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The Bright Sword
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Fantasy (2024)A gifted young knight named Collum arrives at Camelot to compete for a spot on the Round Table, only to find he’s too late. The king died two weeks ago at the Battle of Camlann, leaving no heir, and only a handful of the knights of the Round Table survive.
They aren’t the heroes of legend, like Lancelot or Gawain. They’re the oddballs of the Round Tables, from the edges of the stories, like Sir Palomides, the Saracen Knight and Sir Dagonet, Arthur’s fool, who was knighted as a joke. They’re joined by Nimue, who was Merlin’s apprentice until she turned on him and buried him under a hill. Together this ragtag fellowship will set out to rebuild Camelot in a world that has lost its balance.
But Arthur’s death has revealed Britain’s fault lines. God has abandoned it, and the fairies and monsters and old gods are returning, led by Arthur’s half-sister Morgan le Fay. Kingdoms are turning on each other, warlords are laying siege to Camelot, and rival factions are forming around the disgraced Lancelot and the fallen Queen Guinevere. It is up to Collum and his companions to reclaim Excalibur, solve the mysteries of this ruined world and make it whole again. But before they can restore Camelot they’ll have to learn the truth of why the lonely, brilliant King Arthur fell and lay to rest the ghosts of his troubled family and of Britain’s dark past.
They aren’t the heroes of legend, like Lancelot or Gawain. They’re the oddballs of the Round Tables, from the edges of the stories, like Sir Palomides, the Saracen Knight and Sir Dagonet, Arthur’s fool, who was knighted as a joke. They’re joined by Nimue, who was Merlin’s apprentice until she turned on him and buried him under a hill. Together this ragtag fellowship will set out to rebuild Camelot in a world that has lost its balance.
But Arthur’s death has revealed Britain’s fault lines. God has abandoned it, and the fairies and monsters and old gods are returning, led by Arthur’s half-sister Morgan le Fay. Kingdoms are turning on each other, warlords are laying siege to Camelot, and rival factions are forming around the disgraced Lancelot and the fallen Queen Guinevere. It is up to Collum and his companions to reclaim Excalibur, solve the mysteries of this ruined world and make it whole again. But before they can restore Camelot they’ll have to learn the truth of why the lonely, brilliant King Arthur fell and lay to rest the ghosts of his troubled family and of Britain’s dark past.
673 pages, Hardcover
First published July 16, 2024
4872 people are currently reading
114846 people want to read
About the author
Lev Grossman
66 books10.1k followersHi! I'm the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Magicians trilogy—The Magicians, The Magician King, and The Magician’s Land—which was adapted as a TV show that ran for five seasons on Syfy.
I've also written two novels for children: The Silver Arrow, which the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, People magazine, Apple and Amazon all put on their best-of-the-year lists, and its sequel The Golden Swift. I do some journalist and screenwriting too.
I grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts, the son of two English professors. My twin brother Austin is a writer and game designer, and my older sister Sheba is an artist. Sometimes I live in Brooklyn, New York, other times in Sydney, Australia, where my wife is from. I have three kids and a somehow steadily increasing number of cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,250 reviews
January 3, 2024
The Bright Sword is to King Arthur what The Magicians was to Narnia/Harry Potter and A Game of Thrones was to The Lord Of The Rings: it's a thoroughly modern version of a story deeply embedded in the cultural consciousness that actively engages with the twisted implications of that story. Where The Magicians asked what it would be actually like to go to Hogwarts or Narnia, The Bright Sword asks what it takes to make a person want to go to Camelot and if that would fix things. I beta-read this book a couple times, but do still think I'm being objective when I give it five stars. It's thoughtful and fun and weird and exciting and beautiful and I loved it.
In the original mythology, Arthur is conceived by rape and has an incestuous son with his sister, and Merlin is a sexual predator and the son of the devil. This is not a book that shies away from that darkness or lets it get by unexamined, but that darkness and intensity is balanced by a whole lot of fun: there's cool magic and weird fae and detailed sword fighting. Grossman has been working on this book off and on since 2015, and it totally makes sense to me why. It's a sprawling epic hidden within a classic hero's journey, filled to bursting with ideas, and as could be expected, the whole thing is wrapped in Grossman's typical lyrical prose.
Collum, our protagonist, is a young man driven by the stories he has been told of the Knights of the Round Table and the story he tells himself about himself. He's travelling a land that is torn between the stories that are told of the civilised Christian Romans that have come and left and of the stories told of the wildness and fae that exist outside and through the land. When the audience meets the survivors of Camlann, we see that everybody is struggling with those same tensions as they figure out what their story is, and the interludes in which those stories are told are lovely and well-timed.
This is a book set around the edges of the King Arthur mythology, mostly focusing on the outsiders of Camelot, and mostly taking place after Arthur's death. It's a book that asks "what made them like that?" and "and then what happened?" of the classic myths, and gives us some nuanced answers to those questions. What would it have been like to be queer or to be clinically depressed or to reject the gender roles thrust upon you? What would it have been like to wrestle with a culture of Chivalry in a land that had been conquered in a brutal manner by the same people that had brought that supposed civilisation, to be Christian in a land where the old Pagan ways still very much existed? How can you deal with the sins of your fathers and feel the approval of the Father?
The modern mythology of King Arthur is an amalgam of a rose-tinted view of historic heraldry and of ideas of what it is to be British, but if Arthur existed at all, he lived in British Isles that were suffering so much from the departure of the Romans that they wouldn't even be able to mint their own coins for centuries, let alone make glorious suits of armour for their knights. It would have been a world of crumbling Roman ruins, filled with the echoes of a slaughtered Pagan past and a very religious form of Christianity. The myths were first written at a time when knights and chivalry were A Thing, so of course they imagined a noble history for their ways. In the last century, writers seem to have leaned into the anachronism and magic (The Once and Future King) or cut it out entirely (The Winter King); The Bright Sword cuts a middle path, with magic and knights in suits of armour, but also sub-Roman regional politics and pre-Anglo-Saxon languages. Yes, Palomides the Saracen should have lived several hundred years later once Islam had actually gotten a following, but by including him Grossman gets to make references to the golden age of Baghdad.
This book ends up serving, I think, as a really excellent complement to the original mythology. It examines and deconstructs it without losing track of what makes it so enduring. In that way, Grossman has his cake and eats it too, critiquing the idea of a knight's tale while also giving us a hugely fun example of exactly that.
In the original mythology, Arthur is conceived by rape and has an incestuous son with his sister, and Merlin is a sexual predator and the son of the devil. This is not a book that shies away from that darkness or lets it get by unexamined, but that darkness and intensity is balanced by a whole lot of fun: there's cool magic and weird fae and detailed sword fighting. Grossman has been working on this book off and on since 2015, and it totally makes sense to me why. It's a sprawling epic hidden within a classic hero's journey, filled to bursting with ideas, and as could be expected, the whole thing is wrapped in Grossman's typical lyrical prose.
Collum, our protagonist, is a young man driven by the stories he has been told of the Knights of the Round Table and the story he tells himself about himself. He's travelling a land that is torn between the stories that are told of the civilised Christian Romans that have come and left and of the stories told of the wildness and fae that exist outside and through the land. When the audience meets the survivors of Camlann, we see that everybody is struggling with those same tensions as they figure out what their story is, and the interludes in which those stories are told are lovely and well-timed.
