This book was wonderful! It tackles several different topics and the genre could fall into Fantasy, Sci-fi, Political satire, and historical fiction.

The author did a wonderful job of putting me into the headspace of all the characters immediately. While the pacing did slow down about halfway through the book, I was already deeply devoted to Kay and Mariam and did not feel like the story lost my interest.

I received this book as an arc. I am very fortunate to have read it. Everything about this book is so unique. Imagine the knights and everyone in Camelot comes back to life when Britain is in peril. They usually come back for conventional war, but now they come for the climate. Fighting in unexpected battles. People aren’t who history made them seem to be. This was a fantastic book. Definitely worth the read!

Ooh! What a fabulous book!
I love a good fantasy book and this definitely falls into that category. Our story begins with an eco warrior, Mariam, who is trying to destroy a factory that is spewing toxins into the air. The world is in a terrible condition due to global warming and more. She ends up being rescued by Kay, a knight of the round table. He and the other knights are brought back to life when the realm is in danger. What follows is quite a fun filled adventure as they try to fix the world and get rid of the evil doers. There is a wonderful cast of characters and I enjoyed this story soo much! I will definitely look for more books by this author. Do yourself a favor and read this book. You’ll have a rollicking good time!

A very solid 4.5 stars.

I was invited to read this ARC and given my very longstanding love for King Arthur I didn't stand the slightest chance of refusing. But here is the thing I did not really expect to like it very much. I love King Arthur stories, but I suppose that also means I expect a lot out of them and I thought 'oh this concept sounds too intriguing to be true and it will fall short.'

It wasn't flawless. There are some typos but I can forgive those in an ARC. I don't particularly like books written in present tense. But I was very wrong about not liking it. There is a lot here to like. What intrigued me about the premise with the Knights of the Round Table as immortal warriors rising when the Realm was in peril delivered on its promise. And it delivered on its promise in the best and most human way possible. I loved Kay, who is so rarely centered in any stories and who was so perfectly suited and depicted here. And my heart hurt for Lancelot, and found him obnoxious and yet human enough that I could warm to him.

I didn't know if I would like Mariam or the rest of the premise. I didn't know if it would -work-. But it did. There is a lot here. A dire vision of the future that I wish felt far more farfetched than it does. But there is something else too that I love in my fantasy, under this grim vision there is the thing that in my opinion makes for the best fantasy. Determination and hope. The story was interesting and satisfying, well-paced, and intriguing and the ending resolved just enough to be very satisfying while leaving ample opening for a potential sequel.

There were some things here that might not have been to my personal taste in interpretations or continuations of the story of King Arthur. But that did not stop me from liking it because they worked. In this story they were the right choices.

The characterization was satisfactory and while I might have liked a bit more elaboration on some parts of Kay and Lancelot's history or the state of the world, I felt the worldbuilding was well done, drawing on the legend without just retelling it. Carrying on in the proud tradition of adding on to this very old story. So overall 4 stars and a thank you for giving me some knights to read about. I look forward to seeing what this author does next.

So this was not a book of my choosing but instead a book recommended to me to read and review. I was a tad hesitant to take them up on the offer though had nothing currently in my backlog so thought I would take a shot. I’ll say this, the book started out with a bang. Great storyline that was super intriguing. Knights of the round table? Climate change? Totally understandable from a readers sense and seemed like it was set to be a perfect pairing. My issue was the middle. It was slow. And very confusing. Lots of additional characters and smaller storylines that I felt were a little confusing to follow. Once everything did start connecting it made a little more sense and I quite enjoyed the ending. I just think the path to get there was a tad slow. Overall it was a fun story that I think many would enjoy.

Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas D. Lee, and Ballantine Books for providing me with an advanced reading copy.

4.2/5
The premise of this book was so interesting. I couldn't wait to jump in and read it. This book reads like a video game...in the best way possible. There are fantasy hijinks, humor, and twists and turns. I adore Kay and Mariam's willingness to jump into a storybook come to life. There's also subtext about modern social issues that were so refreshing to see. For a book this long, it did a great job keeping me engaged throughout and I loved the conclusion.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I'm a huge fan of the Arthurian legends, and have been since I was really young, so I absolutely loved this contemporary retelling! I think for anyone who is tired of typical fairytale or mythic retellings, this is definitely a book to check out!

I really liked Perilous Times. This was a Medieval read with a futuristic/dystopian setting. A fantastic story about Arthurian Knights returning from the past to save the future. I loved the characters and the building excitement. It was a fun read, enjoyable and entertaining. I'm looking forward to reading more from this Author.
#PerilousTimes #NetGalley

I give Perilous Times 4 stars for its fun read.
I would recommend this book to Fantasy fans.

I was invited to read this book, thanks Netgalley and Random House for this eARC. These opinions are my own. I have really enjoyed books that provide a twist on the King Arthur tale! Kay is a Knight of the roundtable and they are immortal. Awakening when they are need, during things like battles. A fun, hilarious, twist on the classic tale! I enjoyed how Thomas Lee took the classic story and brought it into the modern world with things like climate change. The story was told well and readers are really brought into the story. There's lots of likable characters and familiar ones to those familiar with the tale! I'm excited to read this again when it comes out!

Thank you to the publisher for inviting me to read this book. I love Fantasy novels and large books are nothing new to me. Unfortunately I found myself skimming this book and just not enjoying it as much as I would have liked which is hard for me to say about books. I will be trying other books by this author eventually and seeing if maybe it just wasn't this book that was right for me

Thanks to the publisher for the invitation to read this book. I did not realize this was 500+ pages; I generally do not read anything of that length on a digital reader. But also this book was hard for me to get into. Like others have mentioned, the author highlights important, hot-button topics but fails to incorporate them in a way that simultaneously complements the story and the topics. It's really tedious, so I did not finish this book. Rating does not reflect a true opinion.

