The Bright Sword

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The Bright Sword
BrightSword cover reduced quality.jpg
The cover of The Bright Sword
Author Lev Grossman
LanguageEnglish
Genre
Publisher
Publication date
16 July 2024 [1]
Media typePrint
Pages688 pp (first edition)
ISBN 978-0-7352-2404-9
OCLC 1404059383
LC Class PS3557.R6725B75 2024

The Bright Sword is a fantasy novel written by American author Lev Grossman, published in 2024 by Viking Press. [1] The novel takes place within the King Arthur mythology, and follows a talented young knighted named Collum who travels from his backwater home to Camelot, expecting to meet King Arthur and join the Round Table. However, Collum finds the king died weeks ago, leaving only a handful of misfit knights to defend Camelot and the throne of Britain from competing warlords, rivals, and the magical forces of Morgan le Fay. [2]

Contents

Grossman wrote the novel over a period of ten years, explaining in a blog post that the book was a personal and challenging project, owing to the difficulty of historical research, vulnerable themes, and writing during the COVID-19 pandemic. [3] Grossman stated in an interview that he was drawn to the idea of writing a classic Arthurian legend, but discarding the most famous heroes like Gawain or Galahad and instead placing traditionally minor characters at the center stage. [4]

Plot

The novel follows Collum, a young knight from Mull seeking to join King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table at Camelot. Collum is an orphan and bastard, who stole a set of armor from Lord Alaisdar, his abusive guardian, and ran away. During his journey, he encounters a mysterious knight bearing a white-painted shield to conceal his identity. After defeating this knight in combat, Collum initially spares him but is ultimately forced to kill him in self-defense when the anonymous knight refuses to yield.

Upon reaching Camelot, Collum discovers the Round Table in disarray following King Arthur's death in battle weeks earlier. The remaining knights are not the celebrated heroes of legend, but rather the overlooked members: Sir Bedivere, who secretly harbored romantic feelings for Arthur; Sir Palomides, a Muslim knight from Baghdad; Sir Dinadin, a transgender man who was trained by fairies; Sir Dagonet, Arthur's former jester who was knighted as a joke; Sir Scipio, a Roman legionnaire who entered a century-long magical sleep after fighting to spread Roman culture to Britain; and Nimue, Merlin's apprentice who rebelled against her master and trapped him under a hill.

At Collum's insistence, the knights request a magical sign to begin a quest, following Arthur's tradition. Their request summons the Green Knight through a portal in the great hall. Collum fights and disarms the Green Knight, gaining some respect from the knights, who agree to take him into their party. The knights embark on a series of adventures, with flashbacks revealing each knight's history and providing context for Arthur's rise to power and reign. Their journey takes them into the magical Otherworld, where they encounter Morgan le Fey and her fairy army. Morgan plans to conquer Britain, expel Christianity, and restore the ancient magical order that existed before Roman occupation.

During the quest, Collum learns he is the son of Sir Bleoberys—the same mysterious knight he killed on his way to Camelot. Upon returning to Camelot, they find Lancelot, who had fled before Arthur's death, has claimed the throne. Collum dives to the bottom of the North Sea and meets the Lady of the Lake, who despite her anger towards Arthur, allows him to take Excalibur. With his new sword, Collum defeats Lancelot in combat and pledges his loyalty to Guinevere, Arthur's wife, who becomes queen.

The story concludes with Morgan revealing a vision of approaching Saxon and Germanic peoples on Britain's eastern shores. She explains that despite previous victories against Saxon invasions, their eventual reshaping of Britain is inevitable, with Arthur's descendants being pushed into Wales—just another of Britain's many transformations.

Reception

The Bright Sword was released to positive reviews. Kiersten White for the New York Times wrote that the novel "resoundingly earns its place among the best of Arthurian tales" and that "this Camelot is far more diverse and thoughtful than past iterations." [2] The Wall Street Journal's review wrote that it "stands out as the best fantasy of the year." [5] The Washington Post's Elizabeth Hand called it "a thrilling new take on Arthurian legend" and a "splendid, offbeat quest." [6] For NPR, Wailin Wong wrote "I was very excited to get my hands on this book — and it did not disappoint" and "I recommend it whether you are a huge King Arthur head or not." [7] TIME magazine named it one of their 100 must-read books of 2024. [8]

The Bright Sword was a nominee for Goodreads Readers' Favorite Fantasy award for 2024. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guinevere</span> Arthurian legend character