This is a book set around the edges of the King Arthur mythology, mostly focusing on the outsiders of Camelot, and mostly taking place after Arthur's death. It's a book that asks "what made them like that?" and "and then what happened?" of the classic myths, and gives us some nuanced answers to those questions. What would it have been like to be queer or to be clinically depressed or to reject the gender roles thrust upon you? What would it have been like to wrestle with a culture of Chivalry in a land that had been conquered in a brutal manner by the same people that had brought that supposed civilisation, to be Christian in a land where the old Pagan ways still very much existed? How can you deal with the sins of your fathers and feel the approval of the Father?
The modern mythology of King Arthur is an amalgam of a rose-tinted view of historic heraldry and of ideas of what it is to be British, but if Arthur existed at all, he lived in British Isles that were suffering so much from the departure of the Romans that they wouldn't even be able to mint their own coins for centuries, let alone make glorious suits of armour for their knights. It would have been a world of crumbling Roman ruins, filled with the echoes of a slaughtered Pagan past and a very religious form of Christianity. The myths were first written at a time when knights and chivalry were A Thing, so of course they imagined a noble history for their ways. In the last century, writers seem to have leaned into the anachronism and magic (The Once and Future King) or cut it out entirely (The Winter King); The Bright Sword cuts a middle path, with magic and knights in suits of armour, but also sub-Roman regional politics and pre-Anglo-Saxon languages. Yes, Palomides the Saracen should have lived several hundred years later once Islam had actually gotten a following, but by including him Grossman gets to make references to the golden age of Baghdad.
This book ends up serving, I think, as a really excellent complement to the original mythology. It examines and deconstructs it without losing track of what makes it so enduring. In that way, Grossman has his cake and eats it too, critiquing the idea of a knight's tale while also giving us a hugely fun example of exactly that.
November 29, 2023
It’s hard to write a review for this book because of the sheer amount of five-star emotion filling me, but at the same time I feel like I must tell SOMEONE all my feelings about it or I’ll die. At a certain moment near the end of this book I literally yelled ‘YES’ and then jumped out of my seat and ran around my kitchen like an idiot, which is something I’ve never done because of a book before, and thankfully something I did when no one else was home. I adored The Magicians but I am in Palomides-esque love with The Bright Sword.
Lev Grossman checks all of the usual boxes—the characters, the magic system, and worldbuilding and the writing are all there and gorgeous, but he also does more. He writes emotion unlike any other author that I’ve ever read. He brings all the dark, depressing parts of his character’s lives to the surface of their being and then, as he relentlessly whales on them and has them fail over and over and cuts off their fingers, he somehow manages to etch hope into every facet of his stories. Everything sucks in Camelot, he tells us, but there are still adventures and miracles to be had.
And re-the usual boxes: I’m obsessed with the characters, I’m obsessed with Collum, I’m obsessed with Arthur and Bedivere and Dinadan, and I’m going to marry Nimue. I am going to kill Merlin. I would live in Camelot even though I would 100% die a horrible terrible death. I would vacation in the Otherworld even though I would die an even worse death there. I’m going to go back through the book when I have a physical copy in my hands and highlight the shit out of it, then sleep with it under my pillow like I used to do with Crush so I can perhaps absorb some of Lev Grossman’s genius.
There’s too much to say. I loved this book, obviously. I feel like Lev Grossman personally wrote the gay and trans characters in this book for me, specifically, and I will be grateful forever to him for that one. Everyone please read this one as soon as it’s out and then come to my house so we can talk about it and I will be sooooo normal about it I promise. My favorite book of the year by far!!!! And will probably be my favorite book of 2024 as well once it’s actually out!!
ARC acquired on edelweiss :) thank you edelweiss <3
Lev Grossman checks all of the usual boxes—the characters, the magic system, and worldbuilding and the writing are all there and gorgeous, but he also does more. He writes emotion unlike any other author that I’ve ever read. He brings all the dark, depressing parts of his character’s lives to the surface of their being and then, as he relentlessly whales on them and has them fail over and over and cuts off their fingers, he somehow manages to etch hope into every facet of his stories. Everything sucks in Camelot, he tells us, but there are still adventures and miracles to be had.
And re-the usual boxes: I’m obsessed with the characters, I’m obsessed with Collum, I’m obsessed with Arthur and Bedivere and Dinadan, and I’m going to marry Nimue. I am going to kill Merlin. I would live in Camelot even though I would 100% die a horrible terrible death. I would vacation in the Otherworld even though I would die an even worse death there. I’m going to go back through the book when I have a physical copy in my hands and highlight the shit out of it, then sleep with it under my pillow like I used to do with Crush so I can perhaps absorb some of Lev Grossman’s genius.
There’s too much to say. I loved this book, obviously. I feel like Lev Grossman personally wrote the gay and trans characters in this book for me, specifically, and I will be grateful forever to him for that one. Everyone please read this one as soon as it’s out and then come to my house so we can talk about it and I will be sooooo normal about it I promise. My favorite book of the year by far!!!! And will probably be my favorite book of 2024 as well once it’s actually out!!
ARC acquired on edelweiss :) thank you edelweiss <3
August 17, 2024
I really wanted to love this book! Even though the whole Camelot/Arthur/round table thing isn’t usually my cup of tea, I gave it a shot. Collum’s journey hooked me right from the start—he’s trying so hard to reach Camelot and become one of Arthur’s knights. But once he gets there, a big twist throws everything off course. The story just drags after that. I enjoyed the knights' banter and how they stuck together, but some parts felt like they went on forever. Overall, I liked it, didn’t love it, but I definitely didn’t hate it either.
August 6, 2024
Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.
The story of King Arthur and Camelot, once again updated for our current times, is full of anachronisms, much like T.H. White's story, which reflected the tumultuous first half of the 20th century. Grossman explores queerness, religion, mental illness, and, of course, immigration. There is no "make Britain great again" sentiment here; time marches on, and the new way is not necessarily worse.
But make no mistake, this is not a heavy book. It's a meandering fantasy adventure, just as the story of Camelot should be. I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun reading a fantasy adventure book. This is what I wanted when I picked up something like the Fourth Wing. Fresh, exciting, and full of action: check. Another world of old mystical Britain looming just around the corner: check. A young, idealistic, naive, scrappy, honorable young man you instantly want to root for: check.
The prose style is anachronistic, like in T.H. White’s The Once and Future King, yet this book is less misanthropic, less obsessed with Freudian psychoanalysis awkwardly tacked onto the story, and features a bunch of great, very different women. And Lev’s writing is just so effortless in comparison.
The Knights here are struggling; they are outcasts, from the margins of the legends, having no place in the world after the fall of Camelot, trying to find some hope, a reason to keep going, perhaps redemption? This makes them very human. That’s why I, at least, read fiction.
I enjoyed my time spent with this book.
The story of King Arthur and Camelot, once again updated for our current times, is full of anachronisms, much like T.H. White's story, which reflected the tumultuous first half of the 20th century. Grossman explores queerness, religion, mental illness, and, of course, immigration. There is no "make Britain great again" sentiment here; time marches on, and the new way is not necessarily worse.
But make no mistake, this is not a heavy book. It's a meandering fantasy adventure, just as the story of Camelot should be. I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun reading a fantasy adventure book. This is what I wanted when I picked up something like the Fourth Wing. Fresh, exciting, and full of action: check. Another world of old mystical Britain looming just around the corner: check. A young, idealistic, naive, scrappy, honorable young man you instantly want to root for: check.
The prose style is anachronistic, like in T.H. White’s The Once and Future King, yet this book is less misanthropic, less obsessed with Freudian psychoanalysis awkwardly tacked onto the story, and features a bunch of great, very different women. And Lev’s writing is just so effortless in comparison.
The Knights here are struggling; they are outcasts, from the margins of the legends, having no place in the world after the fall of Camelot, trying to find some hope, a reason to keep going, perhaps redemption? This makes them very human. That’s why I, at least, read fiction.
