Review by Booklist Review
This gender-bent retelling of the Percival legend is rooted in the history of sixth-century Wales. Peretur's earliest years are spent with her mother in a magically protected valley, but she dreams of joining the wider world and finding a name that fits her. One day she encounters a group of knights and secretly rescues them from an ambush with her preternatural quickness and ability to anticipate movement. When she finally travels to Caer Leon to join the Companions of Arturus, she discovers that Arturus has no trust for a stranger who emanates wild magic. Peretur finds herself much more at ease with the enchanter Nimuë, who aids the young warrior in her quest to discover the truth about her past and secure a mythical cup. Many of the references in this fast-moving tale may be familiar, including the Lady of the Lake, the Grail, Merlin, Lancelot and Guinivere, and Arthur himself, as well as the Irish Tuatha Dé Danann. Readers will appreciate this sparkling interpretation of Arthurian legend, which combines interesting historical detail with appealing, inclusive characters in a genuinely delightful way.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This fresh, emotionally immediate queer spin on the Medieval tale of Percival and the Holy Grail reaffirms Griffith (So Lucky) as a consummate storyteller. Peretur, raised in a cave by her mother, grows up desperate to see the outside world. As her strength and magical ability grow, so too does her ambition, and she soon makes her way to the court of King Artos disguised as a young man. There, in classic Arthurian style, Peretur faces a battery of tests and challenges--embarking on quests, stealing the hearts of maidens, and butting heads with various members of the court. Before long, her untrained magic makes her a target, and she must return home to face her greatest challenge yet. Steeped in period texture that brings remote history fully into the present, and lushly illustrated by Rovina Cai (The Seventh Raven), this tale of destiny, belonging, and home is a genuine pleasure. With a gender-swapped protagonist and purposeful representation of people of color and people with disabilities, this is an ideal pick for fans of retold legends, as well as those looking for diverse fantasy. Agent: Stephanie Cabot, Susanna Lea Assoc. (Apr.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
What if Percival, one of the Knights of the Round Table, was queer? As a young girl, the heroine of this novella lives alone with her mother, isolated from people but familiar with every plant and beast in the valley that is her home. Sometimes her mother calls her a gift. Other days, her mother says her daughter is payment for the abuse she endured. After a chance encounter gives her a taste of battle and a glimpse of the outside world, the girl decides to make her way to the court of Arturus. Before she sets out, she asks her mother for a true name, and her mother calls her Bêr-hyddur, "spear enduring"--Peretur. Disguised as a young man, Peretur protects villages from bandits, defeats rebel knights, seduces a barmaid, and brings the Grail to her king. Griffith mines the matter of Britain and Celtic mythology while, at the same time, turning tropes upside down and subverting expectations. Arturus, for example, is a principled ruler but also a man in thrall to his otherworldly sword. Nimuë--who becomes Peretur's lover and ally--imprisons Myrddyn (elsewhere known as Merlin), not to steal his magic but to stop him from controlling hers. Turning the knight who finds the Grail into a young woman is obviously an innovation, but Griffith also transforms the very nature of the Grail quest. Peretur knows exactly where the Grail is as soon as she understands what the Grail is. And Griffith is participating in a trend toward rediscovering diversity in the pre-modern world in a way that feels entirely organic. Peretur's journey to prove herself worthy of joining Arturus' companions moves along briskly without feeling rushed. Her Grail quest is her final test, but it feels like the beginning of a new narrative that ends before it begins. Readers interested in the fate of Arturus' kingdom will be wholly disappointed. Readers invested in Peretur and Nimuë will get the equivalent of a happily-ever-after that feels more like an abrupt dismissal than a satisfying ending. A fresh, often lovely, not entirely gratifying take on Arthurian legend. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
