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The Bright Sword

Lev Grossman

Start date: September 1, 2025

Finish date: September 30, 2025

Discussion: Book of the Month

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Book of the Month

Sept 2025: The Bright Sword
By Megan · 1 post · 47 views

last updated Sep 04, 2025 08:00PM

March 2025: Neuromancer
By Megan · 1 post · 108 views

last updated Mar 04, 2025 06:56PM

What Members Thought

Dec 28, 2024 Linguana rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: retellings

DNF at 73%
If I don't care by now, I doubt I ever will... ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Aug 03, 2024 Sam rated it liked it

I almost always write my reviews right after finishing a book, but unfortunately, GR was down when I finished this one. I'll try to remember all the things, but frankly, I struggle to remember what I ate for lunch yesterday so 🤷‍♀️.

I started out really enjoying this one. I liked Collum. I liked the premise. It had good wit and a hint of magic. I was sold. The flashbacks cropped up, and I enjoyed those as well.

Slowly, however, the premise failed as a plot. See, the premise is "what happened after I almost always write my reviews right after finishing a book, but unfortunately, GR was down when I finished this one. I'll try to remember all the things, but frankly, I struggle to remember what I ate for lunch yesterday so 🤷‍♀️.

I started out really enjoying this one. I liked Collum. I liked the premise. It had good wit and a hint of magic. I was sold. The flashbacks cropped up, and I enjoyed those as well.

Slowly, however, the premise failed as a plot. See, the premise is "what happened after King Arthur died?" and I loved that idea because it's definitely not one I've read before. But unfortunately, when the plot stays, "What should we do now that King Arthur died?" it starts to drag... I just wanted someone to step up or even for there to be an idea, and while I get that was the point, it left the book feeling directionless and not in a way that worked for me. In a massive thicc book, I started to enjoy the flashbacks more than the main story. They had a better pov and direction to them.

I did appreciate the way the book followed the King Arthur framework, even without him in the story. We managed to keep up the quests and the magic of Britain. A fun juxtaposition of knighthood and chivalry existing before it was technically invented. The author clearly had done his King Arthur homework, and I definitely enjoyed that aspect of it.

Nothing negative to say about the writing or the characters. It's very well written. I loved the side characters of Scipio and P maybe more than Collum but he's not a bad character. Occasionally maybe just a bit... whiny? To make me really love him.

Honestly, the book was just too long for me. I think if it had been trimmed, the lack of focus wouldn't have bothered me so much. I just started to feel like we were never getting to the end, and then the ending was anti climatic. I have some other thoughts about the ending, but they'd be spoilers, sadly. If you've read it, feel free to message me!

As a side note, I also didn't like the Magicians by this author, so it might be that his writing just isn't for me. ...more

1 like · Like · see review