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fantasyfunk 's review for:
Spear
by Nicola Griffith
A gender bent, LGBTQIA+ retelling of the Tale of Percival, one of the knights of the Round Table. I absolutely loved the magic imagery of the writing. It flowed as mythically as the story itself did.
I did initially worry as the book starts very abstract, but that in itself is the realization of Peretur. She is a very abstract wild child growing up with no name, just a mother alone in the wilds. As she begins to have more awareness for the world around her , so does the story begin to have a more concrete foundation. It's so skillfully done that I hardly noticed the difference until reflecting back. "Hm I'm not sure how i feel about this" quickly turned into love.
I feel like this is a book whose writing is going to stick with me for some time to come. Even now that I'm finished, I want to reread passages just to admire the lyricalness about it.
However, it's not just the writing that got me. Spear is a great coming of age story, yet it's also a quest story reminiscent of most stories centered around Camelot and asking Arthur. It's about wanting to find acceptance, to find your place in the world regardless of who you are or who you love.
Nicola Griffith did more in just 167 pages than some authors can manage to do in massive tomes, and I envy her for this ability. My medieval nerdiness also thoroughly enjoyed the Author's note at the end, showcasing how well researched the myths and history of Percival were prior to writing.
I did initially worry as the book starts very abstract, but that in itself is the realization of Peretur. She is a very abstract wild child growing up with no name, just a mother alone in the wilds. As she begins to have more awareness for the world around her , so does the story begin to have a more concrete foundation. It's so skillfully done that I hardly noticed the difference until reflecting back. "Hm I'm not sure how i feel about this" quickly turned into love.
I feel like this is a book whose writing is going to stick with me for some time to come. Even now that I'm finished, I want to reread passages just to admire the lyricalness about it.
However, it's not just the writing that got me. Spear is a great coming of age story, yet it's also a quest story reminiscent of most stories centered around Camelot and asking Arthur. It's about wanting to find acceptance, to find your place in the world regardless of who you are or who you love.
Nicola Griffith did more in just 167 pages than some authors can manage to do in massive tomes, and I envy her for this ability. My medieval nerdiness also thoroughly enjoyed the Author's note at the end, showcasing how well researched the myths and history of Percival were prior to writing.