WHEW. I originally requested this because I'm getting a special edition by way of Goldsboro's GSFF subscription and wanted to learn more about the title. This combines the histfic I love so much with a splash of real life politics in a way that completely satisfies that sci-fi-meets-fantasy itch. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

I loved this dystopian, Arthurian, epic story that had real roots in things we know of our modern world like climate change. I also loved the epic fantasy elements (creatures, magic, etc). It was a journey that while fantastical also felt real. I did have some issues with the writing tone/style specifically which is why this isnt a full 5 stars but overall I loved it and would recommend.

In a world on the brink of disaster, where the planet suffers from extreme heat, dwindling resources, and widespread conflict, Britain faces grave danger. In these perilous times, heroes are needed, particularly King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. But this story goes beyond their legendary bravery. It involves dedicated climate activists, magicians, and even dragons. This delightfully crazy tale explores the consequences of climate change while providing an entertaining twist. With a mix of dystopian seriousness, gallows and British humor, it offers hope amidst chaos. The story follows Mariam, Kay, and Lancelot, who evoke various emotions and embody determination, fate, and the challenges of leading with love. Although the writing style is fragmented, it engages the imagination and elicits laughter. And let's not forget the desire for more Nazi-punching throughout the book, because yes, Nazis are involved.

Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee

This is a King Aurthur and the round table retelling story in modern climate dystopian times. There is British humor and a twist on this classic story. I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked this story. I felt like I was in a video game taking a journey and this is the story being told. All great games need heroes' so do good books. It was different for me but still rather enjoyable read. For a retelling I believe Mr. Lee knocked it out of the park. He nailed the humor.

It follows Sir Kay, Arthur’s brother and knight of the round table. But Arthur is dead, the planet is in a climate crisis, and Kay is summoned to help when Britain is in dire peril. Kay meets Mariam, a young activist who is attempting to save the planet. Can Kay and Mariam work together to save Britain and the planet before the damage is irreversible?

I like the modern twist with climate activism and the saving of the planet which makes the read interesting spin on an old tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for a free copy of Perilous Times for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

<i>I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

I haven't read many retellings or adaptations of the Arthurian myths so I was very excited by the prospect of this story. And I remained excited for the first 1/3 of the book. After that, things started to go downhill.

This story is too long. There were too many parts that felt largely disconnected from the story -- they hardly moved things forward. The internal monologuing and debating and self-doubt got old FAST. We saw too much of it. I get the point but it was overdone.

I wish we had been able to see more of the magic system. It seemed pretty cool and I was intrigued by it. Again, I get why we didn't. Humans working together can cause change, no magic necessary. But I still felt cheated.

I also don't think Arthur and his band of knights were necessary. Their roles in the story felt like anyone could have slotted in there. It didn't have to be Kay and Lance and Arthur. That was something of a letdown, too.

One thing I adored was Marlowe. He was everything I thought he'd be in this world and he was such a lovely surprise addition! It was all very on-brand for him.

I don't know whether or not I'd recommend this book. It was a slog to get through. I loved the queerness, I loved the magic, I accepted the oft-fractured sentence structure. But it didn't settle into my bones the way really great stories do.

This one's not really a retelling. It's more of an author playing with classic characters and breathing great new life into them but failing the landing.
It all starts with Kay, once a knight of Arthur's round table, now an immortal who comes back whenever Britain is in peril. He wakes up just in time to save a young woman from soldiers who are trying to kill her after she's set a bomb in a fracking site. There's a huge explosion that wakes up a dragon, and then we're off on an exploration of a doomed Britain on a planet that many see as beyond salvation and full of people who are more concerned with fighting each other than trying to fix it. We also get one of my favorite representations of Lancelot (pitty the book he landed in) to show how the other side of the conflict (ie, the rich people most responsible for the mess) and give Kay some solid competition in the deflated, hopeless knight category.
There is so much potential in the very imaginative plot and the great cast of characters, but Lee squandered it by continually hitting readers with the dire and depressing situation the world is in. I get that it's a bit of a warning and trying to get a strong message out by way of a story, but I continually found myself putting it down because I couldn't keep reading the awful things and hopeless situations. It even made me a bit angry because I really wanted to see where the story headed. Kay, Mariam, and Lancelot are excellent characters whose story I wanted to follow, I just couldn't put up with the way it was being told.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for what had the potential to be a great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the advanced copy of this book!

