Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC version of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve been a huge fan of Lev Grossman’s writing ever since reading the Magicians Trilogy years ago. The Magicians is one of the best fantasy work of the twenty first century so far and has one of the most impressive and immersive magic systems of any fantasy I’ve ever read; I am fully prepared to die and be buried on this hill. So naturally when I read Grossman was trying his hand at Arthurian legend I knew I had to read it.

The author did not disappoint and managed to write a book that was both grounded in the mythology yet fresh and compelling, creating an expansive work that hits all the right notes and says something important about stories in general and the Arthurian legends specifically.
The set up for this book is as simple as it is interesting, Collum a naïve, aspiring knight from nothing and nowhere, arrives to Camelot only to find Arthur is dead, the age of legends is passed, and only the C tier knights remain, listless and dispirited. Together they go on a quest to find the next king of Britain and ensure Arthur’s legacy doesn’t fall into obscurity.

Interspersed throughout the story are brief chapters detailing the different characters’ backstories “The Tale of Bedivere” and “The Tale of Nimue” etc. These short chapters were some of my favorites and were doled out with judicious spacing, making me want to know more about each player in this epic tale, always looking forward to the next installment.

I loved Grossman’s take on the Arthurian mythos and could tell he’d done his homework on the topic. He’s right, Lancelot’s perfection is unsettling and makes him hard to relate to, Guinevere’s art for statecraft was probably underutilized, and Arthur’s true genius lay in strategy and knowing people, not in his swordsmanship. I also loved the portrayal of the struggle between the old Pagan Britain and the relatively new forces of empire and Christianity. This tension is rife in the original stories (I mean Merlin, enough said) but it was delightful to read a book that placed that conflict at center stage.

Overall this was a very enjoyable and fulfilling read for me. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who likes Arthuriana and / or liked The Magicians series.

It was not a bad book by any means, just not my cup of tea. It forms almost a sequel to the King Arthur story. Several minor knights have to pick up the pieces and go questing. I've never really clicked with Grossman's books, but if you loved his Magicians trilogy then you will love this!

The tales of King Arthur and Camelot have been told for almost 1,500 years, with almost as many variations as authors and stories. Most, however, have dealt with Arthur's modest upbringing and rise to the throne (a la The Sword and the Stone), the heyday of the Round Table and the feats of its knights (Gawain and the Green Knight), and/or the quest for the Holy Grail (for example, Monty Python and the Holy Grail). Grossman's book, however, focuses on the days after Arthur's downfall, after Lancelot and Guinevere have brought disgrace to Camelot, and after Arthur and his illegitimate son Mordred have killed each other.

The Bright Sword finds would-be knight Collum arriving at Camelot just in time to learn of the death of Arthur from the ragtag handful of Round Table knights who remain alive. These are not the particularly great, godly, or even good knights, but the ones who survived. Without a leader or structure, they have no idea what to do to find a new king, and it's only after a lot of faffing about (albeit entertaining faffing about) that they figure out what their aim should be.

There are a few whiplash moments in this book (brought on by a chapter suddenly being set years before the previous chapter), but altogether, this story of the leftovers is an excellent modern addition to Arthuriana. Highly recommended.

Collum has longed for many years to become a knight. Coming from humble beginnings on the Isle of Mull he has trained his whole life, finally travelling to Camelot to present himself to the Knights of the Round Table. But what he finds shatters his longtime dream. Arthur is dead and Camelot is no longer what it once was. The age of enchantments is gone, the time of mysterious quests and sorcery is over. Collum came too late. He allies himself with what's left of the round table; Bedevere the one handed knight whose love for Arthur is more than Fealty, Palomedes the “Saracen knight” who had to prove his merit in a Christian court, Nimue- Merlin’s mysterious apprentice- who somehow survived a battle with the legendary wizard, and Dinidaid a man born in the body of a princess who learned how to fight to escape his terrible fate. This last group, still faithful to Arthur, scrambles to find one last quest to bring back the great age and a Britain, united under one king. As Collum gets to know his companions their incredible tales of valour are told, and the truth about what really happened between Lancelot, Guenavere and Arthur is revealed. Lev Grossman's take on the classic Arthur legend is a breath of fresh air. He takes the classic well worn tales and injects them with fresh energy and some more realistic character representation. This epic story is a must read for fantasy lovers and has a multi-layered story with rich characters.

