This was a. big swing of a book, but I don't think I am the right audience. I don't know much about Knights of the Round Table, so the characters within this story weren't anything I could connect to.



I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

I was sent a free eCopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


The book is alright, and I’m giving it 3 stars so I don’t mess with the review numbers terribly. I think that the topics and the retelling just ended up not being my thing. I thought I would love it, but surprisingly, it just didn’t stand out to me.

However, that’s my preference and if you are interested in a comedic Arthurian retelling with some twists, I think you’ll have better luck than me, and enjoy this. It’s well-written and I can’t pinpoint anything objectively bad about it. Everything I don’t care for is just my subjective taste. Try this out if it interests you!

3/5, DNF

I couldn’t resist the lure of this book. A little bit Prachett, a little bit of influence from the BBC’s Merlin TV show (if you know where to look), a plot that simultaneously does and doesn’t sound like a good Arthuriana tale (which are usually the best ones!), an admonishment against the older generations (ancient, even) for their inaction and misdeeds, and a rallying cry for the younger generations to not let history repeat itself once more and that if no one else is going to step forward and take up the mantle of leadership then it’s up to you to make sure it gets done instead of just relying on someone else to solve the world’s problems. It’s a call to action, to do something, even if all that something amounts to is a willingness to try.

Some reviewers are calling this a feminist take on the King Arthur legends. I beg to differ. It’s actually just a reflection of reality. There are more women on Earth than men. More females live past the age of 10 than males, which is 1.1 males born to 1 female babies born, on average. That 10% is accounting for the male mortality rate before the age of 10. Men also die earlier than women, on average. Wives tend to outlive their husbands, and so on. Since this book takes place in the future, who knows what the demography looks like? How many kids are people having? What’s the population pyramid look like? Do they even take the census anymore? Are kids dying in larger numbers earlier in life due to the dire climate conditions? Are people dying younger? Even in the present day, younger generations (or even me, a Gen-Xer) are sick and tired of old white men being in charge of everything, sitting around and talking about making laws but never actually making them; or, if they do, those laws aren’t the laws that really need to be passed and enforced.

Every nation is a swamp full of pollution, and every generation ends up just passing that pollution on down because problems like global climate change are complex concepts our minds can’t entirely wrap themselves around without first learning about global competence concepts first. The generations coming down the line in more liberal countries are already being taught about global competence, but in capitalist strongholds like the US we can’t even agree that every person is a person no matter what, so it’s no surprise global competence isn’t high up on our list of things to teach the kids (not that books teaching it wouldn’t just end up being banned someplace by some people anyway).

This book teaches all these lessons and more, with a great deal more wit and a lot less of a dour outlook than I just painted. I’m a pessimist through and through, but books like these make me smile and hope that eventually the old white people (for clarification, I’m white) who keep trying to fight to stay in office long past their expiration dates will eventually lose their power to make way for young people who are impassioned, ready to take action, and ready to lead so your average person can find it in them to look up to their governments again and to make the sacrifices that need to be made to make this world better for as many people as possible. It might be tough. It might hurt. It might mean a whole lot of compromise until we truly realize what works and what doesn’t. What matters the most is the willingness to put our differences aside and try.

You can’t help but love the characters in this book, both bad and good. Or, rather, not too bad and not entirely good. In this book all we have is people trying to survive. Sometimes that means doing stuff that’s not exactly nice. Sometimes it means doing something really messed up. Everyone is just trying to find a solution, even if that means doing unspeakable things.

Kay, Arthur’s foster brother, is the first character we meet. I can’t tell you how, because it’s a huge spoiler for the whole book. But it seems that Britain is in great peril, and he’s got to do something about it. That’s the vow he and select other knights of the Round Table made with Merlin over the dead body of King Arthur on the battlefield of Camlann. He’s straightforward, honest, chivalrous, gruff, and tends to go where the wind takes him. In his experience, he always ends up where he needs to be, somehow. He misses his beloved wife, fears Arthur ever coming back even as he misses the brother he once was, and hopes he never runs into Lancelot again because he hates that guy.

Mariam is the female protagonist of this book, and she’s splendid. She’s fed up. She’s frustrated with the world, with her friends, with every so-called “leader” who says they’re willing to work together to make the world a better place but somehow it just seems like history repeating, and no one but her seems to want to take any kind of solid action. She’s tired of waiting for someone else to save the day. She’s tired of watching the land and people die.

