The Bright Sword

Gabi's Review

In this novel, King Arthurs Britain coexists with the "Otherworld" of fae, monsters and mythical creatures adding a welcome mystical dimension to a story set in Arthurian legend.

The protaganist Collum's abusive childhood on the island Mull compels him to flee and seek acceptance as a knight in the court of King Arthur at Camelot. However, his timing is tragically off; King Arthur is dead and Queen Guinevere and most of the knights have abandoned their kingdom. The once-great knights remaining are mere shadows of their former selves and in the hands of Grossman more entertaining and engaging.

In the midst of chaos and uncertainty, The Bright Sword follows Collum as he embarks on a journey to find a lost knight, locate the next king, and perhaps even find love. This epic tale weaves together multiple voices and storylines, with wonderfully drawn female characters, providing a captivating read that earns a rightful positioning alongside the likes of Whites, Once And Future King.

Publisher's Review 

No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of the Magicians trilogy returns with a triumphant reimagining of the King Arthur legend for the new millennium.

When gifted young knight Collum arrives at Camelot to compete for a place on the Round Table, he quickly discovers that he's too late-The king died two weeks ago at the Battle of Camlann, and only a handful of the knights of the Round Table are left.

And the survivors aren't the heroes of legend either, like Lancelot or Gawain. They're the oddballs of the Round Table, 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.

But it's up to them to rebuild Camelot in a world that has lost its balance, even as God abandons Britain and the fairies and old gods are returning, led by Morgan le Fay. They must reclaim Excalibur and make this ruined world whole again.

But first they'll have to solve the mystery of why the lonely, brilliant King Arthur fell.

The first major Arthurian epic of the new millennium, The Bright Sword is a story about imperfect men and women, full of strength and pain, who are looking for a way to reforge a broken land in spite of being broken themselves.

Praise for The Bright Sword

'You'll love Lev Grossman's The Bright Sword' - George R.R. Martin

'This book is not only one of the best of the year, but it's one of the best Arthurian novels ever' - Lit Hub

'Utterly enchanting' - Rebecca Yarros

'Breathtaking' - Publishers Weekly

'This is why we read fantasy' - Ava Reid