Collum, a mistreated foster, runs to Camelot to be with his hero King Arthur. Sadly he arrives too late- Arthur is dead and most of his knights are dead. It is left to the remaining, less prestigious knights, Collum and Nimue (Merlin’s apprentice) to pick a new king and restore order to the land. Will the Christian knights reign or will Britain return to her pagan past?
A great “dark” King Arthur tale filled with quests, fairies, magic and True Love.

It’s hard to write a review for this book because of the sheer amount of five-star emotion filling me, but at the same time I feel like I must tell SOMEONE all my feelings about it or I’ll die. At a certain moment near the end of this book I literally yelled ‘YES’ and then jumped out of my seat and ran around my kitchen like an idiot, which is something I’ve never done because of a book before, and thankfully something I did when no one else was home. I adored The Magicians but I am in Palomides-esque love with The Bright Sword.

Collum dreams of the Round Table and serving as a knight to King Arthur. The story starts as Collum makes his way to Camelot, earning his first kill, and eventually stumbling upon the grieving and remaining knights of the Round Table. Unfortunately, Collum arrives two weeks late as King Arthur died at the Battle of Camlann, and left no heir.

The only remaining knights are the lesser-known ones. There's the one-handed Sir Bedivere, Sir Palomides, a prince from Baghdad, Sir Dagonet, the court jester, Sir Dinadan, who has a secret about his identity, and Sir Constantine, another prince from Cornwell among other knights. Collum is greeted with a scene of despair as the knights contemplate their next step and ultimately decide to set out with Nimue, Merlin's apprentice, to secure the legacy of Camelot as it starts to crumble.

Similar to other King Arthur re-imaginings, Grossman grounds this fantastical tale in elements from the period it originates from. It, of course, contains the elements of the sword in the stone, and the lady in the lake, but it also paints a landscape of a world torn between Rome and the pagan ways, between the old gods and Christianity, and the debate of what Britain should become in King Arthur's demise. Grossman excellently balances the historical conflicts and honors the many re-interpretations of King Arthur while adding his narrative of Collum. It felt very much in line with Bernard Cornwell's "The Winter King" and just as compelling.

Furthermore, Grossman writes a story that feels befitting of everything that has come before it while adding new narratives to this tale. Of course, the same players appear, but their motivations, actions, and fates differ from the original tale. The relationship between Lancelot, Arthur, and Guinevere stands to me as the ultimate test of whether the re-imagining is worth its salt and Grossman does not disappoint. He keeps the courtly love appearance, but it is complicated by the beliefs and political motivations of the characters, which delivers a satisfying twist to the original tale.

Collum fits naturally into this setting and story, but also exists as the element that Grossman added to the tale and exists as his embellishment alone. Similar to Cornwell's Derfel, Collumn serves as the outside perspective and the main source of reason and hope as the knights almost give in to despair. However, his appearance and role in the story are much more positive than Derfel... or at least his outlook is much more optimistic. He stands up to the conflict threatening to tear apart Camelot and calls for a new era as the Round Table threatens to collapse in the aftermath of Arthur's death. In this tale, Collum serves as the paradigm knight and what is needed in this age of King Arthur.

