A review by elwirax
Spear by Nicola Griffith

adventurous 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

The girl knows she has a destiny before she even knows her name.

From the notes at the end, it's clear that Spear was well researched and I thoroughly enjoyed how crowded it was in its Welsh setting. The writing style was lyrical but not to an obnoxious extent which made for an easy reading experience. I really liked the magic system and the sparse illustration  throughout were a nice wee touch. There was also a lesbian relationship and mentions of a poly relationship which I think could've done with some further development but were a great inclusion. 

Admittedly, the pace towards the ending was a bit rushed yet, as a whole it was very well developed for a novella and sometimes felt longer than its 192 pages. 

Overall, an enjoyable, queer retelling of the Arthurian legends.
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