{"product_id":"the-bright-sword-isbn-9780735224049","title":"The Bright Sword","description":"\u003cb\u003eNATIONAL BESTSELLER • A \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Editors’ Choice • The #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of the Magicians Trilogy and “master storyteller” (\u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e) returns with a triumphant reimagining of the King Arthur legend for the new millennium\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e Book Prize Finalist • Locus Award Finalist\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eNAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY \u003ci\u003eTHE NEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e, NPR, \u003ci\u003eTHE WALL STREET JOURNAL\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eVANITY FAIR\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTIME\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eOPRAH DAILY\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTOWN \u0026amp; COUNTRY\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eELLE\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eVOX\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ePASTE\u003c\/i\u003e, LIT HUB, \u003ci\u003ePOLYGON\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eKIRKUS REVIEWS\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e “Lev Grossman’s \u003ci\u003eThe Bright Sword\u003c\/i\u003e stands out as the best fantasy of the year.” —\u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e “Grossman, who is best known for his The Magicians series, is at the top of his game with \u003ci\u003eThe Bright Sword\u003c\/i\u003e.” —\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“A thrilling new take on Arthurian legend. . . . Marvelous.” —\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e “If you love King Arthur as much as I do, you’ll love Lev Grossman’s \u003ci\u003eThe Bright Sword\u003c\/i\u003e, 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 \u003ci\u003eThe Magicians\u003c\/i\u003e has woven another spell.” —George R. R. Martin, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eA Game of Thrones\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA gifted young knight named Collum arrives at Camelot to compete for a place at the Round Table, only to find that he’s too late. King Arthur died two weeks ago at the Battle of Camlann, and only a handful of the knights of the Round Table are left.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe survivors aren’t the heroes of legend like Lancelot or Gawain. They’re the oddballs of the Round Table, like Sir Palomides, the Saracen Knight, and Sir Dagonet, Arthur’s fool, who was knighted as a joke. They’re joined by Nimue, who was Merlin’s apprentice until she turned on him and buried him under a hill. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut it's up to them to rebuild Camelot in a world that has lost its balance, even as God abandons Britain and the fairies and old gods return, led by Morgan le Fay. They must reclaim Excalibur and make this ruined world whole again—but first they'll have to solve the mystery of why the lonely, brilliant King Arthur fell. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe first major Arthurian epic of the new millennium, \u003ci\u003eThe Bright Sword \u003c\/i\u003eis steeped in tradition, complete with duels and quests, battles and tournaments, magic swords and Fisher Kings. It's also a story about imperfect men and women, full of strength and pain, trying to reforge a broken land in spite of being broken themselves. | \u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003ePraise for \u003c\/u\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cu\u003eThe Bright Sword\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA BEST SUMMER READ: \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Time, Vulture, Esquire, Boston Globe, Elle, Town \u0026amp; Country, Seattle Times, New York Post, Lit Hub, Cosmopolitan, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Paste, BiblioLifestyle, E! Online, \u003c\/i\u003eAARP\u003ci\u003e, \u003c\/i\u003eBookBub\u003ci\u003e, BookRiot\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eOne of \u003ci\u003eMarie Claire\u003c\/i\u003e’s 13 Fantasy Books to Read When You Need an Escape\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Lev Grossman’s new novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Bright Sword\u003c\/i\u003e, 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 \u003ci\u003eThe Bright Sword\u003c\/i\u003e, 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.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Kiersten White, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“If T.H. White’s \u003ci\u003eThe Once and Future King\u003c\/i\u003e is the legend of King Arthur for the twentieth century, \u003ci\u003eThe Bright Sword\u003c\/i\u003e is King Arthur for the twenty-first.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Oprah Daily\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A thrilling new take on Arthurian legend. . . . Marvelous. . . . As Grossman’s splendid, offbeat quest reaches its conclusion, we see Arthur’s waves of Saxon invaders and their many predecessors refracted in a different light, one that helps illuminate our own tumultuous, battle-torn age in the way that only the best epics can.