The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! đ
shelfofunread's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
 3.5 stars. As someone currently writing a PhD on Arthurian Literature, the current resurgence of King Arthur in popular culture makes my little heart very happy indeed. Between Perilous Times, Thomas D. Leeâs lively mix of contemporary satire and surprisingly poignant eco-novel, and Sophie Keetchâs forthcoming feminist retelling Morgan is my Name, 2023 promises to be a good year for fans of all things Round Table.
Perilous Times opens with Kay, long-suffering brother to King Arthur and Steward of the Round Table, clawing himself up from beneath his magically enchanted oak tree to rescue England from yet another peril. Unusually, however, thereâs no one there to greet him this time. Not even shadowy government agent Marlowe has deigned to make an appearance. There is, however, a young woman called Miriam who appears to be running away from some armed â and extremely dangerous â guards at a nearby facility, which is enough peril for Kay to be getting on with.
Miriam, it turns out, is a climate activist (or âeco-terroristâ as Marlowe and his fellow governmental agents would put it). Along with her friends from FETA, sheâs actively campaigning against the various mega-corporations and governmental agencies whose greed has resulted in what might just be a hopelessly broken Britain. When she meets Kay, Miriam dares to hope that this might be a sign that the tides are turning. But, with Lancelot rampaging across Britain at the behest of shadowy, immortal masters, is the return of the Knights of the Round Table really the solution to all of the countryâs problems?
Thereâs more than a touch of Good Omens about Perilous Times, with its biting send-up of neoliberal capitalism, governmental bureaucracy, and shadowy âplansâ. I almost expected Merlin to say that the whole thing was âineffableâ at times. Thereâs also some (slightly gentler) ribbing of liberal ideologies and Arthurian tropes, with some interesting takes on well-known characters such as Merlin and Nimue.
That said, Perilous Times was, for me, a slightly harsher book in many respects. The novel is strident in its condemnation of the way in which corporate greed and governmental corruption can damage both people and planet and, whilst I agreed with many of the sentiments expressed, I did find its somewhat binary in its depictions of various groups at times. The activists within FETA, for example, are depicted as the âgood guysâ despite sanctioning violent direct action (and being largely ineffectual), whilst the villains are two-dimensional bad guys who combine corporate greed with private displays of xenophobia, racism, misogyny, and homophobia. Given that the messaging of the novel is so relevant and important, it was disappointing to see so complex and nuanced a subject portrayed in this manner.
The main characters were, fortunately, considerably more rounded. Kay is, for the most part, likeable and engaging and Lee conveys the sense of a man who is both forward-thinking but also out-of-time very well. Given that Kay is a figure who, in many Arthurian texts, has something as a bad rep (heâs usually portrayed as either a bit of a bore, somewhat arrogant or, on occasion, both), it was interesting to see a take on that character that fully conveyed the responsibilities â and limitations â of the role of Steward, and that explored Kayâs status as Arthurâs brother.
It took me a little longer to warm to Miriam but, as the novel progressed, I did find myself rooting for her and felt that her character developed in some interesting and unexpected ways. I also really loved the way in which the novel played with expectations about the central Arthurian characters: Lancelot, Merlin, Nimue, and even Arthur himself. Lee often subverts our expectations about these âheroesâ, showing them to be no less flawed than the average human, for all their immortality.
Whilst there were times when I felt that the various issues dealt with in the novel (which, in addition to climate change, include politics, gender, racial, and LGBTQ++ equality, and the polarisation of contemporary life and culture) was smothering the story, the ending does wrap up the various strands convincingly and, as the story picked up pace, I became more involved with the characters themselves and their individual storylines, rather than the overarching messaging. There is also plenty of book to cover everything, with the novel checking in at a chunky 560 pages!
Overall, Perilous Times is an engaging, playful and highly relevant take on Arthurian mythology, which combines a gentle send-up of mythological narrative figures and tropes with some a hard-hitting satire of extreme capitalism and governmental corruption. This definitely wonât be a book for everyone but, if youâre interested in a fantastical romp that has Pratchett-esque vibes, a strong social conscience, and a hefty dose of dark comedy, then this is definitely a debut novel worth adding to your âto readâ pile!