Guinevere, also often written in Modern English as Guenevere or Guenever, was, according to Arthurian legend, an early-medieval queen of Great Britain and the wife of King Arthur. First mentioned in literature in the early 12th century, nearly 700 years after the purported times of Arthur, Guinevere has since been portrayed as everything from a fatally flawed, villainous, and opportunistic traitor to a noble and virtuous lady. The variably told motif of abduction of Guinevere, or of her being rescued from some other peril, features recurrently and prominently in many versions of the legend.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancelot</span> Arthurian legend character

Lancelot du Lac, alternatively written as Launcelot and other variants, is a popular character in Arthurian legend's chivalric romance tradition. He is typically depicted as King Arthur's close companion and one of the greatest Knights of the Round Table, as well as a secret lover of Arthur's wife, Guinevere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galahad</span> Character in Arthurian legend

Galahad, sometimes referred to as Galeas or Galath, among other versions of his name, is a knight of King Arthur's Round Table and one of the three achievers of the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend. He is the illegitimate son of Sir Lancelot du Lac and Lady Elaine of Corbenic and is renowned for his gallantry and purity as the most perfect of all knights. Emerging quite late in the medieval Arthurian tradition, Sir Galahad first appears in the Lancelot–Grail cycle, and his story is taken up in later works, such as the Post-Vulgate Cycle, and Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. In Arthurian literature, he replaced Percival as the hero in the quest for the Holy Grail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady of the Lake</span> Enchantress and sorceress in Arthurian legend

The Lady of the Lake is a title used by multiple characters in the Matter of Britain, the body of medieval literature and mythology associated with the legend of King Arthur. As either actually fairy or fairy-like yet human enchantresses, they play important roles in various stories, notably by providing Arthur with the sword Excalibur, eliminating the wizard Merlin, raising the knight Lancelot after the death of his father, and helping to take the dying Arthur to Avalon after his final battle. Different Ladies of the Lake appear concurrently as separate characters in some versions of the legend since at least the Post-Vulgate Cycle and consequently the seminal Le Morte d'Arthur, with the latter describing them as members of a hierarchical group, while some texts also give this title to either Morgan or her sister.

<i>Excalibur</i> (film) 1981 film by John Boorman

Excalibur is a 1981 epic medieval fantasy film directed, cowritten and produced by John Boorman, that retells the legend of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table, based loosely on the 15th-century Arthurian romance Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory. It stars Nigel Terry as Arthur, Nicol Williamson as Merlin, Nicholas Clay as Lancelot, Cherie Lunghi as Guenevere, Helen Mirren as Morgana, Liam Neeson as Gawain, Gabriel Byrne as Uther and Patrick Stewart as Leondegrance. The film is named after the legendary sword of King Arthur that features prominently in Arthurian literature. The film's soundtrack features the music of Richard Wagner and Carl Orff, along with an original score by Trevor Jones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedivere</span> Legendary Arthurian knight

Bedivere is one of the earliest characters to be featured in the legend of King Arthur, originally described in several Welsh texts as the one-handed great warrior named Bedwyr Bedrydant. Arthurian chivalric romances, inspired by his portrayal in the chronicle Historia Regum Britanniae, portray Bedivere as a Knight of the Round Table of King Arthur who serves as Arthur's marshal and is frequently associated with his brother Lucan and his cousin Griflet as well as with Kay. In the English versions, Bedivere notably assumes Griflet's hitherto traditional role from French romances as the one who eventually returns Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake after Arthur's last battle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gareth</span> Knight of the Round Table

Gareth is a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He is the youngest son of King Lot and Queen Morgause, King Arthur's half-sister, thus making him Arthur's nephew, as well as brother to Gawain, Agravain and Gaheris, and either a brother or half-brother of Mordred. Gareth is particularly notable in Le Morte d'Arthur, where one of its eight books is named after and largely dedicated to him, and in which he is also known by his nickname Beaumains.

<i>Merlin</i> (miniseries) 1998 British-American television miniseries

Merlin is a 1998 two-part television miniseries starring Sam Neill as Merlin, recounting the wizard's life in the mythic history of Britain. Loosely adapted from the legendary tales of Camelot, the plot adds the antagonistic Queen Mab and expands Merlin's backstory before the birth of King Arthur.