The knights of the roundtable are immortal and awake from their slumber whenever the world is in peril. Throughout history the knights come out from under their ancient oak trees to fight in our world wars, but this time they are fighting climate change. In the not so distant future Kay and Lancelot wake up and are thrust onto different sides of the climate change battle. Kay is helping Mariam fight for the planet, and Lancelot is helping the people destroying the planet. And then a dragon appears. The knights remind me a bit of Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes from Marvel with their knowledge of the past fighting for a better future. You get the interesting Arthurian characters added to a complex current day issue which adds a new perspective. Even with the addition of magic and dragons, this book gave me hope for the future and delivers the message of "together we can change the world" well. We are all knights of the roundtable when it comes to fighting for our future.

I had high hopes for this novel, simply from the cover itself. It's absolutely one of the prettiest covers I've seen in a while.

Overall, this book was enjoyable. I'm a sucker for anything even remotely related to Arthurian Legend, and this one did not disappoint. It was a take that I've yet to see, new and exciting.

I think the biggest thing I struggled with was Lee's world building. The action and detail in the moment was strong, but I couldn't picture what the world looked like other than drab and gray. My mental picture was more floating pieces rather than an entire world.

The novel being told from the perspectives of two of Arthur's Knights was definitely an interesting one. Even more so that neither of them wanted to bring Arthur back.

All in all, I'm glad I read this book and I will recommend it to others.

3.5 rounded to 4

This unusual look at Arthuriana begins with Kay bursting from underground. We learn that in times of peril, the Knights of the Round Table will come again.

So begins this often humorous, more often very serious, blend of the beloved legends with a near-future setting. Kay is the main protagonist, but every one of the familiar figures gets air time, and an involving backstory.

The pacing began brisk, but gradually, as we get more warnings about the dangers of global warming, the pacing slowed--highlighting the awkwardness of the present tense voice. Present tense has become de rigueur especially in YA, but when there is a lot of backstory and exposition outside of a headlong pace, the forced present can really grate.

But other than that, it's a worthy read. I really appreciated the dry humor, and look forward to seeing what this author does next.

I received a copy from NetGalley for review.

I feel like this requires more brain power to comprehend than I care to give. DNFing at 6%. Probably won't go back to it, but if I do at some point, I'll update.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the early read. I'm not going to lie. When I scrolled through NetGalley, the cover is the reason I selected this book. As I read the plot, I knew I didn't mess up.

This is a dystopian/sci-fi/Arthurian retelling. It was a fun and sometimes quirky read. I enjoyed the book as it hit on major climate issues, but my one complaint would be the author's writing style. He would write a full sentence, then hit you with a bunch of fragments, and then a full sentence followed....a lot.

Overall, I'd give this a 3.5, but as there are no halves.....4 stars.

Thomas D. Lee brings past and future together in Perilous Times, his witty debut novel featuring Arthurian knights waking up from sleep to help Britain in its time of peril--as they've been doing for a thousand years. But this time when they wake up, the world is nearly ending from climate change. Sir Kay assists Mariam as she's blowing up a fracking facility and joins her group of eco-warriors fighting the oil oligarchs who now rule England. Meanwhile Marlowe, whose deal with the devil in Elizabethan England has kept him alive all these years, wants Lancelot to carry out some very sketchy missions for him. When the knights don't live up to Mariam's expectations, she has to look beyond legend for the world's savior.

Perilous Times is full of violence and intense themes, but it's also full of hilarity and absurdity. Lee draws on his expertise in Arthurian legend, the subject of his doctoral study, to comment on ways of understanding legendary stories of the past, especially stories upon which the fabric of a nation like England has been built. No prior knowledge of Arthurian legend is necessary to enjoy the novel, but Arthurian aficionados will delight in seeing bits of lore verified or debunked by Kay, Lancelot, Morgan, Marlowe, and the others. Featuring a diverse cast, including medieval knights who are Black and gay, Perilous Times takes readers on a wild adventure as Mariam, Kay, and Lancelot figure out how to save the world and what being a hero truly means.

