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Star Knights
A simple frog who wants to become a legendary knight finds himself on a magical journey. From the comic artist behind Oddity Woods comes a fantasy graphic novel with a lot of heart, adventure, and hijinks!
What makes a hero?
Brave Star Knights are heroes who go on adventures. But Tad is just a frog, and frogs can't save the day. Can they? Determined to out-hop his mud-dweller fate and pursue his dream of being a knight, Tad finds himself on a quest with a surprise group of adventurers, including the Star King!
It's a race against time as Tad searches for a way to take the Star King to the moon so that he can bring peace to the forest--and prove that anybody can be a hero.
Even a frog.
This graphic novel is perfect for fans of delightful characters, hilarious hijinks, and stories about being true to you who are.
What makes a hero?
Brave Star Knights are heroes who go on adventures. But Tad is just a frog, and frogs can't save the day. Can they? Determined to out-hop his mud-dweller fate and pursue his dream of being a knight, Tad finds himself on a quest with a surprise group of adventurers, including the Star King!
It's a race against time as Tad searches for a way to take the Star King to the moon so that he can bring peace to the forest--and prove that anybody can be a hero.
Even a frog.
This graphic novel is perfect for fans of delightful characters, hilarious hijinks, and stories about being true to you who are.
240 pages, Paperback
Published July 5, 2022
About the author
Kay Davault
5 books58 followersKay Davault is a graphic novel author and illustrator. She enjoys drawing both cute characters and terrifying creatures within colorful worlds.
UPCOMING BOOKS:
ODDITY WOODS BOOK 1 (2025)- Kid detective Marietta tries to solve the sudden disappearance of her father in a dark woodland realm inhabited by ghosts and monsters. Based on the 2016-18 webcomic.
MISFIT MANSION 2 (2026)
ODDITY WOODS BOOK 2 (2027)
UPCOMING BOOKS:
ODDITY WOODS BOOK 1 (2025)- Kid detective Marietta tries to solve the sudden disappearance of her father in a dark woodland realm inhabited by ghosts and monsters. Based on the 2016-18 webcomic.
MISFIT MANSION 2 (2026)
ODDITY WOODS BOOK 2 (2027)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
March 24, 2024
Star Knights - Kay Davault - 5 Stars
First of all, let me start by saying how much I love the colors and illustration art in this graphic novel - absolutely beautiful. I am so glad I read this as I don't read a ton of graphic novels right now but want to try and dip my toes into reading some this year and this one was a HIT!
This is about a simple frog who wants to become a legendary knight and he finds himself on this unexpected magical journey. The characters in this are so much fun and the sweet themes of being true to yourself and the importance of friendship - so great.
Highly recommend.
Content for parents since this is technically a middle grade story: There are mentions of spirits, some mild fights/magic, and one character who is a witch but it wasn't anything I was uncomfortable with personally. It was just part of the fantasy world/story to me. Just want to mention for parents who may want a content note if needed.
First of all, let me start by saying how much I love the colors and illustration art in this graphic novel - absolutely beautiful. I am so glad I read this as I don't read a ton of graphic novels right now but want to try and dip my toes into reading some this year and this one was a HIT!
This is about a simple frog who wants to become a legendary knight and he finds himself on this unexpected magical journey. The characters in this are so much fun and the sweet themes of being true to yourself and the importance of friendship - so great.
Highly recommend.
Content for parents since this is technically a middle grade story: There are mentions of spirits, some mild fights/magic, and one character who is a witch but it wasn't anything I was uncomfortable with personally. It was just part of the fantasy world/story to me. Just want to mention for parents who may want a content note if needed.
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December 31, 2022Cute
November 23, 2022
This was boring and didn’t make sense
February 22, 2023
This was so cute 😊
May 17, 2023
Overview:
Tad is a frog who wants to become a legendary Star Knight. Though his whole life he has been told he was a creep and people run away from him due to being a mud-dweller. Soon Tad is on a magical adventure with the Star King to bring him back to the moon to save the forest from evil spirits that roam the forest.
Thoughts:
Ahh such a cute book! I loved this whole book and enjoyed reading every bit of it.
I thought this book had good messages in it. Such as:
- Staying true to yourself
- Deciding who you will become in life
- Not letting someone else's opinions and words get to you and make up who you want to be in life.
I loved Tad and Stello they are super cute together and I love their friendship.
I also found this book kept me on my feet. There were things I totally didn't see coming. Which I liked.
