Perilous Times, by Thomas D. Lee

A knight’s work is never done, even when that knight was supposed to have died centuries ago. In Perilous Times, a stunning reimagining of King Arthur‘s knights by Thomas D. Lee, the Knights of the Round Table made a pact with Merlin after Arthur’s death at the Battle of Camlann. The pact would resurrect the knights whenever the realm was in peril. Over the centuries, Sir Kay has arisen from under his oak tree near(ish) Manchester to fight in Britain’s wars. When he rises at the beginning of the novel, England is in more peril than it has ever been: from climate change, from out-of-control capitalism, and from idiots who want to summon Arthur back because they believe the myths about the once and future king.

Sir Kay certainly makes a splash when he rises again. He’s always equipped with his mail, sword, and shield. These relics don’t do a whole lot when Kay encounters a woman in peril and a pack of heavily armed mercenaries near his resurrection tree and Kay is, ignobly, slain almost immediately. Then he gets killed again by the woman he rescues from the peril, Mariam, in an attempt to prove he is a real, no-fooling Knight of the Round Table. Once Mariam believes Kay, she slowly lets him in on what’s happened to the realm since the last time Kay was up and around, back in the 1950s. And Kay is horrified.

Meanwhile, Kay isn’t the only knight to find themselves sky-side. Sir Lancelot pops up from under his tree near London, where an immortal (via infernal means) Christopher Marlowe is ready with a dossier and an offer of a shower. Where Kay seems to end up on the side of rebels (like the Roundheads) as often as not, Lancelot is always on the side of the institution. Via Lancelot’s perspective, we see what Mariam and her ragtag bag of feminist eco-terrorists (when they can stop arguing with each other) are up against.

There’s far too much plot in Perilous Times to sum up. It’s bedlam from page one and I loved it. I realize the above sounds dire (it is dire) but, in spite of all the possibly extinction-level peril, this book was a lot of fun to read. There are dragons. There are witches. There are lots of bickering socialists. Wales decided to have a king again. Merlin is an absolute loon. We also learn that, if a racist spends enough time as a squirrel, they can be reformed. While all this madcap action is going on and Kay and Lancelot circle each other (don’t ask about the whole Guinevere thing), we slowly learn that there’s a plot afoot to bring back King Arthur on the side of the kleptocrats and capitalists. Not only is the plot outstanding and the characters wonderfully original, Perilous Times is also anchored by emotional depth. Kay and Lancelot ponder the limits of their oaths to save the realm, wondering if it’s worth it. Mariam works her way towards important realizations about being saved versus saving oneself. On top of that, there are all the references to British history, mythology, and Le Morte d’Arthur.

I feel a bit like I’m botching this review. There is so much to talk about and so much I loved about this book that I can’t help but just gush. Please read this book, fellow bookish times, so that I have someone to talk about this book with! I plan on shoving this book into as many hands as I can manage in the meantime.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.