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swineberg's review against another edition
5.0
This book swings for the fences and for me, just totally nails it. Tidhar incorporates the familiar elements of Arthurian stories while also telling a tale of a people building a nation in the ruins of an empire, a rollicking fantasy and sci-fi adventure, a gangland tale, an examination of the rise of Christianity and the way it is at odds with both science and magic, and a deconstruction of why and how we tell these tales of might and nationalism and myth. Give it to the boy. This is catnip to me.
One of the most genre-blending books I’ve ever read, consistently dazzling in its imagination and references.
It seems in vogue to write these types of stories now, but they’re harder to pull off than they seem. It’s a complete gut rehab of its source material, placing it in a historical context rarely seen for Arthurian stories while throwing in everything under the sun in a way that somehow blends into a cohesive, boundless world. Just what I needed to read when I needed to read it, exactly what I hoped it would be.
That said, drink every time you read the phrase “by force alone”
One of the most genre-blending books I’ve ever read, consistently dazzling in its imagination and references.
It seems in vogue to write these types of stories now, but they’re harder to pull off than they seem. It’s a complete gut rehab of its source material, placing it in a historical context rarely seen for Arthurian stories while throwing in everything under the sun in a way that somehow blends into a cohesive, boundless world. Just what I needed to read when I needed to read it, exactly what I hoped it would be.
That said, drink every time you read the phrase “by force alone”
bhagestedt's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
andromeda_1998's review against another edition
The constant sex references aren’t for me.
skiracechick's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like this book. The premise was pretty cool, a re-writing of the knights of the round table! Alas, it really just missed the mark. I felt lost about half the time. They were off off some adventure or another that didn’t mean anything. They were all just dumb idiots. They swore at each other and in general… a lot (this was probably my favorite part). It just didn’t do it for me, and’s that makes me sad. Maybe it’s better to read the book vs listen to the audiobook? I don’t know, but I’m probably not going to give it a try.
r2dane2's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
5.0
laurendubs's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
albon's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
gerbilreads's review against another edition
2.0
A heavy rock album of a novel, strung with discordant strings and thundering bass. Very entertaining for 100 pages, then I just wanted someone to be nice to someone to give it some meaning. No one was, so I put it down. Excellent book for fans of endless violence and semen.
radella_hardwick's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyable speculative retelling of Arthur
Could've done with less of the London in the 70s vibe and more character development for most people
Could've done with less of the London in the 70s vibe and more character development for most people
soleadohmbt's review against another edition
5.0
A dead-on commentary of 21st century greed for wealth and power disguised as a reboot of the Arthurian legend. The power of myth and legend only stays with its relevance to contemporary culture. Tidhar’s reboot is all of that. At times brutal and bloodthirsty, at others witty, clever and hilarious. You’ll find references from modern slang to Shakespeare and beyond sprinkled throughout that make you say, “A-ha! I see what you did there, Lavie!”