, Part One: Insurrection, we will see three young men who come to face similar, epic moral decisions of their own. . . .The world building is great, and the social realities are made clear from the get-go. . . . As the story advances, we will come to see each young man wrestle with weighty moral decisions. . . . At the end of the first volume, it’s still not clear where they all stand, especially Drogue. However, the author does a fine job painting each character with depth and emotion, and it’s an eminently readable book. . . . I would be remiss were I not to mention the fine work Magnusson does of deftly weaving in incisive and timely social observations. Right from the outset, this world – unjust, racist, and filled with the type of sociopaths who thrive in such an environment – is presented as one in desperate need of change, a world that eerily mirrors our very own. When authors do their jobs as well as Magnusson has done his, readers can glimpse truths that we may not otherwise consider if dressed in more pedantic or didactic rhetoric. This is not only a thrilling narrative but a smart bit of political and social commentary, and I can honestly say that Knights Without Ceremony comes highly recommended.” — Paul Knobloch for Reader Views, 5-Star Review