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geekcliche's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
rosy_posy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Really enjoyed read, I’d agree with reviews that it’s Terry Pratchett style Arthurian dystopia. Slightly disappointed there wasn’t more backstory to the characters, I kind of thought it would become relevant that Mariam was an orphan, or why Arthur had thought gay Lancelot had stole his wife. I also would have liked to see more characters from the myths. I really liked the style and story, particularly Marlowe, and his relationship with Lancelot. Also happy to see queer representation.
bookish_withsky's review against another edition
3.0
Arthurian legend twisted and reimagined to be set in modern times. There’s guns, some reincarnated legends, and dragons. Very interesting combos, in my opinion. The first chapter did a great job at snatching the reader’s attention, full of death and even a death, though it is known that it doesn’t stick to these guys. It’s humorous. I find that I really enjoyed the tone, which was a grim dystopia paired with dark humor. The writing, though, was a bit lackluster. I wasn’t fully immersed and some of the sentences were put together strangely. There were still moments that I could clearly see what was happening in the scene. Also, dragons.
slshules's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I know- I know: this book took me over a month to read, but I swear it’s not because I didn’t enjoy this book.
The concept of this book is so intriguing... every time I tried to explain this book to someone it went about like this: “well it’s a King Arthur retelling. But the knights of the round tables grow out of trees. And it’s in modern day. But the world dying of climate change. Also there’s a dragon? And a sword?”
Unfortunately, this story struggles with a case of Poor Pacing. There were so many chapters that I sifted through, trying to just get on with the conversation. And then once we finally got to the dramatic chapters TheyWentByAboutLikeThis!!!! It was so so fast and then so slow.
I will say, this book had me constantly on my toes. It’s one book with an ambitious plot and such a wide cast of characters- things are always happening (save for those long winded conversational chapters).
So, this book has a curious plot, fun cast, and a very interesting concept. My writer brain had a few stumbles, so if you’re not a writer try this out! It’s neat.
The concept of this book is so intriguing... every time I tried to explain this book to someone it went about like this: “well it’s a King Arthur retelling. But the knights of the round tables grow out of trees. And it’s in modern day. But the world dying of climate change. Also there’s a dragon? And a sword?”
Unfortunately, this story struggles with a case of Poor Pacing. There were so many chapters that I sifted through, trying to just get on with the conversation. And then once we finally got to the dramatic chapters TheyWentByAboutLikeThis!!!! It was so so fast and then so slow.
I will say, this book had me constantly on my toes. It’s one book with an ambitious plot and such a wide cast of characters- things are always happening (save for those long winded conversational chapters).
So, this book has a curious plot, fun cast, and a very interesting concept. My writer brain had a few stumbles, so if you’re not a writer try this out! It’s neat.
the_bookishmum's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book is amazing for fans of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. The book asks the question: how perilous do the perilous times have to be for King Arthur and his Knights to awaken to save England? And answers it with: what if King Arthur and Merlin were just some blokes? I really enjoyed this commentary on what the worst possible ending for our planet could be and what happens if the people who are supposed to be protecting it allow their morals to be sold to the highest bidder to maintain the status quo.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc ahead of the paperback release. Probably adding this to my list of favourite books for 2024
Thank you NetGalley for the arc ahead of the paperback release. Probably adding this to my list of favourite books for 2024
niallharrison's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
definitelynotreading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Arthurian legends are one of my favorite types of retellings. They've also been retold time and time again, setting the bar relatively high for a good retelling.
I was disappointed by this one.
It seemed more of an activism advertisement than a novel at times, and the modern sensibilities of ancient characters felt incongruous with their historical characters. I know, to some extent, this was part of the point the author was making - that we have romanticized historical figures (and especially King Arthur) to a wild extent and need to have some of our preconceptions challenged. I did also appreciate the aspects of this book that paused to look around at all the different types of activism going on in the world and acknowledge that the in-fighting makes things worse and not better.
Despite these moments that I appreciated, this wasn't the book for me. I did not realize how heavily this would lean towards a climate apocalypse/climate change activism, and those are just not aspects that I tend to care for in fiction. Had I known, I may have skipped this one altogether.
2.5 rounded up
I was disappointed by this one.
It seemed more of an activism advertisement than a novel at times, and the modern sensibilities of ancient characters felt incongruous with their historical characters. I know, to some extent, this was part of the point the author was making - that we have romanticized historical figures (and especially King Arthur) to a wild extent and need to have some of our preconceptions challenged. I did also appreciate the aspects of this book that paused to look around at all the different types of activism going on in the world and acknowledge that the in-fighting makes things worse and not better.
Despite these moments that I appreciated, this wasn't the book for me. I did not realize how heavily this would lean towards a climate apocalypse/climate change activism, and those are just not aspects that I tend to care for in fiction. Had I known, I may have skipped this one altogether.
2.5 rounded up
bargainsleuth's review against another edition
5.0
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I’m a sucker for a King Arthur story. There have been some good ones over the years and some really bad ones, too. I am not one who has to have the stereotypical Arthur and his knights and an ancient Merlin. So I was ready for anything when it came to Perilous Times.