I enjoyed my time spent with this book.
August 8, 2024
I deserve an Olympic gold medal for persisting with this terribly boring book.
July 11, 2024
Rarely when books market themselves as "a mythological retelling for today's generation" do they actually feel like they're FOR us, and not just a modernized or subversive retelling. The Bright Sword is for us. Lev Grossman takes the tale of King Arthur and flips it over, exposing all the parts we missed as kids: a group of men drunk on their own mythology, a nation pulled apart by religious fanaticism, and a king burdened with great power and great imposter complex. The knights at THIS round table aren't your average Lancelots. They're depressed, they're in denial of their own trauma and they've been told by the world that they'll never be better than their circumstances. Honestly who better to do this too, the way Grossman writes beautifully miserable losers is LITERALLY it's own art form (re: Quentin my love). Reading him write about mental illness, repressed sexuality or the loss of innocence makes me feel like a disciple at the feet of Jesus, just absolutely consuming every word this man has to say. In my Lev Grossman religion era fr. I read some criticism that this book reads very episodic, but I counter that with ... have you consumed ANY King Arthur content? Episodic as fuck! They go on an adventure, they come home, they spend 10 years looking for the Holy Grail, they come home, rinse and repeat etc etc. This book stays true to your favorite King Arthur legends, but pulls out the dark thread running through them all: if we choose to live within our past, we'll be doomed to spend the rest of our lives in the same cycles chasing the same ends and never truly be happy with what we have and who we are. The Bright Sword says choose your OWN adventure! Follow your own Holy Grail! The path is never easy and nothing is ever given but in the one lifetime we have we have to try, both for each other and ourselves. Big fucking banger.
July 16, 2024
An Arthurian retelling for the modern era. Lev Grossman's follow-up to his dynamic Magicians trilogy takes on the Knights of the Round table with a 21st century sentiment, exploring how a ragtag group of civil servants fight to keep their country from falling to ruins in the wake of tragedy.
Collum of the Out Isles is a 17 year old aspiring knight on his way to Camelot to seek a spot at King Arthur's court. The only problem is Arthur is dead. He died two weeks prior fighting at Camlann fighting Mordred, and all that's left of Arthur's retinue are those who managed to not die fighting from either skill or luck.
There's Bedivere, Arthur's best friend and advisor who also happens to be secretly in love with him. Dinadan, a noble knight hiding a very personal secret about their identity. Palomides the out of place Muslim knight from what is now modern day Iraq. Dagonet, the fool who Arthur jokingly knighted one day. And Nimue, Merlin's apprentice who, in an act of rebellion and self-preservation, has trapped the infamous wizard under a hill while she takes over his role.
Collum meets these and many other characters along his journey to Camelot, and out into the wilds of Britain on adventures as the team attempts to find the next King to sit the throne. But that adventure isn't easy and often comes with a price, and Collum must decide what's worth saving and what requires letting go of in order to find peace, security and hope in a world ravaged by enemies—some even within their ranks.
I really enjoyed how Grossman told this tale. I'm not even particularly a huge fan of Arthur content, but I was utterly enthralled by this story. Maybe because it's more about Collum and his band of brothers (and Nimue), the lesser known and unlikely heroes of the Round Table. I found them charming, and the way that Grossman sprinkled in chapters for all of their backstories between the main narrative was effective. It never took away from the central storyline for me, but rather deepened the characters so that when things occurred in the present they had more heft to them.
This is a fun story balanced with sobering moments of realization as the characters face the end of an era. They must reckon with the fall of their hero and king, Arthur, and uncertainty around what is next for them and their country. Grossman's exploration of these themes feel relevant to current political conversations across the globe while never feeling heavy-handed.
I found myself attached to Collum by the end and wishing the best for him. That made the stakes of the final 20% feel really high and had me turning the pages. I will say a few times in the middle 1/3 it did drag a tiny bit, and some characters get more screen time than others, so the pacing was just slightly off for me. But truly never felt like abandoning this and was always eager to see what adventure they'd get up to next. It's told in what feels like episodes but it all adds up to one grand tale. If you like Arthur and want to read a version for our times, I'd highly recommend this! I think fans of Grossman's work will appreciate how he continues to explore and subvert classic tales and themes in a new, fresh and exciting way.
Collum of the Out Isles is a 17 year old aspiring knight on his way to Camelot to seek a spot at King Arthur's court. The only problem is Arthur is dead. He died two weeks prior fighting at Camlann fighting Mordred, and all that's left of Arthur's retinue are those who managed to not die fighting from either skill or luck.
There's Bedivere, Arthur's best friend and advisor who also happens to be secretly in love with him. Dinadan, a noble knight hiding a very personal secret about their identity. Palomides the out of place Muslim knight from what is now modern day Iraq. Dagonet, the fool who Arthur jokingly knighted one day. And Nimue, Merlin's apprentice who, in an act of rebellion and self-preservation, has trapped the infamous wizard under a hill while she takes over his role.
Collum meets these and many other characters along his journey to Camelot, and out into the wilds of Britain on adventures as the team attempts to find the next King to sit the throne. But that adventure isn't easy and often comes with a price, and Collum must decide what's worth saving and what requires letting go of in order to find peace, security and hope in a world ravaged by enemies—some even within their ranks.
I really enjoyed how Grossman told this tale. I'm not even particularly a huge fan of Arthur content, but I was utterly enthralled by this story. Maybe because it's more about Collum and his band of brothers (and Nimue), the lesser known and unlikely heroes of the Round Table. I found them charming, and the way that Grossman sprinkled in chapters for all of their backstories between the main narrative was effective. It never took away from the central storyline for me, but rather deepened the characters so that when things occurred in the present they had more heft to them.
This is a fun story balanced with sobering moments of realization as the characters face the end of an era. They must reckon with the fall of their hero and king, Arthur, and uncertainty around what is next for them and their country. Grossman's exploration of these themes feel relevant to current political conversations across the globe while never feeling heavy-handed.
I found myself attached to Collum by the end and wishing the best for him. That made the stakes of the final 20% feel really high and had me turning the pages. I will say a few times in the middle 1/3 it did drag a tiny bit, and some characters get more screen time than others, so the pacing was just slightly off for me. But truly never felt like abandoning this and was always eager to see what adventure they'd get up to next. It's told in what feels like episodes but it all adds up to one grand tale. If you like Arthur and want to read a version for our times, I'd highly recommend this! I think fans of Grossman's work will appreciate how he continues to explore and subvert classic tales and themes in a new, fresh and exciting way.
July 23, 2024
I wanted so badly to love this. Lev Grossman reinvented fantasy for me with his astounding "Magician's" trilogy and I was poised to offer him similar aclaim for Arthurian legend.
I think if you're a fan of Arthur and the many, many, many, soooo many tales of his round table you will find much to love here. But for casual fantasy fans who've seen "The Sword in the Stone" or love the musical "Camelot" this may simply be too dense and too long, as it was for me.
Grossman's writing remains as witty, wonderfully descriptive, and whimsically sarcastic as ever but I struggled to find a character to hang my hat on. While much of the narrative centers on young Camelot hopeful Callum considerable time is also given to the last of Arthur's knights, those happy few who survived his last war with Mordred, his widowed Queen Guenivere, Merlins' erstwhile lady love Nimue and Morgan Lafey, queen of the faeries. All of their stories are wonderful and frankly deserving of their own books or at least novella's but its so much to pack into one volume. I kept losing track of the story.
