I read Spear by Nicola Griffith recently (end of 2023) and had no idea what to expect from it going in (paid links). Like a couple of my other recent reads, this was technically a novella, essentially a short novel. This was the first book by this author that I had read. I listened to the audiobook edition, which was narrated by the author.
Here is the blurb:
The girl knows she has a destiny before she even knows her name. She grows up in the wild, in a cave with her mother, but visions of a faraway lake come to her on the spring breeze, and when she hears a traveler speak of Artos, king of Caer Leon, she knows that her future lies at his court.
And so, brimming with magic and eager to test her strength, she breaks her covenant with her mother and, with a broken hunting spear and mended armour, rides on a bony gelding to Caer Leon. On her adventures she will meet great knights and steal the hearts of beautiful women. She will fight warriors and sorcerers. And she will find her love, and the lake, and her fate.
I enjoyed this book a lot. It featured a girl without a name who finds her place in the world when she dares to leave the familiarity of home for adventure in the world. She comes upon the body of a slain knight and takes up his spear, gaining inspiration from the weapon to give herself a name.
Once she comes upon the slain knight’s companions, it was clear that this book was a retelling of Arthurian legend. While I’m far from an expert, I have read a fair number of these types of stories and am always interested to read a new take on classic tales. Even knowing those legends, this book was able to tell a compelling story that still surprised me.
It is clear from the early part of this book that the protagonist is a lesbian. While there is a love story within the novella, it isn’t the main focus of the plot. Other themes include the meaning of family and becoming accepted by others.
Have you read any books by Nicola Griffith? Which ones would you recommend? Let me know in the comments (above)
Find more of my reviews here.