Book Summary:

The Knights of the Round Table have faced many challenges over the years. They have been victorious more often than not, thanks to brave knights and clever leadership. But now they face a foe like nothing before.

The world is rapidly warming, and the politics around this debate are out of control. How can the knights take decisive action when nobody agrees on what that action should be?

My Review:

So if there's one thing I've learned from my latest reading stint, I need a break from certain genres/tropes. For example, I need a (long) break from Greek retellings. I also apparently need a bit of a break from Arthurian stories. As such, I probably didn't enjoy Perilous Times as much as I could have or should have. So please take my review with a grain of salt!

The best part of Perilous Times has to be the characters. They're easy to get attached to, with sympathetic and compelling plot arcs. In truth, this is probably the best representation I've seen of these characters in quite some time.

The more modern take on this retelling certainly didn't hurt, either. The idea of the Knights of the Round Table trying to deal with current dilemmas is...interesting, to say the least. It's comical and heartbreaking all in one, and I love Thomas D. Lee for putting that in my brain.

Highlights:
Debut
Modern Arthurian Tale
LGBTQ+

I want to start by saying just because this book didn’t work for me doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. It has an intriguing premise. Kay and Lancelot are immortal due to Merlin’s magic. They sleep under the earth until they’re summoned when Britain is in peril. It takes place in the near future when the environment has been destroyed and climate change has flooded large sections of Britain.

I struggled to get through this. I enjoy stories about Camelot and its characters, retellings and reimaginings. Kay and Lancelot and others who show up- I don’t want to spoil things- are fine…except for one character who is a complete caricature. The non-Camelot characters are mostly one-dimensional, indistinguishable except for the “chosen one” who happens to be special. I had a hard time caring about any of them.

The pace is very slow, and the book beats you over the head with its message. One villain actually says he will “make Britain great again.” It’s a bleak book about a bleak future. I guess I expected more Camelot-type fantasy. So that’s on me. However, you might like it! There is a dragon. Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the eARC.

This is not my typical style of book, but it was good. It's a modern take on an old story, and I was definitely entertained!

I'm always a fan of anything involving King Arthur. I enjoyed the writing and character development and seeing the knights in the modern world, but this book just wasn't for me.

I requested this one because of the touted basis in Arthurian legend, which is almost always my jam. This was a rare case where for many reasons I didn't connect with this story. I hope to return to it someday, but with my ARC schedule running away from me, I had to put this one on the back burner for now. It has a unique premise and I already encountered some interesting magic-system things. The characters are interesting, although I didn't connect with most of them. I have no doubt that there are a great many readers who'll love this story, but unfortunately it wasn't for me. 3 stars for here, because although I gave up on it, the story is well crafted.

A really great book. good characters and good adventure from start to finish. I enjoyed this heroines journey and look forward to more by this author.

In theory, this premise was right up my alley. Give me Arthurian legend remixed any day. In practice, however, this was a tougher sell. There was nothing inherently bad about this book, it just left a lot to be desired in my opinion.

From the slow pacing (which normally I don't mind, but in this case dragged on a little too long) to the humor not always landing, to even the plot not always landing, it just didn't end up being something I enjoyed as much I wanted to.

DNF. Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the eARC!

I enjoyed this book, incredibly witty and humorous while driving home the seriousness of climate change and what we could truly be hurtling towards. Incorporating this current day problem and giving it to King Aurthur and the Knights to solve made things that much more interesting! Would definitely recommend!

I am a sucker for anything and everything Arthurian, and this book was no exception. This one was unique, though. The story was filled with the usual characters, but they were thrust into the near future where the world was rapidly approaching its end due to the climate crisis. Unsurprisingly, the setting and general vibes of the story were bleak AF. The world was burning and drowning simultaneously, and the author did an eerily good job of making this future Earth feel doomed. Despite the gloom, there was a surprising amount of humor in the book. Here's looking at you mister racist Nazi turned repentant talking squirrel who likes to drink just a bit too much. I guess my point is that this book was a fun time despite (or maybe because of) the bleakness.

