Hearken to the days of old! When magic filled the air! And those who had the will could grasp destiny by the reins and make their own future. Spear, by master wordsmith Nicola Griffith, is just such a tale. This is a tale steeped in mythology of the Arthurian style. Indeed, the glorious king himself makes an impressionable appearance along with his knights of the yet to be round table named aptly as “companions”. This is a tale of a woman to remain nameless, for names do indeed have power in such a mythology, and the fear of spoilers requires her to be this way. Needless to say, her tale is the focus and fulcrum of this particular mythological re-imagining. Even naming such re-tellings is enough to send sensitive ears scurrying away in fear of the ever dreadful spoiler monster. Alas, it will behoove you to know she is a character of great mythical destiny, steadfast determination, and sparkling charisma. Griffith’s descriptive prose summons deep seated feelings of the saga. It has a need to be spoken aloud and related to others, yet still maintains a modern set that belongs to us, here in this era.
Practical considerations: it is short, can be read very quickly. It is engrossing, can be read very quickly. It is refreshing, can be read very quickly. It is a perfect kind of book that one might read to break up a larger series or door stopper sized book. The kind of book that can overcome the hangover of a massive emotional tome. It is deep, in spite of how quickly it read, the impact of the themes and the characters’ actions are deep and thought provoking. There are choices made in this book that warrant discussion on many levels because the choices made by the characters are not easy ones, and may be ones you can disagree with. Or not, depending on how you view said choices.
In conclusion, I didn’t think I could be surprised by yet another tale of old King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Yet, I was. Not only surprised, but delighted and thrilled to call this book a really great read. Its viewpoint by way of the main character was quite unique, and the approach to the story was equally so. So hearken to this tale and this humble reviewer: do your self a favor and read this book today!
Glad you liked it!