This was a. big swing of a book, but I don't think I am the right audience. I don't know much about Knights of the Round Table, so the characters within this story weren't anything I could connect to.



I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I was sent a free eCopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


The book is alright, and I’m giving it 3 stars so I don’t mess with the review numbers terribly. I think that the topics and the retelling just ended up not being my thing. I thought I would love it, but surprisingly, it just didn’t stand out to me.

However, that’s my preference and if you are interested in a comedic Arthurian retelling with some twists, I think you’ll have better luck than me, and enjoy this. It’s well-written and I can’t pinpoint anything objectively bad about it. Everything I don’t care for is just my subjective taste. Try this out if it interests you!

3/5, DNF

I couldn’t resist the lure of this book. A little bit Prachett, a little bit of influence from the BBC’s Merlin TV show (if you know where to look), a plot that simultaneously does and doesn’t sound like a good Arthuriana tale (which are usually the best ones!), an admonishment against the older generations (ancient, even) for their inaction and misdeeds, and a rallying cry for the younger generations to not let history repeat itself once more and that if no one else is going to step forward and take up the mantle of leadership then it’s up to you to make sure it gets done instead of just relying on someone else to solve the world’s problems. It’s a call to action, to do something, even if all that something amounts to is a willingness to try.

Some reviewers are calling this a feminist take on the King Arthur legends. I beg to differ. It’s actually just a reflection of reality. There are more women on Earth than men. More females live past the age of 10 than males, which is 1.1 males born to 1 female babies born, on average. That 10% is accounting for the male mortality rate before the age of 10. Men also die earlier than women, on average. Wives tend to outlive their husbands, and so on. Since this book takes place in the future, who knows what the demography looks like? How many kids are people having? What’s the population pyramid look like? Do they even take the census anymore? Are kids dying in larger numbers earlier in life due to the dire climate conditions? Are people dying younger? Even in the present day, younger generations (or even me, a Gen-Xer) are sick and tired of old white men being in charge of everything, sitting around and talking about making laws but never actually making them; or, if they do, those laws aren’t the laws that really need to be passed and enforced.

Every nation is a swamp full of pollution, and every generation ends up just passing that pollution on down because problems like global climate change are complex concepts our minds can’t entirely wrap themselves around without first learning about global competence concepts first. The generations coming down the line in more liberal countries are already being taught about global competence, but in capitalist strongholds like the US we can’t even agree that every person is a person no matter what, so it’s no surprise global competence isn’t high up on our list of things to teach the kids (not that books teaching it wouldn’t just end up being banned someplace by some people anyway).

This book teaches all these lessons and more, with a great deal more wit and a lot less of a dour outlook than I just painted. I’m a pessimist through and through, but books like these make me smile and hope that eventually the old white people (for clarification, I’m white) who keep trying to fight to stay in office long past their expiration dates will eventually lose their power to make way for young people who are impassioned, ready to take action, and ready to lead so your average person can find it in them to look up to their governments again and to make the sacrifices that need to be made to make this world better for as many people as possible. It might be tough. It might hurt. It might mean a whole lot of compromise until we truly realize what works and what doesn’t. What matters the most is the willingness to put our differences aside and try.

You can’t help but love the characters in this book, both bad and good. Or, rather, not too bad and not entirely good. In this book all we have is people trying to survive. Sometimes that means doing stuff that’s not exactly nice. Sometimes it means doing something really messed up. Everyone is just trying to find a solution, even if that means doing unspeakable things.