An interesting take on Arthurian legend. Climate change and dragons and Sir Kay clawing his way up from the earth whenever Britain is in peril. Did I mention the talking squirrels?

I wanted to like this book but I could not get into the story and found the plot to be hard to follow. The characters were also a bit dull for me.

“Perilous Times” by Thomas D. Lee begins with an interesting premise: Knights of the Round Table are reborn to come to England’s aid whenever she faces serious peril. Sir Kay has come back many times, most recently for World Wars I and II. The England he returns to this time is decidedly dystopian, severely impacted by global warming, population displacement, and political strife. Refugee camps abound and are places of filth and violence.

Unfortunately, even though it’s well-written, “Perilous Times” just isn't for me. There’s a good deal of the fantastical here—knights, dragons, earth magic, powerful swords, etc.—and I’m not a huge fan of that genre. Also, the book deals with a lot of progressive issues: climate change, immigration, inequality, racism, sexism, etc.; and I kind of felt like I was being hit over the head. Finally, I found the future Mr. Lee envisions for us--the world he depicts--incredibly depressing.

Nevertheless, “Perilous Times” is well-written, and even comical in places. Other reviewers have sung its praises and I can see many readers enjoying it.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for gifting this ARC to me!

I really enjoyed this retelling of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table! This is a fun and funny twist on the classic. Dragons and Climate Change Activists what could be a better retelling pair?

The world building, and characters were well developed and engaging. While action and magic on primary as it is a fantasy novel, the activist messaging was great to see! I can’t wait to get my own physical copy when this comes out!

Perilous Times
by Thomas D. Lee
Pub Date: 23 May 2023

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.

Being reborn as an immortal defender of the realm gets awfully damn tiring over the years—or at least that's what Sir Kay's thinking as he claws his way up from beneath the earth, yet again.

Kay fought at Hastings, and at Waterloo, and in both World Wars. After a thousand years, he thought he was used to dealing with a crisis. But now he finds himself in a strange new world where oceans have risen, armies have been privatized, and half of Britain’s been sold. The dragon that's running amok, that he can handle. The rest? He's not so sure.

Mariam's devoted her life to fighting what's wrong with her country. But she's just one ordinary person, up against a hopelessly broken system. So when she meets Kay, a figure straight out of legend, she dares to hope that the world's finally found the savior it needs.

As the two quest through this strange land swarming with gangs, mercenaries, and talking squirrels, they realize that other ancient evils are afoot. Lancelot is back too--at the beck and call of immortal beings with a sinister agenda. And if their plans can’t be stopped, a dragon will be the least of the planet’s worries.

In perilous times like these, the realm doesn't just need a knight. It needs a true leader.

Luckily, Excalibur lies within reach--and Kay's starting to suspect that the hero fit to carry it is close at hand.

It is a unique book; a modern fantasy where Arthurian characters come back to a future time to save Britain when it’s facing climate change and political woes. It’s humorous and contemplative, as well as full of action. But it isn’t as straightforward. There are female characters that are active in saving Britain, and at times, it’s evident they don’t need help from these resuscitated characters, as well as a few other twists. It’s an enjoyable read.

Thought I’d stretch and read this book. I’m sure some will enjoy it. It’s well-written, but just couldn’t keep me interested.

I was so excited to get an invitation from Random House Publishing to read this book. Its not my normal genre by any longshot, but I’m always up for trying new things!

Being reborn as an immortal defender of the realm gets awfully tiring over the years—or at least that's what Sir Kay's thinking as he claws his way up from beneath the earth, yet again. Mariam and Kay have both devoted their lives to fighting and trying to solve the world’s problems. As the two quests through the world they realize bigger evils are at play and if they can’t figure this out then the dragon is the least of their worries.

This one pushed me out of my comfort zone that’s for sure. This book was fantasy, and as you might be aware, that is not a genre I particularly enjoy. But how could I say no to dragons and climate crisis and a society in peril? I couldn’t and I’ve been meaning to give fantasy a shot, so I tried. However, no matter how hard I tried, this one just wasn’t for me. The writing wasn’t particularly for me, I think I find fantasy books to be overfully fanciful and that was the case. This one also got muddled between the plot and the subplots. Now if you are interested in a book that will push you to your limits, with well-developed characters, and deliver a nice rich story, then check this one out.

This one hits the shelves May 23rd! Thank you so much to @netgalley, and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, @randomhouse, for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I love anything Arthurian, so I am thankful for the ARC from Netgalley. Kay is an immortal knight of the Round Table sworn to protect the realm from peril. He has seen snippets of British history, mainly through battlefields and is awakened in our modern times to save the whole world.
This is a lighthearted fantasy novel. The characters are likeable, and a bit different from the tales of King Arthur that are commonly known. There was a point when I worried this was going to turn into a climate change rant, but it was a deftly handled and enjoyable twist on modern problems. Kay runs across friends and foes in his quest, familiar characters from Camelot that are not what you would expect. He finds a new friend, Mariam who needs his help to win the war. Or does she?
I enjoyed it enough that I would love a chance to follow these characters into new adventures. But unlike many fantasy novels this story stands alone and complete. The pace was fast and fun. The writing was simple, clear, and direct. This is the kind of book that makes me think, “Just one more chapter.” Thomas pulled off an exception first novel and I hope he writes more.