Lancelot is vain, complacent, and perfectly content to just follow orders. He hates the stories of him and Guinevere since he and Galahad had been committed, if secret, lovers. He doesn’t much care for valor, truth, or being straight with people. He’d rather just do as he’s told and look good doing it. He hates Kay as much as Kay hates him, if for different reasons.

Merlin is crazy as a loon, Arthur is an absolute boor, Morgan is chaotic neutral, Nimueh has her own sad story and agenda, and at some point Christopher Marlowe made a Faustian bargain.

The worldbuilding is absolutely apocalyptic and frightening, showing an all too possible world where global climate change has gone full-bore hellscape. You either have money and can live in skyscrapers far above the pollution or you live in tent cities or shanty towns. There is no middle ground.

There are puppets and puppet masters. It’s all about who’s pulling the strings.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Arthuriana/Dark Comedy/Dystopian Fiction/Folklore Novel/Folklore Retelling/Literary Fiction/Paranormal Fantasy/Satire/Secret Society/Standalone Fantasy Novel/Urban Fantasy

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books Pub for this earc.

I got one thing to say. All this felt like is author’s way to write about real life issues and his single pov on what should be done.

All this book did is left bad taste in my mouth

A big thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't how I end up reading Arthurian retellings, as they're never quite suit my taste. But here we go again.

Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee is a contemporary fantasy novel that takes the familiarity of the knights of the roundtable, and flips it on its head with throwing the archetype into a apocalyptic modern day. Sir Kay is an immortal defender, that has been through many reiterations and battles that it's like second nature to him. But things begin to change when he wakes into a world where oceans are steadily rising and half of Britain has been sold to other foreign powers. No big deal, right? But as time goes on, more of the world is in ruin. And the world doesn't need another knight, but a king. Which leaves the question, who is worthy enough to bear the weight of the world's crown?

As neat as this premise was, I really wanted to love it. But found it difficult to do so with its hidden agenda of climate activism instead of fighting dragons between skyscrapers. Not to mention the triggering content that wasn't previously listed in a trigger warning. The only thing that saved this book from being one star, was the wit and humor of the characters. But even then it was hit or miss.

Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee

Published: May 23, 2023
Ballantine Books
Pages: 485
Genre: Dystopian Fiction
KKECReads Rating: 4/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

THOMAS D. LEE is an author of fantastical and historical fiction. In 2019, he completed an MA in creative writing at the University of Manchester’s Center for New Writing. He has now embarked upon a Ph.D. at the same institution, specializing in queer interpretations of the Arthurian mythos. He frequently considers emulating Merlin and becoming a hermit in the woods who speaks only in riddles.

“Don’t listen to them.”

Kay is awoken again and sets out on a quest. He is ready and willing, though he would rather stay asleep. But adventure awaits, and a knight fulfills his duty.

This was a creative and interesting take on this mythology. I enjoyed the modern spin and the way things were developed. The whole concept was well done.

The writing was good, and there was a nice mix of new and old English. I enjoyed the character development. There were many characters to follow, but they were all well done.

I appreciated the humor mixed throughout; it helped break up the seriousness of the plot. The general theme was well represented, and the point was made.

This was a fantastical read for anyone who enjoys medieval lore and dystopian fiction!

“Sir Lancelot:
We were in the nick of time. You were in great peril.

Sir Galahad:
I don’t think I was.

Sir Lancelot:
Yes, you were. You were in terrible peril.

Sir Galahad:
Look, let me go back in there and face the peril.

Sir Lancelot:
No, it’s too perilous.

Sir Galahad:
Look, it’s my duty as a knight to sample as much peril as I can.

Sir Lancelot:
No, we’ve got to find the Holy Grail. Come on.

Sir Galahad:
Oh, let me have just a little bit of peril?

Sir Lancelot:
No. It’s unhealthy.

Sir Galahad:
I bet you’re gay.

Sir Lancelot:
No, I’m not.”

Reader, he absolutely was. But that’s beside the point.