Kay, Arthur’s foster brother, is the first character we meet. I can’t tell you how, because it’s a huge spoiler for the whole book. But it seems that Britain is in great peril, and he’s got to do something about it. That’s the vow he and select other knights of the Round Table made with Merlin over the dead body of King Arthur on the battlefield of Camlann. He’s straightforward, honest, chivalrous, gruff, and tends to go where the wind takes him. In his experience, he always ends up where he needs to be, somehow. He misses his beloved wife, fears Arthur ever coming back even as he misses the brother he once was, and hopes he never runs into Lancelot again because he hates that guy.

Mariam is the female protagonist of this book, and she’s splendid. She’s fed up. She’s frustrated with the world, with her friends, with every so-called “leader” who says they’re willing to work together to make the world a better place but somehow it just seems like history repeating, and no one but her seems to want to take any kind of solid action. She’s tired of waiting for someone else to save the day. She’s tired of watching the land and people die.

Lancelot is vain, complacent, and perfectly content to just follow orders. He hates the stories of him and Guinevere since he and Galahad had been committed, if secret, lovers. He doesn’t much care for valor, truth, or being straight with people. He’d rather just do as he’s told and look good doing it. He hates Kay as much as Kay hates him, if for different reasons.

Merlin is crazy as a loon, Arthur is an absolute boor, Morgan is chaotic neutral, Nimueh has her own sad story and agenda, and at some point Christopher Marlowe made a Faustian bargain.

The worldbuilding is absolutely apocalyptic and frightening, showing an all too possible world where global climate change has gone full-bore hellscape. You either have money and can live in skyscrapers far above the pollution or you live in tent cities or shanty towns. There is no middle ground.

There are puppets and puppet masters. It’s all about who’s pulling the strings.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Arthuriana/Dark Comedy/Dystopian Fiction/Folklore Novel/Folklore Retelling/Literary Fiction/Paranormal Fantasy/Satire/Secret Society/Standalone Fantasy Novel/Urban Fantasy

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books Pub for this earc.

I got one thing to say. All this felt like is author’s way to write about real life issues and his single pov on what should be done.

All this book did is left bad taste in my mouth

A big thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't how I end up reading Arthurian retellings, as they're never quite suit my taste. But here we go again.

Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee is a contemporary fantasy novel that takes the familiarity of the knights of the roundtable, and flips it on its head with throwing the archetype into a apocalyptic modern day. Sir Kay is an immortal defender, that has been through many reiterations and battles that it's like second nature to him. But things begin to change when he wakes into a world where oceans are steadily rising and half of Britain has been sold to other foreign powers. No big deal, right? But as time goes on, more of the world is in ruin. And the world doesn't need another knight, but a king. Which leaves the question, who is worthy enough to bear the weight of the world's crown?

As neat as this premise was, I really wanted to love it. But found it difficult to do so with its hidden agenda of climate activism instead of fighting dragons between skyscrapers. Not to mention the triggering content that wasn't previously listed in a trigger warning. The only thing that saved this book from being one star, was the wit and humor of the characters. But even then it was hit or miss.

Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee

Published: May 23, 2023
Ballantine Books
Pages: 485
Genre: Dystopian Fiction
KKECReads Rating: 4/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

THOMAS D. LEE is an author of fantastical and historical fiction. In 2019, he completed an MA in creative writing at the University of Manchester’s Center for New Writing. He has now embarked upon a Ph.D. at the same institution, specializing in queer interpretations of the Arthurian mythos. He frequently considers emulating Merlin and becoming a hermit in the woods who speaks only in riddles.

“Don’t listen to them.”

Kay is awoken again and sets out on a quest. He is ready and willing, though he would rather stay asleep. But adventure awaits, and a knight fulfills his duty.

This was a creative and interesting take on this mythology. I enjoyed the modern spin and the way things were developed. The whole concept was well done.

The writing was good, and there was a nice mix of new and old English. I enjoyed the character development. There were many characters to follow, but they were all well done.

I appreciated the humor mixed throughout; it helped break up the seriousness of the plot. The general theme was well represented, and the point was made.

This was a fantastical read for anyone who enjoys medieval lore and dystopian fiction!

“Sir Lancelot:
We were in the nick of time. You were in great peril.

Sir Galahad:
I don’t think I was.

