Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Perilous Times is a brilliant Arthurian modern day fantasy mashup by debut author Thomas D. Lee. Released 23rd May 2023 by Penguin Random House on their Ballantine imprint, it's 496 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out from the same publisher in May 2024. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
This is an engaging and well told tale about Arthur - the Once and Future King, Avalon, and the knights of the round table, some of whom arise when Albion is threatened. Sir Kay is getting pretty tired of being dragged into life again from under his massive oak tree. This time, in the modern day, the planet's on fire, there's a rampaging dragon, Morgan le Fay's making a comeback, and there are climate activists all over.
It's *not* Terry Pratchett or Neil Gaiman (and comparing this to those two does Mr. Lee a disservice), but there really are a surprising number of moment of clear humor and promise of prodigious talent. It will be lovely to see how he develops as an author.
The book is long and quite intricate. There is little hand holding or spoon feeding of information, so readers who aren't familiar with the source material might want to brush up a bit before deep diving. For readers who love Arthurian legend and grew up with La Mort D'Artur and Parsifal, this is a truly, deeply satisfying read (plus shadow organizations and eco-warriors).
Four stars. Well written and insightful, humorous and poignant.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Reviewed by annieb123 on
Reading updates
- 4 February, 2024: Started reading
- 4 February, 2024: Finished reading
- 4 February, 2024: Reviewed