Imagine the Knights of the round table each given a magic stone by Merlin to swallow so when they die & are buried a tree will grow from them. When England is in peril they will come back to life & dig through the mud & dirt to crawl up to fight. Thus, starts our story with a disgruntled man crawling out of the earth. A knight of the round table that along with the rest have been buried in various spots to arise when needed. This time the world is on the brink of complete meltdown & waters have risen putting most on the brink of starvation living in tent camps. A group of feminist eco fighters has a member that has is on an oil rig in the slime water covered bog that was once northern England is ready to become mush at the hand of mercenaries from a US company called Saxon until Sir Kay gets involved & gets killed, giving her time to escape only to pop up in her trailer rescurected. it is a long humorous but thoughtful wild romp from there & worth the journey.

What if Merlin gave the Knights of the Round Table a spell that allowed them to resurrect whenever Britain was in danger? What if that danger was climate change and evil corporations? That is the world that Thomas D. Lee imagines for Perilous Times, a clever albeit uneven mashup of an Arthurian retelling, climate fiction, and dry British satire.

Before diving into my full review, I should give a bit of a positionality statement because I think it influenced how I experienced this book, and will color my review. Most importantly, I am an American who only knows the broadest strokes of British history, customs, and culture. I also know some things about the King Arthur story, but I am by no means an expert.

I bring this up because I am sure that I "missed" a lot of the jokes and satire that Lee included in Perilous Times. When I picked up this book, I was expecting a true comedy - something along the lines of Terry Pratchett. I thought I was going to get full on wacky and hilarious satire. This is not what Perilous Times is, nor how I experienced it. While there are definitely some hilarious and laugh out loud moments scattered throughout the novel, the humor is actually much more in the background. Rather than a true screwball comedy, it is more of a quiet and subdued version of Kings of the Wyld. But maybe it is much funnier to someone who is British or has spent a lot of time on the British Isles. I am sure that there are so many jokes that I just didn't get that might have deflated the reading experience for me a bit.

However, having said that, this was still quite an entertaining read, especially if you have any experience with the King Arthur story. Lee does a fantastic job of subverting so many of the tropes and expectations of these characters and their story. Arthur is much less impressive and much less heroic than he is traditionally portrayed. Lancelot is a gay man who never slept with Guinevere. Merlin is not as kind or altruistic as what one might expect. In all of these cases I burned through the pages with anticipation, waiting for another literary figure to appear (others, like Morgan and The Lady of the Lake also show up).

The major "new" (non-Arthurian) character who we follow is a woman named Mariam. Mariam is the perfect characterization of someone who wants to change the world but is up against such large structural forces that change seems impossible. Mariam is part of a feminist ecological activist group that is trying to save the last vestiges of the world from climate change. However, as much as she tries, she only seems to make things worse, and nothing is being accomplished and looming corporate forces just take on more power and control. The group she is in can't stop bickering and in-fighting, and she is feeling a bit powerless and lost. This all changes when she starts to see magic - resurrected Arthurian figures, dragons unleased from beyond the magical Veil, witches, magical staffs and swords, and so much more. I really enjoyed following Mariam's journey because she was a relatable figure in this larger than life story. She was someone who has always wanted to make change but struggled, now on a journey of becoming a heroic figure all on her own.

Despite all of the great character work Lee did with Mariam, the characters that really shined for me were Kay and Lancelot (I know, I know, its the men, but Lee does really interesting things with them!). Other than Mariam, the other major POV character in the novel is Kay, Arthur's foster brother. I'm not sure if this is a traditional interpretation, but in Perilous Times Kay is a Black man. Lee uses Kay as a way to explore and comment upon so many interesting themes and discourses. The most obvious is race. Kay often laments the racism he experiences from "the Saxons" in this modern world because in the olden days race wasn't seen as a big deal. In the time of the Roman Empire everyone moved around everywhere, and so it was normal to see people of different skin colors, hair textures, and other physical features. In the near-future Britain in which Perilous Times is set, Kay is then a fish out of water in many different ways, from both a temporal and racial perspective. The other reason I really liked Kay as a character is because Lee also explores Kay's trauma in a really natural and organic way. This is not the first time that Kay has been resurrected because Britain was in peril; he fought in the English Civil War, he fought in WWI, WWII, and even the Cold War. As we get to know Kay on a deeper level as the novel progresses, we see the toll that having to partake in all of these fights has had on him.

