The Bright Sword

A Novel of King Arthur

De: Lev Grossman

Narrado por: Nicholas Guy Smith, Lev Grossman

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A New York Times Editors’ Choice • The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Magicians Trilogy and “master storyteller” (New York Times) returns with a triumphant reimagining of the King Arthur legend for the new millennium

Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, NPR, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, VANITY FAIR, TIME, OPRAH DAILY, TOWN & COUNTRY, ELLE, VOX, PASTE, LIT HUB, POLYGON, KIRKUS REVIEWS

“Lev Grossman’s The Bright Sword stands out as the best fantasy of the year.” —The Wall Street Journal

“Grossman, who is best known for his The Magicians series, is at the top of his game with The Bright Sword.” —The New York Times Book Review

“A thrilling new take on Arthurian legend. . . . Marvelous.” —The Washington Post

“If you love King Arthur as much as I do, you’ll love Lev Grossman’s The Bright Sword, a fresh and engrossing take on the Matter of Britain featuring a colorful cast of Round Table knights who don’t often get as much story time as they deserve. The creator of The Magicians has woven another spell.” —George R. R. Martin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Game of Thrones

A gifted young knight named Collum arrives at Camelot to compete for a place at the Round Table, only to find that he’s too late. King Arthur died two weeks ago at the Battle of Camlann, and only a handful of the knights of the Round Table are left.

The survivors aren’t the heroes of legend like Lancelot or Gawain. They’re the oddballs of the Round Table, like Sir Palomides, the Saracen Knight, and Sir Dagonet, Arthur’s fool, who was knighted as a joke. They’re joined by Nimue, who was Merlin’s apprentice until she turned on him and buried him under a hill.

But it's up to them to rebuild Camelot in a world that has lost its balance, even as God abandons Britain and the fairies and old gods return, led by Morgan le Fay. They must reclaim Excalibur and make this ruined world whole again—but first they'll have to solve the mystery of why the lonely, brilliant King Arthur fell.

The first major Arthurian epic of the new millennium, The Bright Sword is steeped in tradition, complete with duels and quests, battles and tournaments, magic swords and Fisher Kings. It's also a story about imperfect men and women, full of strength and pain, trying to reforge a broken land in spite of being broken themselves.

©2024 Lev Grossman (P)2024 Penguin Audio

A new twist on King Arthur

I have read & listened to many many books on King Arthur. This by far was the most entertaining and the most original King Arthur story I've encountered! It has elements of some really old and accurate information that pertains to his story, plus loads of fun bits & bobs that will make you laugh out loud! Don't hesitate on this one, it's a gem!

Absolutely PERFECT!

I’m sure I would have enjoyed the hard copy just as much, but the narration is fabulous. A real treat!

Wonderful

A rollicking adventure that I could not stop listening to. The author does a wonderful job breaking the main narrative up with chapters reveling important facts about each character.

Meh

Lots of good things but I struggled to care or stay awake. I loved the magicians but the large ensemble of characters in this one and a rather oafish main character who didn’t really transform in a meaningful way except he got good at fighting.

Enjoyable and thought provoking

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was very sorry when it was over. I loved the original take on the tale of Camelot. It was intriguing and original to tell a story about Camelot after the end of Arthur's reign. I also liked the unique perspective on the personalities of the major players in the original legend. Some of my favorite parts of this book were the psychological depth and complexity of the characters and the exploration of their back stories. The book didn't shy away from serious issues regarding identity and equality and confidence and self-worth. The writing was tight and very engaging. The story had a perfect balance of action, humor, and seriousness. The plot lines came together with great cleverness. The narration was excellent and kept me listening. All in all, a completely satisfactory listen!

A Tight Tapestry

A beautiful blend of nods to Arthuriana of the past and a fresh feeling story of the ones who are left behind when a golden age begins to end.

Luminous, heartfelt, bursting with humanity.

The world seems full of writers capable of repurposing old lore into twisting adventures, pulsing with arcane detail and plot turns and intrigue. Less common, I think, are writers who can delve into an austere genre like medieval fantasy while keeping the humanity of its characters front and center. "The Bright Sword" is a book about King Arthur's court, sure, and it's packed with nifty, action-packed riffs on Arthurian legend - but more than anything, it feels like time well-spent with warm, relatable, thoughtfully-drawn personalities. These knights and ladies aren't statues who bellow in Tolkeinesque verse: they're a self-effacing, funny cast of characters, and "The Bright Sword" makes the rounds with them, ensuring the reader gets to know them... and love them. Lev Grossman loves these creations too, and he treats each of them - from Sir Palamedes, the lovesick "Saracen" knight, to noble Sir Dinadan, a trustworthy nobleman carrying an unfair secret, and even Nimue, Merlin's young female counterpart, here granted a much-needed vindication - with great care. There are no walking tropes or living plot devices here.

Similarly, there's a charming self-awareness to Grossman's voice: "The Bright Sword" is a sort of conscious revisiting of familiar legend, rather than a book pretending to weave these tales from scratch. In one sequence, confronted with a spontaneous quest in the forest, one knight proposes heading back for reinforcements. "That's not how these things work," comes the reply. "We'll never find this spot again if we leave and come back." It's a funny observation, and this way, Grossman tips his hand: not just he and the reader, but the characters themselves are aware of the Arthurian tropes.

"The Bright Sword" deftly has its cake an eats it too: it's both an earnest return to the land of Camelot, but also a book offered in a modern voice that seems to say, "let's have some fun with this bedtime story, shall we?"

Fun, funny, enchanting, and deeply moving, this is a knockout that's easy to recommend to anyone, whether they've dreamt of the Round Table, or simply wanted a rich story about friendship and love. (Wonderful narration by Nicholas Guy Smith, who treads the fine line between reading and performance with unusual skill).

The characters!

I really loved listening to this book! It was funny at some points and heartbreaking at times.

Phenomenal Arthur Tale true to Grossman’s Style

A fast paced King Arthur story overflowing with casual whimsy and fanciful adventure, yet it is offset by harsh realism and dark comedy. It is a nostalgically household tale retold in the real-life dramatic touch that is a favorite from the Magician series. Highly recommend.

Loved it!

Layered and full of terrific characters, familiar yet strange☺️. I really enjoyed this “retelling” of the Arthurian Legend.