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—\u003c\/i\u003eElizabeth Hand, \u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Just as he did in the \u003ci\u003eMagicians\u003c\/i\u003e 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 \u003ci\u003eGame of Thrones\u003c\/i\u003e follow-up we deserve.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003ci\u003e—\u003c\/i\u003eVanity Fair\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“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.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—People\u003c\/i\u003e magazine\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e“Epic . . . Wonderful . . . An adventure and a picaresque . . . \u003ci\u003eThe Bright Sword\u003c\/i\u003e tells a tale as old as (post-Roman) Britain that continues to delight.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003ci\u003e—\u003c\/i\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“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.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—\u003c\/i\u003eWailin Wong, NPR’s “Pop Culture Happy Hour”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[Grossman’s] take may prove definitive for generations. . . . The perfect escape.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Kate Tuttle, \u003ci\u003eThe Boston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“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.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eForbes\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“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.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Lit Hub’s Best Fantasy of 2024\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“In Lev Grossman’s Arthurian novel \u003ci\u003eThe Bright Sword\u003c\/i\u003e, 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.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eVox\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Gripping and thrilling.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Tasha Robinson,\u003ci\u003e Polygon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A refreshingly diverse cast for an Arthurian saga.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eScientific American\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“For anyone who’s ever craved a seat at the Round Table. Utterly enchanting.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Rebecca Yarros, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eFourth Wing\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eIron Flame\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“If you love King Arthur as much as I do, you’ll love Lev Grossman’s \u003ci\u003eThe Bright Sword\u003c\/i\u003e, 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 \u003ci\u003eThe Magicians\u003c\/i\u003e has woven another spell.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—George R. R. Martin, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eA Game of Thrones\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A radiant reimagining of Arthurian legend. . . . \u003ci\u003eThe Bright Sword\u003c\/i\u003e made me love fantasy again. . . . A must-read.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Emily Price, \u003ci\u003ePaste\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“If you’re looking for a humorous yet simultaneously heartfelt, funny story from the world of Camelot, \u003ci\u003eThe Bright Sword \u003c\/i\u003emay be the pick for you.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Kendra Winchester, \u003ci\u003eBookRiot\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A novel that is as much about the Matter of Britain as it is our own florid and layered imaginings of it. Breathlessly weaves themes of faith, duty, and selfhood with a classic sword-and-sorcery adventure—this is why we read fantasy.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003c\/b\u003eAva Reid, #1\u003ci\u003e New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eA Study in Drowning\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A beautifully written, suitably weird, very human take on King Arthur that feels both modern and ancient. Reminded me of the joy and wonder I felt as a kid reading about King Arthur, when the world was bright, and full of dares...” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Joe Abercrombie, via X\/Twitter\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Here’s the big one, the tentpole, the book I’ve been waiting for nearly a decade: Lev Grossman’s Arthurian epic, clocking in at nearly 700 pages and absolutely worth lugging to the beach\/the mountains\/the park\/wherever else you might be vacationing. I’m happy to report that this book is not only one of the best of the year, but it’s one of the best Arthurian novels ever. Stand it up against \u003ci\u003eThe Once and Future King\u003c\/i\u003e or \u003ci\u003eThe Mists of Avalon\u003c\/i\u003e and I’d be willing to bet that it will come away the victor—it’s that good.