The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman
The Bright Sword
by Lev Grossman
Fantasy | Historical Fiction | Retelling
673 Pages
Released July 2024
Rating: ★★★★★
Goodreads
Content Warnings
I was so intimidated by this book. Not only is it quite large, but it’s a King Arthur retelling which I’m usually not to keen on. Nonetheless, I loved The Magicians by Lev Grossman so I was eager to see what his new fantasy book was about.
This story follows Callum, a young man with a harrowing up-bringing, who has set off in search of Camelot. Callum aspires to become a knight of the Round Table but upon his arrival, he is dismayed to find that King Arthur is dead and the legendary knights have been reduced to dregs. Nonetheless the remaining knights determine to carry on, and so begin a quest of who should replace the late King. What follows is an epic journey of magic, reflection, betrayal and surprises.
I admit, I’m usually not one for knights or Camelot or those sorts of stories, so at first I was really anxious I wasn’t going to enjoy this book. I needn’t have worried. Grossman is a master storyteller and this book truly shows off his ability to weave so many interesting characters together. While we mainly follow Callum, the book often cleverly detours to the perspectives and experiences of the remaining Knights Camelot. The result of this is a book that is, in my opinion, perfectly balanced in plot and character development. It’s also wrought with amazingly dry humor, which had me giggling frequently out loud.
I loved getting to know all the knights (many of which I was unfamiliar with). Grossman does a brilliant job of combining classic lore (from what I researched) and refreshing takes on the knights in this story. Each one felt full-bodied and unique and I love the way all their stories merged together by the end of this book. Much like Stephen King’s Fairy Tale, this book had me captivated from start to finish and by the end, it really felt like I’d gone on an epic adventure alongside these amazing characters.
So, even if you’re not a huge Camelot fan, if you enjoy a solid epic fantasy with amazing characters and plot, definitely add this one to your list.