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Club Calvi is spotlighting “The Princess Knight,” a new book by Cait Jacobs, one of the founders of BookTok.
Jacobs, a Long Island native, posted one of the first videos on TikTok about books. The post became a sensation.
“It was absolutely surreal,” Jacobs told Mary. “I had been trying my hand at social media for years, just posting online about the books I loved. It never went well. I expected that on TikTok as well. I was very surprised when I wasn’t screaming into the void and people actually saw it.”
Since then, BookTok has become one of the most powerful tools in sharing news about books, helping drive sales. Jacobs said it’s been awe-inspiring to see.
“BookTok as a whole, seeing that community grow has been so incredible,” Jacobs said. “All of the amazing creators that have made it what it is. There’s so many talented and incredible people on there. And the really warm and welcoming community that’s been built, it’s so amazing.”
After years of talking about other people’s books, Jacobs is making their debut as a published author with “The Princess Knight.” Jacobs described screaming when they heard that their book would be published.
“I startled my dog, my poor little anxious dog was definitely concerned with how excited I was. There might have been tears. It really was a dream come true. It’s something I wanted my entire life and I can’t believe it’s actually happening,” Jacobs said.
The book to their grandmother.
“My grandma and I have always been really close. Everynight when I grew up, I would talk to her on the phone and would always tell her about the books I was reading. I’d give her the play-by-play of every single book and she would tell me her thoughts. Usually when I finished the book she would tell me whether or not she wanted more like that,” Jacobs said. “Books were something that we bonded over. We also bonded over Irish history and Irish folklore. We always loved to talk about Ireland and our family stories, and a lot of that Irish history and folklore that I loved and became part of this book.”
Jacobs says the characters in “The Princess Knight” are like them in some ways.
“What was really important for me is representation,” Jacobs explained to Mary. “I’m queer and I also deal with disabilities. It was important that the characters resemble the people like me and people that I know. So these characters are close to my heart because of that. They’re resilient and stubborn.”
“The Princess Knight” begins with a princess and a prince who are supposed to make a marriage alliance.
“The prince backs out of the betrothal agreement that has basically been all but finalized and that leaves the princess in a bit of a bind because the kingdom desparately needs this marriage,” Jacobs said. “So she decides to prove to him that she’s good enough, and prove him wrong. However she does so by going to a medieval military academy and she’s never held a sword before. She did not think this through fully, and that’s where she meets the other main character, who is the prince’s guard and best friend and he decides to help train her. And while they are there, they uncover some threats to their kingdom and it turns out there’s a little bit more than the relationship drama that should be on their mind.”
“The Princess Knight” hits bookstores on Tuesday, October 14. You can read an excerpt and get the book below.
The CBS New York Book Club focuses on books connected to the Tri-State Area in their plots and/or authors. The books may contain adult themes.
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“The Princess Knight” by Cait Jacobs
Harper Voyage
From the publisher: Domhnall and Clía are an ideal match—or so everyone says. They are prince and princess of neighboring kingdoms. An alliance the gods will smile on. Until Domhnall ruins everything by refusing to propose.
Heartbroken but determined, Clía makes the perfect plan: Follow Domhnall to Caisleán Cósta, the military academy he’s attending. Show she can protect her kingdom. Secure the betrothal. Sure, the castle has a brutal reputation. But how hard can dueling really be?
Warrior Ronan promised himself he’d never lose his focus. He fought and sacrificed for his place at Caisleán Cósta, and he has no time for blonde princesses who waltz into arenas like they’re attending a ball. Even if she and her otter-like pet are…well, cute.
He doesn’t want to be intrigued by Clía. But her hunger to prove herself is something he understands. He tells himself there’s no harm training her. Even if his heart does race around her. Even if Domhnall is his best friend.
But as they say, love is a battlefield—and unfortunately for them all, a very real war is looming on the horizon. It’s a fight that will threaten all their kingdoms…and test all their hearts.
Cait Jacobs grew up on Long Island.
“The Princess Knight” by Cait Jacobs (ThriftBooks) $17
Excerpt: “The Princess Knight” by Cait Jacobs
The dress she spent hours fixing lay in tatters on the ground in her room.
It was supposed to be her betrothal dress, but it had no use now. It felt wrong to allow it to remain perfect and untouched while her world fell apart.
After the meeting in the war room, Clía could hear the whispers follow her as she attended to her duties in the castle. It took everything she had to appear unbothered.
“Did you hear, Prince Domhnall backed out of the betrothal?”
“Apparently, Scáilca questioned her ability to rule.”
“She made the kingdom look shameful.”
“It’s pathetic, really.”
“Weak.”
At the first opportunity, Clía gave in to what she had been wanting to do ever since her conversion with Domhnall: hide in her room. Her bed was soft as she fell atop it, pillow over her face as she contemplated every life decision that had led her to this point. Where had she gone wrong? How did she fail? Why wasn’t she enough?
She couldn’t escape the thought. It echoed in the recesses of her mind, pounding against her skull. She threw the pillow. It landed beside the dress.
I need more than a pretty face to sit by my side.
Was that all everyone believed she was?
The evening sun rudely broke through her window and beamed down on her.
Her future had always towered before her, but with Domhnall by her side, she thought she didn’t need to be afraid of it.
Perhaps she had only been fooling herself this whole time.
A loud knock at her door broke her thoughts.
“Go away!” she groaned, not caring if the person behind the door thought it was rude. She’d had enough of what other people thought of her. Besides, she’d clearly stated she would take no visitors for the rest of the day—they were the ones being rude.