It was also hard to ever get a sense of where I was being taken on this epic journey. And while I recognize that the journey is often the point its hard to go along with that when the central question is "what do we do now that Arthur's gone?" It is truly wonderful the way Grossman has pulled from such a vast array of sources (I even detected some Monty Python more than once), his respect for the sheer volume of stories, poems, theatrical pieces, songs etc. about Arthur that have been spun for literally hundreds of years is evident and I'm sure in years to come this book will be right up there with all the others.
I think if you're a fan of Arthur and the many, many, many, soooo many tales of his round table you will find much to love here. But for casual fantasy fans who've seen "The Sword in the Stone" or love the musical "Camelot" this may simply be too dense and too long, as it was for me.
Grossman's writing remains as witty, wonderfully descriptive, and whimsically sarcastic as ever but I struggled to find a character to hang my hat on. While much of the narrative centers on young Camelot hopeful Callum considerable time is also given to the last of Arthur's knights, those happy few who survived his last war with Mordred, his widowed Queen Guenivere, Merlins' erstwhile lady love Nimue and Morgan Lafey, queen of the faeries. All of their stories are wonderful and frankly deserving of their own books or at least novella's but its so much to pack into one volume. I kept losing track of the story.
It was also hard to ever get a sense of where I was being taken on this epic journey. And while I recognize that the journey is often the point its hard to go along with that when the central question is "what do we do now that Arthur's gone?" It is truly wonderful the way Grossman has pulled from such a vast array of sources (I even detected some Monty Python more than once), his respect for the sheer volume of stories, poems, theatrical pieces, songs etc. about Arthur that have been spun for literally hundreds of years is evident and I'm sure in years to come this book will be right up there with all the others.
September 12, 2024
And thus concludes my Hot King Arthur Summer, which included a triptych of incredible Arthurian-inflected books, each of which I loved immensely. It began with Robin Sloan’s buoyantly imaginative Moonbound, segued into Signe Pike’s introspective and rivetingly historical The Shadowed Land, and concluded with Mr. Grossman’s latest opus, which is a delightful riff and twist on Arthurian lore from many different sources.
The Bright Sword brilliantly mixes the high and the low, simultaneously offering high fantasy wonderment alongside deep-in-the-muck gut punches. It’s funny and sad, classic but modern, respectful but cheeky.
Those in search of a historical Arthur should look elsewhere, as should those who want prose that hews to the style of Sir Thomas Mallory. Those who want legends and lore that feel as fresh as they do timeless, however, and those who want humor and heart in equal measures should revel in every bit of this wonderful tome.
The Bright Sword brilliantly mixes the high and the low, simultaneously offering high fantasy wonderment alongside deep-in-the-muck gut punches. It’s funny and sad, classic but modern, respectful but cheeky.
Those in search of a historical Arthur should look elsewhere, as should those who want prose that hews to the style of Sir Thomas Mallory. Those who want legends and lore that feel as fresh as they do timeless, however, and those who want humor and heart in equal measures should revel in every bit of this wonderful tome.
August 27, 2024
Here’s a tale of what happens in Britain in the several years after King Arthur falls in battle. For many sections a 2 is begrudgingly generous, but others deserve a 3.
This book got a SPECTACULAR review by the NYTimes (“enviable ideas and execution”) and I liked the first book of his Magicians series (but not the follow-ups), so promising. ... But, this overblown, meandering, rambling, packed to the gills with everything in the attic just never (ever) hits. Every bit of folk lore from the British Isles is scattered somewhere here – maybe the author did the work and wanted us to know, maybe he made it up (who cares), or maybe he just cribbed all the faeries from Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia.
There are some good characters, but they march from one useless, uninteresting quest to another. 2 steps forward, 1 step back. (Scipio and Palomides are good though!) The battles are endless – one where the brave knights battle a host of fairies went on for nearly 10 pages (would have seemed like 100 but, yeah, I skipped a lot). I listened to a little of it (thanks Spotify Prime) but it didn’t help.
And in an attempt to be contemporary (or to say that the past is just like the present), there are alternative life-styles, even transgender knights. And congress of course between the Otherworld and this world, but none of it even vaguely sexy. And Merlin is, alas, a rapist and almost as bad a villain as – fergoddsakes – Lancelot.
It’s not just me – my husband also slogged through it. He says it’s random and will never end.
Sorry to be such a stick in the mud, I’m sure some people will love it. In fact, if you loved American Gods, you’ll probably like this.
This book got a SPECTACULAR review by the NYTimes (“enviable ideas and execution”) and I liked the first book of his Magicians series (but not the follow-ups), so promising. ... But, this overblown, meandering, rambling, packed to the gills with everything in the attic just never (ever) hits. Every bit of folk lore from the British Isles is scattered somewhere here – maybe the author did the work and wanted us to know, maybe he made it up (who cares), or maybe he just cribbed all the faeries from Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia.
There are some good characters, but they march from one useless, uninteresting quest to another. 2 steps forward, 1 step back. (Scipio and Palomides are good though!) The battles are endless – one where the brave knights battle a host of fairies went on for nearly 10 pages (would have seemed like 100 but, yeah, I skipped a lot). I listened to a little of it (thanks Spotify Prime) but it didn’t help.
And in an attempt to be contemporary (or to say that the past is just like the present), there are alternative life-styles, even transgender knights. And congress of course between the Otherworld and this world, but none of it even vaguely sexy. And Merlin is, alas, a rapist and almost as bad a villain as – fergoddsakes – Lancelot.
It’s not just me – my husband also slogged through it. He says it’s random and will never end.
Sorry to be such a stick in the mud, I’m sure some people will love it. In fact, if you loved American Gods, you’ll probably like this.
June 29, 2024
This started well, but overall it was way too long. The disjointed structure and constant flashbacks also killed the momentum of the main storyline.
November 10, 2024
This could have been a great book. All the elements are there--knights, magic, as well as an interesting and original premise--what happens to Camelot and Britain after Arthur's death? Unfortunately, Grossman decided to use the King Arthur story as a mere facade for a sermon on modern social issues such as immigration, gender identity, the rights of indigenous peoples, and sexual harassment in the workplace. Suffice it to say that, in The Bright Sword, only 4 knights of the round table remain alive. One of these is gay and slightly disabled, another is transgender, the third is an immigrant, and the fourth has serious mental issues. I do not necessarily disagree with Grossman's positions. However, I see no place for his proselytizing in a King Arthur story. Not everything should be about "politics."
December 14, 2023
QUICK TAKE: Grossman manages to refresh the fantasy genre and King Arthur legends in a really fun and exciting and contemporary way. Loved the backstories on the characters, and the story really picks up once they begin their quest. Highly recommend!!
June 29, 2024
One of my favourite king Arthur retellings?!
Collum was a common bastard who had no business showing up at Camelot looking for a place at the Round Table. Just a big boy with a sword, from a nowhere island at the edge of the world.
Yet he arrives to find King Arthur is dead and Britain is dying. All that is left is the dregs of the Round Table.
Told from Collum’s point of view in the present and past flashbacks of the remaining knights, the leftovers, Grossman builds a picture of what life was like from Arthur pulling out the sword from the stone to all the quests the knights embarked on and Arthur’s downfall and the consequences.
”We're not the heroes, we're the odd ones out. The losers. But did you ever think that might be why we've lived so long? Losing makes you tough."
Grossman cleverly tells the story of the lesser known knights. The cripple. The fool. The foreigner. The hated Morgan Le Fay. And he throws in subversive twists to consider through a modern lens such as trans identity, homosexuality, imperialism, and abuse.
Of course you think you know it all already, or most of it, but you have probably managed to avoid thinking about the story too closely, the truth hastened past with a certain squeamishness, a dark thread in the otherwise golden tapestry of Camelot. Incest, neglect, prejudice, rape, revenge, and plunder.