Lev Grossman has been talking about writing an Arthur book ever since he was in the midst of the Magicians trilogy -- and now it is here, absolutely worth the wait. Every generation must grapple anew with the Arthur story—why it is interesting, what pieces of the story still matter, what it can tell us about ourselves, what lessons might be learned?—and it is a thrill to see Grossman making a case for why thinking about Arthurian myth still very much matters in the 21st Century. This is a post-Arthur story in its way: Mordred and his father have both fallen, Lancelot and Guinevere fled into legend, and the Knights of the Round Table are basically all gone. Along comes a young man with idealism and hope to make a name for himself at the Table... and he finds himself swept up in an epic adventure, perhaps the very last adventure of all time, across a fractured England and the fairy realms besides. We see glimpses of the Round Table, of these knights from the periphery of the classic adventures who will now take their rightful place in our imaginations -- but all along, Grossman is asking why we tell stories, why we look to kings, just what it means to have an identity and to fight for it. It's an epic novel, due to take its place alongside THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING and THE BURIED GIANT as well as not-quite-Arthurian stories like Jez Butterworth's JERUSALEM. It is spectacular, a once-in-a-lifetime kind of novel, worth every minute.

This was my first Lev Grossman book and I was hesitant to read another Arthurian tale yet this tale surprised me with a creative shift in exploring Arthurian myth. There is a mix of fantasy, contemporary dialogue and fantastic world building. I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

ARC was provided by NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking in exchange for an honest review. Pub Date: 16 July 2024

I went into this with high expectations. I loved Lev Grossman's previous series, and I love Arthurian legend, so the bar was set high. The Bright Sword did not disappoint. Grossman has a talent for world-building, and here he takes a well know setting and established lore and reworks it just enough to make it his own. His Britain is a world of magic and adventures, but somehow believably so.

Lev Grossman is such a master at balancing high stakes fantasy with lighthearted humor and moments of grounding. Collum is both so, so endearing as a main character while still being frustrating enough at times that we're glad, as readers, to see him grow as much as he does in this. I'm a sucker for King Arthur stories, and this one is a fantastic addition to the canon. My only complaint is that it is definitely a lengthy one. I felt several times that we were surely nearing the denouement, only to be proven wrong again and again. Yeesh.

Anyway, highly recommend!

I had a little trepidation going into "The Bright Sword" because I was afraid that it was going to be a re-telling of the Arthurian legend, which I'm a little tired of in general. However, this is no re-telling, but more of a "what happened next" with the character and ramifications of Arthur being gone. As always, the author's prose is terrific and fluid. I found the characters well drawn and the story enchanting.

Okay, so initial impressions were that: if this were a tv show (please god, a limited series would be great), Arthur is Hale Appleman. Second, I don't love war stories, but I do love medium-hopeless quests, and magic, and Arthuriana, so this was the hook-up.
I activated my NetGalley subscription specifically for this book. I figured out how to download it onto my work computer so that I could read it on desk, because I started it before work and got sucked in. I snickered loudly several times while reading, and then had to explain myself to my co-workers ("What the fuck is a zero?" hit me so hard). This is what I needed to read right now, and I'm glad I did.
The maybe for me was the time-hopping of the plot, until I thought about the way Le Mort D'Arthur was compiled in a similar non-consecutive way, which settled it better for me. Don't get me wrong, I loved every side character's journey, but it almost felt distracting, until it didn't.
All of the surprises, all of the heel-turns, everything worked. I'm going to tell so many people about this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Viking for this eARC. All opinions are my own, honest and unrefined as they are.

_The Bright Sword: A Novel of King Arthur_ by Lev Grossman is a character-centered, mystical, action-oriented, and world-building read that delves the reader into the story of King Arthur, his knights, and medieval Britain. Collum, a young knight traveling to Camelot in hopes of joining the Round Table, arrives to learn that King Arthur is dead, leaving his remaining knights listless and with no heir to the throne. Soon adventure calls, and with the help of Merlin’s former apprentice Nimue the knights set-off on a holy quest to find God and heal Britain. The book gives multiple points of view and back stories of the diverse characters, keeping the reader engrossed in the world of knights and magic.

Lev Grossman has such a way of making you connect to the characters in his books and this one is no different. I loved the setting and the retelling but was so invested in Collum and his story and that’s what I loved the most. All of the characters are so fully formed and so real. Overall I just really enjoyed this.

I went into this with high expectations. I loved Lev Grossman's previous series, and I love Arthurian legend, so the bar was set high. The Bright Sword did not disappoint. Grossman has a talent for world-building, and here he takes a well know setting and established lore and reworks it just enough to make it his own. His Britain is a world of magic and adventures, but somehow believably so.