“Then who else can I bother to play fidchell with me?” The familiar voice of Chief Ó Connor drifted through the door.
Of course he would ignore her desire to be alone. She quickly wiped the tears still streaming down her face; she didn’t need Ó Connor worrying about her.
“Come in,” she called, rising from her bed to greet him.
Ó Connor walked into her rooms with a concerned look on his face, but Clía ignored it and led him to the fidchell board in her foyer. The remains of her dress taunted her from where they lay beyond the open door to her bedroom. Ó Connor’s gaze drifted to them. “A change of outfit?”
Clía brushed away the nonexistent wrinkles in her powder blue dress. It was one of her more elaborate day dresses. The elegant embroidery of the skirt calmed her as she ran her fingers along it. “Today is not a day for pink.”
“Well, that’s a rare occasion.” Ó Connor placed his first piece on the board. “I was surprised to see you at the meeting.”
She placed her own piece. “Why is that such a shock? I’m the princess. I was looking after my kingdom.”
She knew Ó Connor would see through her flimsy reasoning—he always did—but she hoped he wouldn’t call her on it. In truth, Domhnall’s words had made her itch to prove the prince wrong, and the meeting served as good of an opportunity as any.
“Then tell me, what were your thoughts?” he asked, and a small sense of relief broke through her melancholy.
Murphy took that moment to walk over to her and leap into her lap. She scratched his head. “I think the Scáilcans bring up valid concerns. Why didn’t you grant them the permission they sought?”
While her parents wished to keep Álainndore to itself, preferring not to bother themselves with the issues of their neighbor kingdoms, she knew Ó Connor could have swayed them if he desired.
“They hope to drag us in to help them fight their battles. We don’t have the time or warriors for that,” he said, his gaze scanning the game board.
Clía sat up straighter. “We might find ourselves dragged into this war either way. Is it not better to stand by our allies? At least this way, if war comes, there’s a chance we’re prepared.”
A shadow crossed Ó Connor’s face. “We are prepared.”
The realization of what Ó Connor wasn’t telling her hit Clía suddenly. War had come to Álainndore’s shores. Chief Barra’s sudden death, the supplies missing in the north—
Ó Connor looked up, his mouth set in a grim line. He spoke before she could put her thoughts into words. “What happened this afternoon that has you so upset?”
She could turn the subject back to the war, press him for answers, but if he was keeping things from her, then there had to be a reason. He thought Álainndore was prepared; she would believe him. He’d been there for her since she was born, for every milestone, guiding her through each step she took. Trusting him had become custom.
“Why would you assume anything happened?” She placed another piece.
“You attended a meeting voluntarily, you’re not accepting visitors, and you have yet to speak the prince’s name. It’s only natural to conclude that something happened, and you’re not happy about it.”
She couldn’t argue. Instead, she settled for bluntness, as if it could dull the ache in her chest. “The prince and I will not be getting married.”
“And was this his decision or yours?”
“I think you can conclude the answer to that.” It was her turn again, and she placed her last piece, blocking him.
Ó Connor let out a weary sigh. “His, then.” His next move took the piece she’d just played. She should have seen that coming. His pieces made a clean diagonal across the board, with only one small gap. He was set to win. “What’s your next move?”
He wasn’t talking about the game.
“He said I was too weak to rule. That I—” Her chest tightened, and she couldn’t make the words come out. They were stuck, squeezing her heart and lungs. She paused, clearing her throat before continuing. “He made it clear he doesn’t think I’m good enough to be queen of Scáilca.” She moved another piece in a hurry, blocking a potential win.
He looked at the board and back to her, before moving one of his pieces and connecting his line, finishing the game. “Letting your emotions rule your decisions is a guaranteed way to lose the fight. What do you want? What’s the ideal outcome of this situation?”
“I want this marriage. This alliance.” It would help her king- dom, and her parents would be happy. Not to mention, marrying Domhnall was expected, it was known, and Clía was never one for change.
From a young age, she knew better than to hope for a great romance; her marriage would only ever be a piece in a larger po- litical plan. Sure, she had taken interest in others before, but act- ing on those feelings would be a waste of her time. Clía wanted to be admired and loved as a queen, like her mother, and to be the daughter her parents want her to be. A marriage with Domhnall could bring her that. Besides, before today, she and Dom- hnall did have a friendship between them, which was more than most royals could ever hope for in a partnership.
She needed this betrothal.
“Then think logically. How do we accomplish that?” O’Connor deftly reset the board. “The boy will be all but unreachable, away at Caisleán Cósta for the next year, preparing for war—”
“I need to prove to Domhnall and to his parents that I’m strong. That I can be a warrior.” They started the game again, her moves blocking his, he taking pieces but she offering a strong defense.
He moved one of his pieces to take another of hers. The win was almost his. He must have seen the concern in her eyes. “It may seem like it’s over, but there is always a way out. If you only think defensively, you’ll never win. Perhaps it’s time to be on the offense.”
She looked at her pieces, seemingly scattered across the board, and then she saw it. The line. Her win. She made her move. He made his. Then the final step. She shifted her piece, winning the game.
He smiled at her, proud. “Good. Now what will you do next?” She grinned back at him. “Caisleán, you said? I have the perfect plan.”
From THE PRINCESS KNIGHT by Cait Jacobs. Copyright © 2025 by Cait Jacobs. Reprinted by permission of Harper Voyager, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.