Similarly, we see the same kind of psychological scarring on Lancelot. Lancelot has also been subjected to many of these same "perils", even if he has often fought on the opposite side of the conflicts as Kay. While Kay reacts to his trauma by striving to be a better hero, Lancelot takes the opposite approach. If this is his life now (and if society has deemed him the villain of Arthurian legend), than he is going to look out for himself and the ones closest to him. I don't want to say too much more because of spoilers, but one of Lancelot's scenes had me in tears (and I'm not really one to cry at books!).

Lee thrusts his characters, both legendary and new, into a near future Britain that in many ways is like the one we know, but also very different. I really liked all of the different societal changes Lee made as he envisioned a world battling the severe reprucussions of climate change. This is a future in which much of the British Isles are underwater, forcing people to move, while other major rivers and bodies of water have completely dried up. One of my favorite little details is that a new sect of Judeo-Christianity has appeared, The Church of Noah, who believe that the rising sea levels are a sign that the Biblical flood is returning and they must build an ark. Private corporations have taken over governments, Britain is pretty much just a corporate vassal of the US and China, Scotland and Wales have declared independence, a pint of English beer costs 25 pounds and brewed in America, and so many small worldbuilding details are built into Lee's near future Britain.

As much as I enjoyed my time with Perilous Times, there were a couple of things that kept it from being an absolute favorite. I have already talked about how much of the humor didn't really land for me, and/or that it completely flew over my head. Again, I think this is a me issue, but it could mean that your mileage (or kilometerage?) will vary based on your understanding of British politics and society.

The other thing that didn't work for me was that the pacing of the novel was a bit slow for my personal tastes. The book could have been 50 pages shorter and been all the stronger for it. There was a bit of a lag about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way through the story where I didn't feel like we were learning anything new about this world or these characters, but that people were just doing things for the sake of moving characters around the board. I personally have nothing against slow paced books (the Realm of the Elderings is my favorite series!) but I found my mind wandering during certain sections.

The only other downside that I want to point out is that some of the larger plot machinations were not as well developed as they could have been. I don't want to give spoilers away, but the main corporate antagonists, their goals, and how it intersected with the magical elements of the story were slightly underbaked. Stuff was happening in the end that didn't totally make sense because the actual magic side of the worldbuilding was left a bit too vague. This could have just been me, and I think that what ultimately happens will really appeal to fans of the more "literary" side of fantasy and magical realism.

Overall, I can see how this book would really work for certain readers, while I think other readers will have the "it was good but not fantastic" experience that I had. If Arthurian retellings involving climate change and a gay Lancelot sounds right up your alley, then I highly recommend that you check it out. But if some of the things I that I highlighted here are bookish red flags for you, then you might want to look elsewhere.

Concluding Thoughts: A clever and satirical look at the politics of climate change, Thomas D. Lee crafts an original Arthurian retelling that challenges many of our assumptions about these mythical characters. Some of the clever worldbuliding and character development was overshadowed a bit by some extraneous pages and my American ignorance of British society, politics, and humor. I can see how this would be a new favorite for some readers and a complete meh for others. This book knows what it is, and completely commits to it.

Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee
Arthurian rubbish as described by the author’s brother. Joe, I disagree, it was Arthurian for sure but rubbish, nope, not at all. Lee fills his pages with despair and finally with hope. In a world crashing and burning, the story takes place in the UK and features the likes of Lancelot and Kay, Morgan and Arthur as well as a Einsteinish Merlin.
As far as bit players, I think Barry, the squirrel, was my favorite. Lee’s take on the protection of the planet leads to an uncomfortable look at fractionalization and greed. In some ways, it is an uncomfortable reflection of current affairs without the hope of a Round Table resurrection.
I enjoyed the book and the message of hope.

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

So as someone who really enjoys Arthurian legends, this was a really cool premise.
The idea that the knights of the round table have volunteered themselves in immortal magic, where they awaken from the ground over and over again every time "The realm is in peril".
It could be 50 years apart, a few hundred- they never know. Only to be introduced to a world they don't know whose only info on them are the things of legends. To have to adapt to an ever changing world and society each time, try to right the world for England and be put once again back to sleep in the ground.
They can't properly die and pass on, and each time they disintegrate only to have to crawl out from under the trees they were buried under, memories intact, baggage intact, hauling all of that with them through the centuries.