The characters in this book could be boiled down to one statement: Don't meet your heroes. They were all messy as hell and nothing like the old stories made everyone believe. Kay was a burnt out warrior who is understandably tired of all the pointless bloodshed. Although, at least he attempts to do the right thing at times. Lancelot on the other hand was a vain playboy with a drinking problem who blindly followed orders until it was almost too late to make a difference. The rest of the Arthurian characters weren't quite what you'd expect either, but I think it is best that you learn about them for yourself while reading the book. Mariam, the third POV, was a new character. She was devoted to saving the environment and doing what she could to help make Britain, and the world, a better place. I enjoyed her character arc the most because she learned how to believe in herself and her ability to make a difference.

The themes in this book were quite blatant. It definitely beat the reader over the head with them time and time again, but I was fine with it because it made sense for this story and was entertaining. It was in your face about being anti-oil, anti-capitalist, anti-fascist, and pro-environment. It brilliantly illustrated the problem and likely outcome of letting wealthy corporations do what they want at the expense of the health of the world and people. It also highlighted the futility of war and the ways those in power use petty differences to keep the masses distracted while they pillage all the resources for maximal profit. Most importantly, though, this book taught the lesson that the true power lies with the people if only they would wield it. Instead of waiting for someone to come save them, it is the responsibility of each individual to take action to build a better world. That was a really powerful message that brought a thread of hope to all the doom and gloom.

I enjoyed the plot for the most part. The first half was largely a quest to find Excalibur and defeat a dragon. It introduced most of the characters along the way and set up the main conflict for the second half. Things then became a race against the clock to prevent the literal end of the world. Unfortunately, the end didn't really work for me. Everyone turned on the corporate overlords just a bit too easily, in my opinion.

Overall, this was an incredibly unique re-imagining of Arthurian lore. I had a lot of fun reading these characters because they were so different from what I've come to expect from these typically gallant figures. The ending was a bit of a hiccup, but I still really enjoyed my time with this one. Therefore, I rate this book 4.25 out of 5 stars.

Perilous Times was one of the most unique takes on the Arthurian legends that I have ever read and I am very grateful to Ballantine Books for the advanced readers copy, even if I was a little behind getting this review up.

If you were anything like me and grew up falling in love with The Once and Future King and then devouring all things Arthur and Camelot, you must read this. Also, if you look at the world and think we as a human race and our governments and our corporations need to do so much more to keep this world a home for us, you need to read this book. Perilous Times is a wonderful satirical look on the damage we've done to this world and who it might take to get us back on the right path.

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Perilous Times delivered a fairly entertaining fantasy adventure.

The writing was good, but the story, was a little slow at times, it did a good job of coming together and if you enjoy fantasy, then this reimagined story might engage you, in the Era of King Arthur.

I really enjoyed it. Thank you once again, NetGalley!!

This book wasn’t my favorite, I really wanted to like it but the end of world and political aspects just didn’t do it for me. I was hoping for a more fantasy retelling of King Arthur and the knights of the round table that stuck more to the original tellings. With all the supporting characters being confusing and just not what I was hoping for. There was a few humorous lines but not enough to save this book. This was an arc and I’m voluntarily leaving this review.

This is a political and social commentary thinly disguised as a fantasy. Interestng use of Arthurian legend but I found myself racing to the end to just get it over with. I did really like Kay and found him most interesting.

I may have a problem. This is the year for Arthurian retellings. I love this book. Such a great premise and released just in time for pride month.

A brilliant debut. I loved the imbued message of fighting the political right wave throughout the book. The Merlin and Lancelot storylines were the most enticing and intriguing but every character was a charmer when on page. Loved it.

Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee is a hilarious book featuring many favorites from the tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. This book was so fun to read and I honestly felt like I was watching a Monty Python movie the whole time! Kay is snarky and adorable and I love how he sees the world that he keeps getting yanked back to. Mariam is my favorite character and I think she could definitely save the world with her tenacity and cleverness alone, but it is fun seeing the team she puts together with Kay. With characters like Lancelot, Merlin, Arthur, and a super sassy Lady of the Lake, this book is so much fun. I adore the worldbuilding and magical systems and al of the eco-political conflict is intriguing. Plus there are dragons so that's always a win!!

THIS. WAS. SO. LONG.
I honestly thought I wouldn't make it through.
This is a very slow paced read.
The story itself is great; I've learned what fracking really is and I am quite upset about it.
I am unsure what the year is and it kind of bothered me.

