Ladies of the Knight
Creator: Fiona Marchbank
Publisher: Oni Press
Publication Date: July 2026
Ladies of the Knight, Fiona Marchbank’s debut graphic novel as a solo creator, is a classic sports story. Rookies must prove their worth while navigating established rivalries, and dramatic showdowns end in daring feats cheered by crowds of adoring fans. There are training montages, sponsorship deals, ploys to gain audience favor, and emotional struggles over what constitutes fair play. The twist is that all the athletes are medieval knights clad in brilliantly colorful armor with gorgeous fantasy flourishes.
Lady Serafina, an undefeated champion in armed combat, has trained squires before, but they’ve all quit. Serafina takes her tournaments far too seriously to have patience for the inept and inexperienced, and she doesn’t appreciate interruptions to her carefully calibrated routine.
Serafina’s wife Minerva, a wealthy merchant who sponsors her competitions, feels that she would benefit both as a knight and as a person if she devoted more effort to mentoring an apprentice. Minerva puts out a call for squires without Serafina’s knowledge, and she preemptively welcomes a good-natured and enthusiastic teenager named George to the position. George has more experience with horses than she does with swords, but she’s more than ready to begin her knightly training.
George turns out to be exactly the squire that Serafina needs. She’s willing to tolerate her teacher’s eccentricities, but she also has the self-confidence to stand up for herself. Most importantly, she possesses the high level of energy and commitment to training that Serafina demands. As her apprenticeship progresses, George begins to explore skills and interests that Serafina doesn’t share, and she manages to convince her teacher that there’s more than one path to knighthood.
Ladies of the Knight is a coming-of-age story for George, who matures through friendship and conflict. Serafina enjoys an equally compelling narrative arc, though the changes to her character are more subtle. While George visibly adds muscle and gains confidence in her skill, Serafina begins to hold herself back, albeit not always with the best of grace. Despite her occasional bad behavior, Serafina is a sympathetic character, and I’m happy to see the perspective of a jaded adult on the other side of youthful growth and energy.
From the immense mainstream popularity of the dark fantasy game Elden Ring to the continued success of the crowdfunded indie series of knight-themed art books published by Dames Productions, medieval knights seem to be having a cultural moment. Given the enthusiasm of young and queer art communities, I suspect this love for knights has less to do with a conservative interest in the history of Western Europe and more to do with a speculative imagination that has shifted away from science fiction as the technological dreams of the twentieth century have been tainted by recent associations with the dystopian realities of corporate enshittification. Fantasies celebrating difference and otherness were once projected onto robots free of human limitations, but perhaps it now makes more sense to tell stories about knights who aim for greatness while still being bound within the confines of their humanity and human relationships.
A major element of the appeal of Ladies of the Knight is the agency its athletes exercise over their identities. Outside of tournaments, their faces and genders are theirs to present as they wish. Once they equip their full-body armor, however, nothing matters except for their poise and skill. The fantasy these knights convey is the joy of having your cake and eating it too—or the freedom to express your personal identity in your private life while not allowing it to affect your professional life. After all, gender doesn’t matter when you’ve got a sword in your hands.
Fiona Marchbank has dedicated Ladies of the Knight to the roller derby community who “introduced me to the camaraderie and rivalry of contact sport.” In the inclusive spirit of roller derby, this graphic novel celebrates diversity through attractive and expressive character designs augmented by colorful displays of armor and heraldry. Though the story’s setting is fantastic in its late medieval splendor, there are no monsters or magic to distract the knights and squires from their tournaments, nor are there any royalty or court politics. The world Marchbank has created isn’t utopian by any means, but her selective borrowing from history allows the athletic drama between knights to take center stage.
Ladies of the Knight is a gift to anyone who loves the festive pageantry of a good Renaissance Faire and the excitement of brilliantly choreographed swordplay. This bold and brave graphic novel pledges its service to anyone who might feel excluded from traditional sports, and its inclusive chivalry is just as gorgeous as its flashing swords and shining armor.
Ladies of the Knight is out this month from Oni Press
Read more great reviews from The Beat!
