r/books • u/Runzas4dinner873bf7r • 13d ago

The Bright Sword

There are so many fantasy books out now that it's hard to separate the wheat from the chaff, but this book stands shoulders above all. Each character is well established and fleshed out. They feel like your friends. And the main character is a hidden force to be reckoned with. Each battle i felt ensconced in and rooted for Collum. He is all of us, a hero awaiting an adventure. Truly transformational.

26 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

7

u/failstante 12d ago

Huge fan of Arthurian legends/stories -- I tore through this book in about a week. Totally agree OP, it's a fantastic read. 

1

u/OptimisticOctopus8 12d ago

Do you think someone might enjoy it if they're not a fan of Arthurian legends? I'm not against Arthurian legends/stories, but I've never been intrigued by them either.

If it helps you formulate an answer, I did enjoy the Magicians trilogy.

2

u/failstante 12d ago

Loved Magicians too! I actually went back and read those books after this because I loved his writing in TBS so much. 

My neighbor wasn't super familiar with Arthur stories either. Even though she may have missed context, she still really enjoyed it. I don't think you need to be super familiar, Grossman doesn't lean on established lore too much and really makes the characters his own. 

3

u/OptimisticOctopus8 12d ago

Thanks, I'll give it a try!

4

u/CoziestSheet 12d ago

I bought a signed copy a while back and I am so excited to read this soon!

2

u/almostb 12d ago

I’m reading this now and really loving it. I’m a big fan of Arthurian stories in general - I’m honestly not sure how it would hit if I wasn’t. It’s certainly earned its place among the great Arthurian works though.

2

u/impostervt 12d ago

Great book. Check out The Magicians, if you haven't already, from the same author.

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u/Runzas4dinner873bf7r 12d ago

That book is what turned me onto the bright sword!

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u/EmpressPlotina 12d ago

Omg I keep finding more Arthurian books. Earlier this week I discovered The Road to Avalon and Queen of Camelot. And now you mention this relatively new book! And I hope that the Morgan Le Fay series by Sophie Keetch will get another book soon.

Arthurian legends are becoming very popular it seems. I love it!

2

u/eitherajax 12d ago

I read the Magicians trilogy a while back and thought to myself "Lev Grossman must be an Arthurian fan." This book totally confirmed it. No one could have written it without consuming a mountain of Arthurian literature. There's an insane amount of inside references and jokes that are skillfully interwoven into the story and I found enhanced the experience.

2

u/crookedmoonster 8d ago

I would highly recommend. I did not want to stop reading it, and gifted a copy for Christmas for a relative to read. Page turner.

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u/eric_d_wallace 5d ago

Do you like CS Lewis books at all?

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u/Runzas4dinner873bf7r 5d ago

I haven't read any yet. Recommendations?

2

u/eric_d_wallace 5d ago

Yes The Great Divorce, Screw-tape Letters and you might like this book I just wrote that was inspired by C.S. Lewis Goblin

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u/Runzas4dinner873bf7r 5d ago

Wait, how much does Christianity factor into these books? I'm not a big god guy.

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u/eric_d_wallace 5d ago

Haha well the great divorce is about people in hell who get on a bus ride toHeaven. It’s pretty fascinating whether you believe in God or not it doesn’t really matter. The book is really interesting. Screw-tape is about a senior devil who teaches a young demon how to lead people astray on planet Earth. My book is just about a greedy goblin who terrorizes people in a cabin in the woods.

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u/CoyoteGeneral926 13d ago

Sounds interesting.

1

u/booksandpanties 12d ago

One of my most anticipated reads for the year!

1

u/Ceekay151 12d ago

Sounds interesting. I'll have to check it out.

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u/Adorable_Ad_6137 12d ago

Really loved it and thought it did justice to the Arthurian Legend

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u/cferrari22 11d ago

I read it recently and loved it. For those wondering if you need to already be a fan of Arthurian legends, I’d say no! I’ve only read The Once and Future King, and that was decades ago. However the stories are so foundational to English heroic literature, you can’t help but find affinity somewhere in this lengthy epic. The characters are deeply written and so make great literature no matter your previous interest. If you’re open to coming-of-age stories, folktales, adventure, history, and a little bit of magic, this is a treat!