NB: This review first appeared on my blog at http://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpres... as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.Â
Perilous Times opens with Kay, long-suffering brother to King Arthur and Steward of the Round Table, clawing himself up from beneath his magically enchanted oak tree to rescue England from yet another peril. Unusually, however, thereâs no one there to greet him this time. Not even shadowy government agent Marlowe has deigned to make an appearance. There is, however, a young woman called Miriam who appears to be running away from some armed â and extremely dangerous â guards at a nearby facility, which is enough peril for Kay to be getting on with.
Miriam, it turns out, is a climate activist (or âeco-terroristâ as Marlowe and his fellow governmental agents would put it). Along with her friends from FETA, sheâs actively campaigning against the various mega-corporations and governmental agencies whose greed has resulted in what might just be a hopelessly broken Britain. When she meets Kay, Miriam dares to hope that this might be a sign that the tides are turning. But, with Lancelot rampaging across Britain at the behest of shadowy, immortal masters, is the return of the Knights of the Round Table really the solution to all of the countryâs problems?
Thereâs more than a touch of Good Omens about Perilous Times, with its biting send-up of neoliberal capitalism, governmental bureaucracy, and shadowy âplansâ. I almost expected Merlin to say that the whole thing was âineffableâ at times. Thereâs also some (slightly gentler) ribbing of liberal ideologies and Arthurian tropes, with some interesting takes on well-known characters such as Merlin and Nimue.
That said, Perilous Times was, for me, a slightly harsher book in many respects. The novel is strident in its condemnation of the way in which corporate greed and governmental corruption can damage both people and planet and, whilst I agreed with many of the sentiments expressed, I did find its somewhat binary in its depictions of various groups at times. The activists within FETA, for example, are depicted as the âgood guysâ despite sanctioning violent direct action (and being largely ineffectual), whilst the villains are two-dimensional bad guys who combine corporate greed with private displays of xenophobia, racism, misogyny, and homophobia. Given that the messaging of the novel is so relevant and important, it was disappointing to see so complex and nuanced a subject portrayed in this manner.
The main characters were, fortunately, considerably more rounded. Kay is, for the most part, likeable and engaging and Lee conveys the sense of a man who is both forward-thinking but also out-of-time very well. Given that Kay is a figure who, in many Arthurian texts, has something as a bad rep (heâs usually portrayed as either a bit of a bore, somewhat arrogant or, on occasion, both), it was interesting to see a take on that character that fully conveyed the responsibilities â and limitations â of the role of Steward, and that explored Kayâs status as Arthurâs brother.
It took me a little longer to warm to Miriam but, as the novel progressed, I did find myself rooting for her and felt that her character developed in some interesting and unexpected ways. I also really loved the way in which the novel played with expectations about the central Arthurian characters: Lancelot, Merlin, Nimue, and even Arthur himself. Lee often subverts our expectations about these âheroesâ, showing them to be no less flawed than the average human, for all their immortality.
Whilst there were times when I felt that the various issues dealt with in the novel (which, in addition to climate change, include politics, gender, racial, and LGBTQ++ equality, and the polarisation of contemporary life and culture) was smothering the story, the ending does wrap up the various strands convincingly and, as the story picked up pace, I became more involved with the characters themselves and their individual storylines, rather than the overarching messaging. There is also plenty of book to cover everything, with the novel checking in at a chunky 560 pages!
Overall, Perilous Times is an engaging, playful and highly relevant take on Arthurian mythology, which combines a gentle send-up of mythological narrative figures and tropes with some a hard-hitting satire of extreme capitalism and governmental corruption. This definitely wonât be a book for everyone but, if youâre interested in a fantastical romp that has Pratchett-esque vibes, a strong social conscience, and a hefty dose of dark comedy, then this is definitely a debut novel worth adding to your âto readâ pile!
NB: This review first appeared on my blog at http://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpres... as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.Â
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, War, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Gun violence, Alcohol, Cursing, and Homophobia
Minor: Incest, Racism, and Fatphobia
azrah786's review against another edition
4.25
 [This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I received a proof copy from Orbit Books UK in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, gun violence, blood, gore, injury, body horror, war, death, animal death, suicide/suicide attempt, murder, addiction, drug use, alcohol, police brutality, xenophobia, racism, sexism
--
An absolutely bonkers book but in the best kind of way, Perilous Times is the retelling that you need to get your hands on this year!
