Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - Perilous Times

Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee

3 reviews

bookforthought's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Whenever Britain is in peril, the Knights of Camelot will return to save it. In a not-so-distant future, forests have almost disappeared, the air is unbreathable, the waters are so polluted even minor deities struggle to survive while entire cities are flooded, contractors and businessmen run the country while Essex had to be sold to China, and a dragon is seen again for the first time in centuries... these are quite clearly perilous times indeed. But Kay, brother of King Arthur himself, is tired and can hardly keep up with all the changes and the wars he has already lived through. Besides, does the world really need knights anymore? Old legends and heroes are not always what they seem and, in this terrible context, the possibility of Arthur's return might be the worst thing yet to happen.

Perilous Times is an interesting mix of Arthurian queer retelling, contemporary fantasy and dystopia. The Britain it is set in appears to be very close to the end of times and was, frankly, quite terrifying. The climate crisis is a central element in this book and the depiction of one of the possible futures awaiting us is handled incredibly well, with vivid descriptions making it feel very real and imminent. This Britain is dark, desolate and poisoned, marred by an excess of individualism and frantic search for profit, with very few elements of humanity and compassion left in sight. It would be easy to despair and depict a bleak future, but the element of resistance is strong in this book, with pockets of hope and characters who just don't give up trying, even when there seems no point in it anymore.

Kay was an interesting main character, and he was quite easy to sympathise with most of the time. He has flaws and plenty of regrets and actively questions his place in the world and his role in history. When he meets Mariam, a young climate activist with a flair for action (and at times destruction), and her friends from FETA (the Feminist Environmentalist Transgressive Alliance, not the cheese), he figures he may just have found his place. That is, until Lancelot returns with plans to stop him. Several other characters from Arthurian legends make an appearance and most of them are not what we have been led to believe. The author's deep knowledge of the mythos and his interest in different interpretations of it shines through in the incredible detail involved. I have a fairly superficial knowledge of the legends, but still could very easily follow without ever feeling like I was being lectured.

Although it may seem that way from the publisher's blurb, this book is not all heavy action, sword fights between old knights and slaying dragons. Sure, there is a fair bit of that (and it is highly entertaining!), but there is also quite a lot of politics and people reflecting on the state of the world and a possible way forward when all hope for the future seems lost. There is also a pretty heavy-handed critique of neo-liberal capitalism and exploitative practices of accumulation and profit, as well as a wry portrait of the fragmentation and inaction of activism and the left. I personally really enjoyed these elements and appreciated the satire, which spared no one (including the "good guys") but it may not be everyone's cup of tea, especially if you're picking this up expecting something completely different.

The whole "hero" narrative is also thoroughly explored, and the very human tendency of absolving ourselves from all responsibilities by finding someone to fix all our problems for us is critiqued throughout. Although it is pretty clear that we're supposed to be rooting for certain characters (hint: not the world-destroying ones), no side is exempt from witty criticism for their actions, inactions and dubious choices, not thinking through the consequences.

Despite having appreciated the more political/satirical elements, as I said, this was also where at times I got a bit frustrated with this book. The message is pretty clear from the beginning, yet it is still not-so-subtly repeated multiple times throughout, making it feel a bit as if we were repeatedly bashed over the head with it to ensure the point comes across. This slowed down the narrative several times and felt very repetitive. The book is also very Britain-centric, not just in setting, but also in references and humour, so I'm sure I missed something there but, despite making me smile in a few places, I never had any laugh-out-loud moments. I also had a few issues with the characterisation of Mariam's friends: I loved seeing a tight-knit, diverse group of friends, but I would have liked for them to have a more central role and to be more fleshed out. As it was, the friends were largely interchangeable, and by the end of the book I still could not remember who was who.

Overall, this was a pleasant read that allowed plenty of space for reflection and more than a few interesting quotes, providing hope in dark times. An urgent reminder of the importance of taking responsibility and the power of community to effect change.

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley as part of the blog tour organised by Compulsive Readers. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

Content Warnings

luckylulureads's review against another edition

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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

ninjamuse's review against another edition

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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 book…

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!

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