Sir Kay wakes up in the middle of a wet bog, the land utterly changed since his last awakening. The earth is in the end stage of full climate crisis, cities flooded, famine rampant, people with no place to go, society is in shambles. He meets Mariam an angry, fed up young woman, who sees her world burning and is tired of people sitting around talking about how to fix it.
She's in the middle of being shot at, trying to disable a large fracking plant. She ends up accidentally blowing it up.

Magic is coming back, leaking through the worlds. The wealthy is isolating themselves, plotting to find a way to leave everyone behind and save only themselves. People are starving, angry and divided.

King Arthur is a cruel, brutish, slight mad, total idiot. Almost all the players are present. Merlin is plotting, Morgana is doing what she can with very little magic, helping where she can, Nimue is surviving in desiccated polluted rivers, Lancelot is pining for his lovers- long since dead. Kay is just trying to do his best, while confronting his stark reality.

It was a solid plot, I really did enjoy this take.

Book: Perilous Times
Author: Thomas D. Lee
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Orbit Books, for providing me with an ARC.

This is a King Arthur retelling with a twist. In this one, some of the figures in the King Arthur legends can be brought back to life whenever England is in danger. That is as long as their final resting place has not been destroyed. Kay and Lancelot have both come back to find England in complete chaos. It’s a divided nation full of political divisions, environmental violence, and magical beings running around. While there are people who do want to fight, most of them are just trying to make it to the next day. Our two knights do the best they can, but even they are not enough to save England and restore it to the glory that it once was. They know that they need a leader and know that Arthur probably should be that leader. However, for unknown reasons, they can’t seem to make themselves bring him back.

I enjoyed the idea of whenever England is in trouble, there are these protectors who will come back and save it. Then, they die again. This is a very interesting take on an old tale. I also like the idea of getting to see them try to adjust to the modern world. Now, since both Kay and Lancelot have been up before, they are somewhat familiar with these changes. However, having to see them make sense of what is going on and having to deal with the day to day changes was very amusing for me. Even though the book as a whole is light, it does have action sequences, which are a fun read. The whole vibe of the book gave me Discworld feelings.

The humour in this book is charming. Though I will admit that it did take me some time to get on board with it. It creates this atmosphere that is fun, but, yet, shows us the true horrors of the world. We are dealing with a divided nation with divided ideas. We are seeing a lot of social and environmental issues, as well as dealing with what seems like big business. There are a lot of true horrors hidden beneath the humour. Even though it is light in nature, it does show us the darker side of the world.

I am going, to be honest about this next one. I really couldn’t get on board with the characters. While I did enjoy both the plot and the writing, I had a very difficult time forming a bond with the characters. I don’t know why either. I wasn’t attached to them. I think a lot of it had to do with the writing and the humour, which I know I just got finished saying that I enjoyed. I felt like both of these elements took away the sense of character that the characters were supposed to be. There was never that feeling that our core group wasn’t going to be okay and that they may not make it out of there in one piece. I also had a very difficult time bonding with them. If I can’t connect with the characters in a book, I usually don’t have as much of a great time with it as I should.

Overall, this is a solid, light fantasy read. I think if you like the vibes of Discworld, I think you will enjoy this one.

This book comes out on May 25, 2023.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of Perilous Times!

Star Rating: 3⭐️
Genre: Fantasy
Pub Date: May 23, 2023

Honestly, I went into this book low expectations. It's not exactly something I would normally choose to read, but I ended up really liking it.

I liked this story as a whole because it's honestly unlike anything I've ever read. The story brought in political issues like climate change while also utilizing Arthurian legend elements. Sounds like it might be a hodgepodge book, right? WRONG! Somehow, these elements just worked. The story was interesting, the characters were engaging, and I was intrigued by the book as a whole.

That being said, it didn't overly wow me, either, which is what led me to rate it three stars. I enjoyed it, and it kept my attention...but I probably won't be buying it for my shelves or re-reading it.

I'm glad I read this story, though, and I think it will definitely have a following! For some, I just think this will be a "check out of the library" book as opposed to a purchased book.

Not usually a fan of fantasy books but I was invited to read this one and found it fun, and very different. Part dystopian novel, part Arthurian legend, this book defies genres and proved a quick and interesting read. This book is set in England, at a time when global warming is ruining the world. Sir Kay, who is one of the knights of the round table, rises from the dead at times when England needs him most. Along with Lancelot and a fierce woman warrior named Mariam, these knights are trying to save the world.

