Aimee Gunther reviewed Spear by Nicola Griffith
Interesting retelling of King Arthur and the sword
3 stars
Some good twists, world build, and creativity.
eBook, 188 pages
English language
Published April 19, 2022 by Tordotcom.
Spear
- ASIN:
- B0927D3CHF
4 stars
(26 reviews)
She left all she knew to find who she could be . . .
She grows up in the wild wood, in a cave with her mother, but visions of a faraway lake drift to her on the spring breeze, scented with promise. And when she hears a traveler speak of Artos, king of Caer Leon, she decides her future lies at his court. So, brimming with magic and eager to test her strength, she breaks her covenant with her mother and sets out on her bony gelding for Caer Leon.
With her stolen hunting spear and mended armour, she is an unlikely hero, not a chosen one, but one who forges her own bright path. Aflame with determination, she begins a journey of magic and mystery, love, lust and fights to death. On her adventures, she will steal the hearts of beautiful women, fight warriors and sorcerers, and make …
She left all she knew to find who she could be . . .
She grows up in the wild wood, in a cave with her mother, but visions of a faraway lake drift to her on the spring breeze, scented with promise. And when she hears a traveler speak of Artos, king of Caer Leon, she decides her future lies at his court. So, brimming with magic and eager to test her strength, she breaks her covenant with her mother and sets out on her bony gelding for Caer Leon.
With her stolen hunting spear and mended armour, she is an unlikely hero, not a chosen one, but one who forges her own bright path. Aflame with determination, she begins a journey of magic and mystery, love, lust and fights to death. On her adventures, she will steal the hearts of beautiful women, fight warriors and sorcerers, and make a place to call home.
The legendary author of Hild returns with an unforgettable hero and a queer Arthurian masterpiece for the modern era. Nicola Griffith’s Spear is a spellbinding vision of the Camelot we've longed for, a Camelot that belongs to us all.
Zivan reviewed Spear by Nicola Griffith
Review of 'Spear' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
I don't always have the language to express why a book is great.
Spear, flows. The prose flows, Griffith's narration flows.
The words flow like a clear stream bending around the rocks of toxic masculinity that litter such fairy tales as the Arthurian myth. Reshaping them, smoothing their rough edges into a tale sweet to modern / woke, ears.
Julie R reviewed Spear by Nicola Griffith
Lovely writing, not sure I grasped the ending
3 stars
This one fell short for me, despite the lovely prose and the fascinating main character. I never felt connected emotionally, and so I lost out on much of what was intended. I also didn't understand the ending (major plot hole? or just me being dense?). This felt more like a novella, and I really wish there'd been more to it - both deeper emotionally and more developed plot-wise.
pdotb@wyrms.de reviewed Spear by Nicola Griffith
Good but... not great?
4 stars
First the positive: I have a bit of a soft spot for retellings of the Arthurian legend, and this seems a particularly good one. Not only does it do a really good job of tying in Welsh/Irish life and legends, but much of the prose is beautiful and dense. The less satisfying aspects of the book, however, include the pacing and the incomprehensible motivations of some of the characters. Worst of all, though, is that the main character comes across as a bit of a Mary Sue and, while that kind of makes sense in the context of the story, it does feel a bit... I don't know, 'YA', which is very much at odds with the other aspects of the book. I guess I'd say that I'm glad I read it, but I'm also glad it's over :(
laprunminta reviewed Spear by Nicola Griffith
Review of 'Spear' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
I tried listening to this as I was painting. It didn't grab me. I realize there's mythology behind a lot of the choices, but the protagonist being amazingly good at everything, and having very little understanding of human nature, made for a boring read. Like "oh she has defeated that guy? Of course. She won but they still reject her? Of course. She doesn't understand why? Of course."
Holly Hudson reviewed Spear by Nicola Griffith
I wanted to like it
3 stars
I got 26% (thanks, e-reader) into this book before I quit. I really wanted to like it, with its queer heroine and beautiful writing style. But ultimately it’s a lone hero story and I’m practically allergic to those.
jmags reviewed Spear by Nicola Griffith
None
4 stars
Cool approach to Arthurian legend.
