Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee

 

Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee.

Published 25th May 2023 by Orbit.

From the cover of the book:

IN PERILOUS TIMES LIKE THESE, THE REALM DOESN'T JUST NEED A HERO.
IT NEEDS A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR.

Sir Kay and his fellow knights awake from their mythical slumber whenever Britain has need of them; they fought at Agincourt and at the Somme. But in these perilous modern times, the realm is more divided than ever, a dragon has been seen for the first time in centuries, and Kay is not the only ancient and terrible thing to come crawling up out of the ground . . .

Perilous Times is a fiercely entertaining contemporary take on the myths of Camelot, which asks: what happens when the Knights of the Round Table return to fix the problems of the modern world?

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Who do you need when the realm is in peril? Well, a knight or two, of course! At least that is what Merlin thought. So, when Sir Kay and his fellow Knights of the Round Table are roused from their slumbers under the earth, they are in no doubt that Britain needs a helping hand. Sir Kay and Sir Lancelot have awakened in times of peril throughout history to help Britain fight its foes, including battling at Agincourt and at the Somme, however this time it is not easy to get a handle on exactly who the enemy is in a land ravaged by climate change, scarred by foolhardy schemes, and torn asunder by political division. Can the knights of old really vanquish the problems of the modern world?

Perilous Times is a darkly comic and heartfelt tale that takes the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and gives it a whole new spin as a cli-fi adventure threaded with magic and mayhem. Here, familiar characters of old arise from their supernatural slumbers to battle present-day villains, but Lee paints them as rather different from the versions celebrated in myth and legend. There is an intriguing sprinkling of some unexpected faces too, such as Christopher Marlowe deliciously channelling his own troubled creation Dr Faustus. This is a clever concept, and it offers an engaging way to explore some very timely, contemporary issues through the story - from environmental catastrophe, to knotty issues around patriotism, racism, immigration, political division, and class divide. 

This is essentially a tale of good against evil, and it thrums with themes of how power corrupts. There are plenty of thrills and spills to keep you occupied as the battle heats up, but also Lee often blurs the barriers between the two, which adds an intriguing complexity to the way events play out. It has the air of a madcap caper, with the modern world clashing delightfully with the old, and I especially liked the fallout of ancient rivalries, years of emotional baggage, and the atmosphere oozing with elemental magic rich in folklore and foretelling. There is a joyously contrived feminist twist too.

As debut novels go, this is impressive, and so much fun. Throughout, I was reminded of Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, as it captures that spot on mix of humour, heart, and a cracking story in the same way. There is great potential to develop this into a series, and I cannot wait to see what Lee comes up with next! 

Perilous Times is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Orbit for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review, and to Compulsive Readers Tours for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Thomas D. Lee is an author of fantastical and historical fiction. In 2019 he completed an MA in C reative Writing at the University of Manchester's C entre for New Writing. He has now embarked upon a PhD at the same institution, specialising in queer interpretations of the Arthurian mythos. He frequently considers emulating Merlin and becoming a hermit in the woods who speaks only in riddles.