Grossman reimagines Arthur as a footnote in his own story, the misbegotten by-product of a rape. A king who never should've been. But one who was honourable and beloved and made the best of his position.
This was delightful! Yes, it delves into the weird and magical, but if you are put off or intimidated after reading The Magicians - don’t be.
The writing isn’t quite as lyrical or profound, making it more accessible, propelling, and the bizarreness never becomes overbearing.
Why would the future be simpler than the past? Stories never really ended, they just rolled one into the next. The past was never wholly lost, and the future was never quite found. We wander forever in a pathless forest, dropping with weariness, as home draws us back, and the grail draws us on, and we never arrive, and the quest never ends.
Thank you to Viking Books for sending me the physical arc in exchange for a review!
High four stars!🌟
Bookstagram
Collum was a common bastard who had no business showing up at Camelot looking for a place at the Round Table. Just a big boy with a sword, from a nowhere island at the edge of the world.
Yet he arrives to find King Arthur is dead and Britain is dying. All that is left is the dregs of the Round Table.
Told from Collum’s point of view in the present and past flashbacks of the remaining knights, the leftovers, Grossman builds a picture of what life was like from Arthur pulling out the sword from the stone to all the quests the knights embarked on and Arthur’s downfall and the consequences.
”We're not the heroes, we're the odd ones out. The losers. But did you ever think that might be why we've lived so long? Losing makes you tough."
Grossman cleverly tells the story of the lesser known knights. The cripple. The fool. The foreigner. The hated Morgan Le Fay. And he throws in subversive twists to consider through a modern lens such as trans identity, homosexuality, imperialism, and abuse.
Of course you think you know it all already, or most of it, but you have probably managed to avoid thinking about the story too closely, the truth hastened past with a certain squeamishness, a dark thread in the otherwise golden tapestry of Camelot. Incest, neglect, prejudice, rape, revenge, and plunder.
Grossman reimagines Arthur as a footnote in his own story, the misbegotten by-product of a rape. A king who never should've been. But one who was honourable and beloved and made the best of his position.
This was delightful! Yes, it delves into the weird and magical, but if you are put off or intimidated after reading The Magicians - don’t be.
The writing isn’t quite as lyrical or profound, making it more accessible, propelling, and the bizarreness never becomes overbearing.
Why would the future be simpler than the past? Stories never really ended, they just rolled one into the next. The past was never wholly lost, and the future was never quite found. We wander forever in a pathless forest, dropping with weariness, as home draws us back, and the grail draws us on, and we never arrive, and the quest never ends.
Thank you to Viking Books for sending me the physical arc in exchange for a review!
High four stars!🌟
Bookstagram
July 23, 2024
DNF at 40%
I have been so Incredibly bored listening to this. The first chapter was probably the most entertaining part. Since then it's basically just been every character complaining about every "politically correct" hot button topic you can think of.
I have been so Incredibly bored listening to this. The first chapter was probably the most entertaining part. Since then it's basically just been every character complaining about every "politically correct" hot button topic you can think of.
August 29, 2025
I loved all these little gays and virgins trying to please jesus lol
July 27, 2024
As someone who loves anything Athurian, I must say this book was a major disappointment. The characters were boring and uninteresting. The plot was kind of there but not really. This didn’t really feel like a reimagining of Athurian legend-it felt more like a bastardization. In the end all it did was make me want to reread The Road to Avalon, The Crystal Cave, or The Once and Future King.
October 14, 2024
Having thoroughly enjoyed The Magicians trilogy, I eagerly awaited The Bright Sword and . . . was very disappointed. While this modern, melancholic retelling of the King Arthur tale has some exciting moments, it is overall more annoying than enjoyable. The main story of a young, insecure knight joining what remains of the round table after the death of King Arthur is full of adventure and self-discovery. However, it is constantly interrupted by backstories of the lesser known knights and the retelling of prior quests and lore. It's like having an entire collection of short stories regularly breaking the narrative. In addition, it's one of those audiobooks where if you get distracted for even a second you might not follow what's happening. Lastly, while Grossman goes out of his way to incorporate progressive values and issues, it's just too much to have a beloved figure like Merlin turned into Harvey Weinstein.
September 13, 2024
i really wanted to love this as much as everyone else but i just didn’t, i think maybe it’s because im not familiar with king arthur lore but then again idk because this book makes it easy for you to understand? it almost put me into a reading slump 😭 it’s still good but just nothing happens from 20% and i just feel like if it was shorter i would’ve enjoyed it more but once i got 400 pages im just like “what am i doing here” i enjoyed the setting and the vibes were set so well, not sure if i would continue.
September 16, 2024
I'll be the first to say I'm not a stickler for historical accuracy, especially when it comes to the medieval European variety. I'm also not too familiar with Arthurian legends. I know the story of Arthur enough. I saw the old movie when I was a kid. The newer movie when I was a teenager. And I've seen bits and babbles about it since. So, you can disqualify my opinion if you're looking for an expert.
That said, I read a lot of fantasy books, and this one was solid. I didn't know what to expect from Lev Grossman. I've only ever read The Magicians trilogy, which I loved, and this is nothing like that. And I think that's a good thing.
We get fun characters in a rich and magical world. There are sword fights and trippy adventures and interesting magic. There's a lot that happens in this book, but at the heart is a grand sense of adventure and a deep respect for fantasy.
Highly recommend. 5 big ole stars!
That said, I read a lot of fantasy books, and this one was solid. I didn't know what to expect from Lev Grossman. I've only ever read The Magicians trilogy, which I loved, and this is nothing like that. And I think that's a good thing.
We get fun characters in a rich and magical world. There are sword fights and trippy adventures and interesting magic. There's a lot that happens in this book, but at the heart is a grand sense of adventure and a deep respect for fantasy.
Highly recommend. 5 big ole stars!
September 24, 2024
Fantasy for people who don’t like fantasy and aren’t particularly interested in characters, cohesive plots, or in books, generally. Pick up (or re-read) The Once and Future King instead.
The prose is the stuff of Harold Bloom’s nightmares, written in a style that’s straight outta Poughkeepsie (with respects to Ursula Le Guin). The plot is meandering bordering on nonsensical. The female characters are paper thin and the lads don’t fare much better. Anachronisms abound but unlike e.g., White’s anachronisms which are peppered throughout his text with knowing, avuncular winks, the anachronism here is reflexive and sits uncomfortably alongside a patina of “realism.” However, it doesn’t begin to approach Cornwell’s grit under the nails verisimilitude or Martin’s grasp of milieu; the characterisation doesn’t begin to approach Robin Hobb’s flawed, diverse casts.
Worst of all, and the reason this review is so excoriating, is the discernible lack of wonder, spirit, or beauty. This is not fantasy that transports you to a richly imagined world. This is a poorly constructed stage set that overtly laughs at the idea of the mythic. That thinks a sword coming out of a lake is hokey and a little embarrassing, vestigial, weird. No, mate. It’s not. The fantasy, the wonder, the escape - that’s why we’re here. We’re here for watery witches and prophecies and lands cast into shadow. We already live in Poughkeepsie (or Bromley, or wherever). When we open a fantasy novel, we want to visit Elfland. Or Camelot, or Rivendell, or Midgard. We’ve had quite enough of Poughkeepsie, thank you (though if you show us a wondrous and hidden library underneath a bus station somewhere in the city limits, guarded by a temperamental warlock, perhaps, or the revenant of Dracula’s jilted ex-girlfriend, we’d gladly visit).
Reading other reviews, I wonder whether I’ve suffered some catastrophic head injury. People love this book. Maybe you will too! But, my friends, epic fantasy it is not.