Sir Lancelot:
Yes, you were. You were in terrible peril.

Sir Galahad:
Look, let me go back in there and face the peril.

Sir Lancelot:
No, it’s too perilous.

Sir Galahad:
Look, it’s my duty as a knight to sample as much peril as I can.

Sir Lancelot:
No, we’ve got to find the Holy Grail. Come on.

Sir Galahad:
Oh, let me have just a little bit of peril?

Sir Lancelot:
No. It’s unhealthy.

Sir Galahad:
I bet you’re gay.

Sir Lancelot:
No, I’m not.”

Reader, he absolutely was. But that’s beside the point.

Okay. So. Monty Python and the Holy Grail is not my only experience with Arthurian legend, but it makes for a fun starting point when diving in to Thomas D. Lee’s Perilous Times, which came out this Tuesday. A long time ago, after the death of their king, the Knights of the Round Table made a deal with Merlin to be resurrected any time the realm (that is England) finds itself in great peril. Over the centuries, Sir Kay, Lancelot, and the rest have come back to defend England from whatever threats may have arisen. This time, though, it’s something none of them could have foreseen (except Merlin, of course). When Kay, Arthur’s brother, awakens beneath his tree and pushes his way to the surface, he finds a fracking facility nearby. Upon investigation, he meets a young climate activist named Mariam who is in the process of planting a bomb at the facility. After rescuing her from the private security firm guarding the site, he accompanies her back to the camp where he meets the rest of her group. There, they explain to Kay just how dire the Earth’s situation is. Climate change has flooded almost half of England, and there are no signs of it slowing or stopping on its own. So, Kay has found his peril. But how do you fight climate change with a sword and shield?

Meanwhile, elsewhere in England, Sir Lancelot has awoken as well. He’s accustomed to coming back for wetwork and other clandestine purposes, and his handler Marlowe (yes, that Marlowe, having achieved a sort of immortality by his own means) has a new target for him. Someone he knows who has recently gotten on the wrong side of Marlowe’s bosses. Someone he’s known for a very long time: Kay. The realm is in grave danger, and it may be time to bring about the prophecy of Arthur’s return…

Thomas D. Lee’s love for Arthurian legend shines through every bit of Perilous Times, as Kay learns more about the current state of the world and what new evils are caught up in it. Mariam and her friends are a sympathetic and diverse crew of women bent on saving Earth, but they don’t stand a chance against dark magic without Kay’s help. Cam he explain himself to Lancelot before finding himself dying yet again?

My utmost thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of Perilous Times in exchange for a fair review. It’s out in the world as of Tuesday, May 23rd. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

This review originally appeared here: https://swordsoftheancients.com/2023/05/26/perilous-times-a-review/

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the eARC of this hilarious yet hard-hitting retelling that takes the Arthurian Legend to all new highs and lows! I thought I knew what to expect; having read many tales of Arthur, the legendary sword, and all the hijinks in between, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Perilous Times delivers a dystopian type fantasy that will knock you off your feet and have you more worried about your own future-- and making you laugh the pain away while it's at it.

We meet Sir Kay, who is resurrected because the country is in dire peril, as he begins on a journey to understand the new land he finds himself in. Mariam discovers him as she attempts to skirt around mercenaries that want her head... and having released a dragon upon the realm with her band of eco-terrorists. The two must band together in order to put their experiences to use; one having lived in the apocalyptic landscape for her whole life, and the other having lived through countless unmentionable wars and seeing just how humans can hurt each other and the planet they live on through millennia. The two band together to help heal the world before the climate change or the terrifying monsters hiding just beyond the veil bring England to its knees for good.

This tale expertly takes history, legend, and uncertain futures and creates a brave and stunning plot that will hit your funny bone while making you think. I very much enjoyed all of the modern aspects of the characters and how diverse they became. Thomas D. Lee has taken a much beloved classic and shone new light on it, and I think readers will not only relate to the fear of the setting but also to the very human protagonists and antagonists. It is an easy read that will have you questioning what you can do to stop this very plot from happening... because our world needs heroes too.