The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman
Lev Grossman crafts a rich, melancholic tale in The Bright Sword that both honours and reshapes the Arthurian mythos, turning his gaze not to Arthur, Lancelot, or even Merlin, but to the misfits left in the shadow of legend. Given centre stage here are knights like Sir Palomides, an outsider and a Saracen, forever circling the Round Table but never quite within it, and Sir Dagonet, long dismissed as a fool, who proves disarmingly perceptive and darkly funny. These are the bruised and weary remnants of a kingdom on the verge of collapse, not shining paragons but flawed souls trying to make sense of honour in a world slipping into twilight.
Grossman brings a sharp edge to the tale, lacing it with gallows humour and grit reminiscent of Joe Abercrombie. Yet beneath the cynicism lies something more reverent: a deep yearning for meaning in a land still haunted by gods, watched by fairies, and echoing with prophecy. His Britain is one where magic hasn’t vanished so much as gone feral, and faith—whether in God, the old ways, or fellow men—is hard-won and easily lost.
Rather than seeking to restore Camelot’s glory, The Bright Sword mourns its passing, and in doing so, finds something strangely noble in the mess left behind. Grossman’s contribution to the Arthurian canon is both tender and tough, a fitting chapter in the long, shifting story of Britain’s once and future dreams. – Henry
**Pre-order the paperback here, due out on 26th June**
Audition by Katie Kitamura
Incredibly compelling and astonishingly clever in ways that won’t even hit you until you’ve had a chance to get to the end and give it some thought, Audition is a reading experience unlike any other.
The story centres around an accomplished older actress meeting a young man for lunch in a Manhattan restaurant. You do not know their relationship to each other or why they are meeting. It’s a novel of two halves, delving into the complex roles we all play in life, whether it be a parent, a writer, a lover, a friend and so on – which one is the real you? It’s a novel about power and control, about expectation versus ambition, and the strive for approval.
This won’t be for everyone, particularly if you hate being left with more questions than answers, but I could not for a second put it down without it racing through my mind until I could get back to it again. If you want your mind blown by a masterful writer, this is it. – Emma