The girl knows she has a destiny before she even knows her name. She grows up in the wild, in a cave with her mother, but visions of a faraway lake come to her on the spring breeze, and when she hears a traveler speak of Artos, king of Caer Leon, she knows that her future lies at his court.
And so, brimming with magic and eager to test her strength, she breaks her covenant with her mother and, with a broken hunting spear and mended armour, rides on a bony gelding to Caer Leon. On her adventures she will meet great knights and steal the hearts of beautiful women. She will fight warriors and sorcerers. And she will find her love, and the lake, and her fate.
Nicola Griffith's Spear is a queer Arthurian retelling following a young woman on her journey of self-discovery. The lyrical prose and the attention to historical detail make this tale a must read for any enjoyer of stories about King Arthur. The protagonist, Peretur, leaves her home in search of a bigger destiny, plagued by dreams that lead her straight to the Arthurian court. There she'll fulfill her destiny, and find love.
The clever intermingling of history and myth leaves the reader breathless and aching to take a course on the Matter of Britain, a resolution only magnified by Griffith's thoughtful foreword where she lays out all the different versions she was inspired by. This book is obviously a labor of love for the subject, and it's contagious.
Peretur's origins were what really sold the book for me: getting to slowly unravel the mystery alongside her was a treat. Her romance was a touch underdeveloped and sudden, but it had a dream-like quality that worked in the context of the story.
I need to say a few words about the lovely interior illustrations by Rovina Cay, the cover artist: they are incredibly evocative and they enrich the reading experience.
Spear is a fascinating tale that deserves to be on everyone's bookshelves.
✨ 4 stars
No comments:
Post a Comment