I thought the illustrations where nice and especially some of the illustrations with stars in them were stunning with the combination of colours blended together.
I have said it before in another review, I really love when the book tells you how the illustrations were done. So in this case it was done digitally using Clip Studio Paint and Photoshop.
Tad is a frog who wants to become a legendary Star Knight. Though his whole life he has been told he was a creep and people run away from him due to being a mud-dweller. Soon Tad is on a magical adventure with the Star King to bring him back to the moon to save the forest from evil spirits that roam the forest.
Thoughts:
Ahh such a cute book! I loved this whole book and enjoyed reading every bit of it.
I thought this book had good messages in it. Such as:
- Staying true to yourself
- Deciding who you will become in life
- Not letting someone else's opinions and words get to you and make up who you want to be in life.
I loved Tad and Stello they are super cute together and I love their friendship.
I also found this book kept me on my feet. There were things I totally didn't see coming. Which I liked.
I thought the illustrations where nice and especially some of the illustrations with stars in them were stunning with the combination of colours blended together.
I have said it before in another review, I really love when the book tells you how the illustrations were done. So in this case it was done digitally using Clip Studio Paint and Photoshop.
November 21, 2022
this was actually so adorable
March 2, 2024
It’s official. Kay Davault is a new favorite author, and I have no idea why more people aren’t reading Star Knights and Misfit Mansion! They are perfect! 🥹💛
May 25, 2022
**Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the eARC in exchange for a review. This in no way changed my rating**
This was really cute!
The graphic novel follows a frog named Tad and his salamander friend (I will admit I thought he was an axolotl) as they dream of being Star Knights, a group of animals that became anthropomorphic knights after being gifted stars and wishing on them. As "mud dwellers", Tad and his friend, Stello, are discriminated against by the furrier woodland animals and birds because they are thought to be in service to the Marsh Witch. The Marsh Witch is said to have turned the first Star Knights into what are called "fallen fauna", giant monster animals that make it unsafe for the others to roam after dark.
The story revolves around discrimination and bias, friendship, and the idea that an accepted narrative isn't always the truth. The art work was really engaging and cute. My favorite character ended up being a spider named Astrid. I don't like spiders outside of books, but Astrid's design was super, super cute. I really liked her as a character, as well. Tad had a satisfying arc, as did another character named Cygnus who is a much smaller character. Nonetheless, I thought she had a full arc despite taking up space on fewer pages.
I would happily add this to a library shelf or classroom. I would recommend for anyone maybe 7+. The story had important lessons and I think it's relevant to this time. It's nice that it was infused with a little magic, too.
4.5/5 stars
This was really cute!
The graphic novel follows a frog named Tad and his salamander friend (I will admit I thought he was an axolotl) as they dream of being Star Knights, a group of animals that became anthropomorphic knights after being gifted stars and wishing on them. As "mud dwellers", Tad and his friend, Stello, are discriminated against by the furrier woodland animals and birds because they are thought to be in service to the Marsh Witch. The Marsh Witch is said to have turned the first Star Knights into what are called "fallen fauna", giant monster animals that make it unsafe for the others to roam after dark.
The story revolves around discrimination and bias, friendship, and the idea that an accepted narrative isn't always the truth. The art work was really engaging and cute. My favorite character ended up being a spider named Astrid. I don't like spiders outside of books, but Astrid's design was super, super cute. I really liked her as a character, as well. Tad had a satisfying arc, as did another character named Cygnus who is a much smaller character. Nonetheless, I thought she had a full arc despite taking up space on fewer pages.
I would happily add this to a library shelf or classroom. I would recommend for anyone maybe 7+. The story had important lessons and I think it's relevant to this time. It's nice that it was infused with a little magic, too.
4.5/5 stars
March 3, 2022
Thank you NetGalley for providing an eARC!!
Admittedly, I might be a bit biased, as I've been a fan of Kay's since I first read Oddity Woods a couple years ago (which I'm SO excited to see getting published as well!!). Kay's artwork is genuinely so lovely and sweet, and absolutely perfect for children's graphic novels. And I loved the story of a frog who just wanted to be more, but realized how much he was already. Extremely lovely and sweet and I would highly recommend whether you're in the target demographic, you work with kids, or neither, but you just want a lovely story about realizing one's inherent value in themselves & learning not to judge others on preconceived notions.