If you don’t believe climate change is real or don’t believe it’s as big of a problem as some say, this book is not for you. If you want your glorious King Arthur shining like a beacon of goodness and all his knights chivalrous and honest (and white), this book is not for you. If you can’t handle LGBTQ as part of the storyline, this book is not for you.
There’s a lot to like about this quirky and humorous fantasy book set in the not distant future. It turns out that Merlin cast a spell on the Knights of the Round Table that they would be resurrected any time Great Britain is in great peril. In modern times, many parts of the cities are flooded due to polar ice caps melting, the sun is burning hotter than ever, and pollution has muddied up streams. Kay, King Arthur’s brother, rises from the ground from an ancient oak tree, and starts searching for the peril; he’s been through this dozens of times before.
He meets Marian, who is fiercely independent and believes in her cause, yet at the same time lacks the self-confidence to take charge and lead the others in her fight. She doesn’t believe he could be a knight because he’s black and has dreadlocks, saying that no one looked like her in all the Arthurian legends she’s heard. Kay convinces her of his story, and they join up together to fight the bad guys, the industrialists who are mining the earth regardless of the environmental impact. Through an accident of Marian’s at a fracking site where she blows up the facility, a dragon is released from the bowels of the earth. Crazy, right? This is a fantasy, after all.
Then Lancelot comes to life. He’s almost immediately met by a man simply known as Marlowe, who can be none other than Christopher Marlowe, who appears to be his handler. He apprises Lancelot of the current situation and lets him know about Kay’s current whereabouts. It seems there’s no love lost between the two, and Marlowe’s assignment for Lancelot is to find Kay and stop him. We learn as the book goes on that the story of Lancelot and Guinevere is just that, and in reality Lancelot is gay and was in love with another knight all those years ago.
The reader follows these three people through all sorts of adventures, with all sorts of twists and turns and surprises along the way. Merlin, Nimue, and Morgan LeFay also make appearances when the ultimate happens: Arthur is brought back to life through witchcraft, and he’s anything besides the benevolent king one grew up reading about. He’s a bloodthirsty tyrant who doesn’t listen to anyone, and I’ve seen other reviewers complain he’s modeled after Trump or Boris Johnson, but I didn’t read that much into it.
Normally I don’t like fantasy books despite trying them from time to time, but the King Arthur hook had me, as well as the humor and ridiculousness of some situations. If you’re looking for something different, give it a try!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
I’m a sucker for a King Arthur story. There have been some good ones over the years and some really bad ones, too. I am not one who has to have the stereotypical Arthur and his knights and an ancient Merlin. So I was ready for anything when it came to Perilous Times.
If you don’t believe climate change is real or don’t believe it’s as big of a problem as some say, this book is not for you. If you want your glorious King Arthur shining like a beacon of goodness and all his knights chivalrous and honest (and white), this book is not for you. If you can’t handle LGBTQ as part of the storyline, this book is not for you.
There’s a lot to like about this quirky and humorous fantasy book set in the not distant future. It turns out that Merlin cast a spell on the Knights of the Round Table that they would be resurrected any time Great Britain is in great peril. In modern times, many parts of the cities are flooded due to polar ice caps melting, the sun is burning hotter than ever, and pollution has muddied up streams. Kay, King Arthur’s brother, rises from the ground from an ancient oak tree, and starts searching for the peril; he’s been through this dozens of times before.
He meets Marian, who is fiercely independent and believes in her cause, yet at the same time lacks the self-confidence to take charge and lead the others in her fight. She doesn’t believe he could be a knight because he’s black and has dreadlocks, saying that no one looked like her in all the Arthurian legends she’s heard. Kay convinces her of his story, and they join up together to fight the bad guys, the industrialists who are mining the earth regardless of the environmental impact. Through an accident of Marian’s at a fracking site where she blows up the facility, a dragon is released from the bowels of the earth. Crazy, right? This is a fantasy, after all.
Then Lancelot comes to life. He’s almost immediately met by a man simply known as Marlowe, who can be none other than Christopher Marlowe, who appears to be his handler. He apprises Lancelot of the current situation and lets him know about Kay’s current whereabouts. It seems there’s no love lost between the two, and Marlowe’s assignment for Lancelot is to find Kay and stop him. We learn as the book goes on that the story of Lancelot and Guinevere is just that, and in reality Lancelot is gay and was in love with another knight all those years ago.
The reader follows these three people through all sorts of adventures, with all sorts of twists and turns and surprises along the way. Merlin, Nimue, and Morgan LeFay also make appearances when the ultimate happens: Arthur is brought back to life through witchcraft, and he’s anything besides the benevolent king one grew up reading about. He’s a bloodthirsty tyrant who doesn’t listen to anyone, and I’ve seen other reviewers complain he’s modeled after Trump or Boris Johnson, but I didn’t read that much into it.
Normally I don’t like fantasy books despite trying them from time to time, but the King Arthur hook had me, as well as the humor and ridiculousness of some situations. If you’re looking for something different, give it a try!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.