The book is dystopian but also whimsical and funny and I enjoyed reading the parts where the knights talked about the "old days" and struggled with new ways of being and current attitudes. . If you are a fan of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, you will enjoy hearing from not only Lancelot but Merlin and even King Arthur himself. I don't want to give away the surprises in this book, you should read it yourself! There is a little of everything, even a dragon. It deals with not only climate change but politics, gender and racial equality, LGBTA issues and the way hatred and poor communication are ruining the earth. . Recommend for fantasy lovers who appreciate a new perspective on old myths and legends. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The wasting away of Britain faces Arthurian legends brought back to life from the depths of the earth. Knight Kay-King Arthur’s brother- and Lancelot are called from their graves to battle the men who have denuded and polluted the land and filled the skies with poison. Fighting alongside Kay is Mariam, an activist and force of her own.
Tense moments, humor, dragons, and witches combine with Kay, Miriam and Lancelot to make an engaging tale.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I found the premise of this book quite interesting and I found the actual book just as interesting. I went into it not knowing much of anything about the King Arthur story, which is partly why I was drawn to it. What I loved most about this story was how it combined history with modern day issues such as climate change. I found both the characters and storyline well thought out, original and engaging.

Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee, a title that initially caught my eye, but failed to catch and keep my interest. I do think others will enjoy it and wish to express my thanks for the opportunity to read it.

I absolutely loved this novel. Life changing to be honest! This one will stick with me for a long time.

In this episode, the future was a weird and medieval place…

Friends, friends, friends.

Welcome back to Teatime Reading where there are books in progress.

In late November, I got an email from my contact at Penguin Random House about a book that she thought I’d love: Perilous Times.

It’s always nice to get these opportunities, but the first sentence of the email got me eager to start reading.

An immortal Knight of the Round Table faces his greatest challenge yet—saving the politically polarized, rapidly warming world from itself—in this slyly funny contemporary take on Arthurian legend.

It certainly is a compelling read. Arthur, Lancelot, Merlin, Morgan Le Fay, and Excalibur all had varying roles to play, but for me the three standouts of this book were Sir Kay, Mariam, and the setting of a post-apocalyptic Britain.

Sir Kay (and his immortality) is always called upon to save Britain from itself in times of great danger: and with climate change, rampant privatization, wars, and corruption all tearing Britain apart, the dragons seemed like overkill to me.

I kid, I kid.

I’m just giddy over the spectacular premise: immortal knights of the round table saving Britain whenever needed.

Mariam was a really compelling heroine in this futuristic, desolate Britain where factions and foreign powers rule the day. It was hilarious that both China and the United States had a say in this story. Private military companies from the US and the sale of half of the nation to the Chinese made for an interesting development for the immortal knights.

Mariam came across as a fairly classic protagonist with some fascinating strengths and weaknesses. Her desire to trust in the powerful knight to save a failing power was very relatable and the highlighting of her humanity amidst a changing land of mercenaries, talking squirrels, magic swords, and evil corporate machinations really surprised me.
Perilous Times is a fascinating book that was a refreshing standalone adventure. The characters, setting, and premise gripped me from beginning to end, and even though I’m the type of reader who always appreciates sequels, this felt very satisfying and I can’t wait for it to come out in May

It gets my full recommendation and I hope you give it a read.

Until next time, keep your bookmarks close.

Peace, Love, Pages.

3/5 stars

This one sounded really interesting, but it just really didn't hit all the bars for me. I had a really hard time staying interested. It was really weird and out there, but at the same time slow going and boring.

Cool concept, just didn't love it.

I never read fantasy but got talked into glancing at this novel…and a glance turned into a good week of reading about the surviving (reincarnated?) knights of the round table. It is definitely fantasy. The knights involved (Fay - Arthur’s big brother, Lancelot - a gay man who really likes drinking and does a lot of it, Morgan - who has come back as an elderly environmentalist and reverts back to Morganna, Merlin - who stays the same as always, and, of course, Arthur). It takes place in a modern world where mankind is close to destroying the earth and has the Brits going after the Saxons (an American group of mercenaries). There is warfare, spying, deaths followed by rebirths…anything a fan might hope for in a fantasy. It took me this long to read it because every so often I would catch myself Googling something or someone to learn more about it. This was really fun escapist reading! Thanks to Net Galley and Ballantine Books for an ARC for an honest review.