Okay. So. Monty Python and the Holy Grail is not my only experience with Arthurian legend, but it makes for a fun starting point when diving in to Thomas D. Lee’s Perilous Times, which came out this Tuesday. A long time ago, after the death of their king, the Knights of the Round Table made a deal with Merlin to be resurrected any time the realm (that is England) finds itself in great peril. Over the centuries, Sir Kay, Lancelot, and the rest have come back to defend England from whatever threats may have arisen. This time, though, it’s something none of them could have foreseen (except Merlin, of course). When Kay, Arthur’s brother, awakens beneath his tree and pushes his way to the surface, he finds a fracking facility nearby. Upon investigation, he meets a young climate activist named Mariam who is in the process of planting a bomb at the facility. After rescuing her from the private security firm guarding the site, he accompanies her back to the camp where he meets the rest of her group. There, they explain to Kay just how dire the Earth’s situation is. Climate change has flooded almost half of England, and there are no signs of it slowing or stopping on its own. So, Kay has found his peril. But how do you fight climate change with a sword and shield?

Meanwhile, elsewhere in England, Sir Lancelot has awoken as well. He’s accustomed to coming back for wetwork and other clandestine purposes, and his handler Marlowe (yes, that Marlowe, having achieved a sort of immortality by his own means) has a new target for him. Someone he knows who has recently gotten on the wrong side of Marlowe’s bosses. Someone he’s known for a very long time: Kay. The realm is in grave danger, and it may be time to bring about the prophecy of Arthur’s return…

Thomas D. Lee’s love for Arthurian legend shines through every bit of Perilous Times, as Kay learns more about the current state of the world and what new evils are caught up in it. Mariam and her friends are a sympathetic and diverse crew of women bent on saving Earth, but they don’t stand a chance against dark magic without Kay’s help. Cam he explain himself to Lancelot before finding himself dying yet again?

My utmost thanks to NetGalley for an eARC of Perilous Times in exchange for a fair review. It’s out in the world as of Tuesday, May 23rd. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

This review originally appeared here: https://swordsoftheancients.com/2023/05/26/perilous-times-a-review/

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the eARC of this hilarious yet hard-hitting retelling that takes the Arthurian Legend to all new highs and lows! I thought I knew what to expect; having read many tales of Arthur, the legendary sword, and all the hijinks in between, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Perilous Times delivers a dystopian type fantasy that will knock you off your feet and have you more worried about your own future-- and making you laugh the pain away while it's at it.

We meet Sir Kay, who is resurrected because the country is in dire peril, as he begins on a journey to understand the new land he finds himself in. Mariam discovers him as she attempts to skirt around mercenaries that want her head... and having released a dragon upon the realm with her band of eco-terrorists. The two must band together in order to put their experiences to use; one having lived in the apocalyptic landscape for her whole life, and the other having lived through countless unmentionable wars and seeing just how humans can hurt each other and the planet they live on through millennia. The two band together to help heal the world before the climate change or the terrifying monsters hiding just beyond the veil bring England to its knees for good.

This tale expertly takes history, legend, and uncertain futures and creates a brave and stunning plot that will hit your funny bone while making you think. I very much enjoyed all of the modern aspects of the characters and how diverse they became. Thomas D. Lee has taken a much beloved classic and shone new light on it, and I think readers will not only relate to the fear of the setting but also to the very human protagonists and antagonists. It is an easy read that will have you questioning what you can do to stop this very plot from happening... because our world needs heroes too.

Sir Kay is reborn as an immortal warrior, rising to fight for England at multiple world wars. Now that he's clawed his way back to life, he's in a world where oceans have risen, the army’s been privatized, and half of Britain’s been sold to foreign powers. He can handle the dragon, but the rest is new. In the meantime, Mariam's been fighting against a corrupt system and is exhausted. When she meets Kay, she hopes that the world has finally found the savior it needs.

Kay isn't the only one that rises when England needs warriors; other knights from King Arthur's court had been bound in magic by Merlin himself. He's swept up into Mariam's journey when he sees people shooting at her and later finds out that she's an eco-terrorist, working to try to reduce the pollution that led to the melting polar ice caps. Magic is still in the world, and the stray wisps resolve itself into the creatures of fairy tales. This allows Kay and Lancelot to rise, for the dragon to form, and for the people necessary to take action coalesce around each other. Mariam's fight is a difficult one, when businessmen and politicians want their money and racism grew worse as resources dwindled and much of England was privatized and sold off. Kay thinks it's going to be an easy enough task, to find Excalibur and slay the dragon. Of course, it's not that easy. If it was, we wouldn't have a novel to read.