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Drew Broussard, \u003ci\u003eLit Hub\u003c\/i\u003e’s “18 New Novels You Need to Read This Summer”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[An] epic tale of survivors and magic.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Boston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Like the best of Grossman’s work, [\u003ci\u003eThe Bright Sword\u003c\/i\u003e] is funny and sweeping . . . the medieval-romance structure allows \u003ci\u003eBright Sword\u003c\/i\u003e even more space to capitalize on Grossman’s talent for digression, dawdling, and finding unexpected trapdoors inside stories.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e —Kathryn VanArendonk,\u003ci\u003e Vulture\u003c\/i\u003e's “22 Books We Can’t Wait to Read this Summer” \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Magicians\u003c\/i\u003e author Lev Grossman took on what seemed the impossible: making the Arthurian legend feel fresh. Miraculously, he’s done just that with \u003ci\u003eThe Bright Sword\u003c\/i\u003e, which answers what came \u003ci\u003eafter\u003c\/i\u003e King Arthur’s fall. . . . Fans of classic fantasy and ancient magic will devour this one.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Elle\u003c\/i\u003e’s “Best New Books to Read in Summer 2024”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A magical, enthralling tale that you won't be able to put down.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Town \u0026amp; Country\u003c\/i\u003e’s “39 Must-Read Books of Summer 2024”\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The fantasy epic of the summer features an unexpectedly brilliant twist on one of the most famous stories of all time. \u003ci\u003eThe Bright Sword\u003c\/i\u003e is a rousing, imaginative continuation of the King Arthur myth. . . . Magic and murder abound in this rollicking adventure, a thrilling addition to Arthurian lore.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eMinneapolis Star Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This is storytelling at its purest: glorious, propulsive, and dramatic. Drawing on every aspect of the Arthurian mythos (and more besides), Grossman presents us with fairies, gi­ants, gods, angels, spellcasters, and elemental forces. The magical battles and the sword fights are all imbued with a cinematic quality while still maintaining a sense of the real, of metal parting flesh, of death and bone-crunching violence. . . . In opening the Arthurian legend to other forms of representation, Grossman recasts the narrative as a story about change.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Ian Mond, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eLocus\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Call it the millennial experience transposed onto Camelot; arriving in the big city full of hopes and dreams to find the economy is in freefall, all your heroes are dead or awful, and no one is coming to save you. Even with only one previous trilogy of adult fantasy under his belt, the premise is indelibly Lev Grossman.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Joshua Rivera, \u003ci\u003ePolygon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Once I picked this novel up, I could not stop reading. \u003ci\u003eThe Bright Sword\u003c\/i\u003e is compulsively readable and expertly told. Lev Grossman transports the reader with such assurance and finesse. Just pick it up and lose yourself inside these pages. You won't want to leave until the tale is done.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Victor LaValle, national bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eLone Women\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A rollicking, magical ride through Arthurian legend! Grossman intimately understands the medieval source material and wields it with playful ease. A joyful new addition to the Arthurian canon—a delight.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003c\/b\u003eAlice Winn, author of \u003ci\u003eIn Memoriam\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A doorstopper of an Arthurian retelling from the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Magicians \u003c\/i\u003etrilogy, \u003ci\u003eThe Bright Sword\u003c\/i\u003e offers a fresh take on the story by considering what comes \u003ci\u003eafter \u003c\/i\u003eKing Arthur.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Paste\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Satisfyingly epic but also fast-paced, this novel captures everything that’s grand and magnificent about the age of King Arthur while picking at its edges and delving into its darker depths. All fantasy and mythology fans will want to make time for this moving, entertaining epic. . . . This epic fantasy is sure to be a hit.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Booklist \u003c\/i\u003e(STARRED review)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A breathtaking tale that honors past iterations while producing something entirely unexpected. . . . Grossman does a remarkable job of pulling together these disparate strands while providing enough combat and magic to keep the pages turning. Epic fantasy fans will hang on every word.