Taking place in a bleak future Britain where climate change and corporate corruption have wreaked havoc on the nation, Arthurian Knights â who once upon a time signed off their lives to be resurrected whenever the world is in peril â crawl out of the earth to aid in saving the day. However, the tribulations of modern times are not as clear cut as they expected.
With a fast moving plot that is equally fun and thought provoking we meet a vast array of characters, including many from legend, with the lead protagonists being Sir Kay, Lancelot and a young women called Mariam who is part of a feminist environmentalist (sort of terrorist) group. They are each brilliantly voiced and their interactions with one another are gold.
Through their individual and intersecting journeys, which are action packed with both fantastical sword clashing and freedom fighting, Lee presents a satirical take on the state of the world as we know it and it is wonderfully refreshing. The book is an ode to the cultures and sentiments that make up Britain in all of their shades with the heart of the story touching on what it means to be a hero and what it means to stand for the greater good.
The comparisons to Good Omens are pretty spot on. Lee has taken the best elements from Pratchettâs and Gaimanâs works and has masterfully mixed in classical myths and folklore, British history and contemporary socio-political issues to spin a story that is wonderfully entertaining and unique. The peak British humour which is also woven seamlessly into the novel is honestly the icing on the cake, trust me you will be laughing out loud with this one.
I feel like there were some moments that felt a little repetitive especially when it came to some of the dialogue but then again a debut novel is not without its hiccups. Also I went in knowing that there was a Muslim character in the book and as a Muslim reader I have to say that the representation was found wanting as it was pretty surface level. These points however didn't detract my enjoyment of the book as a whole.
If youâre a fan of stories that make you think on current affairs or more so where immortal/fantastical beings are thrown into the chaos of the modern world then read this!!
Final Rating â 4.25/5 StarsÂ
**I received a proof copy from Orbit Books UK in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, gun violence, blood, gore, injury, body horror, war, death, animal death, suicide/suicide attempt, murder, addiction, drug use, alcohol, police brutality, xenophobia, racism, sexism
--
An absolutely bonkers book but in the best kind of way, Perilous Times is the retelling that you need to get your hands on this year!
Taking place in a bleak future Britain where climate change and corporate corruption have wreaked havoc on the nation, Arthurian Knights â who once upon a time signed off their lives to be resurrected whenever the world is in peril â crawl out of the earth to aid in saving the day. However, the tribulations of modern times are not as clear cut as they expected.
With a fast moving plot that is equally fun and thought provoking we meet a vast array of characters, including many from legend, with the lead protagonists being Sir Kay, Lancelot and a young women called Mariam who is part of a feminist environmentalist (sort of terrorist) group. They are each brilliantly voiced and their interactions with one another are gold.
Through their individual and intersecting journeys, which are action packed with both fantastical sword clashing and freedom fighting, Lee presents a satirical take on the state of the world as we know it and it is wonderfully refreshing. The book is an ode to the cultures and sentiments that make up Britain in all of their shades with the heart of the story touching on what it means to be a hero and what it means to stand for the greater good.
The comparisons to Good Omens are pretty spot on. Lee has taken the best elements from Pratchettâs and Gaimanâs works and has masterfully mixed in classical myths and folklore, British history and contemporary socio-political issues to spin a story that is wonderfully entertaining and unique. The peak British humour which is also woven seamlessly into the novel is honestly the icing on the cake, trust me you will be laughing out loud with this one.
I feel like there were some moments that felt a little repetitive especially when it came to some of the dialogue but then again a debut novel is not without its hiccups. Also I went in knowing that there was a Muslim character in the book and as a Muslim reader I have to say that the representation was found wanting as it was pretty surface level. These points however didn't detract my enjoyment of the book as a whole.
If youâre a fan of stories that make you think on current affairs or more so where immortal/fantastical beings are thrown into the chaos of the modern world then read this!!