There's social commentary built into this novel. The poor are always the ones that suffer when things go wrong; those with privilege will work to ensure that they keep their position. The text makes it clear that this is selfishness and greed, and it only makes the overall situation worse. It's by coming together and truly wanting to ensure change that it works. Magic doesn't make everything easier, and that's something that Mariam and Kay realize by the end. Magic is there, but it's a tool. The real way to reverse the damage is to put on the hard work and get it done. The easy path, relying on anger or someone else to solve problems, isn't the right one. It's hard work to make the world a better place, but it's worth it.

In Perilous Times, an immortal Knight of the Round Table faces his greatest challenge yet — to save a politically divided and rapidly warming world. Sir Kay, once a loyal companion of King Arthur, finds himself in a new reality where rising oceans, privatized armies, and foreign powers ruling Britain have become the norm. When he meets Mariam, a fighter against the broken system, they embark on a journey through a strange and dangerous land. As they confront dragons and Kay's old foe Lancelot, a magical plot of apocalyptic proportions unfolds. In this contemporary Arthurian retelling, Excalibur becomes the key to finding a true leader. With a cast of reimagined characters including Merlin, Morgan le Fay, and the Lady of the Lake, Perilous Times is a subversive and humorous fantasy adventure.

From the beginning, I loved the way Lee stitched together pieces of the Arthurian legend, injected with some freshness, with a near-enough-future to be recognizable. The emergence of Kay from the ground in the opening salvo is exactly the hook to pull you into, what is basically, a fantasy road trip adventure. Lee's dry humor is part of that newness, and he wields it with a practiced hand that added a wonderful dimension to these characters, particularly the ones resurrected from a much older tale. Kay is a fantastically developed character, with a grounded quality that made him feel as ancient as he was written. The addition of Mariam, a present-day fighter, rounded out Kay while allowing his tethered connection to the time in which he's awakened be best explored and relayed to the reader.

However, following their wonderful introductions, the narrative lost steam throughout the middle third of the book. While the bones of this story were really great, and I absolutely cared about the characters, their outcomes, and the unfolding events, the lost momentum never quite recovered in the last act. Part of the problem remains the thorn in my side that is present tense.

The choice of present tense for this narrative created a juxtaposition that interrupted the natural forward propulsion of the road-trip plot. With a plot-driven story, there is an inherent desire in the narrative itself to move forward, to propel characters towards their end destination. The use of present tense here, despite being handled better than by many authors, generated a false sense of urgency that paradoxically slowed the narrative down to a crawl, particularly in the second act. This created a sense of narrative weight that, rather than adding depth, resulted in a feeling of stagnation that hindered the story's natural momentum.

While I understand the appeal and rationale of deciding on present tense to convey the timeless or immortal nature of the characters, I have often found that this decision stifles a story that is, at its core, about journey and movement. The immediacy of the present tense might serve to highlight the actions and emotions of the characters in the now, but it can also tether the story too tightly to each moment, restricting the narrative flow and, in this case, undermining the forward motion that is central to a road-trip tale. In fact, part of the slowness in the middle could potentially stem from too much being crammed into the small space of the second act only to be impeded by the tense choice. Dare I suggest that this might have been better served as a duology — with past-tense narratives, of course?

That being said, I did enjoy the characters he created and the ways in which he sought to expand and develop their personalities. Lee handled the agelessness of both Kay and Lancelot, along with all the long-standing feuds and disagreements, particularly well by having them viewed through a variety of points of view changes. He struck just the right note to signify how old they are and convinced me of the ability given to them by Merlin to adapt quickly to the new and changed world in which they constantly find themselves. Kay was especially fantastic as the world-weary warrior.

A captivating Arthurian retelling, Perilous Times skillfully blended familiar legends with a near-future setting. Lee's adept use of dry humor and well-developed characters, Kay being the tired star of the show, brought depth and richness to the narrative. Although the story lost momentum in the middle section and the use of present tense hindered the flow, the characters and their interactions kept this debut above water. Despite its flaws, Perilous Times delivered a fairly entertaining fantasy adventure. I look forward to what this debut author has in store next.

