Lev Grossman
The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman is a retelling of the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. But it comes with an original twist. Instead of focusing on famous knights, Grossman turns his lens on the less prominent ones, providing each with an extensive backstory.
The novel opens with Collum of the Out Isles embroiled in a sword fight with another knight. Much to his surprise, he succeeds in overcoming the knight and killing him. He then continues on his journey to Camelot to fulfill his dream of becoming a knight at Arthur’s round table. His backstory reveals he is the bastard son of a fisherman. His stepfather had sent him to work at Lord Alasdair’s household where he was beaten, abused, and malnourished. He learns how to use a sword and after stealing a horse and armor from his lord, he makes his way to Camelot, nourishing his dream of becoming a knight.
Disappointment awaits him at Camelot. He learns Arthur is dead as are most of the knights. Only a handful remain alive, including Sir Bedivere, a gay man in love with Arthur; Sir Dinadan, a transgender man; Sir Palomides, an educated prince of Baghdad; Sir Constantine, the son of a wealthy lord; and Nimue, a sorceress trained by Merlin. This motley crew joins forces to search for a successor to Arthur. They venture across the country and into the Otherworld. They battle monsters, dragons, and giants. They confront shape-changers. They battle forces that seek Britain’s throne for themselves, including Morgan le Fay, Arthur’s half-sister. They travel on boats that fly and visit structures floating on air. They barely have time to catch their collective breaths before they find themselves plunging headlong into another adventure.
Backstories for each of the characters appear intermittently throughout the narrative. The characters are portrayed as three-dimensional with each one struggling with his/her personal demons while desperately attempting to revive all that Arthur and the Round Table represent. The narrative deconstructs the political landscape of a Britain littered with crumbling Roman ruins and a Christianity still struggling to suppress its pagan past. Moving at a brisk pace, the novel is replete with fantastical adventures and action scenes pulsating with energy. The engaging narrative unfolds in lyrical, detailed prose and is peppered with humor.
This fresh, contemporary approach to a popular legend will delight fans of fantasy and magical realism.