The prose is the stuff of Harold Bloom’s nightmares, written in a style that’s straight outta Poughkeepsie (with respects to Ursula Le Guin). The plot is meandering bordering on nonsensical. The female characters are paper thin and the lads don’t fare much better. Anachronisms abound but unlike e.g., White’s anachronisms which are peppered throughout his text with knowing, avuncular winks, the anachronism here is reflexive and sits uncomfortably alongside a patina of “realism.” However, it doesn’t begin to approach Cornwell’s grit under the nails verisimilitude or Martin’s grasp of milieu; the characterisation doesn’t begin to approach Robin Hobb’s flawed, diverse casts.
Worst of all, and the reason this review is so excoriating, is the discernible lack of wonder, spirit, or beauty. This is not fantasy that transports you to a richly imagined world. This is a poorly constructed stage set that overtly laughs at the idea of the mythic. That thinks a sword coming out of a lake is hokey and a little embarrassing, vestigial, weird. No, mate. It’s not. The fantasy, the wonder, the escape - that’s why we’re here. We’re here for watery witches and prophecies and lands cast into shadow. We already live in Poughkeepsie (or Bromley, or wherever). When we open a fantasy novel, we want to visit Elfland. Or Camelot, or Rivendell, or Midgard. We’ve had quite enough of Poughkeepsie, thank you (though if you show us a wondrous and hidden library underneath a bus station somewhere in the city limits, guarded by a temperamental warlock, perhaps, or the revenant of Dracula’s jilted ex-girlfriend, we’d gladly visit).
Reading other reviews, I wonder whether I’ve suffered some catastrophic head injury. People love this book. Maybe you will too! But, my friends, epic fantasy it is not.
September 18, 2024
For me, a quintessential summer reading experience is the thick fantasy novel. Imagine my pleasure to discover that this summer would not only see the release of an Arthurian tome, but that my dude Lev Grossman was going to be the man bringing it to life. I've long been a fan of Grossman since reading The Magicians trilogy a good decade ago and have been eagerly anticipating whatever he came up with next. Luckily, The Bright Sword is both a welcome departure from what has come before and a healthy dose of Grossman's irreverent style.
I enjoyed Grossman's twist on the classic King Arthur tale: by the time our novel starts Arthur has left behind this mortal coil. Instead of all of the heroes and knights you've come to know and love through other retellings, Grossman shines the spotlight on the lesser known and less popular knights. Each of them is given one, or many, chapters to bring us up to speed on their upbringing and integration into Arthur's court. In fact, the novel alternates between the protagonist's present and the Round Table's past in a way that keeps the pages turning.
While it may not be a classic "page turner," The Bright Sword moves with a steady and firm pace. There's never a time when I found it a chore to pick up the book as Grossman deftly moves from one set piece to another. The Bright Sword feels like a return to a classic quest and court tale that is both timeless and modern. Indeed, intertwined with the magical and courtly is Grossman's sharp and hilarious dialogue that is decidedly not old fashioned.
Indeed, I loved Grossman's style applied to novel that would typically be filled with flowery and ancient sounding language. Instead, the knights all speak like regular old folks without it ever feeling bizarre in context. It maybe takes the first chapter to get used to it, but it makes for pleasant and not too challenging reading throughout.
I really liked this one! I'm hovering in my mind between four and five stars, but take this from the review: this is good fun and even the sort of fantasy novel that skeptics might enjoy.
[4.5 Stars]
I enjoyed Grossman's twist on the classic King Arthur tale: by the time our novel starts Arthur has left behind this mortal coil. Instead of all of the heroes and knights you've come to know and love through other retellings, Grossman shines the spotlight on the lesser known and less popular knights. Each of them is given one, or many, chapters to bring us up to speed on their upbringing and integration into Arthur's court. In fact, the novel alternates between the protagonist's present and the Round Table's past in a way that keeps the pages turning.
While it may not be a classic "page turner," The Bright Sword moves with a steady and firm pace. There's never a time when I found it a chore to pick up the book as Grossman deftly moves from one set piece to another. The Bright Sword feels like a return to a classic quest and court tale that is both timeless and modern. Indeed, intertwined with the magical and courtly is Grossman's sharp and hilarious dialogue that is decidedly not old fashioned.
Indeed, I loved Grossman's style applied to novel that would typically be filled with flowery and ancient sounding language. Instead, the knights all speak like regular old folks without it ever feeling bizarre in context. It maybe takes the first chapter to get used to it, but it makes for pleasant and not too challenging reading throughout.
I really liked this one! I'm hovering in my mind between four and five stars, but take this from the review: this is good fun and even the sort of fantasy novel that skeptics might enjoy.
[4.5 Stars]
January 28, 2025
Video killed the radio star; pop psychology killed the complex character. Which is ironic, because Lev Grossman clearly thought he was adding complexity to legendary Arthurian figures by giving them each a Core Wound, a central trauma or cognitive distortion from whence all their decisions flow.
March 13, 2025
4.25/5
The Bright Sword is a queer reimagining of Camelot and King Arthur’s Round Table. I inadvertently read three Arthurian reimaginings over the past year, including Alexandra Bracken’s Silver In The Bone and Tracy Deonn’s Legendborn. I can wholeheartedly say I enjoyed this novel most of those three and would read a sequel if one’s published. Legendborn and Silver In The Bone… not so much. I actually purchased the sequels to those prior to reading the first books and they’re now collecting dust on my shelves. I’m just not excited to read them after being underwhelmed by their predecessors.
To be fair, the Bright Sword is adult fantasy fiction whereas the other two novels are YA. The romance-heavy sub plots found within most YA has hindered my enjoyment of the genre lately. I’m an aromatic asexual, ain’t nobody got time for that. 😂
The Bright Sword is a queer reimagining of Camelot and King Arthur’s Round Table. I inadvertently read three Arthurian reimaginings over the past year, including Alexandra Bracken’s Silver In The Bone and Tracy Deonn’s Legendborn. I can wholeheartedly say I enjoyed this novel most of those three and would read a sequel if one’s published. Legendborn and Silver In The Bone… not so much. I actually purchased the sequels to those prior to reading the first books and they’re now collecting dust on my shelves. I’m just not excited to read them after being underwhelmed by their predecessors.
To be fair, the Bright Sword is adult fantasy fiction whereas the other two novels are YA. The romance-heavy sub plots found within most YA has hindered my enjoyment of the genre lately. I’m an aromatic asexual, ain’t nobody got time for that. 😂
![Profile Image for Ruxandra Grrr [in a slump :(((((].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1520583842i%2F4259436._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
April 14, 2025
Okay, that last sentence made me bawl!!
This was a really beautifully written exploration of masculinity and those who fall outside of it, the obsessions of great men and the myths men are invested in (them wanting a Daddy to tell them what to do, for instance). I have so many thoughts! I loved the treatment of classic Arthurian characters (especially Guinevere and Nimue, and even Arthur, surprisingly) and Merlin can eat rocks ().
And I loved basically every character of our main group, and Collum was great as the wide-eyed Round Table fanboy.
This novel about men and masculinity has separate chapters about the stories of different knights and I really enjoyed getting to know them. I was particularly happy that, a few minutes after I was thinking it would be nice to have a trans knight... Well, we got one. I enjoyed the representation, though I think it could have been a bit better outside of the designated chapter, I wanted to see more of him when the themes were being unpacked in the main plot. But still, really nice!