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e —\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e (STARRED review)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Highly recommended for readers who can’t resist a story featuring brave knights, stalwart queens, and magic.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e (\u003cb\u003eSTARRED \u003c\/b\u003ereview)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The story of King Arthur has been told and substantially altered many times over the centuries, and explored by a multitude of contemporary novelists, but the author of the Magicians trilogy makes room for himself here. . . . Very few writers have explored post-Arthurian Britain or focused quite so much on developing the stories of the minor characters in the saga. . . . A fresh take.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e (STARRED review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Readers willing to savor the book over many nights will find each chapter a neatly arranged, minia­ture adventure of its own. Traditionally minimal side characters in the story of Arthur—like Sir Bedivere, Sir Palomides and even Dagonet the Fool—receive intricate, deep backstories that erase the mythological buildup around each figure, viewing them instead in a far more human and often more modern light. At once full of desperate hope and grievous loss, \u003ci\u003eThe Bright Sword\u003c\/i\u003e is a moody reflection on Arthur’s tale.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Ralph Harris, \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBookPage\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e | \u003cb\u003eLev Grossman\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of the #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling Magicians trilogy—\u003ci\u003eThe Magicians, The Magician King, \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e The Magician’s Land—\u003c\/i\u003ewhich has been published in thirty countries and adapted as a TV show that ran for five seasons on SYFY. He is also a screenwriter and the author of two children’s books, \u003ci\u003eThe Golden Swift\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Silver Arrow,\u003c\/i\u003e and his journalism has appeared in \u003ci\u003eTime, Vanity Fair, The Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times,\u003c\/i\u003e among many other places. He lives with his wife and children in New York City. | \u003ci\u003eOne\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Azure, Three Scepters, a Chevron Or\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Collum punched the other knight in the face with the pommel of his sword gripped in his gauntleted fist, so hard the dark inlaid metal dimpled under his knuckles, but his opponent showed absolutely no sign of falling over or sur­rendering to him. He swore under his breath and followed it up with a kick to the ankle but missed and almost fell down, and the other knight spun gracefully and clouted him smartly in the head so his ears rang. He would’ve given a thousand pounds to be able to wipe the sweat out of his eyes, not that he had a thousand pounds. He had exactly three shillings and two silver pennies to his name. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe two men backed off and circled each other, big swords held up at stiff angles, shifting from guard to guard, heavy shards of bright sunlight glancing and glaring off the blades. They’d dropped their shields after the tilt to have both hands free. No mistakes now, Collum thought. \u003ci\u003eCircles not lines\u003c\/i\u003e, Marshal Aucassin whis­pered in his mind. \u003ci\u003eWatch the body not the blade. \u003c\/i\u003eHe threw a diag­onal cut that glanced harmlessly off the other knight’s shoulder. The inside of his helmet was a furnace, sharp smells of hay and sweat and raw leather. He’d come here to test himself against the flower of British chivalry, the greatest knights in the world, and by God he was getting what he came for. He was getting the stuffing beaten out of him. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThey stepped lightly, testing, offering, up on the balls of their feet. Every tiny movement made their armor squeak and clank and jingle in the quiet of the meadow; even the tips of their swords made tiny \u003ci\u003ewhips \u003c\/i\u003ein the stifling air. Why—why had he thought this was a good idea? Why hadn’t he stayed back on Mull? Heatstroke prickled at the back of Collum’s neck. They weren’t fighting to the death, but if he lost he’d lose his horse, and his armor, which he hadn’t gone through all the trouble of stealing it from Lord Alasdair just so he could hand it over to some nameless knight who proba­bly had half a dozen spares waiting for him back at his cozy castle. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd without his horse and armor Collum was nobody and noth­ing. An orphan and a bastard, poor as a church mouse and very far from home. And he could never go back. He’d made damn sure of that, hadn’t he? \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe didn’t even know who he was fighting; he’d stumbled on this man purely by chance, or possibly by God’s will—thanks a bunch, as always—sitting under a crooked ash in a meadow, head in his hands, as if the weight of the sunlight itself were too much for him. He’d looked up and shouted a challenge at Collum, and who did that anymore? It was like something out of the stories. Whoever this was, he was a knight of the old school. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis armor was old-fashioned, too, the breastplate black steel dam­ascened with a pattern of fine silver whorls and a rose at the center. A rich man’s armor. A nobleman’s. His helmet had a pointy snout like a beak, and like Collum he bore the \u003ci\u003evergescu\u003c\/i\u003e, the plain white shield of an unfledged knight. Collum bore it because he was not technically—as he’d tried to explain—a knight at all, not yet, he hadn’t sworn the vows, but there were other reasons to bear the vergescu, like to hide your identity if you were in disgrace. Or Sir Lancelot bore it sometimes because otherwise no one would fight him. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis man was no Lancelot, but he was pretty damn good. Thor­oughly fledged. Collum was taller but the mystery knight was faster—he barely saw him move when \u003ci\u003ebang! \u003c\/i\u003ehis wrist went numb and \u003ci\u003eping! \u003c\/i\u003ea tiny fastening pin sprang off his gauntlet and disap­peared forever into the grass. He stepped neatly inside Collum’s reach and grabbed for his wrist with his off hand, and Collum skipped back, panting like a bellows, but he stumbled and the man jammed his blade in the gap where his gardbrace didn’t fit right, shaving off a sharp curl of bright steel. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe pressed his advantage, whipping a backhand strike at Col­lum’s head that just missed—\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere it was. The knight let his follow-through pull him round just a little too far. He was tired, or he’d overcommitted, either way he couldn’t quite stop the stroke and it left him off-balance. Collum’s blood broke out in a martial chorus and with the last of his strength he barged ahead behind his gauntleted fist \u003ci\u003eMANG! \u003c\/i\u003eto the side of the knight’s helm, and twice more, \u003ci\u003eMANG! MANG! \u003c\/i\u003eJust like that he was through and into that other place, the one where he felt like a solid shining steel godling and nothing could stand against him, certainly not this soft, staggering wretch he saw before him! Collum regripped and delivered a clean, high, two-handed horizontal cut and the knight’s head snapped round and he sat down backward on the grass. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSir Vergescu tried to raise his blade but only dropped it again, as though fairies had cursed it so it weighed a thousand pounds. Col­lum let himself bend over panting, hands on hips. Sweat stung his eyes and gathered and dripped under his chin. Had he won? Really won? The man just sat there. He’d won. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe dropped to one knee and pressed the top of his helm against the cross of his sword. Thanks be to almighty God in Heaven! Thank you God for giving me—your unworthy servant—this magnificent fucking victory! He’d fought a British knight in a British hayfield and he had won. He could keep his precious ar­mor, for now at least. In the darkness of his helmet un‑knightly tears prickled in his eyes. Somewhere inside him there was strength, the strength he’d always longed for but never quite believed in. Not really. Not truly. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOr was there? Was there not something about this victory that was just a little bit too easy? Collum pushed that unappealing idea away, sniffed, and hauled himself to his feet again. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Well fought, sir,” he said. “Do you yield?” Collum thought in Gaelic, the language of the north, but for the occasion he used the courtliest, most correct, most Roman Latin he could muster. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe man didn’t answer. That beaky bird-helmet just gazed up at him, expressionless. It looked quizzical and a bit funny. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn fact, now that Collum had a second to take it in, the man’s ap­pearance was stranger than he’d realized. Armor hid his face but in other ways it spoke volumes. That pretty silver rose on his chest had been scratched and scribbled over; somebody had taken a nail or a sharp rock to it. On top of the knight’s helm, where a lady’s favor might have been, a knotted hank of dry grass was tied instead. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere were streaks of rust on his mail undercoat where the ar­mor plates overlapped and trapped the wet. Sir Vergescu’s cozy castle was far away, if he even had one. He must’ve been out on the road a long time. Maybe not so different from Collum after all. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe shook off his gauntlets and fumbled with his bare fingers at the buckles and catches at the back of his head and tore his helmet off and dropped it on the grass. The bright world blasted in on him from all sides, loud and acid-green. He rubbed his face vigorously with both hands. The hot summer air felt marvelously cool. The rush of victory was fading now, and the heat and hunger and thirst were coming back. His knees felt weak. He hadn’t eaten in two days. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe hoped the man wasn’t hurt. He’d actually been looking forward to having a chat with him. Breaking down the combat, talking some shop. Maybe he knew how things stood at Camelot. Maybe he even knew Sir Bleoberys of the Round Table. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Well fought, sir,” Collum said. “Do you yield to me now?” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Fuck your mother.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe man’s voice was hoarse and weary. Somewhere a woodlark sang: \u003ci\u003eloo-loo-loo-loo-loo tlooeet tlooeet tlooeet\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Beg pardon?” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Your mother.” His Latin was surprisingly refined. A lot better than Collum’s. “Fuck. Her.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaybe they weren’t going to be having that chat after all. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“That is ill said of you, sir.” Collum cleared his throat. “I ask again: Do you yield to me now?” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Well, that all depends,” the man replied, “on whether or not you’ve fucked your mother yet.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe was angry, obviously. It was embarrassing, losing to an un­fledged knightling. God knows he, Collum, wouldn’t have wanted to lose to himself. But it wasn’t his idea to fight, was it? \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaybe he was hurt after all. Maybe he was in pain. Collum put out his hand to help him up, and the mystery knight held out his own—but then quick as a lizard he grabbed Collum’s wrist in­stead, and with his other hand he whipped something thin and dark out of a sheath at his waist—a misericord, a long, thin knife made for slipping between armor plates—and thrust it up at Collum’s groin. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePurely on instinct Collum twisted his hips and took the blow smartly on his steel skirt. He caught the man’s knife hand and for a heartbeat they strained against each other, trembling. The knight kicked Collum’s ankles out and rolled on top of him with all his weight, and Collum lost the knife hand—God’s blood!—and pan­icked and scrabbled and caught it again just in time to keep his throat from getting laid open. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe threw his other arm around the man’s shoulders, heaved with his hips, and rolled them back over. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“God’s nails, stop!” His voice cracked hysterically. “Just yield!” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCollum fumbled for his own knife and forced it through the slit in the knight’s helm. The knight trembled like a rabbit in a snare and clawed at Collum’s face and thrust wildly with his pelvis. Then he coughed once and went still. \u003cbr\u003e The sound of insects was loud, like dry seeds rattling in a dry pod. Silent pillars of golden country sunlight were slowly burning the green timothy grass into hay. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe knight lay flat on the ground as if he’d fallen there from a great height. \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eJesus. \u003c\/i\u003eCollum scrambled to his feet, breathing hard. \u003ci\u003eShitting Je­sus. Thou recreant knight. \u003c\/i\u003eHe’d never killed a man before. \u003ci\u003eGod have mercy on us both. \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe man kicked once and then stopped moving forever. The only part of him that was exposed was that one fish-pale hand, the one he’d bared to go for his misericord. There were brown speck­les on the back of it, some ropy blue veins. Sir Misericord had not been in his first youth.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd now he was dead. And for what? Nothing. A game, played for no one, in an empty field. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd to think that they were barely a day’s ride from Camelot, the sun that bathed all of Britain in the golden light of chivalry. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“God have mercy,” Collum whispered. An hour ago he’d been no one, then he was a hero, and now he was a murderer. He stood there for a long time, he didn’t know how long. A cloud passed in front of the sun. The two horses, his and the dead knight’s, watched him with long-lashed disinterest. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen Collum knelt and with a shudder drew his knife out of the man’s eye socket. He walked over to where the fallen knight’s shield lay face down on the matted grass and turned it over with his toe. You could still make out the arms under a hasty coat of white paint: Azure, Three Scepters, a Chevron Or.","brand":"Viking","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46300749103333,"sku":"NP9780735224049","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780735224049.jpg?v=1767738538","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-bright-sword-isbn-9780735224049","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}