I'll admit that I am not super into dystopian books, but throw some Arthurian legend in there and I am very intrigued. The Knights of the Round table are awoken throughout the centuries whenever the world is in peril, and this time their challenge is taking on the climate crisis. This book takes places in the future, the Earth is ravaged by the climate, everyone is fighting with each other, and we find ourselves smack dab in the middle of all of it.

This book weaved together the past and the present together in a wonderful mix of magic, mayhem, and wit. The cast of characters are diverse, queer, lovable, and messy in all the right ways. There are parts when you'll want to hug them and other parts you'll want to fight them! I constantly found myself rooting for them to save the planet and do the right thing. I often found myself laughing at the banter and interactions of the characters. I loved seeing the modern characters interact with magic and the knights and how they absorbed it all.

I also loved the concept. It was so fascinating exploring a future that (unfortunately) doesn't seem too far off course with our current environmental path. You can tell the author really knows his history and was able to spin some things around in fun ways to make this a refreshing take on familiar classic stories and legends.

My only complaint is with the pacing, I found myself really invested in some parts and bored in others. It was an ebb and a flow.

This story is absolutely wild, and I very much enjoyed the ride. 4/5

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the e-ARC!

This book is an imaginative fantasy melding the past of Arthurian legend with the future of England if the climate change we've been warned about comes to pass.

Kay is tired, he's drawn out of the ground from under/through his tree once again which means England's in peril again. He sees Mariam in trouble at a fracking facility and decides that must be the peril he's there to fix. Kay is King Arthur's brother and he along with Mariam try to figure out how to fix all the problems she brings to his attention, if only he would quit spending all his time chasing a dragon.

Add in Merlin, Arthur, Lancelot and Morgan Le Fay, and other interesting characters including odd animals and insects and you have an interesting story with humorous bits. This is a long one, but totally worth it.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

When I first read the description of Perilous Times, I thought, “That sounds interesting. I might like that.” I have seldom been more wrong about a novel. After reading, I would now say, “That was amazing. I love it.”

Kay was one of the knights of the round table, serving under his brother, King Arthur. Thanks to some magic from Merlin, he and other knights were called to rise from the earth and defend England against “perils.” Over the years, these perils included crusades, invasions, world wars, and wars of colonization. “Perils” is a word with lots of meanings.

Lancelot was also one of those knights who returned in times of peril. This is not the Lancelot we learned about in the stories. This Lancelot is gay and in love with Galehaut (Galahad). Kay is also quite different from the stories. For one thing, he is black.

Kay rises near some kind of factory. Not sure where the peril might be, when he hears shooting he assumes that it might be in the direction of the shots. There he finds a young woman, Mariam, fleeing for her life from the “Saxons.” These Saxons are not the invaders from King Arthur’s time. They are a mercenary private security firm. Kay, however, is hard-wired to fight Saxons, so he jumps into the fray and helps the young woman escape before he is killed.

And rises again.

From there the story crosses England, intersecting with an immortal Christopher Marlowe, a group of female eco-terrorists, the Army of St. George, the god Herne, and Morganna. The perspective shifts from Kay to Lancelot to Mariam. Grudges from long ago still carry weight into this future England, consequences of past perils echo down the halls of time, and two knights who hate each other must find a way to work together if they are to help Mariam achieve her destiny.

I absolutely loved the take on “heroism” that author Thomas D. Lee has. Kay and Lancelot are heroes–but what does that mean? Why does it matter? What good are they, really? They have been popping up from the ground like gladiatorial tulips.for centuries and nothing seems to have really changed. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer, the shadowy powers behind the scenes continue to work their schemes. Kay and Lancelot are able to help Mariam, but not in the way they or she expected. “Heroes” are people you count on to do the things that ordinary people should do on their own. It is not until Mariam and the others embrace that truth that they are able to reach the story’s exciting conclusion.

Told in the alternating POV's of Mariam, Kay and Lancelot, this is a dystopian Arthurian retelling that focuses on heroes of the Knights of Round Table clawing their way back from their resting place every time Britain is in peril. This time they are back in response to the climate change disaster. When Kay rises up out of his grave, the first person he discovers is Mariam. who is part of a radical climate change group, and he teams up with her. This story is so much fun. I loved the way Kay and Lancelot react and interact with the present day. This book is a bundle of laughs and perfect for anyone who enjoys fantasy fiction - whether they are familiar with the story of King Arthur or not.