Perilous Times reached a solid middle ground for me, but I think it could've pushed for more.

The premise of Arthurian knights coming back to life to help whenever the realm is in peril, only to find that they were a bit out of their depth is a great start for the novel. I think the overarching theme that we don't need specific heroes to help us was apparent from page 1. The clash of internal dilemmas between Mariam, Lancelot, and Kay all showed the different sides of the coin on doing what's right. The humor placed into the dialogues added a brevity to everything and kept the story in a zone of adventure.

I think the relationships between the camps of past and present brought in a lot of context that was needed. The conversations between Kay and Nimue, Morgan and Lancelot, Nimue and Morgan, all helped to show who was working through their understanding of what went wrong with the world. Snapped in with Mariam, who was fed up with it all, created a bit of hilarity.

On the negatives, I think this didn't lean into the humor enough. The world is in dire peril! It's basically about to end! There was so much talk of death and destruction, Kay's dreams with the gods, and overall dark imagery that left me with a bit of a heavier feeling that the humor wasn't quite strong enough to pull me out. Don't get me wrong, the dialogue is quippy and made me chuckle, but not often enough. I needed more images of ridiculous things, like Barry the squirrel.

I also struggled a bit with the Arthurian legends aspect. Kay's internal dialogues tended to use the old Britonic names for everything Knights of the Round Table related, but then occasionally there was the more modern names slipped in. Caliburn used often, then randomly Excalibur. It made it harder to make sure you knew what they were talking about if you're not on top of King Arthur legends, and I was often second guessing myself. Especially when talking about cities and rivers. A consistency there would have helped.

Overall, Perilous Times was a fun read, and dug its heels into an actual issue in our world. Who would save us? Will it be ourselves?

Sir Kay, one of the immortal Knights of the Round Table, is called back from the dead to help Britain recover before they are destroyed by climate change. A little weird, but overall, a fun, interesting read. I especially enjoyed that the women in the story were very influential in solving the problems of the world! And King Arthur and Lancelot were depicted quite differently than usual lol! Thank you to the author and publisher, and NetGalley for this imaginative tale.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and Random House for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

This book is a cute twist on Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

I just loved the cast of characters. I loved the women's roles in the book, but felt the knights overshadowed the women a bit to much.

The fantasy realm and magic were beautifully done. I loved the immortality and futuristic setting. Who doesn't like the idea of being immortal and processing magic, right?

Overall the story is fast moving, eventful, humorous in places and also exciting.

I would recommend.

What a wonderfully original premise! Perilous Times combines a dystopian future ravaged by climate change with Knights of the Roundtable--neither of these topics would normally be at the top of my list, but this book totally worked! Sir Kay is reborn (as an adult) over and over again, whenever Britain needs a little extra help. That's certainly the case now, as there's chaos everywhere, and the entire planet is at risk. He teams up with a young eco-warrior to try to save the day. The book is both charming and wise; it raises important issues in a clever and entertaining way and was so much fun to read. Thanks to NetGalley and PRH for the ARC!

I went in to this book not expecting much, I figured it would be another Arthurian retelling but about climate crisis. And, we really wasn't. The Arthurian parts were important, but this isn't a rehash of the legends themselves, instead this takes the knights of the round table and puts them in a position to help save the world. Their battle this time is against climate crisis, something that is a huge issue and in this near future setting, has started to really ravage society and push them steadily towards the point of no return. Mixed in are new characters and ideas, and when it really comes down to it, the ones really saving the day are the modern characters. I was more intrigued with the concept of Arthur's knights being resurrected each time the Realm was in danger, and how their immortality differed from that of some of the other characters, like how Marlowe made a deal with a demon. This set up was a really interesting way of bringing these characters into a modern story, and I really wanted more of it. when we finally do get more of an explanation from Merlin, I was disappointed in the truth behind it and felt that it lacked the interest it had at the beginning. This was a good read, but takes on a bit much, and the overall focus trends more towards climate issues than knights and dragons.

Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee. This is some creative writing! When the realm is in peril…arise from beneath his tree Sir Kay from the Knights of the Round Table. Who has been saving the realm for a 1000 or so years. Mariam an eco terrorist who is trying to save Britain from flooding from climate change, air pollution from companies. This was a different take on King Arthur and his Knights. The author kept me interested. And was curious to where the story was going to go. Sometimes a bit too much on the climate change. I did like the characters. I would recommend this book. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.