And as someone who's never been interested in Arthurian legends who take it all too seriously and straightforward (like that Sean Connery + Richard Gere + Julia Ormond movie, First Knight - but I did absolutely love the subversive and fucking weird The Green Knight with Dev Patel), I was surprised by how much I liked this. But it's only because so many of the legend details are subverted here and usually disadvantaged characters are brought to the fore. And it got me thinking quite a lot about this founding myth of Britain that needs must include Christianity as a 'civilizing' (blehh) force over these supernatural powers like magic and giants and the fae. It's all very manly, very orderly and very idealized. And I just loved how Grossman handled everything in this one.
Oh, there's also a cute romance, but it doesn't take up a lot of space and even if it feels very standard compared to the rest of the book, there was a green ribbon at the end that gave me awwws and goosebumps.
This was a really beautifully written exploration of masculinity and those who fall outside of it, the obsessions of great men and the myths men are invested in (them wanting a Daddy to tell them what to do, for instance). I have so many thoughts! I loved the treatment of classic Arthurian characters (especially Guinevere and Nimue, and even Arthur, surprisingly) and Merlin can eat rocks ().
And I loved basically every character of our main group, and Collum was great as the wide-eyed Round Table fanboy.
This novel about men and masculinity has separate chapters about the stories of different knights and I really enjoyed getting to know them. I was particularly happy that, a few minutes after I was thinking it would be nice to have a trans knight... Well, we got one. I enjoyed the representation, though I think it could have been a bit better outside of the designated chapter, I wanted to see more of him when the themes were being unpacked in the main plot. But still, really nice!
And as someone who's never been interested in Arthurian legends who take it all too seriously and straightforward (like that Sean Connery + Richard Gere + Julia Ormond movie, First Knight - but I did absolutely love the subversive and fucking weird The Green Knight with Dev Patel), I was surprised by how much I liked this. But it's only because so many of the legend details are subverted here and usually disadvantaged characters are brought to the fore. And it got me thinking quite a lot about this founding myth of Britain that needs must include Christianity as a 'civilizing' (blehh) force over these supernatural powers like magic and giants and the fae. It's all very manly, very orderly and very idealized. And I just loved how Grossman handled everything in this one.
Oh, there's also a cute romance, but it doesn't take up a lot of space and even if it feels very standard compared to the rest of the book, there was a green ribbon at the end that gave me awwws and goosebumps.
August 7, 2024
I almost bought this book, but I’m glad I didn’t. I got it from the library right when it released, so I knew I had to read it quickly or it would be months before I would get it back.
I already knew going in that my and Grossman’s worldviews are vastly different, but I greatly enjoyed The Magicians with its relatable, well-written characters. I hoped The Bright Sword would be more of the same, but alas.
All the characters were extremely flat, all mad at/distrustful of God in a boring, predictable way, and even when we got backstory on them, it completely shattered the flow of the book and usually didn’t contribute to the continuing story. Not that there was much of that either. The characters move slowly from plot point to plot point, often not even having any agency on that movement. Stuff just kind of happens.
And what’s the message? That things aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be? That’s why most “deconstruction” stories suck, because they don’t leave you with anything of value at the end. The Magicians was deeper than this book, even when I disagreed with it. Maybe if you like these types of “deconstruction” stories, you should pick up The Bright Sword, but if you at all like Arthur retellings, I would skip this one.
I already knew going in that my and Grossman’s worldviews are vastly different, but I greatly enjoyed The Magicians with its relatable, well-written characters. I hoped The Bright Sword would be more of the same, but alas.
All the characters were extremely flat, all mad at/distrustful of God in a boring, predictable way, and even when we got backstory on them, it completely shattered the flow of the book and usually didn’t contribute to the continuing story. Not that there was much of that either. The characters move slowly from plot point to plot point, often not even having any agency on that movement. Stuff just kind of happens.
And what’s the message? That things aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be? That’s why most “deconstruction” stories suck, because they don’t leave you with anything of value at the end. The Magicians was deeper than this book, even when I disagreed with it. Maybe if you like these types of “deconstruction” stories, you should pick up The Bright Sword, but if you at all like Arthur retellings, I would skip this one.
November 8, 2024
omg I feel so bad for not loving this 😭 it sounded so perfect! i’m dnfing at 38% and giving it three stars for now. it’s honestly really well written, some parts are funny, I absolutely love the descriptions of nature and traveling on forest roads, the audiobook narrator is fantastic… somehow I just haven’t been able to get into it.
there is a lot of back and forth between the main timeline and various characters’ backstories + a ton of Arthurian lore explained through Callum’s thoughts. it is done well and the writing style is very clean and polished, I might just not be a retelling type person.
the story has kind of a dense vibe the way it’s convoluted with summaries of the lore and actual history, I wound up not being able to connect with the main character enough to really care. I’ll give it another try in a few weeks tho and update accordingly.
EDIT (3 months later):
ok, I gave it my best shot. it takes a lot for me to put a book down. I made it from my initial 38% to 54% before it lost me completely. it’s a bunch of disjointed Arthurian stories retold by Grossman, it’s dry and way too long. at this point, I don’t even know if there is a cohesive plot at all, let alone what it is. thanks to that, while it’s very well written technically, you never quite feel like you’re part of the story. it’s just become my first (and hopefully last since it’s already November) DNF of 2024. this is the most boring thing I’ve read in years.
changing my rating from 3 to 2 since I don’t vibe with it at all.
there is a lot of back and forth between the main timeline and various characters’ backstories + a ton of Arthurian lore explained through Callum’s thoughts. it is done well and the writing style is very clean and polished, I might just not be a retelling type person.
the story has kind of a dense vibe the way it’s convoluted with summaries of the lore and actual history, I wound up not being able to connect with the main character enough to really care. I’ll give it another try in a few weeks tho and update accordingly.
EDIT (3 months later):
ok, I gave it my best shot. it takes a lot for me to put a book down. I made it from my initial 38% to 54% before it lost me completely. it’s a bunch of disjointed Arthurian stories retold by Grossman, it’s dry and way too long. at this point, I don’t even know if there is a cohesive plot at all, let alone what it is. thanks to that, while it’s very well written technically, you never quite feel like you’re part of the story. it’s just become my first (and hopefully last since it’s already November) DNF of 2024. this is the most boring thing I’ve read in years.
changing my rating from 3 to 2 since I don’t vibe with it at all.
January 31, 2025
This should be renamed “The Other Guys: Camelot edition”. I love two things: a great retelling and underdogs, and this delivered on both counts.
Grossman explores the question: “What happens when Arthur is gone and the Knights of the Round Table have almost gone.
This is a chaotic dreamy 6th Century Britain where all kinds of characters are “jostling and scrambling” against each other.
Grossman straddles the historical approach taken by authors like Mary Stewart, Bernard Cornwell, and Nicola Griffith, and weaves the romantic essence captured by authors like Alfred Tennyson, T. H. White, and Thomas Malory.
This story has been retold countless times and has never been told the same way twice. This one is a rollicking tale, and deserving to be a part of the celebrated constellation of Camelot chronicles.
Grossman explores the question: “What happens when Arthur is gone and the Knights of the Round Table have almost gone.
This is a chaotic dreamy 6th Century Britain where all kinds of characters are “jostling and scrambling” against each other.
Grossman straddles the historical approach taken by authors like Mary Stewart, Bernard Cornwell, and Nicola Griffith, and weaves the romantic essence captured by authors like Alfred Tennyson, T. H. White, and Thomas Malory.
This story has been retold countless times and has never been told the same way twice. This one is a rollicking tale, and deserving to be a part of the celebrated constellation of Camelot chronicles.