Thank you to NetGalley and random house for the e-galley.
First I’m gonna say please check the trigger warnings before reading this book does deal with racism in xenophobia among other things. I love Arthurian legend so that was why I picked this book. I got pulled into the story and thoroughly enjoyed it it was fun it was chaotic and I was here for every second of it. This book is a wild ride worth having.

Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee is a re-imagining of King Arthur and Camelot. I love the history and bring the Knights of the Round table back to life. Who doesn't love Merlin!?! This book brings the telling of this classic story into a new world: the near future when Britain is at climate collapse. The concept was fantastic and I enjoyed reading this story.

This is one of the wildest spins on the Arthurian legend I can ever remember reading. Taking place in a dystopian future a Knight of the Round Table embarks on the wildest quest ever…combating climate change. Laced with humor the story also touches on such topics as politics, climate change (obviously), racism, addiction, and much more.While I thought it was a bit too long for its own good and the pacing could have been a little tighter, overall it’s entertaining. A unique/fun addition to the volumes of Arthurian lore already out there. 3.5 stars, rounded up. I’d like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Perilous Times.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2SJO3ZVSQDOM3/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

This Modern Take On Old Arthurian Mythology Is A Real Treasure For Fans Of King Arthur! As Kay, Mariam, Lancelot, Marlowe, & Morgan Plot, Plan, & Fight Their Way Against The Peril That Threatens To Consume The Entire World In A Woke Apocalypse, They Must Revisit Old Mistakes, Wrestle With Unsettling Truths, & Come To Terms With The Fallible Nature Of Man.


ABOUT THIS BOOK:

This is a modern interpretation of the infamous and much-beloved lore of King Arthur. The book takes a few liberties with the Arthurian tales of old. Those that might feel that to be blasphemy might not appreciate the departure. On the other hand, this interpretation may help create a renewed interest in readers that otherwise might not have been interested in Arthurian legend.

The medieval mythological figure of King Arthur has his stamp on history and literature thanks to various authors over time, notably Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory. Not surprisingly, it is believed that the tales of Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table might be based upon a real historical figure from the fifth or sixth century – perhaps a military leader with ties to the Romans. Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table participated in the Crusades and fought to hold off the invading Saxons. Seated in Camelot, Arthur Pendragon and his Knights protected the realm of Britain during a magical time in which powerful witches, wizards, dragons, and other magical creatures existed in the land. The famous wizard Merlin played a prominent role, and the witch Morgana, sometimes known as Arthur’s half-sister, was always plotting. Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon, is sometimes said to have been placed by Merlin in Sir Ector’s home to be raised as his own. That thread is followed in this book, making Arthur the adopted younger brother of Ector’s son Kay. Sir Kay the Seneschal is later known for his loyalty to his brother Arthur. There are many stories of Arthur’s knights. Sir Lancelot is famously known as a lady's man and was quite close with Arthur’s wife, Queen Guinevere.

This story takes Arthurian legend and infuses it with a woke twist. It opens in a woke-inspired Armageddon. The earth has warmed beyond the point of saving. Waters have risen, causing a refugee crisis in England and a consequent food shortage. Governments have become so corrupt and inept that they have basically given up rule to corporations and hired out basic functions. Hired mercenaries keep the peace, so to speak. Those in power have no real interest in helping the masses; they only care about saving their own skins at any cost. The chaos that has ensued serves to keep the rebel factions too preoccupied to organize against those wielding real power – a well-established tactic with an excellent success rate. Enter Sir Kay and Sir Lancelot, thanks to Merlin’s magic. They are brought back to life whenever Britain is in peril.

The godless woke religion is nothing like the Christianity that King Arthur and his Knights so passionately fought for, so on the surface the combination feels impossibly wrong. However, the story never goes beneath the surface of the religions. The otherwise incompatible sides instead find commonality in their desire for Britain’s survival. It works. That is not to say that the story is not ripe with hypocrisy. Much of the hypocrisy is pointed out, so again, it works. It is excused by pointing out the fallible nature of people. They often seek to take out their frustration by assigning blame, but the target of their ire doesn’t always make sense. For instance, they are against murder, yet depending upon the circumstances, they find it acceptable. They don’t allow that there might be those on the opposite side making the same calculations, resulting in a circular series of events with no hope of an end. Their emotions rule their reasoning. Since religion involves faith and emotion, it is easy to see how such hypocrisies occur over time.