Our protagonist, Collum, arrives at Camelot with dreams of knighthood and personal validation only to discover that he's too late to be a part of that golden age. Arthur is dead, the most heroic knights are also dead or scattered, and the kingdom is fractured. Joining the remaining B-List team of knights, Collum sets off on adventure to find a successor for Arthur as old magics reclaim their hold on Britain. As a set up, its great. Arthur's story has been told repeatedly, and we know all about the courtly love of Guinevere and Lancelot so this take gets to feel fresh and unique. What gives this tale it's interest and depth is how Grossman gets to flesh out the lesser-known knights and give them compelling backstories and motivations. Told with wit and a lot of emotional resonance, the best parts of the book are when Grossman delves into the tales of each flawed knight. I found each one heartbreaking and relatable, and it helped to create a picture as to why the Knights of the Round Table each bound themselves in loyalty to Arthur.

I won't spoil anything in a review, but I'll say that the ending was satisfying and fulfills the trope of the 'hero's journey' very well. For me, it was a perfect 5/5 book and despite its length it seemed to fly by. As a librarian, I feel like I could recommend this book not just to adult fantasy readers, but young adults looking for stories about finding their purpose, and for adult fiction readers who are interested in strong character development. It would make an excellent Book Club pick, since it gives a lot of topics and characters to discuss.

A delightful retelling of the Arthurian legend. The characters are wonderfully reimagined, the traditional chivalric adventure is turned on its head. Although lengthy, it’s a page turner, with the various threads building up and coming together at the end.

I love Lev Gossman books and The Magicians are some of my favorites of all time so for sure a little biased but I loved this as well. I really enjoyed the retelling of King Arthur/Camelot. It is a topic that has been explored a lot but Grossman still managed to make it feel fresh. I thought the characters were all amazing and complex. I honestly can’t say enough about how good this book is. Highly recommend.

Collum is a young knight who had hoped that one day he would find a seat at King Arthur's legendary Round Table, but when he arrives at Camelot to swear his fealty he learns that the age of heroes has ended. In fact, he actually just missed it. Two weeks ago the majority of the mighty host of Camelot were cut down in battle, Arthur was reportedly killed, and the handful of knights that remain have been left broken and waiting for the end to come. When Collum's pleas for a miracle are answered, he embarks on a perilous quest with the last heroes of Camelot to save the realm and discover the truth about how Arthur's kingdom fell.

The Bright Sword is an incredible work of fiction, a story that effortlessly captures the strange and contradictory world of Arthurian legend and explores it in a way that continually left me shocked at just how effectively it was able to do so. Collum is a perfect outsider character to help readers get used to Arthur's Britain, as he is someone whose understanding of Camelot and its heroes comes from the stories and deeds of its famous knights, so he is just as surprised as the reader when it turns out that everything is more complicated than what he expected (though he tries to take it all in stride). There is no world in which I could have predicted half the things that occur during the quest, and the wonderful strangeness of a Britain seemingly abandoned by God to the faeries.

While Collum's journey is exciting, Lev Grossman also skillfully weaves in the backstories of the knights who accompany Collum on his quest as "tales" and uses these as opportunities to both illustrate what "High Camelot" was like before the collapse and to also interrogate the difficulties of people who don't fit the mold of a 'classic' knight in the legendary tales and what their lives might have been like. These "tales" are some of my favorite parts of the book, and they are often used to devastating emotional effect when they give you a perspective of events that you weren't expecting.

Not since I first discovered a book of stories on King Arthur have I been so taken in by Camelot and its strange world. This is easily one of the best stories that explores Arthurian myth and legend that I have ever read, and I can safely recommend it for practically any library collection. I know that I will be pressing this book into anyone's hands who express even the slightest interest in it.

I really enjoy Lev Grossman's work and his writing style. This is a retelling of King Arthur and Camelot. The story follows mainly Collum, but also features stories from a couple of King Arthur's knights of the round table. The story was solid and I enjoyed it!