Scan barcode
A review by shelfofunread
Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 stars. As someone currently writing a PhD on Arthurian Literature, the current resurgence of King Arthur in popular culture makes my little heart very happy indeed. Between Perilous Times, Thomas D. Lee’s lively mix of contemporary satire and surprisingly poignant eco-novel, and Sophie Keetch’s forthcoming feminist retelling Morgan is my Name, 2023 promises to be a good year for fans of all things Round Table.
Perilous Times opens with Kay, long-suffering brother to King Arthur and Steward of the Round Table, clawing himself up from beneath his magically enchanted oak tree to rescue England from yet another peril. Unusually, however, there’s no one there to greet him this time. Not even shadowy government agent Marlowe has deigned to make an appearance. There is, however, a young woman called Miriam who appears to be running away from some armed – and extremely dangerous – guards at a nearby facility, which is enough peril for Kay to be getting on with.
Miriam, it turns out, is a climate activist (or ‘eco-terrorist’ as Marlowe and his fellow governmental agents would put it). Along with her friends from FETA, she’s actively campaigning against the various mega-corporations and governmental agencies whose greed has resulted in what might just be a hopelessly broken Britain. When she meets Kay, Miriam dares to hope that this might be a sign that the tides are turning. But, with Lancelot rampaging across Britain at the behest of shadowy, immortal masters, is the return of the Knights of the Round Table really the solution to all of the country’s problems?
There’s more than a touch of Good Omens about Perilous Times, with its biting send-up of neoliberal capitalism, governmental bureaucracy, and shadowy ‘plans’. I almost expected Merlin to say that the whole thing was ‘ineffable’ at times. There’s also some (slightly gentler) ribbing of liberal ideologies and Arthurian tropes, with some interesting takes on well-known characters such as Merlin and Nimue.
That said, Perilous Times was, for me, a slightly harsher book in many respects. The novel is strident in its condemnation of the way in which corporate greed and governmental corruption can damage both people and planet and, whilst I agreed with many of the sentiments expressed, I did find its somewhat binary in its depictions of various groups at times. The activists within FETA, for example, are depicted as the ‘good guys’ despite sanctioning violent direct action (and being largely ineffectual), whilst the villains are two-dimensional bad guys who combine corporate greed with private displays of xenophobia, racism, misogyny, and homophobia. Given that the messaging of the novel is so relevant and important, it was disappointing to see so complex and nuanced a subject portrayed in this manner.
The main characters were, fortunately, considerably more rounded. Kay is, for the most part, likeable and engaging and Lee conveys the sense of a man who is both forward-thinking but also out-of-time very well. Given that Kay is a figure who, in many Arthurian texts, has something as a bad rep (he’s usually portrayed as either a bit of a bore, somewhat arrogant or, on occasion, both), it was interesting to see a take on that character that fully conveyed the responsibilities – and limitations – of the role of Steward, and that explored Kay’s status as Arthur’s brother.
It took me a little longer to warm to Miriam but, as the novel progressed, I did find myself rooting for her and felt that her character developed in some interesting and unexpected ways. I also really loved the way in which the novel played with expectations about the central Arthurian characters: Lancelot, Merlin, Nimue, and even Arthur himself. Lee often subverts our expectations about these ‘heroes’, showing them to be no less flawed than the average human, for all their immortality.
Whilst there were times when I felt that the various issues dealt with in the novel (which, in addition to climate change, include politics, gender, racial, and LGBTQ++ equality, and the polarisation of contemporary life and culture) was smothering the story, the ending does wrap up the various strands convincingly and, as the story picked up pace, I became more involved with the characters themselves and their individual storylines, rather than the overarching messaging. There is also plenty of book to cover everything, with the novel checking in at a chunky 560 pages!
Overall, Perilous Times is an engaging, playful and highly relevant take on Arthurian mythology, which combines a gentle send-up of mythological narrative figures and tropes with some a hard-hitting satire of extreme capitalism and governmental corruption. This definitely won’t be a book for everyone but, if you’re interested in a fantastical romp that has Pratchett-esque vibes, a strong social conscience, and a hefty dose of dark comedy, then this is definitely a debut novel worth adding to your ‘to read’ pile!