Wokeism is trending, making the release of this story quite timely. The story does assume that woke science is accurate in warning against devastating floods due to global warming. It is the basis for the chaos. The bad guys are the capitalist oligarchs who belong to an organization called GX5 – a group who actually sound an awful lot like the liberal oligarchs and politicians of the WEF who sew chaos with their policies in order to effect the new world order that they are actively trying to create. In the story, those in power control the media propaganda fed to the people, much like the mainstream media that dominates and controls the public with its choice of stories with the prescribed spin - or in some cases, the lack of coverage altogether. They want more power for themselves, less for the people. Their vision doesn’t allow for the fact that people are fallible, that leaders become corrupt when unchallenged and unaccountable. The story repeatedly points out that humans cannot be trusted and that good, honest, well-intentioned leaders are hard to find. The story illustrates that the value of democracy is in the people’s ability to elect new leaders and hold power to account. It also shows that once the process is corrupted, it is destined to fail.

This is what happens in this woke vision of the future with an Arthurian spin. Democracy fails in the chaos, and the rebel factions hoping to reclaim control from GX5 are too caught up in their own power struggles to accomplish anything at all. In the book, those with power plot in secret, which stands in contrast with the WEF which plots in public view. The chaos sewn in this book leaves a power vacuum, allowing the powerful to tinker and manipulate to their own benefit while the masses fall into despair. It is the case today across the world to varying degrees. Well-intentioned countries ascribe to biodiversity credits and are surprised when their economies suffer, leaving their citizens powerless in the aftermath. A billionaire who hedges and bets against growth reaps the benefits when economies collapse, all while openly and unapologetically working to sew the seeds of discontent by supporting disruptive candidates for office. This story doesn’t go into much detail about the propaganda employed by GX5, just that they own the media and hence the messaging, making it harder for the rebels to find something to unite behind.

GX5 manipulates the Knights of the Round Table. Thanks to Merlin’s immortality stones, they can be called back to serve Britain whenever she is in peril. The unassuming knights follow their orders without question, although they often end up on opposing sides. They are pawns in a larger game. But good and bad are not always clearly defined, and after centuries of resurfacing only to die another violent death, they struggle to find reason and meaning. It isn’t just Britain in peril when Kay and Lancelot are resurrected once again. Their lives have become meaningless, meandering from one assignment to the next. They both face an internal challenge as Britain faces its imminent demise.

This story is sometimes tedious, especially in the beginning, but soon familiarity with the characters and factions makes it easier to follow. The occasional hypocrisy would be unbearable if not pointed out, but instead, it frequently ends up serving as a light comical relief. It is not all called out, though, so there is still the occasional twinge at false self-righteousness. It remains that there is obviously considerable effort made to point out the futility of war and killing in this book, even though, hypocritically, there is still much death. The effort is worthy. Although to be fair, it would have been more effective to show some signs of humanity within the GX5 or its supporters, as the message doesn’t really make it to that side, instead painting it with a broad evil swath.

This new modern take on Arthurian legend does take some getting used to, but it doesn’t take long to get past that hump. Aside from the woke apocalypse premise, wokeism is present in the story, but it doesn’t overwhelm it. It really does become more about the characters and their own journeys. The struggles they face to continue on with no real hope in sight defines this story. There are secrets unveiled, truths to digest, and consciences to attend to. Uniting the rebel forces behind a leader that can command effectively is a challenge when nobody can agree which side they are on and what they stand for. Lancelot and Kay have been at odds since the time of Arthur, and despite their common support of Britain, they cannot seem to put the past behind. They, along with the rebels, face impossible odds in their biggest challenge yet.