December 23, 2024
Wielding
The Bright Sword
deftly, Lev Grossman commands authentic Arthurian tones throughout this work. Curiously, only Arthur is the negative space, yet by his relentless absence he fills it well through the memories of his remaining Round Table mates, along with all the usual suspects from Arthur's oft-read past. Grossman further fleshes out that missing hero by the Quixote-like quest of the ever earnest Collum. Of the Out Isles. In his stolen/borrowed armor, well-earned sword, and bittersweet discoveries, attentive readers will be pulled into the riptide of Collum's obsession with all things Arthur: tales, rumors, and especially hopes - worldly - in either this realm or any another.
For this avid fan of all things Arthurian (even have a grandson so named), this tale was fresh, intriguing and 100% enjoyable.
*A sincere thank you to Lev Grossman, Penguin Group Viking, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #TheBrightSword #NetGalley
For this avid fan of all things Arthurian (even have a grandson so named), this tale was fresh, intriguing and 100% enjoyable.
*A sincere thank you to Lev Grossman, Penguin Group Viking, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #TheBrightSword #NetGalley
December 30, 2024
Sigh. I've been putting off this review because I knew it would be hard to write. Not "hard" as in emotionally hard; just confusing.
The Bright Sword is a 600-odd page reworking of the Arthurian legend by Lev Grossman, a modern fantasy author famous for his "adult Harry Potter with more sex and violence" series The Magicians. And I think... that explains a lot about this book. :-P
The premise here is that a young man named Collum who comes from a dark and abusive background but dreams of someday being a knight, travels to Camelot just in time to hear of the death of Arthur and the destruction of the rest of the Round Table. Only a few stragglers, men all suffering from survivor's guilt and seeing themselves as unworthy for one reason or another, are left to rebuild the broken dream of Camelot.
Which is, like, good. It's a good premise. And it is here that the book's strength lies, the character flaws and character development of this motley band of non-heroes. There were quite a few passages which really dealt me some proper Emotional Damage; "for truly men said of Sir Scipio that he fought as if he cared not whether he lived or died." Whew!!! Arthur's relationship with his right-hand man Bedivere (seen in flashbacks) is also lovely. Bedivere is the first to kneel to him when he pulls the sword from the stone, and the last to leave his side when he dies. "His life meant little to him, but he could make it a gift for a king, and that was something."
On the other hand, the book's major weaknesses lie in in its impossibly inconsistent worldbuilding. For example, this book is set in the early 500s after the Romans withdrew from Britain and the Saxons began to invade. It imagines a kind of alternate history where King Arthur rose up from obscurity, easily defeated the Saxons, and established his Good Christian Kingdom in an environment that was still largely pagan, that is, immersed in pre-Christian British customs. I think this is interesting but already slightly weak in its logic, because to me, the book imagines a stark dichotomy between "Christian Rome" and "pagan Britain" which I think would have been at least a little messier / more complex. Remember, Rome had only recently stopped persecuting Christians themselves, so it's not like the far reaches of their empire would necessarily have been staffed by diehard Christian zealots. But okay. So far, so adequate. The real problem is, despite reminding us on every other page (it feels like) that WE ARE IN THE DARK AGES and THE ROMANS HAVE ONLY JUST LEFT, the book insists on layering in aspects of late medieval culture which not only did not exist, but //could not have existed// at the time. Even in an alternate history, it's just not logical to have your sixth-century warriors wearing full plate armor and practicing an elaborate form of chivalry and the knightly code--and even casually tossing around heraldic French!!! The French have not invaded yet!!! What are you doing!!!
In his author's note, Grossman claims that "what he is doing" is playing around with the historical hodgepodge of sketchy details which the Arthurian legends have always been; which, fine, but the problem is... this book isn't sketchy on its details. This book is very insistent that it takes place in the sixth century in the immediate wake of the Roman withdrawal; this book is equally insistent that its knights, like, Know About Courtly Love. Two things that CANNOT be true at the same time.
I also feel obligated to complain about the book's treatment of Sir Galahad, which somehow manages to insult asexual people, Christians, and minor children all at the same time. :-P Basically, Galahad shows up and acts like a massive d!ck to everyone, and it's all because he doesn't like sex, because the priests got to him (I think??), or because he's developmentally stunted, or both... and the fact that he is canonically fourteen years old (and not, like, Medieval Fourteen, but modern fourteen) somehow does not excuse him in the author's mind from the heinous crime of not being interested in sex???
A sad comedown indeed from "my strength is as the strength of ten because my heart is pure." I think I'll take Tennyson's version, thanks.
The Bright Sword is a 600-odd page reworking of the Arthurian legend by Lev Grossman, a modern fantasy author famous for his "adult Harry Potter with more sex and violence" series The Magicians. And I think... that explains a lot about this book. :-P
The premise here is that a young man named Collum who comes from a dark and abusive background but dreams of someday being a knight, travels to Camelot just in time to hear of the death of Arthur and the destruction of the rest of the Round Table. Only a few stragglers, men all suffering from survivor's guilt and seeing themselves as unworthy for one reason or another, are left to rebuild the broken dream of Camelot.
Which is, like, good. It's a good premise. And it is here that the book's strength lies, the character flaws and character development of this motley band of non-heroes. There were quite a few passages which really dealt me some proper Emotional Damage; "for truly men said of Sir Scipio that he fought as if he cared not whether he lived or died." Whew!!! Arthur's relationship with his right-hand man Bedivere (seen in flashbacks) is also lovely. Bedivere is the first to kneel to him when he pulls the sword from the stone, and the last to leave his side when he dies. "His life meant little to him, but he could make it a gift for a king, and that was something."
On the other hand, the book's major weaknesses lie in in its impossibly inconsistent worldbuilding. For example, this book is set in the early 500s after the Romans withdrew from Britain and the Saxons began to invade. It imagines a kind of alternate history where King Arthur rose up from obscurity, easily defeated the Saxons, and established his Good Christian Kingdom in an environment that was still largely pagan, that is, immersed in pre-Christian British customs. I think this is interesting but already slightly weak in its logic, because to me, the book imagines a stark dichotomy between "Christian Rome" and "pagan Britain" which I think would have been at least a little messier / more complex. Remember, Rome had only recently stopped persecuting Christians themselves, so it's not like the far reaches of their empire would necessarily have been staffed by diehard Christian zealots. But okay. So far, so adequate. The real problem is, despite reminding us on every other page (it feels like) that WE ARE IN THE DARK AGES and THE ROMANS HAVE ONLY JUST LEFT, the book insists on layering in aspects of late medieval culture which not only did not exist, but //could not have existed// at the time. Even in an alternate history, it's just not logical to have your sixth-century warriors wearing full plate armor and practicing an elaborate form of chivalry and the knightly code--and even casually tossing around heraldic French!!! The French have not invaded yet!!! What are you doing!!!
In his author's note, Grossman claims that "what he is doing" is playing around with the historical hodgepodge of sketchy details which the Arthurian legends have always been; which, fine, but the problem is... this book isn't sketchy on its details. This book is very insistent that it takes place in the sixth century in the immediate wake of the Roman withdrawal; this book is equally insistent that its knights, like, Know About Courtly Love. Two things that CANNOT be true at the same time.
I also feel obligated to complain about the book's treatment of Sir Galahad, which somehow manages to insult asexual people, Christians, and minor children all at the same time. :-P Basically, Galahad shows up and acts like a massive d!ck to everyone, and it's all because he doesn't like sex, because the priests got to him (I think??), or because he's developmentally stunted, or both... and the fact that he is canonically fourteen years old (and not, like, Medieval Fourteen, but modern fourteen) somehow does not excuse him in the author's mind from the heinous crime of not being interested in sex???
A sad comedown indeed from "my strength is as the strength of ten because my heart is pure." I think I'll take Tennyson's version, thanks.
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