Spear
Book description
She left all she knew to find who she could be . . .
She grows up in the wild wood, in a cave with her mother, but visions of a faraway lake drift to her on the spring breeze, scented with promise. And when she hears a traveler speak…
Why read it?
2 authors picked Spear as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Ever since I was a boy, I’ve loved stories of the Arthurian mythos. Camelot, the Round Table, the Grail Quest, I couldn’t get enough of it. I also love seeing classic stories gender-flipped to reveal new perspectives on the original narrative.
This novel, which reimagines the Grail Quest by making Percival a woman named Peretur, also infuses the classic myths with Welsh and Celtic lore, the effects of Roman colonization, and insightful explorations of queerness and disability in a fantasy setting, all delivered in truly beautiful prose.
This is a book that helped me see some of my favorite tales…
From David's list on science fiction and fantasy books with a heroic female coming-of-age story.
I’ve been a fan of Arthurian literature ever since my college days when I went on a deep dive into everything from Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain to Thomas Mallory’s Le Morte d’Arthur.
One of my favorite tales was the legend of Peredur. Spear is a retelling of that legend from someone who is at least as big a fan of Arthurian lore as I am. What’s more, she manages to capture the lyrical tone of early Arthurian lore while writing accessible prose. I was delighted when I reached the end of the book and discovered…
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