The Bright Sword

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★ “Breathtaking … epic fantasy fans will hang on every word”—Publishers Weekly
★ “Astoundingly, a fresh take on an extremely well-trodden legend”—Kirkus
★ “Highly recommended”—Library Journal
★ “This epic fantasy is sure to be a hit”—Booklist

“Utterly enchanting.” —Rebecca Yarros, author of Fourth Wing and Iron Flame

“The creator of The Magicians has woven another spell.”—George R. R. Martin, author of A Game of Thrones

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Magicians trilogy returns in July 2024 with a triumphant reimagining of the King Arthur legend for the new millennium

A gifted young knight named Collum arrives at Camelot to compete for a spot on the Round Table, only to find that he’s too late. King Arthur is dead, and only a handful of the knights of the Round Table survive.

They aren’t the heroes of legend, like Lancelot or Gawain. They’re the oddballs of the Round Table, from the edges of the stories, like Sir Palomides, the Saracen Knight, and Sir Dagonet, Arthur’s fool, who was knighted as a joke. They’re joined by Nimue, who was Merlin’s apprentice until she buried him under a hill.

Together this ragtag fellowship will set out to rebuild Camelot in a world that has lost its balance, even as the fairies and old gods are returning, led by Arthur’s half-sister Morgan le Fay, and rival factions are forming around the disgraced Lancelot and the fallen Queen Guinevere. It is up to Collum and his companions to reclaim Excalibur, solve the mysteries of this ruined world and make it whole again. But first they’ll have to learn the truth of why the lonely, brilliant King Arthur fell.

The first major Arthurian epic of the new millennium, The Bright Sword is steeped in tradition, full of duels and quests, battles and tournaments, magic swords and Fisher Kings. It’s a story about imperfect men and women, full of strength and pain, who are looking for a way to reforge a broken land in spite of being broken themselves.

Praise

For anyone who’s ever craved a seat at the Round Table. Utterly enchanting.”
—Rebecca Yarros, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fourth Wing and Iron Flame

If you love King Arthur as much as I do, you’ll love Lev Grossman’s The Bright Sword, a fresh and engrossing take on the Matter of Britain featuring a colorful cast of Round Table knights who don’t often get as much story time as they deserve. The creator of The Magicians has woven another spell.”
—George R. R. Martin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Game of Thrones

Once I picked this novel up, I could not stop reading. The Bright Sword is compulsively readable and expertly told. Lev Grossman transports the reader with such assurance and finesse. Just pick it up and lose yourself inside these pages. You won’t want to leave until the tale is done.”
—Victor LaValle, national bestselling author of Lone Women

Breathlessly weaves themes of faith, duty, and selfhood with a classic sword-and-sorcery adventure—this is why we read fantasy.”
—Ava Reid, Sunday Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning and Lady Macbeth

Satisfyingly epic but also fast-paced, this novel captures everything that’s grand and magnificent about the age of King Arthur while picking at its edges and delving into its darker depths. All fantasy and mythology fans will want to make time for this moving, entertaining epic. . . . This epic fantasy is sure to be a hit.”
—Booklist (starred review)

Highly recommended for readers who can’t resist a story featuring brave knights, stalwart queens, and magic.”
—Library Journal (starred review)

The story of King Arthur has been told and substantially altered many times over the centuries, and explored by a multitude of contemporary novelists, but the author of the Magicians trilogy makes room for himself here. . . . Very few writers have explored post-Arthurian Britain or focused quite so much on developing the stories of the minor characters in the saga. . . . A fresh take.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

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