Dagonet is a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. His depictions and characterisations variously portray a foolish and cowardly knight, a violently deranged madman, to the now-iconic image of King Arthur's beloved court jester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accolon</span> Fictional character

Accolon is a character in Arthurian legends where he is a lover of Morgan le Fay who is killed by King Arthur in a duel during the plot involving the sword Excalibur. He appears in Arthurian prose romances since the Post-Vulgate Cycle, including as Accalon in the French original Huth Merlin and Acalón in the Spanish adaptation El Baladro del Sabe Merlin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palamedes (Arthurian legend)</span> Knight in the Arthurian legend

Palamedes is a Knight of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend. He is a Middle Eastern pagan who converts to Christianity later in his life, and his unrequited love for Iseult brings him into frequent conflict with Tristan. Palamedes' father King Esclabor and brothers Safir and Segwarides also join the Round Table. The romance Palamedes was named after him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dinadan</span> Fictional character

Dinadan is a Cornish knight of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend's chivalric romance tradition of the Prose Tristan and its adaptations, including a part of Le Morte d'Arthur. Best known for his humor and pragmatism, he is a close friend of the protagonist Tristan. Dinadan is the subject of several often comedic episodes until his murder by Mordred and Agravain.

<i>The Knight of the Sacred Lake</i> 2000 novel by Rosalind Miles

The Knight of the Sacred Lake is a historical fantasy novel by Rosalind Miles. It was first published in 2000 by Simon & Schuster in the UK followed by Crown Books in the US. The book is a retelling of the Arthurian legend and follows the lives of Queen Guinevere, consort of King Arthur and her struggles with the king's nephews Agravain and Gawain; the queen is torn between her love for her husband, her land, and her lover, Lancelot. The book was part of a series, The Guinevere Novels, and was followed by The Child of the Holy Grail. Reviewing the book, Publishers Weekly described it as "a lush, feminist take on the English epic".

<i>Camelot 3000</i> Limited comic book series

Camelot 3000 is an American twelve-issue comic book limited series written by Mike W. Barr and penciled by Brian Bolland. It was published by DC Comics from 1982 to 1985 as one of its first direct market projects, and as its first maxi-series. It was also the first comic book series to be printed on Baxter paper instead of newsprint.

<i>The Idylls of the Queen</i> 1982 novel by Phyllis Ann Karr

The Idylls of the Queen: A Tale of Queen Guenevere is a 1982 fantasy mystery novel set in the framework of the King Arthur myths written by American author Phyllis Ann Karr. It was first published in paperback by Ace Books in June 1982, and reprinted by Berkley Books in 1985. A trade paperback edition was published by Wildside Press in 1999. The novel's title is inspired by Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Arthurian poetry collection Idylls of the King.

<i>Adventures of Sir Galahad</i> 1949 film by Spencer Gordon Bennet

Adventures of Sir Galahad is the 41st serial released in 1949 by Columbia Pictures. Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet, it stars George Reeves, Nelson Leigh, William Fawcett, Hugh Prosser, and Lois Hall. It was based on Arthurian legend, one of the very few serials of the time with a period setting that was not a western.

<i>Grail Prince</i> 2003 novel by Nancy McKenzie

Grail Prince, a 2003 novel by American author Nancy McKenzie written in the tradition of Arthurian legends, recounts a version of Galahad's quest for the Holy Grail. The novel is a sequel to McKenzie's Queen of Camelot (2002).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Arthur in comics</span> The fictional British monarch in printed narrative art

King Arthur(Arthur Pendragon) is a legendary figure used commonly in comic books.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Bright Sword". penguinrandomhouse.com. Penguin Random House. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  2. 1 2 White, Kiersten (16 July 2024). "King Arthur Is Dead. Long Live King Arthur!". New York Times. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  3. Grossman, Lev (3 April 2024). "The Long Game". Last Stop Corbenic. Archived from the original on 15 June 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  4. "Lev Grossman on the Enduring Story of King Arthur". New York Times. 19 July 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  5. Braswell, Liz (5 December 2024). "The Best Books of 2024: Science Fiction & Fantasy". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  6. Hand, Elizabeth (16 July 2024). "A thrilling new take on Arthurian legend". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  7. Wong, Wailin (9 August 2024). "What's Making Us Happy: A guide to your weekend viewing and reading". NPR. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  8. Dockterman, Eliana (13 November 2024). "The Bright Sword: 100 Must-Read Books of 2024". TIME. Archived from the original on 14 November 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  9. "Readers' Favorite Fantasy". Goodreads. Retrieved 12 December 2024.