Final Rating â 4.25/5 StarsÂ
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Murder, Racism, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Drug use, Violence, Alcohol, Grief, Gun violence, Blood, Gore, Suicide, Death, Police brutality, Xenophobia, and Sexism
kindra_demi's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
If there is one thing to be aware of with this book: be aware of the trigger warnings. Especially the suicide/suicide attempts and the alcoholism. They are very heavy and prominent points in the story. Others include: murder, attempted murder, bodily horror, drug addiction.
I was initially interested by the premise of this book: King Arthur inspired story in a near future England. The Knights of the Roundtable made a deal with Merlin in their first life that they may die but they will never pass over in the afterlife. They instead will return to their ancient oak to be resurrected when England is in peril. Now introducing Kay, a knight of the of the round table and King Arthurâs brother. Not much later, we meet Mariam, a member of an all women eco-activist group in England. She and her sisters are working for climate justice in a country dealing with the repercussions of corporate greed, climate change, and government sellout. Kay initially joins with Miriam in this mission. The third POV we eventually get is Lancelot, who offers the opportunity to see more of the workings of the corporate side of the world for the beginning.
While the story is set to follow the 3 individuals as Kay and Lancelot discover what they were raised for (and what the new world means) and Mariam as she and her sisters fight for their initiatives with their own new understanding of the world where men resurrect from the ground, the more interesting aspect in my opinion was actually the backstory of the characters. A big complaint of mine for the story is it felt like the foreshadowing was blatantly thrown into your face like a âhmmm that suspicious but I wonât look at itâ *40 pages later* âah yes that thing that was suspicious was badâ. So I became more interested in why certain dynamics were the way they were.
This book is not an easy read either. It covers a lot of contemporary issues that can weigh you down a lot as you are reading it. (And this is coming from someone who normally reads a lot of books that have contemporary issues/dark topics in it).
Overall, it was a decent book. The pacing felt right and the British humor is a good relief to some of the darkness. The foreshadowing and the overall heaviness is what brings down my rating though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Violence, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Pandemic/Epidemic
luckylulureads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Self harm, War, Xenophobia, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual content, and Suicide
Minor: Hate crime, Homophobia, Addiction, Antisemitism, Incest, Alcohol, Animal death, Classism, Drug use, and Toxic friendship
ninjamuse's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
You know how sometimes you read a blurb and think, "This was written for me, I'm going to love it", and then you start reading and think, "This was totally written for me, I'm going to love it", and then you get to the end and think, "Yes, loved it!"
Perilous Times isn't a perfect book but it is a blast of a debut. It's full of off-kilter Arthuriana, humour that goes from light to dark at the drop of a hat, "sure, why not" moments, and political commentary that's both funny and way too real. The main characters were either intensely lovable or relatable or the sort of folks you love to hate, and sure, I saw some of the twists coming, but not all of them, and the ride, you guys, the ride that is this bookâŚ
Please add this to your TBRs if you enjoy any of the following:
- blowing up fracking facilities and accidentally releasing dragons
- protagonists who want so badly to make the world better but everything's so broken, how do you even do that?
- protagonists who've been around long enough everything is an "oh no, not this again"
- antagonists who are certain they're the good guys
- antagonists who know they're the bad guys and don't care
- "Can we trust this weirdo?" "I used to kill Nazis." "Great, you're in."
- man-out-of-time moments
- English folklore turned on its head and occasionally used to stab you
- a funny near-future that takes climate change seriously
- skewering the worst parts of political movements
- the Kingdom of Wales
- grab-bag world-building that shouldn't work but does
- niche historical references
- diverse protagonists who just are
- Terry Pratchett, Ben Aaronovitch, and/or T.H. White
Like I said, though, it's not perfect. Specifically, it does the thing where characters don't "get" stuff when they maybe should so that the author can really drive the themes home. But, like, that was really the only failing for me? And it gave me resurrected Arthurian knights and a recurring dragon and wacky magic and Faustian bargains and so many more tropes that are my catnip that I'm still giving this an 8/10. (Or, well, a 7.9 if I'm going to be more honest.)
It's out May 23. Watch for it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, and Mental illness
Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Racism, Drug use, and Homophobia
More...