“Lev Grossman’s new novel, The Bright Sword, joins 1,400 years of storytelling and resoundingly earns its place among the best of Arthurian tales. . . . Grossman, who is best known for his The Magicians series, is at the top of his game with The Bright Sword, which is full of enviable ideas and execution. Few authors could accomplish what he has, grounding such an ambitious novel in so much tradition and history while still making it accessible and deeply affecting.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“If T.H. White’s The Once and Future King is the legend of King Arthur for the twentieth century, The Bright Sword is King Arthur for the twenty-first.”
—Oprah Daily

“Just as he did in the Magicians trilogy, Grossman creates a fully absorbing and believable world populated by intriguing spins on well-established fantasy archetypes. The novel feels both classic and contemporary, and progressive in a refreshingly low-key way. A TV adaptation is already in the works; maybe it’ll be the Game of Thrones follow-up we deserve.”
—Vanity Fair

“The Knights of the Round Table are ragtag oddballs in this fresh retelling of the King Arthur tale. With fairies, wizards and Excalibur, it’s part history, part fantasy and all fun.”
—People Magazine

“Epic . . . Wonderful . . . An adventure and a picaresque . . . The Bright Sword tells a tale as old as (post-Roman) Britain that continues to delight.”
—The Wall Street Journal

“I was very excited to get my hands on this book — and it did not disappoint. . . . I recommend it whether you are a huge King Arthur head or not.”
—Wailin Wong, NPR’s “Pop Culture Happy Hour”

“Grossman’s lyrical prose has never been better. . . . I devoured this book and then thought it about it for a very long time. . . . One of my very favorite novels of the year.”
—Forbes

“Grossman’s doorstopper absolutely zips by with magic, monsters, swordplay, and a stirringly inclusive reimagining of the Round Table. All the names you’re hoping make an appearance do—but it isn’t fan service. Rather, Grossman is using the joys of these elements to interrogate (as one character ponders) ‘why, when we are made for a bright world, we must live in a dark one.’ At the time of this writing, I confess that this question is more pressing than I would’ve imagined when I read Grossman’s book this spring. If you are pondering it too, perhaps venturing into this epic of knights, monsters, legends, and self-discovery will help keep your candle burning against the dark times to come.”
—Lit Hub’s Best Fantasy of 2024

“In Lev Grossman’s Arthurian novel The Bright Sword, Camelot feels like a match for our own post-Trumpian moment. It’s a Camelot after the death of King Arthur. All the higher powers and supernatural figures who used to take an interest in Camelot’s fate have turned their backs. All the quests are over. The only people left alive are the ones who never quite fit into the stories to begin with, the ones who were too poor or too queer or too feminine or too Black to become legends. How, Grossman’s characters seem to ask, are we supposed to figure out what to do next in this kind of story? The answers, when they come, are radiant, and they feel surprisingly true.”
—Vox

“[An] epic tale of survivors and magic.”
—The Boston Globe

“A refreshingly diverse cast for an Arthurian saga.”
—Scientific American

“For anyone who’s ever craved a seat at the Round Table. Utterly enchanting.”
—Rebecca Yarros, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fourth Wing, Iron Flame, and Onyx Storm

“If you love King Arthur as much as I do, you’ll love Lev Grossman’s The Bright Sword, a fresh and engrossing take on the Matter of Britain featuring a colorful cast of Round Table knights who don’t often get as much story time as they deserve. The creator of The Magicians has woven another spell.”
—George R. R. Martin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Game of Thrones