NB: This review first appeared on my blog at http://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpres... as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Perilous Times opens with Kay, long-suffering brother to King Arthur and Steward of the Round Table, clawing himself up from beneath his magically enchanted oak tree to rescue England from yet another peril. Unusually, however, there’s no one there to greet him this time. Not even shadowy government agent Marlowe has deigned to make an appearance. There is, however, a young woman called Miriam who appears to be running away from some armed – and extremely dangerous – guards at a nearby facility, which is enough peril for Kay to be getting on with.
Miriam, it turns out, is a climate activist (or ‘eco-terrorist’ as Marlowe and his fellow governmental agents would put it). Along with her friends from FETA, she’s actively campaigning against the various mega-corporations and governmental agencies whose greed has resulted in what might just be a hopelessly broken Britain. When she meets Kay, Miriam dares to hope that this might be a sign that the tides are turning. But, with Lancelot rampaging across Britain at the behest of shadowy, immortal masters, is the return of the Knights of the Round Table really the solution to all of the country’s problems?
There’s more than a touch of Good Omens about Perilous Times, with its biting send-up of neoliberal capitalism, governmental bureaucracy, and shadowy ‘plans’. I almost expected Merlin to say that the whole thing was ‘ineffable’ at times. There’s also some (slightly gentler) ribbing of liberal ideologies and Arthurian tropes, with some interesting takes on well-known characters such as Merlin and Nimue.
That said, Perilous Times was, for me, a slightly harsher book in many respects. The novel is strident in its condemnation of the way in which corporate greed and governmental corruption can damage both people and planet and, whilst I agreed with many of the sentiments expressed, I did find its somewhat binary in its depictions of various groups at times. The activists within FETA, for example, are depicted as the ‘good guys’ despite sanctioning violent direct action (and being largely ineffectual), whilst the villains are two-dimensional bad guys who combine corporate greed with private displays of xenophobia, racism, misogyny, and homophobia. Given that the messaging of the novel is so relevant and important, it was disappointing to see so complex and nuanced a subject portrayed in this manner.
The main characters were, fortunately, considerably more rounded. Kay is, for the most part, likeable and engaging and Lee conveys the sense of a man who is both forward-thinking but also out-of-time very well. Given that Kay is a figure who, in many Arthurian texts, has something as a bad rep (he’s usually portrayed as either a bit of a bore, somewhat arrogant or, on occasion, both), it was interesting to see a take on that character that fully conveyed the responsibilities – and limitations – of the role of Steward, and that explored Kay’s status as Arthur’s brother.
It took me a little longer to warm to Miriam but, as the novel progressed, I did find myself rooting for her and felt that her character developed in some interesting and unexpected ways. I also really loved the way in which the novel played with expectations about the central Arthurian characters: Lancelot, Merlin, Nimue, and even Arthur himself. Lee often subverts our expectations about these ‘heroes’, showing them to be no less flawed than the average human, for all their immortality.
Whilst there were times when I felt that the various issues dealt with in the novel (which, in addition to climate change, include politics, gender, racial, and LGBTQ++ equality, and the polarisation of contemporary life and culture) was smothering the story, the ending does wrap up the various strands convincingly and, as the story picked up pace, I became more involved with the characters themselves and their individual storylines, rather than the overarching messaging. There is also plenty of book to cover everything, with the novel checking in at a chunky 560 pages!
Overall, Perilous Times is an engaging, playful and highly relevant take on Arthurian mythology, which combines a gentle send-up of mythological narrative figures and tropes with some a hard-hitting satire of extreme capitalism and governmental corruption. This definitely won’t be a book for everyone but, if you’re interested in a fantastical romp that has Pratchett-esque vibes, a strong social conscience, and a hefty dose of dark comedy, then this is definitely a debut novel worth adding to your ‘to read’ pile!
NB: This review first appeared on my blog at http://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpres... as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, War, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Gun violence, Alcohol, Cursing, and Homophobia
Minor: Incest, Racism, and Fatphobia