Admittedly, I might be a bit biased, as I've been a fan of Kay's since I first read Oddity Woods a couple years ago (which I'm SO excited to see getting published as well!!). Kay's artwork is genuinely so lovely and sweet, and absolutely perfect for children's graphic novels. And I loved the story of a frog who just wanted to be more, but realized how much he was already. Extremely lovely and sweet and I would highly recommend whether you're in the target demographic, you work with kids, or neither, but you just want a lovely story about realizing one's inherent value in themselves & learning not to judge others on preconceived notions.
January 23, 2023
I read an ARC of this to review for No Flying No Tights. It's cute! I adore Kay Davault's artwork. The story is kind of whirlwind-paced, with a lot going on, but still nice.
My full review is posted on No Flying No Tights.
My full review is posted on No Flying No Tights.
December 3, 2021
This is a great story about friendship -- more like found family -- and staying true to yourself. We are quick to judge creatures for being "bad" or "good" based on stereotypes, when we should be seeing the good in every body. The art is absolutely adorable too.
Thank you Edelweiss and Penguin Random House for an advanced readers copy.
Thank you Edelweiss and Penguin Random House for an advanced readers copy.
December 22, 2021
This was thoroughly delightful. The art is beautiful, the character designs are unique, and the story lovely. The mythos here is really neat and I love the way it wraps up. Definitely worth it for fans of magic, especially of the magical girl transformation sequence variety.
May 2, 2022
2 stars! Thank you Netgalley for the arc. This plot was so muddled and the world building was non existent. I can't imagine any of my students (middle school) reading this and thinking that it has a good plot. The art work was fantastic and what gave it 2 stars instead of 1.
August 20, 2021
This story has the most adorable art; it is utterly precious. I loved it!
June 2, 2023
Super cute graphic novel about what makes a hero and how prejudices can be really bad. I wasn't a huge fan of all the self-loathing on Tad's part, but I was glad he learned his lesson. I liked seeing the consequences to all the "bad guy's" actions and thing were wrapped up very well at the end. Loved the art and it was easy to follow, even during the action sequences. Overall, I really enjoyed this one!
June 9, 2024
I lllloooovvvveeeedddd this book 📕 it was ssssssssssooooooooo good 👍🏻 I loved Tad’s wishes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2022
Really cute book. The comic type artwork is amazing.
August 15, 2022
Loved. Loved. LOVED. This was sooo cute! ❤️
December 29, 2022
Ikke helt så fantastisk som håbet, men den er stadig ret fin. Men det er nok sådan en, man læser, og glemmer hurtigt igen. Tegnestilen er dog virkelig skøn og passer perfekt til universet.
January 18, 2023
Tellement bien et adorable
July 6, 2023
Un comic muy completo lleno de color, amistad, tolerancia y corrupcion
July 20, 2024
This book was so cute and I loved the concept of the Star Knights!
November 7, 2022
the middle grade graphic novels are POPPING OFF this year, this was so fucking cute. adorable art, trans vibes, snarky spiders, just a really fun read
November 13, 2022
Good theme.
July 24, 2022
I enjoyed this throughout. Overall, really well-executed. Good pacing, easy to follow (this is surprisingly rare), creative and unique, with good character development and some surprises.
The framing and illustrations are great. And to top it off the characters are super cute.
I dunno, I just connected with this one right off the bat. Bookstore staff recommended it, and they were very right!
The framing and illustrations are great. And to top it off the characters are super cute.
I dunno, I just connected with this one right off the bat. Bookstore staff recommended it, and they were very right!
February 7, 2023
I loved this! I like how caring Stelle is. I also love how at first Tad is too blinded by not wanting to be a frog or deal with ‘ally’s with the Marsh Witch’ to realize his friendship with Stello. I almost cried when Tad left him because he was a salamander, but I loved the end! Plus, Astrid looks AMAZING!
December 29, 2021
I read this so quickly, it was amazing! This is such a compelling story about being true to one's self, breaking down stereotypes, and being a good friend. From the get-go, the art was fantastic! The cover is so expressive and it made me excited to go on this journey! Love the visual depiction of the animal-to-human transformations, like the bird having a cape that resembled feathers, the chipmunk having whisker marks, and the squirrel's hair mimicking her swirly tail. Later we see it reflected for wider arrays of animals, and it is consistently awesome. I appreciate the art style, it was so bright and the emotions are conveyed brilliantly, I truly think kids will pick up on the subtlety of body language. I got heavy Steven Universe/Young Link vibes from the second half of the story, and I love it even more for that. The names were on the nose, and it was great, because who doesn't like a good play on words. I laughed out loud at some parts, and love the communication of what the status quo is and why it's important to question why things are rather than accepting blindly what is passed down, especially when it demonizes another group. The characters were well-rounded (love the sass from Astrid,) and I actually felt for them as they went through their journey of self-discovery. I even learned a bit about animals by their powers. The parallels to what one can see in their own life is important, and I'm grateful for how the heavy topic was presented. Thank you for reminding us that we can't change our species, but we can decide what kind of animals we'll become.
