It feels like the Knights of the Round Table are having a bit of a moment. I can think of at least five Arthurian fantasy revivals published in the last few years. And as a mythology retelling nerd, I’m loving the resurgence – and all the modern takes. Whether exploring a smaller part of the myth like the Lady of Shalott, centering Guinevere instead of the Knights, or bringing the characters’s descendants into the myth, these new books allow for real exploration of a Very Famous Story. They break down the tales we love and examine them against modern perspectives – and I, for one, am all about it. So I was more than happy to pick up a pre-read of Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee (thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the gift copy!).

Perilous Times takes a different tack than other modern Arthurian retellings. Instead of descendants or reincarnations, the knights actually come back to life whenever the Kingdom is in peril. And so, in a near-future climate apocalypse, the knights come alive to battle… climate change. It’s a funny and interesting premise, and I was expecting something Terry Pratchett-esque. (For some reason, the title gave me those vibes.) I got something a bit different, but not unwelcome…

Fantasy, revived

One of the challenges for a modern Arthurian revival is the choice of characters. While there are some knights that everyone knows (Arthur, Lancelot), and some famous characters (Merlin, Guinevere, Morgan le Fay), the majority of the cast is less familiar. And so many authors focus only on that famous cast – a choice that can make all the books feel samey.

Lee takes a different tack – he zooms in on Kay (Arthur’s foster brother) and Lancelot. The two serve as foils for each other throughout the novel. Kay, in Lee’s telling, is Black (in contrast to Lancelot’s true Golden Boy status). Kay questions his orders, where Lancelot simply follows them. Because Kay is less known than Lancelot, Lee can give him whatever traits are most helpful.

That’s not to say that Lee doesn’t dig deeper into Lance as well. I’d never heard of Galehaut before, but Lee uses him to create new depths to the already-familiar Lancelot character. And we get to see more and different sides of a number of other characters: Merlin, Morgan le Fay, and Arthur all make an appearance. For a casual Arthurian fan, it’s a pretty fun read.

Modern perils

Of course, the characters aren’t different solely because Lee chooses to emphasize new stories. Instead, he sets them against the biggest modern peril possible – climate change. In Lee’s telling, the Knights of the Round Table come back to life whenever England is in sufficient danger to need their support. They’ve been revived countless times – and here, it’s in response to the explosion of an oil rig by an eco-terrorist, Mariam.

As it happens, Kay hasn’t been back to life in a while, and both he and Lancelot are dismayed to see the state of the environment. Gone are the woods and fens of yore, replaced by watery marshland and refugee camps. It’s much more of an existential threat than the wars they’ve faced in the past, and it’s interesting to see how they grapple with the challenge. Interesting, too, to see their reactions to the committees and meetings for change – there’s a definite bias for action espoused here.

That said, Lee took on a tough challenge in juxtaposing ancient knights and climate change – those who solve by stabbing against a problem that can’t really be stabbed. So he uses a slight cheat to make the whole story work out – it turns out at least part of the problem an be stabbed! I’ll try to avoid spoilers here, but the ending tries to have its cake and eat it too. Is the threat human greed, or a sinister cabal? Lee doesn’t have a truly satisfying answer.

Reader’s notes & rating (⭐⭐⭐✨)

Endings aside, I thoroughly enjoyed this read and would recommend it, I started reading Perilous Times hoping for something funny and ended up with something a bit more earnest. Once I got over the expectations mismatch, I quite enjoyed the read – Lee is a creative writer and it was fun to explore his world for a while. It’s a good read for someone into the Knights of the Round Table and their lore – and one who believes in climate change. I’m not sure how wide that overlap is – but if you fall in, give this a shot! Three and a half stars.

Perilous Times will be published on May 23, 2023.