Sidebar; this book felt like I was reading about the future.
On the nose, my guy.

Oh, and please, for the love.... take out all the extra apostrophes in the final book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this title.

Perilous Times is a sharp debut following in the tradition of apocalyptic books with heart. The premise of the story is (relatively) simple - climate change has wrecked havoc on the planet and the world needs saving. Kay, legendary knight of the Round Table, wakes up under his tree ready to fight the invading hordes, only to be met with rising waters and blighted forests. He quickly crosses paths with Mariam, a young activist determined to save the planet. What ensues is an adventure for the ages which requires both Kay and Mariam take stock of how much change one person can bring about and casts a new light on the Arthurian legends so many of us have grown up with.

A book about the end of the world is never lighthearted, and Perilous Times is no exception. The topics in this book are broad - ranging from the devastating impact of unchecked climate change, to starvation, animal cruelty, and addiction. Despite this, Lee keeps a sense of lightness in his book. Lee's world-building is fascinating, and his character work is sharp. He manages to create fully fleshed out characters with both a history and a future with only a few sentences. Many authors have written pulled from Arthurian legend for their novels, and Lee has taken these traditional stories and given them new life. His knights feel real in a way that can be hard to achieve in a retelling, and I'd love to read more about their adventures throughout history.

Overall I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a sharp side of wittiness with their dystopia. The characters, dialogue, setting, and plot are all excellent, and the book moves very quickly for one of this size. Thomas D. Lee will be going on my list of authors to keep an eye on, and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

A fantastical and dystopian Arthurian re-telling. The evils of capitalistic greed and destroying the Earth, Perilous Times extremes the all to eerily reality of our world as climate change continues to worsen our planet. All while the world's business leaders continue to sow doubt and gaslight the general public to further line their pockets. We're plunged into a not too distant future where countries are flooded due glacial rising ocean, people displaced, racism and anti-immigration propaganda are rampant and the military forces are privatized mercenaries. Quite frankly, it's a lot to try to take in. Eerily frightening how too realistic this future is.

We're flung into Kay, a knight of King Arthur's Round Table, as he is resurrected from the Earth because "Britain is in peril". He meets Mariam, a woman fighting against those that continue to harm the environment and trying to protect the world. Set on a mission to save the environment, these two are thrust into perils that they couldn't possibly imagine. With many familiar faces from Arthurian history peppered along the way.

While I didn't particularly love this book, I did enjoy elements of it and the overall message that it presented.

Perilous Times is a debut novel by Thomas D. Lee. What it should have been, was an Arthurian tale set in modern day, fighting dragons and magic. What it was, is a SJW (social justice warrior) blend of one of the most iconic lore’s known with climate activism and the new everything is racist movement. Which is not my forte at all.

The premise is great. Some of the knights of the round table entered into a pact to be essentially immortal and resurrect when needed to help protect England. There have been times in history that they have been called upon when needed, WWII being the last time. It is not all of the Knights but Lancelot and Kay (a black Knight) are a few whose trees are still alive to keep them here.

I was so intrigued the first part of the book when Kay is waking from the earth and knows that means Britain needs him how. Getting a handle on how the world has changed from the way it was last time he slept. And then there is an explosion and a dragon appears into this world.

He knows all too well that dragons are not real creatures. They are manifestations of magic, entities from a different realm. Bursting through from the Otherworld in a monstrous form. They don’t usually appear for no reason. Usually they need a bit of help, from this side of the veil.

I was ready for a modern day fantasy where we are off to slay the dragon and figure out who on this side of the veil set it loose and why. But alas that was not the gist of the story as it was also filled with so much climate activism, brief meat shaming, some animal deaths (never my favorite), transgender and cookie cutter characters, white fragility and reverse racism bs.

There are moments that are pretty funny in the book. But, for me because of the issues mentioned above I never really got into the story and this was by far my most difficult book to complete in a few years. But if you are a fan of all the above mentioned items and an SJW, then those things would probably attract you to this story instead of detracting like it did for me.

That was always one of the perks of being in Arthur’s warband. You’d blunder into the forest and you’d happen upon a talking raven who could tell you where to find what you were questing for.