IN THIS BOOK:

Kay the Cupbearer has awoken from slumber under his oak tree yet again, signaling that Britain is in peril. He never knows what he will face once he surfaces. Decades might have passed, or it could be minutes since his last death. It always works out one way or another, though. Marlowe might meet him with orders, or he might stumble upon someone in need. The magic that keeps him coming back always ends up putting things in his path to help him sort things out. He thinks of his wife in heaven, Hildwyn, and looks forward to the time he can finally join her – if he is lucky enough. But for now, things look different. There is flooding. He stumbles upon a large, fenced-in facility. His mission becomes clear when a woman rushes past him, gunfire following her.

Mariam hadn’t planned on blowing up the fracking facility, just on disabling it. As a member of FETA, the Feminist Environmentalist Transgressive Alliance, she is opposed to polluting the atmosphere and murder, yet she did just that, breaking everything her small group stands for when she went behind their back to take out the facility single-handedly. She has a lot of explaining to do once she returns, but in the meantime, the strange man that seemingly came to her rescue has some outlandish claims. If not for the dragon she just saw, she wouldn’t give his claims a second thought.

Lancelot surfaces yet again to find Marlowe waiting for him, dossier in hand. The two have a long history together, but it is his fellow knight Galehaut that means the most to him. Maybe he can bring Galehaut up to join the fight – whatever it is this time – but in the meantime, he goes with Marlowe. He has never been known for his loyalty and he is not exclusive. He likes having a good time. When he sees that his assignment involves a dragon and his old foe Kay, it doesn’t surprise him. Kay is always getting caught up on the wrong side. It won’t be the first time they’ve fought one another.

Marlowe might not have the ability to resurrect like Lancelot, he hasn’t been around as long, either, but he does have immortality. That is not to say that he is invulnerable, but he has other people to do the fighting for him. He has amassed tremendous power over the years, as evidenced by his store of dossiers. The information at his fingertips gives him all the power he needs. He just needs to set his plan in motion.

Morgan tried living out her immortality peacefully, but when Britain fell apart, she couldn’t continue to sit back quietly. She took a stand. She also began plotting. The only hope of saving her country is piercing the veil between worlds and bringing King Arthur back to rule once again.

As Kay, Mariam, Lancelot, Marlowe, and Morgan plot, plan, and fight their way against the peril that threatens to consume the entire world in a woke apocalypse, they must revisit old mistakes, wrestle with unsettling truths, and come to terms with the fallible nature of man. Many die, but the realm is eventually saved – for the time being – from imminent doom.

This modern take on old Arthurian mythology is a real treasure for fans of King Arthur. Those that cannot stomach the wokeism may not enjoy it, but otherwise, it is a great new adventure to add to the treasury of tales. The story is plot-driven and quite complex, yet there is sufficient character development to get the reader engaged in their journeys, particularly Kay and Lancelot. I never could buy into Mariam’s role. She wasn’t special in any particular way and I couldn’t get behind her, but I was not opposed to her either. The story is written in third person. There are nineteen chapters in Kay’s POV, fourteen in Mariam’s, seven in Lancelot’s, one in Marlowe’s, and one in Morgan’s POV. I rate this book 4.5 stars.

I received an advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Let me preface I enjoyed this book in many ways. It’s probably more like 3.5 stars. The basic premise, the idea that Knights of the Roundtable return from the dead to defend the British empire when it is in grave danger is original. The writing is often humorous and the characters eccentric. A mushroom growing hippie for Merlin and a gay yet jaded Sir Lancelot for example.
Climate change, greed and infighting has set the empire in end times. The heroines led by Mariam are eco terrorists, Saxons are the evil doers and there is an entire cast of characters from Arthur to fairies and everyone else you can think of. Because of this the plot gets a bit messy until we come to a satisfactory conclusion. Thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for this advance

Of all the re-imaginings of Arthur and Camelot, this is one of the absolute best. It's set in the not-too-distant future, when the combination of greed and physics has made climate change even worse, Britain is a failed state (polluted, flooded, and mostly owned by oligarchs), and despair is the order of the day.

Ah, but in Britain's hour of peril, the knights of the Round Table return, along with Merlin, Morgan le Fay, and good King Arthur. But how do they even figure out who to fight, not to mention how to do it? The result is a great story: exciting, funny, touching, hopeful, and wise. The author captures some of the weirdness of Malory and the old stories - dragons, enchanted horses, the Holy Grail, and the Pub that's always where it needs to be.

This is a very fun read, and I highly recommend it.