Twelfth Knight

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six (under the pen name Olivie Blake) comes Twelfth Knight, a YA romantic comedy and coming-of-age story about taking up space in the world and learning what it means to let others in.

Viola Reyes is annoyed.

Her painstakingly crafted tabletop game campaign was shot down, her best friend is suggesting she try being more “likable,” and her school's star running back Jack Orsino is the most lackadaisical Student Body President she’s ever seen, which makes her job as VP that much harder. Vi’s favorite escape from the world is the MMORPG Twelfth Knight, but online spaces aren’t exactly kind to girls like her—girls who are extremely competent and have the swagger to prove it. So Vi creates a masculine alter ego, choosing to play as a knight named Cesario to create a safe haven for herself.

But when a football injury leads Jack Orsino to the world of Twelfth Knight, Vi is alarmed to discover their online alter egos—Cesario and Duke Orsino—are surprisingly well-matched.

As the long nights of game-play turn into discussions about life and love, Vi and Jack soon realize they’ve become more than just weapon-wielding characters in an online game. But Vi has been concealing her true identity from Jack, and Jack might just be falling for her offline…

ALEXENE FAROL FOLLMUTH is the author of the young adult rom-com My Mechanical Romance. As Olivie Blake, she is the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six, The Atlas Paradox, Alone with You in the Ether, One for My Enemy, and Masters of Death. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, goblin prince/toddler, and rescue pit bull.

"Utterly charming.”—Paste

"Between the expertly executed slow burn romance, intricate world building, delightful grumpy-sunshine banter, and genuinely joyful cast of characters, Twelfth Knight completely stole my heart. Whipsmart, hilarious, fantastical, and downright swoonworthy, Twelfth Knight is the Excalibur of nerdy, feminist, YA romcoms.”—Crystal Maldonado, author of The Fall of Whit Rivera and Fat Chance, Charlie Vega

"A love letter to fandom and gaming culture. Twelfth Knight is a charming read which doesn't shy away from examining the fraught relationship between fandom, gaming, and misogyny. Vi and Jack encapsulate the perfect enemies-to-lovers romance; opposites in every way but sizzling with chemistry."—Adiba Jaigirdar, award-winning author of The Henna Wars

"Chock-full of Shakespeare references and gamer culture, with nods to nerd franchises like Game of Thrones and D&D, this adorkable Twelfth Night retelling is the stuff that rom-coms are made of.”—Booklist

“What a joy this book was, found myself literally kicking my feet and screaming. Twelfth Knight is a firecracker of a novel, taking a well-beloved Shakespearean classic, gutting out its heart, and forming a fresh, compulsively readable story that is reminiscent of the best of the 90’s movie teen cult classics. With charming nods to Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and a captivating heroine who always stands her ground, Alexene Farol Follmuth has composed an irresistible and heartwarming novel.”—Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, New York Times bestselling author of Ace of Spades