Knightingale

by Jon Ford

Gale Knightley always wanted to be a doctor.

Then her M-Gene powers manifested, granting her amazing abilities. Gifts that allow her to fix bones, cure sickness, and heal wounds. Seven years after arriving in Chicago to fight the Kriitani Incursion, Gale graduates medical school, excited to take the next step in her career as a doctor and hero. But, as she’s about to learn, there’s more to being a physician than fixing physical injury. And there’s more to being a hero than dashing in to save the day.

After losing her first patient, Gale must face her doubts and insecurities. What could she possibly have done differently? How did she fail? Was it her fault?

The questions that plague her lead to a mystery that could prove her guilt or innocence…but could also pose a huge threat to the security of New Chicago.

226 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2022

About the author

Jon Ford lives in Worcestershire, UK.

He lives with his awesome Wifey, their lovable puppy 'Vixen', and under the watchful gaze of their cat-overlords Lana and Gayle. Honestly, he has far too many hobbies for one man to hold down sensibly!

Reviews

[N.T. Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jon Ford kicked off his version of a multiverse with The Scorched Sky, an engaging scifi tale of an alien invasion that breached the sky over Chicago. A large cast of superheroes came to Earth’s rescue, but what happened in the aftermath? Knightingale tells the story of one of our famed rescuers, bringing us up to speed on what Gale Knightley has been doing for the past seven years and where she goes from here.

Gale is a likeable character and the perfect one for Ford to showcase first in what will become a series of novels that introduce us to the key players in his superhero world. If you’ve read any of the books in his Ballad of the Songbird series, you’ll instantly recognize Gale (Gayle) and will quickly catch on to his multiverse theme.

While this one is shorter than his other books, it’s a fast-paced story that will keep you intrigued throughout as Gale settles into her life post-med school and becomes enveloped in a mystery when people without the genetic factor needed to be a superhero start popping up around Chicago with enhanced abilities. Gale spends her time in this story being part doctor and part detective while Ford keeps the action going until the very end when the mystery unravels into an unexpected plot twist.

A great book with interesting characters and a unique storyline, Knightingale is five stars from beginning to end!

[Steve Vimes · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an avid player of the game, City Of Heroes, I adored the first book by Jon Ford in his new Femme Fatales series, The Scorched Sky. It was a great introduction into his own world inspired by the game and used his own characters to tell a new narrative brilliantly, so I was looking forward to the first novella based on the events that happened in new Chicago.

This new book tells a wonderfully crafted mystery story that develops the character of Gail Knightley, better known as the titular superhero, Knightingale. With plenty of cameos from characters in the earlier books as well, we get to see how things have developed after the invasion of Chicago and see how the world is building, or should I say, re-building, after the action packed first novel.

I loved being able to leap back into this world and see how things have progressed. The storyline was cleverly thought out, with mystery and intrigue leaving you wondering what will happen next and I can’t wait for the next Femme Fatales book to come out!

[Fordith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knightingale is a novella set in The Scorched Sky universe that takes place after book 1 but before book 2 which is due to be released.

We follow Gale Knightley as she finishes med school, starts an internship and investigates a mysterious death on a hero call-out.

This fast paced story gives a great insight into Gale’s character and we see her grow throughout the short pages. I enjoyed getting to know her a bit more as well as her relationships with those around her.

I really enjoyed the nods to any City of Heroes MMO players out there and I think avid gamers will enjoy the Easter eggs hidden within.

The problem with it being a novella means I have finished it too quickly and now have to wait longer for the next instalment!!

[Emma G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knightingale is a novella set several years after The Scorched Sky. Focused on Gayle Knightly and the after events of the incursion. Yet again Jon's writing takes us right into New Chicago with his detailed world building. Adding new depths to characters we met in the first book. As a novella it was a quick read despite the added information given. I'm not a huge fan of novellas normally, and where I am really glad I read this and it will help with future books in the Femme Fatal series, I'm unlikely to reread it which is the only reason it doesn't get a full 5 stars

[Kara (Books.and.salt) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun novella to bridge the time gap between books one and two in Ford's Femme Fatales series! I loved getting to focus on Gale - learning more about her thought process, and how her career has progressed in the years since the first novel. She came across as meek to me in book one, and I was really happy to see her step out of her shell in this novella.

The mystery aspect made this novella a serious page turner, and I am so excited to see where this series goes!

[Jas Phoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book this is! I loved The Scorched Sky, the first book in Jon Ford’s The Femme Fatales series, and this is an excellent addition. It’s told from the perspective of Gale Knightly and is set seven years after the Kriitani Incursion that brought her to Chicago to help with the fight. The story begins as she graduates as a medical doctor and develops into an absorbing mystery, quite different from the large-scale conflict of the incursion in the first book. Gale is a superhero with a genetic mutation that gives her telepathic and healing abilities, and when she is unable to heal a young woman using her powers, she is left with many doubts and questions. Determined to understand what happened, she begins to investigate.

The investigation itself is brilliantly written – fast-paced and tense – and it soon becomes far more complicated than she first expected. The relationships between the characters and the bonds of friendship add a beautiful layer of warmth, and it was great to see Charlie again, a character who continues to make me think about what truly constitutes humanity. Gale herself comes across as vulnerable and thoughtful, but she is also stubborn as hell, resilient, and determined to do what she believes is right, making her a very believable and complex character.

This is a thoroughly immersive novella that expands the world of The Femme Fatales in a very compelling way and the writing is excellent! If you enjoyed The Scorched Sky, I would highly recommend reading this one as well.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable novella with a good expansion of the world and characters and an intriguing mystery at the core.