Thank you NetGalley, Kay Davault, and Random House Children's/Random House Graphic for the ARC.
Thank you NetGalley, Kay Davault, and Random House Children's/Random House Graphic for the ARC.
December 22, 2021
Lonely Tad has always wanted to be a Star Knight or at least play and pretend to be one, he just needs to find someone to play with. He has listened to the other animals tell stories about the Star Knights’ adventures and how they defeated the evil swamp witch, but because the stories say frogs are witch allies, Tad can’t find any friends.
Tad’s greatest wish comes true when he gets the chance to help King Stello return to the sky. Tad and Stello eventually learn there is more to the stories they’ve heard all their lives than they ever imagined and everyone must work together to protect the Milky Way Marsh and the Moon Kingdom from danger. Star Knights is about friendship and sticking up for yourself and others even when it isn’t the popular opinion.
May Davault gave a lot of care and attention to the details of her illustrations. The facial expressions of the adorable characters manage to convey so much emotion with the tiniest adjustments. Tiny details in the background, particularly stars and sky-scapes, made every panel just beautiful. It was fun to look closely at the knights in the Moon Kingdom to guess what their animal species was, there was always some clever detail on the human form that corresponded to the animal form, the featheriness of bird/humans was my favorite.
Star Knights is cute and fun with a great message. Middle grade kids will love the cute illustrations.
I received a digital ARC via NetGalley.
Tad’s greatest wish comes true when he gets the chance to help King Stello return to the sky. Tad and Stello eventually learn there is more to the stories they’ve heard all their lives than they ever imagined and everyone must work together to protect the Milky Way Marsh and the Moon Kingdom from danger. Star Knights is about friendship and sticking up for yourself and others even when it isn’t the popular opinion.
May Davault gave a lot of care and attention to the details of her illustrations. The facial expressions of the adorable characters manage to convey so much emotion with the tiniest adjustments. Tiny details in the background, particularly stars and sky-scapes, made every panel just beautiful. It was fun to look closely at the knights in the Moon Kingdom to guess what their animal species was, there was always some clever detail on the human form that corresponded to the animal form, the featheriness of bird/humans was my favorite.
Star Knights is cute and fun with a great message. Middle grade kids will love the cute illustrations.
I received a digital ARC via NetGalley.
September 27, 2022
What a fun read! The art is exceptionally brilliant and the cover is what first made me want to read this (that and then of course reading what the story was about after that). There are so many great things to love about this quick read: the animals in this story have been told a story for generations about who is good and who is bad. They in turn tell this story to their young and pass down discrimination about "good animals" and "bad animals." The "good animals" can never be friends with the "bad animals" like Tad our MC.
Poor Tad is filled with self-loathing and spreads that toward other animals even while trying to be friends. So much of a muddle as friendships grow and the battle is on to fight for the kingdom. I loved the epic quests undertaken and the surprise twists and turns. The animal names and natures are also a lovely nod (shown through their cloaks and costumes). Not going to lie, I thought that Stello was an axolotl, and I would have really loved that, but being a salamander is cool too.
Showing that we can make different choices beyond those we were taught, choose our friends and choose our family as it were is a beautiful thing. And in the end, we are defined not so much by our magical powers but rather by the choices we make and those we choose to surround ourselves with.
Poor Tad is filled with self-loathing and spreads that toward other animals even while trying to be friends. So much of a muddle as friendships grow and the battle is on to fight for the kingdom. I loved the epic quests undertaken and the surprise twists and turns. The animal names and natures are also a lovely nod (shown through their cloaks and costumes). Not going to lie, I thought that Stello was an axolotl, and I would have really loved that, but being a salamander is cool too.
Showing that we can make different choices beyond those we were taught, choose our friends and choose our family as it were is a beautiful thing. And in the end, we are defined not so much by our magical powers but rather by the choices we make and those we choose to surround ourselves with.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews