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Sword Stone Table: Old Legends, New Voices
Featuring stories by a bestselling, cross-genre assortment of the most exciting writers working today, an anthology of gender-bent, race-bent, LGBTQIA+, and inclusive retellings from the vast lore surrounding King Arthur, Camelot, and the Knights of the Round Table.
Here you'll find the Lady of the Lake reimagined as an albino Ugandan sorceress and the Lady of Shalott as a wealthy, isolated woman in futuristic Mexico City; you'll see Excalibur rediscovered as a baseball bat that grants a washed-up minor leaguer a fresh shot at glory and as a lost ceremonial drum that returns to a young First Nations boy the power and the dignity of his people. There are stories set in Gilded Age Chicago, '80s New York, twenty-first century Singapore, and space; there are lesbian lady knights, Arthur and Merlin reborn in the modern era for a second chance at saving the world and falling in love--even a coffee shop AU.
Brave, bold, and groundbreaking, the stories in Sword Stone Table will bring fresh life to beloved myths and give long-time fans a chance to finally see themselves in their favorite legends.
Here you'll find the Lady of the Lake reimagined as an albino Ugandan sorceress and the Lady of Shalott as a wealthy, isolated woman in futuristic Mexico City; you'll see Excalibur rediscovered as a baseball bat that grants a washed-up minor leaguer a fresh shot at glory and as a lost ceremonial drum that returns to a young First Nations boy the power and the dignity of his people. There are stories set in Gilded Age Chicago, '80s New York, twenty-first century Singapore, and space; there are lesbian lady knights, Arthur and Merlin reborn in the modern era for a second chance at saving the world and falling in love--even a coffee shop AU.
Brave, bold, and groundbreaking, the stories in Sword Stone Table will bring fresh life to beloved myths and give long-time fans a chance to finally see themselves in their favorite legends.
480 pages, Paperback
First published July 13, 2021
174 people are currently reading
7349 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 283 reviews
July 4, 2021
My formative King Arthur works were the 1963 Disney movie The Sword in the Stone, and 1975’s Monty Python and the Holy Grail. When I discovered Mary Stewart’s The Crystal Cave, as a preteen, my life as a reader of fantasy and romance was set. I’m a King Arthur enthusiast, but not a purist (except for Antoine Fuqua’s 2004 King Arthur – great cast, beautiful visuals, terrible movie that should never have been marketed as “historically accurate”). Hearing that a work is a retelling of or inspired by King Arthur will prick up my ears. When I saw an anthology of short stories based around King Arthur edited by Swapna Krishna and Jenn Northington on NetGalley, I smashed the request button hard. Look at this list of authors: Alexander Chee, Preeti Chhibber, Roshani Chokshi, Sive Doyle, Maria Dahvana Headley, Ausma Zehanat Khan, Daniel M. Lavery, Ken Liu, Sarah MacLean, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Jessica Plummer, Anthony Rapp, Waubgeshig Rice, Alex Segura, Nisi Shawl, and S. Zainab Williams.
Overall, this was an excellent anthology. Some of the stories were perfect bonbons that did not need any additional words. Others I would love to see developed into longer stories, or more stories told in that world. All of the stories expand the world of Camelot, some by bringing in a different perspective, some by relocating the mythology in place and time, and others by re-focusing the lens on characters in the world.
Many of the Arthurian legends focus on destiny and prophecy. Some of my favorite stories focused instead on choices. The anthology starts strong with Ausma Zehanat Khan’s “The Once and Future Qadi,” which brings a Muslim scholar’s wisdom into the mythology of the British Isles. We see King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, and Lancelot acting out their tragedy through the eyes of an outsider. Preeti Chhibber wakes Merlin and Morgana up in contemporary Great Britain and gives them another chance to make better choices with Arthur, now Arjun, in “Once (Them) & Future (Us).” One of my favorite stories was Roshani Chokshi’s “Passing Fair and Young” which gives young Elaine a choice – does she want to be a legend, or a footnote in the legends of others.
Other stories took elements of the Arthurian legend and placed them in a post-colonial context. Waubgeshig Rice’s “Heartbeat” locates the Sword in the Stone legend on an Anishinaabe reservation, where a young First Nations boy reclaims the heritage outlawed by the British colonizers. Another favorite, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s “A Shadow in Amber,” transplants the sadness of Lady of Shalott into a near future Mexico City.
Many of the stories brought queerness to the mythology. I loved Daniel M. Lavery’s brutal and yet gentle skewering of chivalry in “How, after Long Fighting, Galehaut Was Overcome by Lancelot Yet Was Not Slain and Made Great Speed to Yield to Friendship; Or, Galehaut the Knight of the Forfeit.” The story I most want to see expanded is Alexander Chee’s “Little Green Men.” Set on a human colonized Mars, it’s a retelling of Sir Gawain and the Green Night with all the anxiety of a fragile life in space and the intrusiveness of a constant audience.
I’ve only touched on a few stories. There is more in here to discover.
I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, this was an excellent anthology. Some of the stories were perfect bonbons that did not need any additional words. Others I would love to see developed into longer stories, or more stories told in that world. All of the stories expand the world of Camelot, some by bringing in a different perspective, some by relocating the mythology in place and time, and others by re-focusing the lens on characters in the world.
Many of the Arthurian legends focus on destiny and prophecy. Some of my favorite stories focused instead on choices. The anthology starts strong with Ausma Zehanat Khan’s “The Once and Future Qadi,” which brings a Muslim scholar’s wisdom into the mythology of the British Isles. We see King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, and Lancelot acting out their tragedy through the eyes of an outsider. Preeti Chhibber wakes Merlin and Morgana up in contemporary Great Britain and gives them another chance to make better choices with Arthur, now Arjun, in “Once (Them) & Future (Us).” One of my favorite stories was Roshani Chokshi’s “Passing Fair and Young” which gives young Elaine a choice – does she want to be a legend, or a footnote in the legends of others.
Other stories took elements of the Arthurian legend and placed them in a post-colonial context. Waubgeshig Rice’s “Heartbeat” locates the Sword in the Stone legend on an Anishinaabe reservation, where a young First Nations boy reclaims the heritage outlawed by the British colonizers. Another favorite, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s “A Shadow in Amber,” transplants the sadness of Lady of Shalott into a near future Mexico City.
Many of the stories brought queerness to the mythology. I loved Daniel M. Lavery’s brutal and yet gentle skewering of chivalry in “How, after Long Fighting, Galehaut Was Overcome by Lancelot Yet Was Not Slain and Made Great Speed to Yield to Friendship; Or, Galehaut the Knight of the Forfeit.” The story I most want to see expanded is Alexander Chee’s “Little Green Men.” Set on a human colonized Mars, it’s a retelling of Sir Gawain and the Green Night with all the anxiety of a fragile life in space and the intrusiveness of a constant audience.
I’ve only touched on a few stories. There is more in here to discover.
I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 15, 2022
This is one of the best anthologies I've ever read. If you like Arthuriana, this is a must read. If you like anthologies just for the variety, this collection is a winner. I don't think I will ever give an anthology five stars, because I've yet to find one where I like every story, but this one comes pretty close. There were only two stories in here I didn't like.
What makes Sword Stone Table so great is that the authors chosen really had their creativity flowing. Maybe it was the challenge they were set. This is a collection that features retellings, reimaginings, and stories inspired by the King Arthur mythos, with emphasis on queer, multiracial, gender-focused voices. You know, all the people left out or done dirty by the original stories. Not a single story, even the ones I didn't like, felt predictable or rote. They really felt reimagined. I five starred a bunch of them, which is super rare for me with anthologies.
My review of each individual story is in my Status Updates/activity for the book.
Read Harder Challenge 2022: Read an anthology featuring diverse voices.
What makes Sword Stone Table so great is that the authors chosen really had their creativity flowing. Maybe it was the challenge they were set. This is a collection that features retellings, reimaginings, and stories inspired by the King Arthur mythos, with emphasis on queer, multiracial, gender-focused voices. You know, all the people left out or done dirty by the original stories. Not a single story, even the ones I didn't like, felt predictable or rote. They really felt reimagined. I five starred a bunch of them, which is super rare for me with anthologies.
My review of each individual story is in my Status Updates/activity for the book.
Read Harder Challenge 2022: Read an anthology featuring diverse voices.
July 31, 2021
I really enjoyed this competent collection of short stories, centered around retellings of Arthurian legends, in the past, present and future. I do feel I didn't know the original material and characters well enough, apart from a surface knowledge of some names, to fully appreciate the reimagined versions of them, but it didn't take away from the excellent writing and potential shown herein. There were two or three stories I didn't finish as the plot just wasn't catching me, but overall this is one of the better short story collections I've read, and I'm always a sucker for historical fantasy and myth.
July 11, 2021
This was a long collection with a lot of stories. I was originally drawn to it because of Roshani Chokshi, who was a medieval scholar, but most of the other contributing authors were totally new to me. This was a very diverse group who all interpreted Arthurian retellings very differently and brought a lot of uniqueness to the table. The favorites seemed to be Elaine and Merlin, with an almost voyeuristic obsession with Lancelot. Because the stories are so different, see below for my thoughts on each story, by author name (written as I finished them):
--
Ausma Zehanat Khan - I loved that we brought in a wholly outside perspective to the mess that is Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot, to see the baked in sexism in Camelot, and that we got to see it all through the eyes of a brilliant, empathetic Muslim man.
Roshani Chokshi - I forgot just how much I love Chokshi's writing. It's lyrical with a delicate balance of detail and whimsy and intent and depth. I wasn't crazy about the use of second person in this one (even though I usually love second person) but I don't think it significantly hampered my enjoyment.
Daniel M Lavery - Altogether too wordy. To the point where my eyes glazed over and I had to fight the urge to skim. And all for boastful talk with little substance.
Nisi Shawl - I really like the clever use of names' meanings in the place of names for the familiar characters. How people who study the language may know them. Also the subtle digs at racism in assuming over and over that Nia comes from Ethiopia. I had trouble discerning Nia'a motivations for much of what she does, since her goal was merely knowledge. But that's the nature of a short story, I guess.
Sarah MacLean - That was sexier than expected. The editors did say there were romance elements in these stories but we hadn't seen them until now. We love a badass woman and a love interest who respects her, values her, and pays attention when she speaks.
Sive Doyle - "A knowledge of magic was all well and good, but it was hardly the same as an understanding of people." That quote but also gay ladies with swords and destinies without undue trauma (I mean, there's still trauma but not because of their queerness)
Maria Dahvana Headley - This was so intricate and I was definitely a big fan of the multimedia aspect. I hope the finished book includes more illustrations/fonts/visual effects to make this story in particular really pop.
Waubgeshig Rice - At first reading this I was annoyed because the middle school bully angle is nothing new. But then we came to the discussions of residential schools and the violent and vehement erasure of Indigenous culture in the US and it became so much more than a story about overcoming a bully.
Anthony Rapp - They really are hitting us hard here. This story has the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic. I will say that Merlin's dialogue was distracting and circuitous and kind of insensitive? But damn if that wasn't a heavy one.
S. Zainab Williams - I loved the rich and layered portrayal of loneliness. How conflicting senses of belonging and family and identities can pull you away from any one place you may fit. Add to that the vibrancy of the setting to act in contrast to that loneliness and it's a brilliant story.
Alex Segura - I know absolutely nothing about baseball. It's probably my least favorite sport and I'm not much of a sport person to begin with. But this felt like a very solid, tried-and-true retelling, stripped of a bunch of side characters anyway.
Jessica Plummer - We love taking control of a familiar narrative. But we don't always love the path it takes to get us there. It wasn't revolutionary by any means, but there was a line that made me bark out a laugh and that's a win.
Preeti Chhibber - love seeing dimension added to Morgan's character here, but Merlin was very annoying to me. I feel like we went through this and didn't really accomplish anything.
Silvia Moreno-García - "She'd communed with a ghost - like stretching out a hand and touching a black hole." Something about this image, this phrase just made me stop. It's something SMG does frequently with her writing, throwing in something both poignant and unexpected, even in a tale like this: one of voyeurism and obsession.
Ken Liu - Ken Liu's brain must be a fascinating place to be. Highbrow without being prohibitively smart, this story really focuses on how one looks in the mirror and what one sees there - and what might be looking back.
Alexander Chee - Oh what a beautiful note to end this collection on. Hope and extravagance and dreams for a future on Mars. I was definitely a fan.
--
Ausma Zehanat Khan - I loved that we brought in a wholly outside perspective to the mess that is Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot, to see the baked in sexism in Camelot, and that we got to see it all through the eyes of a brilliant, empathetic Muslim man.
Roshani Chokshi - I forgot just how much I love Chokshi's writing. It's lyrical with a delicate balance of detail and whimsy and intent and depth. I wasn't crazy about the use of second person in this one (even though I usually love second person) but I don't think it significantly hampered my enjoyment.
Daniel M Lavery - Altogether too wordy. To the point where my eyes glazed over and I had to fight the urge to skim. And all for boastful talk with little substance.
Nisi Shawl - I really like the clever use of names' meanings in the place of names for the familiar characters. How people who study the language may know them. Also the subtle digs at racism in assuming over and over that Nia comes from Ethiopia. I had trouble discerning Nia'a motivations for much of what she does, since her goal was merely knowledge. But that's the nature of a short story, I guess.
Sarah MacLean - That was sexier than expected. The editors did say there were romance elements in these stories but we hadn't seen them until now. We love a badass woman and a love interest who respects her, values her, and pays attention when she speaks.
Sive Doyle - "A knowledge of magic was all well and good, but it was hardly the same as an understanding of people." That quote but also gay ladies with swords and destinies without undue trauma (I mean, there's still trauma but not because of their queerness)
Maria Dahvana Headley - This was so intricate and I was definitely a big fan of the multimedia aspect. I hope the finished book includes more illustrations/fonts/visual effects to make this story in particular really pop.
Waubgeshig Rice - At first reading this I was annoyed because the middle school bully angle is nothing new. But then we came to the discussions of residential schools and the violent and vehement erasure of Indigenous culture in the US and it became so much more than a story about overcoming a bully.
Anthony Rapp - They really are hitting us hard here. This story has the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic. I will say that Merlin's dialogue was distracting and circuitous and kind of insensitive? But damn if that wasn't a heavy one.
S. Zainab Williams - I loved the rich and layered portrayal of loneliness. How conflicting senses of belonging and family and identities can pull you away from any one place you may fit. Add to that the vibrancy of the setting to act in contrast to that loneliness and it's a brilliant story.
Alex Segura - I know absolutely nothing about baseball. It's probably my least favorite sport and I'm not much of a sport person to begin with. But this felt like a very solid, tried-and-true retelling, stripped of a bunch of side characters anyway.
Jessica Plummer - We love taking control of a familiar narrative. But we don't always love the path it takes to get us there. It wasn't revolutionary by any means, but there was a line that made me bark out a laugh and that's a win.
Preeti Chhibber - love seeing dimension added to Morgan's character here, but Merlin was very annoying to me. I feel like we went through this and didn't really accomplish anything.
Silvia Moreno-García - "She'd communed with a ghost - like stretching out a hand and touching a black hole." Something about this image, this phrase just made me stop. It's something SMG does frequently with her writing, throwing in something both poignant and unexpected, even in a tale like this: one of voyeurism and obsession.
Ken Liu - Ken Liu's brain must be a fascinating place to be. Highbrow without being prohibitively smart, this story really focuses on how one looks in the mirror and what one sees there - and what might be looking back.
Alexander Chee - Oh what a beautiful note to end this collection on. Hope and extravagance and dreams for a future on Mars. I was definitely a fan.
August 30, 2021
Every. single. story.
Every one.
There are NO duds in the collection of new musings on Arthurian legends. I am a sucker for Camelot, so this collection was calling to me from the moment I heard about it! I waited impatiently after pre-ordering, was immensely jealous of those who got early copies, and then DEVOURED mine as soon as I had it in hand. I probably pulled a quote from every other page. There are so many imaginative, delightful, hilarious, and HORNY lines in this collection- it’s impossible to pick a favorite. The book is wisely split into three parts: Past, Present, and Future. The Past section features tales that could have been happening right alongside the original legends, Present features modern-day retellings, and Future- well. You know. KNIGHTS. IN. SPAAAAAAAACE.
Past was my favorite section, as I am a dork for medeival chicanery (speaking of which- SEE. THE. GREEN. KNIGHT. oh my gods.). It also features a piece from all-around cool dude Daniel Lavery, so the scales were tipped in my favor.
GET YOUR QUEST ON
Every one.
There are NO duds in the collection of new musings on Arthurian legends. I am a sucker for Camelot, so this collection was calling to me from the moment I heard about it! I waited impatiently after pre-ordering, was immensely jealous of those who got early copies, and then DEVOURED mine as soon as I had it in hand. I probably pulled a quote from every other page. There are so many imaginative, delightful, hilarious, and HORNY lines in this collection- it’s impossible to pick a favorite. The book is wisely split into three parts: Past, Present, and Future. The Past section features tales that could have been happening right alongside the original legends, Present features modern-day retellings, and Future- well. You know. KNIGHTS. IN. SPAAAAAAAACE.
Past was my favorite section, as I am a dork for medeival chicanery (speaking of which- SEE. THE. GREEN. KNIGHT. oh my gods.). It also features a piece from all-around cool dude Daniel Lavery, so the scales were tipped in my favor.
GET YOUR QUEST ON
October 11, 2021
oh man... i wanted to like this but can't get into majority of the stories in this anthology. maybe i would have liked it more if i'm more familiar with arthurian legends? but it's just so disconnected.
July 17, 2021
I love a themed anthology of short stories! I picked this one up mostly because I saw Sarah MacLean had contributed a story, and she is one of my favorite authors. Her story did not disappoint! There is a variety of voices and time periods represented here - everything from fantasy, to contemporary, to sci-fi as far as genre is concerned. I skipped around a bit and have read most of the stories now, and they have all been unique, delightful. I do not have extensive knowledge about Arthurian legends, so I'm sure there are references or touchstones I missed. But that did not diminish my enjoyment of the stories.
February 14, 2024
Really enjoyable collection with a great line up of contributors. Not all the stories completely worked for me, but I loved seeing all the different approaches, characters, and time periods.
April 7, 2021
This anthology has a huge and varied selection of inclusive Arthurian legend retellings. I particularly loved the two Elaine stories partly because I tend to enjoy retellings from a minor character's perspective. I also quite enjoyed an earlier story by Nisi Shawl about an African woman trading magic with Merlin, as well as another one in the middle about an HIV-positive man and his partner watching a magic show in the hospital hosted by, you guessed it, Merlin. I wish I could remember who wrote that one! It made me cry. Then there's a story about Emerys/Merlin time hopping into the future and finding Arthur and Morgana on a college campus. I love Gawain and the Green Knight so I was happy that the very last story finally gave me a sci-fi retelling of one of my favorite bits from Arthurian legend.
And you know what? I still want more. Give me Tristan! How about Galahad! The grail! What this anthology shows is that there are so many stories that can be told using this mythos and that these stories can absolutely have a lot of diversity.
And you know what? I still want more. Give me Tristan! How about Galahad! The grail! What this anthology shows is that there are so many stories that can be told using this mythos and that these stories can absolutely have a lot of diversity.
March 13, 2023
Above all, this was a mess. Some of the stories were truly spectacular — Mayday by Headley managed to get me SO invested in reading a simple list of objects and when Plummer publishes her first romcom, I'll be there at midnight buying a copy. But most of the other stories were either too short (not related to length but really ALL of the stories should've been like...1-2 pgs. longer), too long or simply way too removed from the Arthurian legends to be put into this book. News flash: Just because you make something race-bend or queer, that doesn't automatically make it a fantastic retelling. As other reviewers have said, I would have loved some short afterwords by the authors on their pieces.
Currently reading
July 2, 2022I'm just going to be reviewing these short stories as I read them! Hopefully this goes better than some of my previous attempts at reading anthologies. Fingers crossed!
The Once and Future Qadi by Ausma Zehanat Khan--2 stars
This one is about Guinevere's trial for adultery, from the perspective of a Qadi who has been brought in to be the judge!
Hmm, the writing was absolutely GORGEOUS but this still didn't really grab me. I wish there had been more female characters? Definitely not every short story has to pass the Bechdel test, lol, but for a story that's supposed to be centered around women, Guinevere is the only female character with lines and then she's kind of racist lmao. So we have basically no female characters who are sympathetic and play a strong role in the story (which I don't have a problem with if EVERYONE is unsympathetic, but there are sympathetic male characters! Yusuf and Ayaan are basically unobjectionable!). I just wish I could have gotten more of Yusuf's love interest, because she sounded interesting, but she's only mentioned in a few lines. Why couldn't Lubna have replaced Ayaan's role in the story or something? I also don't really like the decision to mention Lubna's beauty and THEN mention how good of a scholar she was, but oh well. And I was a little confused on the decision to make Arthur a Frankish king, because I don't really get how it changed the story that much from how it would have been if it had been set in Britain? It felt kind of arbitrary. For all my complaints, though, I did enjoy the mystery plotline, and I think it bears repeating that the writing is lovely!
Passing Fair and Young by Roshani Chokshi--1 star
You know, for a title that good, this story has no business being this shit. But unfortunately, life isn't always fair! As another example of things not being fair, when I asked the universe for more stories centering Arthurian female minor characters, I didn't expect that the universe would give me the romanticized Elaine of Corbenic story, but here we are!! Not exactly what I meant, but I guess I'll live anyway? I guess?
To be totally clear where I stand on Elaine of Corbenic: I think that if you're inclined to give Elaine a pass on her behavior but condemn Uther when they both did the exact same thing (rape) in the exact same way (used magic to disguise themselves as the person's loved one in order to have sex with them), then I think you need to take a good hard look at yourself! Because if what Uther did to Igraine was definitely rape, then surely what Elaine of Corbenic did to Lancelot was definitely rape too, right? Surely?? I can't see any reason why it wouldn't be, unless this is some sort of 'men can't get raped' thing straight from the 1950's. Which, in fact, I'm pretty sure this is.
Alternatively, I have seen someone attempt to gloss over Uther's bad actions like. Once. So maybe we've got a case of 'it's not a roofie if it's magic' going on here, because I've run into that in some bad fantasy before. Hey, at least then you're awful to all genders, am I right lads? Equality!!! /s
To be fair to the author, Elaine (mercifully) does not rape Lancelot in this short story. She only strongly considers it, going so far as to bring the magic date rape drink into his room. Feminism, everyone! /s I will keep saying this until the day that I die. Feminism that portrays women as an angel of the house stereotype straight out of the 19th century isn't feminism. There's a type of 'feminist' philosophy out there that says that women can't be predators, they can't be abusers, they can only be innocent and pure, and it's so obviously just misogyny repackaged in a women-empowering facade. (It also gets very transphobic very fast, but that's a whole other story and I don't want to get sidetracked.) And the kind of rape culture that's not quite sidestepped in this story? It crushes everyone under its heel, men, women, and nonbinary people. Regurgitating that is not feminism by any definition, and this is my hill I will die on.
Even setting all that aside, though, Lancelot in this story was kind of characterized as a bit of a douchenozzle, and having read medieval texts where he is very definitely not that, it kind of turned me off. Like Lancelot is not a player at all. I don't get how Lancelot ends up characterized in a lot of modern stories as some dirtbag playboy when one of his main character traits in the medieval stories was FAITHFUL TO GUINEVERE AND PERHAPS EVEN WORSHIPFUL (yes, in all caps). While this story didn't lean in super hard into playboy!Lancelot, this edged a little too close to certain dumb modern versions for my comfort. However, I could have looked past all of that if the author had simply not attempted to rehabilitate Elaine of Corbenic and then still included Elaine about to slip him the magic date rape drug. Just god-awful content.
I didn't expect to be typing up a rant on rape culture when I opened this book :/ I really might end up DNF-ing this.
How, after Long Fighting, Galehaut Was Overcome by Lancelot Yet Was Not Slain and Made Great Speed to Yield to Friendship; Or, Galehaut, the Knight of the Forfeit by Daniel M. Lavery--4.5 stars
YEAH THIS AUTHOR GETS IT. I love almost everything about this? The writing style, the portrayal of chivalry, the bisexuality of everyone, the fact that it really has a lot of good fun with its premise as opposed to...whatever modern Arthuriana usually does. This was really, really good! Guinevere got like one line and her characterization was STILL so much better than in 99% of modern Arthuriana I've read. And the author managed to slip that iconic line from Gawain in about wanting to be a beautiful maiden so Lancelot would fall in love with him?? I've basically never seen an Arthurian story reference that before, outside of some excellent stuff on AO3. The only complaint I have about this story is that it was too short and felt very rushed, but I still really liked it! It felt very authentic to the core of the medieval stories (that core being weird bisexual disasters who can't stop picking fights with people).
See what I mean? It was a delight!
I Being Young and Foolish by Nisi Shawl--2 stars
There's not anything WRONG with this story per se, but I personally don't like Merlin (any iteration), so alas 😔 I will say though that in the legends I've read about the Lady of the Lake and Merlin, their relationship didn't exactly seem consensual? I'm unsure how I feel about taking that story and making it into a cute romance. Merlin was basically some old guy creeping on his much younger student, and I feel like writers could do something really interesting with that story if we freed ourselves from this idea that we MUST rehabilitate the guy who helped Uther rape Igraine.
Also, the names sort of threw me off. Why not just use the names of the characters from the legends? I get that 'Bear' is possibly what Arthur's name means, but it sounds kind of like something an upper-middle class mom in suburbia would name their kid, lol
However! The prose was really pretty, and I loved the heroine a lot! The parts where she talked about her backstory were legitimately so interesting. Also, the cat and snake were cute, and I want more stories about wizards with cool pets. If I divorce this story from what it's based off of and treat it like its own thing, I think it's genuinely really good, but when I compare it to the legends that the author is retelling, it just feels sort of weird to me.
The Bladesmith Queen by Sarah MacLean
Not rating this one because while I did legitimately enjoy it, it just wasn't an Arthurian retelling?? Like it was a good fantasy story, and I loved the dynamic the hero and heroine had going on here, but it wasn't Arthurian and I don't get what it was doing in this particular anthology. I mean, I guess I could consider it as being inspired by the Lady of the Lake story if I'm feeling generous...? Also, all that aside, sex scenes in fiction make me vaguely uncomfortable, but that's just a me thing and obviously not everyone feels that way. So I didn't completely enjoy this. But on the other hand:
So yeah, I adored the dynamic, to say the least.
Do, By All Due Means by Sive Doyle--5 stars
Accidentally almost typed six stars instead of five, and you know what? Yeah, this story DOES deserve six stars. I adored Britomart, I adored the weird, creepy fairies, and I always adore a story about lesbian lady knights. This may be the story that successfully convinces me to read The Faerie Queene. I just loved this with my whole heart and I would read an entire novel about these characters.
The Once and Future Qadi by Ausma Zehanat Khan--2 stars
This one is about Guinevere's trial for adultery, from the perspective of a Qadi who has been brought in to be the judge!
Hmm, the writing was absolutely GORGEOUS but this still didn't really grab me. I wish there had been more female characters? Definitely not every short story has to pass the Bechdel test, lol, but for a story that's supposed to be centered around women, Guinevere is the only female character with lines and then she's kind of racist lmao. So we have basically no female characters who are sympathetic and play a strong role in the story (which I don't have a problem with if EVERYONE is unsympathetic, but there are sympathetic male characters! Yusuf and Ayaan are basically unobjectionable!). I just wish I could have gotten more of Yusuf's love interest, because she sounded interesting, but she's only mentioned in a few lines. Why couldn't Lubna have replaced Ayaan's role in the story or something? I also don't really like the decision to mention Lubna's beauty and THEN mention how good of a scholar she was, but oh well. And I was a little confused on the decision to make Arthur a Frankish king, because I don't really get how it changed the story that much from how it would have been if it had been set in Britain? It felt kind of arbitrary. For all my complaints, though, I did enjoy the mystery plotline, and I think it bears repeating that the writing is lovely!
Passing Fair and Young by Roshani Chokshi--1 star
You know, for a title that good, this story has no business being this shit. But unfortunately, life isn't always fair! As another example of things not being fair, when I asked the universe for more stories centering Arthurian female minor characters, I didn't expect that the universe would give me the romanticized Elaine of Corbenic story, but here we are!! Not exactly what I meant, but I guess I'll live anyway? I guess?
To be totally clear where I stand on Elaine of Corbenic: I think that if you're inclined to give Elaine a pass on her behavior but condemn Uther when they both did the exact same thing (rape) in the exact same way (used magic to disguise themselves as the person's loved one in order to have sex with them), then I think you need to take a good hard look at yourself! Because if what Uther did to Igraine was definitely rape, then surely what Elaine of Corbenic did to Lancelot was definitely rape too, right? Surely?? I can't see any reason why it wouldn't be, unless this is some sort of 'men can't get raped' thing straight from the 1950's. Which, in fact, I'm pretty sure this is.
Alternatively, I have seen someone attempt to gloss over Uther's bad actions like. Once. So maybe we've got a case of 'it's not a roofie if it's magic' going on here, because I've run into that in some bad fantasy before. Hey, at least then you're awful to all genders, am I right lads? Equality!!! /s
To be fair to the author, Elaine (mercifully) does not rape Lancelot in this short story. She only strongly considers it, going so far as to bring the magic date rape drink into his room. Feminism, everyone! /s I will keep saying this until the day that I die. Feminism that portrays women as an angel of the house stereotype straight out of the 19th century isn't feminism. There's a type of 'feminist' philosophy out there that says that women can't be predators, they can't be abusers, they can only be innocent and pure, and it's so obviously just misogyny repackaged in a women-empowering facade. (It also gets very transphobic very fast, but that's a whole other story and I don't want to get sidetracked.) And the kind of rape culture that's not quite sidestepped in this story? It crushes everyone under its heel, men, women, and nonbinary people. Regurgitating that is not feminism by any definition, and this is my hill I will die on.
Even setting all that aside, though, Lancelot in this story was kind of characterized as a bit of a douchenozzle, and having read medieval texts where he is very definitely not that, it kind of turned me off. Like Lancelot is not a player at all. I don't get how Lancelot ends up characterized in a lot of modern stories as some dirtbag playboy when one of his main character traits in the medieval stories was FAITHFUL TO GUINEVERE AND PERHAPS EVEN WORSHIPFUL (yes, in all caps). While this story didn't lean in super hard into playboy!Lancelot, this edged a little too close to certain dumb modern versions for my comfort. However, I could have looked past all of that if the author had simply not attempted to rehabilitate Elaine of Corbenic and then still included Elaine about to slip him the magic date rape drug. Just god-awful content.
I didn't expect to be typing up a rant on rape culture when I opened this book :/ I really might end up DNF-ing this.
How, after Long Fighting, Galehaut Was Overcome by Lancelot Yet Was Not Slain and Made Great Speed to Yield to Friendship; Or, Galehaut, the Knight of the Forfeit by Daniel M. Lavery--4.5 stars
YEAH THIS AUTHOR GETS IT. I love almost everything about this? The writing style, the portrayal of chivalry, the bisexuality of everyone, the fact that it really has a lot of good fun with its premise as opposed to...whatever modern Arthuriana usually does. This was really, really good! Guinevere got like one line and her characterization was STILL so much better than in 99% of modern Arthuriana I've read. And the author managed to slip that iconic line from Gawain in about wanting to be a beautiful maiden so Lancelot would fall in love with him?? I've basically never seen an Arthurian story reference that before, outside of some excellent stuff on AO3. The only complaint I have about this story is that it was too short and felt very rushed, but I still really liked it! It felt very authentic to the core of the medieval stories (that core being weird bisexual disasters who can't stop picking fights with people).
“Yon red tent is mine,” I told him. “Would you like me to surrender to Arthur tomorrow? Tonight? How do you take your tea? How can I embarrass myself for you? Everything I have is yours, you know—”
See what I mean? It was a delight!
I Being Young and Foolish by Nisi Shawl--2 stars
There's not anything WRONG with this story per se, but I personally don't like Merlin (any iteration), so alas 😔 I will say though that in the legends I've read about the Lady of the Lake and Merlin, their relationship didn't exactly seem consensual? I'm unsure how I feel about taking that story and making it into a cute romance. Merlin was basically some old guy creeping on his much younger student, and I feel like writers could do something really interesting with that story if we freed ourselves from this idea that we MUST rehabilitate the guy who helped Uther rape Igraine.
Also, the names sort of threw me off. Why not just use the names of the characters from the legends? I get that 'Bear' is possibly what Arthur's name means, but it sounds kind of like something an upper-middle class mom in suburbia would name their kid, lol
However! The prose was really pretty, and I loved the heroine a lot! The parts where she talked about her backstory were legitimately so interesting. Also, the cat and snake were cute, and I want more stories about wizards with cool pets. If I divorce this story from what it's based off of and treat it like its own thing, I think it's genuinely really good, but when I compare it to the legends that the author is retelling, it just feels sort of weird to me.
The Bladesmith Queen by Sarah MacLean
Not rating this one because while I did legitimately enjoy it, it just wasn't an Arthurian retelling?? Like it was a good fantasy story, and I loved the dynamic the hero and heroine had going on here, but it wasn't Arthurian and I don't get what it was doing in this particular anthology. I mean, I guess I could consider it as being inspired by the Lady of the Lake story if I'm feeling generous...? Also, all that aside, sex scenes in fiction make me vaguely uncomfortable, but that's just a me thing and obviously not everyone feels that way. So I didn't completely enjoy this. But on the other hand:
“You are not a curse.”
“I am. I made the blades,” she whispered to the flames, letting sadness into her words. “I traded this village for another when I should have taken up my own sword and gone for their heads.”
“I was your sword. I took their heads.”
So yeah, I adored the dynamic, to say the least.
Do, By All Due Means by Sive Doyle--5 stars
Accidentally almost typed six stars instead of five, and you know what? Yeah, this story DOES deserve six stars. I adored Britomart, I adored the weird, creepy fairies, and I always adore a story about lesbian lady knights. This may be the story that successfully convinces me to read The Faerie Queene. I just loved this with my whole heart and I would read an entire novel about these characters.
July 16, 2021
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Like most anthologies, this had a collection of stories that I loved, liked, and disliked. Overall though, I think this is a pretty solid collection. Admittedly, there were some stories where I wasn't quite sure what the connection was to Arthurian legend. It's broken up into past, present, and future, so we encounter different tales based on the time period as well. I thought this was a fun way to structure the anthology! The past and present both had stories I loved, though they also had stories that I just didn't get. The present had several stories that were fine, but not outstanding. In general, I think the future section was probably the weakest for me in that I thought these were just fine.
Commenting on some of these stories in particular:
THE PAST
Roshani Chokshi - probably my favorite story in the collection. This was a great story about the Lady of Shalott and choices. It explores greatness versus being in the background. I love her writing in general, so I'm not terribly surprised that this worked really well for me.
Sarah MacLean - this was more romance focused about a lady blacksmith and fate. I think this was maybe about the Lady of the Lake? It was less clear to me, but I actually didn't mind because it was an enjoyable story. It had some interesting characters that I'd read a full book about.
THE PRESENT
Waubgeshig Rice - a retelling of the Sword in the Stone. Arthur is a First Nations boy in a reservation. This touches on suppressing culture and taking kids away from their families, but it's also very much about reclaiming heritage. I thought this was a pretty impactful story.
Anthony Rapp - this was a good (but very sad) story about Merlin years later. It touches on the HIV/AIDS crisis, so this was probably one of the saddest stories of the collection. It's well written though.
Alex Segura - this was probably my second favorite story in the collection. This reimagines the general story of King Arthur in terms of baseball. We follow Arturo Reyes with Excalibur (a bat!). I enjoy baseball in general, so that really helped me connect with this story. It was fun to see how everything was translated to the game, and it generally felt like it was about believing in yourself.
Jessica Plummer - we follow Elaine as she works at Starbucks (or a similar coffee shop). She encounters reincarnated versions of everyone. I liked this, though it did have a sad tone overall. The ending was fabulous!
THE FUTURE
Silvia Moreno-Garcia - this deals with Elaine and Lancelot. This brought up some interesting ideas with memories and consuming them.
Overall, I had a fun time with this anthology and would recommend it to those looking for more inclusive retellings of Arthurian legend!
I received a copy of this for review from the publisher via NetGalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.
Like most anthologies, this had a collection of stories that I loved, liked, and disliked. Overall though, I think this is a pretty solid collection. Admittedly, there were some stories where I wasn't quite sure what the connection was to Arthurian legend. It's broken up into past, present, and future, so we encounter different tales based on the time period as well. I thought this was a fun way to structure the anthology! The past and present both had stories I loved, though they also had stories that I just didn't get. The present had several stories that were fine, but not outstanding. In general, I think the future section was probably the weakest for me in that I thought these were just fine.
Commenting on some of these stories in particular:
THE PAST
Roshani Chokshi - probably my favorite story in the collection. This was a great story about the Lady of Shalott and choices. It explores greatness versus being in the background. I love her writing in general, so I'm not terribly surprised that this worked really well for me.
Sarah MacLean - this was more romance focused about a lady blacksmith and fate. I think this was maybe about the Lady of the Lake? It was less clear to me, but I actually didn't mind because it was an enjoyable story. It had some interesting characters that I'd read a full book about.
THE PRESENT
Waubgeshig Rice - a retelling of the Sword in the Stone. Arthur is a First Nations boy in a reservation. This touches on suppressing culture and taking kids away from their families, but it's also very much about reclaiming heritage. I thought this was a pretty impactful story.
Anthony Rapp - this was a good (but very sad) story about Merlin years later. It touches on the HIV/AIDS crisis, so this was probably one of the saddest stories of the collection. It's well written though.
Alex Segura - this was probably my second favorite story in the collection. This reimagines the general story of King Arthur in terms of baseball. We follow Arturo Reyes with Excalibur (a bat!). I enjoy baseball in general, so that really helped me connect with this story. It was fun to see how everything was translated to the game, and it generally felt like it was about believing in yourself.
Jessica Plummer - we follow Elaine as she works at Starbucks (or a similar coffee shop). She encounters reincarnated versions of everyone. I liked this, though it did have a sad tone overall. The ending was fabulous!
THE FUTURE
Silvia Moreno-Garcia - this deals with Elaine and Lancelot. This brought up some interesting ideas with memories and consuming them.
Overall, I had a fun time with this anthology and would recommend it to those looking for more inclusive retellings of Arthurian legend!
I received a copy of this for review from the publisher via NetGalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.
October 18, 2021
A pretty interesting collection of stories in and around Arthurian legends. It’s definitely interesting to see what the authors felt most compelled to use as their entry points—a lot of Merlin and Elaine/relationships to Lancelot, and I would say probably not as much on like the Sword in the Stone. I think I found the “present” stories to be the most compelling, though I did love Ausma Zehanat Khan’s “The Once and Future Qadi ” as an opener to the collection. The future ones I sort of struggled with more, though I did enjoy Alexander Chee’s story quite a bit. But overall I think I enjoyed the collection and would recommend it to others.
August 4, 2023
I enjoyed the stories by Ausma Zehanat Khan, Roshani Chokshi, Sive Doyle, Maria Dahvana Headley, Anthony Rapp, Jessica Plummer and Silvia Moreno-Garcia, but the rest of the 16 stories basically fell flat for me.
July 15, 2021
• the once and future qadi by ausma zehanat khan / 2
Rep: North African Muslim mcs
• passing fair and young by roshani chokshi / 3
• how, after long fighting, galehaut was overcome by lancelot yet was not slain and made great speed to yield to friendship; or, galehaut, the knight of the forfeit by daniel m lavery / 2
Rep: gay mc
• i being young and foolish by nisi shawl / 2
Rep: albino African mc
• the bladesmith queen by sarah maclean / 1
• do, by all due means by sive doyle / 2.5
Rep: lesbian mc, sapphic li
• mayday by maria dahvana headley / 2.5
Rep: Native American characters
• heartbeat by waubgeshig rice / 3
Rep: Anishinaabeg mc & side characters
• jack and brad and the magician by anthony rapp / 2
Rep: Thai gay mc, gay side characters
• the quay stone by s zainab williams / 2
Rep: Black Malaysian American mc, Malaysian side characters
• black diamond by alex segura / 2.5
Rep: Latinx mc
• flat white by jessica plummer / 2
Rep: bi li
• once (them) & future (us) by preeti chhibber / 2
Rep: gay mc, British Indian gay character
• a shadow in amber by silvia moreno garcia / 2.5
Rep: Mexican cast
• white hempen sleeves by ken liu / 2
• little green men by alexander chee / 2.5
Rep: gay mc, Hindu gay li, Latinx character
Rep: North African Muslim mcs
• passing fair and young by roshani chokshi / 3
• how, after long fighting, galehaut was overcome by lancelot yet was not slain and made great speed to yield to friendship; or, galehaut, the knight of the forfeit by daniel m lavery / 2
Rep: gay mc
• i being young and foolish by nisi shawl / 2
Rep: albino African mc
• the bladesmith queen by sarah maclean / 1
• do, by all due means by sive doyle / 2.5
Rep: lesbian mc, sapphic li
• mayday by maria dahvana headley / 2.5
Rep: Native American characters
• heartbeat by waubgeshig rice / 3
Rep: Anishinaabeg mc & side characters
• jack and brad and the magician by anthony rapp / 2
Rep: Thai gay mc, gay side characters
• the quay stone by s zainab williams / 2
Rep: Black Malaysian American mc, Malaysian side characters
• black diamond by alex segura / 2.5
Rep: Latinx mc
• flat white by jessica plummer / 2
Rep: bi li
• once (them) & future (us) by preeti chhibber / 2
Rep: gay mc, British Indian gay character
• a shadow in amber by silvia moreno garcia / 2.5
Rep: Mexican cast
• white hempen sleeves by ken liu / 2
• little green men by alexander chee / 2.5
Rep: gay mc, Hindu gay li, Latinx character
May 20, 2022
Sword Stone Table edited by Swapna Krishna and Jenn Northington is a testament to the power of anthologies. Some of these tales are eerie, warnings about the cyclical nature of humanity; others are heartfelt moments of second chances and what it means to become a leader. All embody the beating heart of King Arthur and his Court, and what it means to turn into a living story.
Several of these stand out, in particular:
The Once and Future Qadi (Asuma Zehanat Khan) - One of the best Outsider POVs you'll read from the genre. With the Queen's honor put on social trial, it is up to a jurist of the Almohad caliphate to investigate the tricky nature of the court. With a narration reminiscent of Agagthe Christe's dry tone, Khan grounds the myth in a historical reality through the practical eyes of her protagonist. I could easily read a whole volume of Yusuf's adventures.
Passing Young and Fair (Roshani Chokshi) - A breathtaking retelling of Elaine and the sacrifices women make. I can't say much due to spoilers, but her prose pulls at you like a river.
Mayday (Maria Davhana Headley) - Myth becomes present through the items found at the West Sister Island Lighthouse. The story of King Arthur is retold through newspaper clipping, bullet-ridden clothes, diary entries, and private investigator notes about a series of events that happened in the 1800s. Is it magic or mundane? You decide.
Heartbeat (Waubgeshig Rice) - Rice perfectly captures the joy of reading King Arthur for the first time. As someone who grew up with Disney's Sword in the Stone, Heartbeat reminds us of the power of memories and stories around brave children.
Flat White (Jessica Plummer) - If you have ever felt slighted by how Elaine was treated in the myths, this tale about reincarnation and messy relationships will help validate the anger inside. The ending nearly had me screaming.
Once (Them) & Future (Them) (Preeti Chhibber) - I am literally dying for this to become a novel. I don't know how to explain this story about reincarnation and second chances without spoiling anything, but Chhibber has written the exhaustion of living these lives so well. So many mistakes, so many choices, but there is such relief in the way she has these characters explore them.
Little Green Men (Alexander Chee) - A sci-fi retelling of The Green Knight. Gavin is challenged by a mysterious man in green as he wonders about the disappearance of a good friend. Self-aware and full of Easter Eggs, you'll have to read this story more than once.
Several of these stand out, in particular:
The Once and Future Qadi (Asuma Zehanat Khan) - One of the best Outsider POVs you'll read from the genre. With the Queen's honor put on social trial, it is up to a jurist of the Almohad caliphate to investigate the tricky nature of the court. With a narration reminiscent of Agagthe Christe's dry tone, Khan grounds the myth in a historical reality through the practical eyes of her protagonist. I could easily read a whole volume of Yusuf's adventures.
Passing Young and Fair (Roshani Chokshi) - A breathtaking retelling of Elaine and the sacrifices women make. I can't say much due to spoilers, but her prose pulls at you like a river.
Mayday (Maria Davhana Headley) - Myth becomes present through the items found at the West Sister Island Lighthouse. The story of King Arthur is retold through newspaper clipping, bullet-ridden clothes, diary entries, and private investigator notes about a series of events that happened in the 1800s. Is it magic or mundane? You decide.
Heartbeat (Waubgeshig Rice) - Rice perfectly captures the joy of reading King Arthur for the first time. As someone who grew up with Disney's Sword in the Stone, Heartbeat reminds us of the power of memories and stories around brave children.
Flat White (Jessica Plummer) - If you have ever felt slighted by how Elaine was treated in the myths, this tale about reincarnation and messy relationships will help validate the anger inside. The ending nearly had me screaming.
Once (Them) & Future (Them) (Preeti Chhibber) - I am literally dying for this to become a novel. I don't know how to explain this story about reincarnation and second chances without spoiling anything, but Chhibber has written the exhaustion of living these lives so well. So many mistakes, so many choices, but there is such relief in the way she has these characters explore them.
Little Green Men (Alexander Chee) - A sci-fi retelling of The Green Knight. Gavin is challenged by a mysterious man in green as he wonders about the disappearance of a good friend. Self-aware and full of Easter Eggs, you'll have to read this story more than once.
March 19, 2021
Overall, a very interesting, fun-to-read, and diverse set of stories. Like all anthologies, some stories were more to my tastes than others, but the quality of writing was high throughout, and each story was unique in a different way. Recommended for any fantasy and Arthurian legend lovers.
My stand-out favorites, in order they appeared in the anthology:
Passing Fair and Young by Roshani Choksi: a fun look at a minor character and her choices, very sweet.
The Bladesmith Queen by Sarah MacLean: a fated-mates romance vibe. Uplifting and empowering (and I love a lady blacksmith).
Do, By All Due Means by Sive Doyle: coming of age adventure quest + finding oneself + f/f romance. Fun and happy.
Mayday by Maria Dahvana Headley: Unique format of articles and snippets. Suspenseful, intriguing, highly satisfying.
A Shadow in Amber by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: futuristic Lady of Shalott where people can buy another person's memories. Very creepy, but so well done.
Brief thoughts on the other stories, in the order they appeared:
The Once and Future Qadi by Ausma Zehanat Khan: beautifully written, neat premise, but a cynical view of humanity that I found a bit depressing.
How, After Long Fighting, Galehaut Was Overcome by Lancelot Yet Was Not Slain and Made Great Seep to Yield to Friendship; Or, Galehaut, the Knight of the Forfeit by Daniel M. Lavery: not at all to my taste. Couldn't get into the writing style.
I Being Young and Foolish by Nisi Shawl: not a bad Merlin tale, but kind of sad and a predictable plot.
Heartbeat by Waubgeshig Rice: started slow, but overall an interesting twist on the sword in the stone.
Jack and Brad and the Magician by Anthony Rapp: really sad (due to AIDS crisis setting), but beautiful
The Quay Stone by S. Zainab Williams: not my style. I didn't like the manipulations the protagonist went through, or the back-and-forth between past and present tense.
Black Diamond by Alex Segura: a neat baseball take on the myths. I really liked how this story pulled in many of the side characters.
Flat White by Jessica Plummer: not for me. Felt like literally just the Arthur story but modern.
Once (Them) & Future (Us) by Preeti Chhibber: I liked the Merlin/Morgan vibe here. This story felt a little long, or maybe slow, compared to most.
White Hempen Sleeves by Ken Liu: one of those really dark/twisted kind of sci=fi stories. Didn't feel any real connection to the mythology.
Little Green Men by Alexander Chee: a cute futuristic take on Gawain and the Green Knight,
My stand-out favorites, in order they appeared in the anthology:
Passing Fair and Young by Roshani Choksi: a fun look at a minor character and her choices, very sweet.
The Bladesmith Queen by Sarah MacLean: a fated-mates romance vibe. Uplifting and empowering (and I love a lady blacksmith).
Do, By All Due Means by Sive Doyle: coming of age adventure quest + finding oneself + f/f romance. Fun and happy.
Mayday by Maria Dahvana Headley: Unique format of articles and snippets. Suspenseful, intriguing, highly satisfying.
A Shadow in Amber by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: futuristic Lady of Shalott where people can buy another person's memories. Very creepy, but so well done.
Brief thoughts on the other stories, in the order they appeared:
The Once and Future Qadi by Ausma Zehanat Khan: beautifully written, neat premise, but a cynical view of humanity that I found a bit depressing.
How, After Long Fighting, Galehaut Was Overcome by Lancelot Yet Was Not Slain and Made Great Seep to Yield to Friendship; Or, Galehaut, the Knight of the Forfeit by Daniel M. Lavery: not at all to my taste. Couldn't get into the writing style.
I Being Young and Foolish by Nisi Shawl: not a bad Merlin tale, but kind of sad and a predictable plot.
Heartbeat by Waubgeshig Rice: started slow, but overall an interesting twist on the sword in the stone.
Jack and Brad and the Magician by Anthony Rapp: really sad (due to AIDS crisis setting), but beautiful
The Quay Stone by S. Zainab Williams: not my style. I didn't like the manipulations the protagonist went through, or the back-and-forth between past and present tense.
Black Diamond by Alex Segura: a neat baseball take on the myths. I really liked how this story pulled in many of the side characters.
Flat White by Jessica Plummer: not for me. Felt like literally just the Arthur story but modern.
Once (Them) & Future (Us) by Preeti Chhibber: I liked the Merlin/Morgan vibe here. This story felt a little long, or maybe slow, compared to most.
White Hempen Sleeves by Ken Liu: one of those really dark/twisted kind of sci=fi stories. Didn't feel any real connection to the mythology.
Little Green Men by Alexander Chee: a cute futuristic take on Gawain and the Green Knight,
April 27, 2022
TW:
triggers included in original mythos such as nonconsensual sex and accidental incest, mentioned prejudice/racism (in "I Being Young and Foolish" and "Heartbeat"), bullying & mentioned cultural assimilation (in "Heartbeat"), AIDS & mentioned suicidal ideation (in "Jack and Brad and the Magician"), toxic friendship (in "The Quay Stone"), gun violence (in "Black Diamond")
I think the concept of diverse Arthurian retellings throughout the ages is very in my wheelhouse, and I was excited for this collection. I had different reactions to each, some of them felt more like retellings than others, and some of them I found hard to connect to. Such is the way of most, if not all, short story collections, but I can at least say there was something interesting in every story and it definitely skewed higher in my ratings of each.
The representation is also very varied, and brought so many voices to this ancient story, which is really special.
I particularly liked the experimental form and Americana vibes of "Mayday", and the agency given in "Flat White", as well as in "Passing Fair and Young" (both of which center around Elaine). The former also had a really nice romance, which I didn't expect to be written so lovingly.
My favorite by a landslide, however, was the one with the longest title- "How, After Long Fighting, Galehaut Was Overcome by Lancelot Yet was Not Slain and Moreover Made Great Speed to Yield Friendship; or, Galehaut, the Knight of Forfeit"- which made me care about Galehaut much more than I thought possible. This story is written with so much tenderness that I now want to read everything the author has written.
I think the concept of diverse Arthurian retellings throughout the ages is very in my wheelhouse, and I was excited for this collection. I had different reactions to each, some of them felt more like retellings than others, and some of them I found hard to connect to. Such is the way of most, if not all, short story collections, but I can at least say there was something interesting in every story and it definitely skewed higher in my ratings of each.
The representation is also very varied, and brought so many voices to this ancient story, which is really special.
I particularly liked the experimental form and Americana vibes of "Mayday", and the agency given in "Flat White", as well as in "Passing Fair and Young" (both of which center around Elaine). The former also had a really nice romance, which I didn't expect to be written so lovingly.
My favorite by a landslide, however, was the one with the longest title- "How, After Long Fighting, Galehaut Was Overcome by Lancelot Yet was Not Slain and Moreover Made Great Speed to Yield Friendship; or, Galehaut, the Knight of Forfeit"- which made me care about Galehaut much more than I thought possible. This story is written with so much tenderness that I now want to read everything the author has written.
February 23, 2023
So many wonderful stories! Really enjoyed the love triangles and LGBTQIA+ and POC representation.
December 27, 2022
A great anthology interpreting King Arthur stories and mythology across time (stories that take place in the past, present and future) with a LGBTQIA lens. Some of this was sprinkled in "The Mists of Avalon" but it's refreshing to have authors explore the myths implicitly, with gender bending and queerness up front. A few gems, many satisfying stories and a negligible amount of duds. A recommended introduction to 21st century mythology.
Read
December 2, 2022I wish I wasn't so exhausted writing this (I'm in the middle of a transcontinental move), because I have a lot to say about this collection, and little of it good. I didn't finish probably a quarter of the stories here, and I should have skipped more. There's a breeziness to many of these stories, as if they were dashed off last minute after the editor called the writer and asked for a submission. Most of the stories go nowhere we haven't been a thousand times before, which is ironic considering the collection is supposed to be a contemporary take on Arthuriana, including the views and experiences of people of color and gay, bi, and lesbian people.
On that note, the explorations of the source material with a new lens most often is pretty thin--in this story, Arthur's a Latino baseball player and Excalibur is a bat. In this story, Arthur is a Native American boy and Excalibur is a hand drum. None of it's very sophisticated, either in terms of explorations of the Arthurian literature (which I would guess most of these authors have only cursory experience with) or in terms of explorations of marginalized people.
I was excited to get to the end of the collection and read the stories by Ken Liu and Alexander Chee; I'd read Liu's translation of the Three Body Problem, and while I hated that novel, I was interested in reading one of his own stories. Bluntly, it's pretty bad, reaching for profundity and falling into edgy posing, without anything at all really to do with Arthuriana. Chee I also hadn't read, other than an excellent essay in the collection MFA vs. NYC: The Two Cultures of American Fiction about his experience in the famed Iowa Writer's Workshop MFA program. In that essay he talks about how, socially, being an IWW MFA is a lose-lose, because if people think his work is good they denigrate it by saying it's "MFA fiction", and if they think it's bad they say "but you're an IWW MFA, how?" So he anticipates my criticism: this is what comes out of the Iowa Writer's Workshop? Sophomoric prose, zero interesting characters, with a "twist" that makes no sense. Also a section that contains a passage, then the same passage rewritten, clearly a colossal editing error.
I don't like being negative to be negative, or in an attempt to be superior, but damn, I had high hopes for this and most of it is just utter slush. I did like the gay romance story where Merlin was a parlor magician performing in an AIDS ward, though; that sounds ridiculous but it was really touching.
QC
On that note, the explorations of the source material with a new lens most often is pretty thin--in this story, Arthur's a Latino baseball player and Excalibur is a bat. In this story, Arthur is a Native American boy and Excalibur is a hand drum. None of it's very sophisticated, either in terms of explorations of the Arthurian literature (which I would guess most of these authors have only cursory experience with) or in terms of explorations of marginalized people.
I was excited to get to the end of the collection and read the stories by Ken Liu and Alexander Chee; I'd read Liu's translation of the Three Body Problem, and while I hated that novel, I was interested in reading one of his own stories. Bluntly, it's pretty bad, reaching for profundity and falling into edgy posing, without anything at all really to do with Arthuriana. Chee I also hadn't read, other than an excellent essay in the collection MFA vs. NYC: The Two Cultures of American Fiction about his experience in the famed Iowa Writer's Workshop MFA program. In that essay he talks about how, socially, being an IWW MFA is a lose-lose, because if people think his work is good they denigrate it by saying it's "MFA fiction", and if they think it's bad they say "but you're an IWW MFA, how?" So he anticipates my criticism: this is what comes out of the Iowa Writer's Workshop? Sophomoric prose, zero interesting characters, with a "twist" that makes no sense. Also a section that contains a passage, then the same passage rewritten, clearly a colossal editing error.
I don't like being negative to be negative, or in an attempt to be superior, but damn, I had high hopes for this and most of it is just utter slush. I did like the gay romance story where Merlin was a parlor magician performing in an AIDS ward, though; that sounds ridiculous but it was really touching.
QC
May 5, 2021
Sword stone table is introduced as a collection of novels of various authors bringing to life the characters and tales from the arthurian legends world with new takes on the portrayal of the heroes and their relationships and romances.
Putting aside the stories from contemporary time and future who didn't hold my attention for long, i enjoyed the past stories the most. Some of them were beautifully written as some authors went down the road of lyricism and offered strong impactful lines with intense metaphors...
"She was beautiful in the way of smoldering fires and spurts of roaring thunder when the sky has visibly begun to clear".
As a romance lover, i obviously adored the most romantic ones. The tale of Elaine and Lancelot was exquisite with its darker mood (i do adore my nuanced romance) and i will also praise Sarah MacLean because, damn did she delivered romance like a queen.
"I dream of you. like this. my lady in this lake, with the sun beating down. with the moon gleaming on your skin, turning you silver, making you one with the water. i have seen you here a thousand times".
The first short story, "The once and future Qadi" was a strong one as well with the thrill of the trial of Guinevere and a very acute description of the characters, their emotions and states of mind... So compelling and again, the author put forward her writing skills...
"You thought the queen innocent?
I thought her ruined, her heart as bitter as an orchard under frost".
As an overall review, i would say that one missing element for me was the lack of introduction to every short story. As previously stated, some of these tales were so well written with a cleverness in the retelling and in the reveal of the characters and their feelings that i craved more insight of the author's line of thought, of how he thought of the retelling and what he wanted to offer through it.
Three stars as i absolutely adored the first part but was frankly not convinced by the second or third ones.
Putting aside the stories from contemporary time and future who didn't hold my attention for long, i enjoyed the past stories the most. Some of them were beautifully written as some authors went down the road of lyricism and offered strong impactful lines with intense metaphors...
"She was beautiful in the way of smoldering fires and spurts of roaring thunder when the sky has visibly begun to clear".
As a romance lover, i obviously adored the most romantic ones. The tale of Elaine and Lancelot was exquisite with its darker mood (i do adore my nuanced romance) and i will also praise Sarah MacLean because, damn did she delivered romance like a queen.
"I dream of you. like this. my lady in this lake, with the sun beating down. with the moon gleaming on your skin, turning you silver, making you one with the water. i have seen you here a thousand times".
The first short story, "The once and future Qadi" was a strong one as well with the thrill of the trial of Guinevere and a very acute description of the characters, their emotions and states of mind... So compelling and again, the author put forward her writing skills...
"You thought the queen innocent?
I thought her ruined, her heart as bitter as an orchard under frost".
As an overall review, i would say that one missing element for me was the lack of introduction to every short story. As previously stated, some of these tales were so well written with a cleverness in the retelling and in the reveal of the characters and their feelings that i craved more insight of the author's line of thought, of how he thought of the retelling and what he wanted to offer through it.
Three stars as i absolutely adored the first part but was frankly not convinced by the second or third ones.
November 27, 2025
This is divided into three parts so I’ll also divide my ratings into three sections.
My ratings for part 1, Once:
The Once and Future Qadi by Ausma Zehanat Khan: 3.5/5⭐️
Passing Fair and Young by Roshani Chokshi: 3.75/5⭐️
How, after Long Fighting, Galehaut Was Overcome by Lancelot Yet Was Not Slain and Made Great Speed to Yield to Friendship; Or, Galehaut, the Knight of the Forfeit by Daniel M. Lavery: 5/5⭐️
I Being Young and Foolish by Nisi Shawl: 4/5⭐️
The Bladesmith Queen by Sarah MacLean: 4.25/5⭐️
Do, By All Due Means by Sive Doyle: 4.5/5⭐️
Overall rating for Once: 3.75/5⭐️
My ratings for part two, Present:
Mayday by Maria Dahvana Headley: 4.75/5⭐️
Heartbeat by Waubgeshig Rice: 4.75/5
Jack and Brad and the Magician by Anthony Rapp: 4.75/5⭐️
The Quay Stone by S. Zainab Williams: 4/5⭐️
Black Diamond by Alex Segura: 5/5⭐️
Flat White by Jessica Plummer: 4.75/5⭐️
Once (Them) & Future (Us) by Preeti Chhibber: 4.5/5⭐️
Overall rating for Present: 4.75/5⭐️
My ratings for part three, Future:
A Shadow in Amber by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: 3.25/5⭐️
White Hempen Sleeves by Ken Liu: 3/5⭐️
Little Green Men by Alexander Chee: 4/5⭐️
Overall rating for Future: 3.5/5⭐️
Overall rating: 4/5⭐️
My ratings for part 1, Once:
The Once and Future Qadi by Ausma Zehanat Khan: 3.5/5⭐️
Passing Fair and Young by Roshani Chokshi: 3.75/5⭐️
How, after Long Fighting, Galehaut Was Overcome by Lancelot Yet Was Not Slain and Made Great Speed to Yield to Friendship; Or, Galehaut, the Knight of the Forfeit by Daniel M. Lavery: 5/5⭐️
I Being Young and Foolish by Nisi Shawl: 4/5⭐️
The Bladesmith Queen by Sarah MacLean: 4.25/5⭐️
Do, By All Due Means by Sive Doyle: 4.5/5⭐️
Overall rating for Once: 3.75/5⭐️
My ratings for part two, Present:
Mayday by Maria Dahvana Headley: 4.75/5⭐️
Heartbeat by Waubgeshig Rice: 4.75/5
Jack and Brad and the Magician by Anthony Rapp: 4.75/5⭐️
The Quay Stone by S. Zainab Williams: 4/5⭐️
Black Diamond by Alex Segura: 5/5⭐️
Flat White by Jessica Plummer: 4.75/5⭐️
Once (Them) & Future (Us) by Preeti Chhibber: 4.5/5⭐️
Overall rating for Present: 4.75/5⭐️
My ratings for part three, Future:
A Shadow in Amber by Silvia Moreno-Garcia: 3.25/5⭐️
White Hempen Sleeves by Ken Liu: 3/5⭐️
Little Green Men by Alexander Chee: 4/5⭐️
Overall rating for Future: 3.5/5⭐️
Overall rating: 4/5⭐️
March 18, 2022
DNF at 64%
I tried to get invested in this short story collection but I just couldn’t. I started about half the stories in here and only managed to finish 6 of them. I’m a huge fan of retellings, as well as the legend of King Arthur, so I was genuinely disappointed that I couldn’t get more invested in these stories.
My favorite story (of the ones I read) was The Bladesmith Queen by Sarah MacLean.
How, after Long Fighting, Galehaut Was Overcome by Lancelot Yet Was Not Slain and Made Great Speed to Yield to Friendship; Or, Galehaut, the Knight of the Forfeit - Daniel M. Lavery ⭐️⭐️
The Bladesmith Queen - Sarah MacLean ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mayday - Maria Dahvana Headley ⭐️⭐️
Heartbeat - Waubgeshig Rice ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Flat White - Jessica Plummer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Shadow in Amber - Silvia Moreno-Garcia ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I tried to get invested in this short story collection but I just couldn’t. I started about half the stories in here and only managed to finish 6 of them. I’m a huge fan of retellings, as well as the legend of King Arthur, so I was genuinely disappointed that I couldn’t get more invested in these stories.
My favorite story (of the ones I read) was The Bladesmith Queen by Sarah MacLean.
How, after Long Fighting, Galehaut Was Overcome by Lancelot Yet Was Not Slain and Made Great Speed to Yield to Friendship; Or, Galehaut, the Knight of the Forfeit - Daniel M. Lavery ⭐️⭐️
The Bladesmith Queen - Sarah MacLean ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mayday - Maria Dahvana Headley ⭐️⭐️
Heartbeat - Waubgeshig Rice ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Flat White - Jessica Plummer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Shadow in Amber - Silvia Moreno-Garcia ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read
February 27, 2022This was a really enjoyable anthology. I would suggest reading some of the original myths before jumping into this though. I pieced together, or hazily remembered most of the references, but probably missed loads.
May 13, 2022
Some excellent stories here make up for a few less interesting ones. A few of my favorites were Black Diamond, Flat White, Once (Them) & Future (Us), and Little Green Men. I'm not a huge Arthurian legend buff, so it was also interesting to see how people have interpreted the mythology.
February 3, 2022
a couple of good stories but overall I felt disappointed
July 30, 2021
I should preface this review by saying that I am currently earning my Master’s in Arthurian Literature, so many of my criticisms are framed from a more extensive knowledge of the tradition than is generally available (or considered socially acceptable). That said, I very much appreciate and support the goals of this project and adamantly believe we need more books like this. Therefore, rather than critiquing the writing (which is overall very strong), I shall instead concentrate on how the stories manipulate Arthurian material.
I suppose a good place to start is by defining the flexibility of the Arthurian tradition that makes this project (at its best) so successful. In our modern age of mass media, the images and conceptions of King Arthur are rampant, which can make it extra difficult to address any one person’s idea of who Arthur is. At the most basic and popular level, Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table operate in a didactic fantasy-world of good versus evil –– shiny knights versus black –– in an idyllic society brought down by treachery. However, the fascinating thing about the legend is that this same good/evil dichotomy has been used at different times to either justify empire (Geoffrey of Monmouth, Wace, Edmund Spenser, Nazi Germany) or to critique it (Sir Thomas Malory, T.H. White). Arthur has been used by English kings (post-Norman conquest) to justify their rule and by the rebellious Britons (especially Welsh and Scots) as a symbol of resistance. This lends the legend a wonderful elasticity that the writers of this volume embrace and twist in different ways.
One of my favorite examples of this comes from juxtaposing the stories “Mayday” (Maria Dahvana Headley) and “Heartbeat” (Waubgeshig Rice), which appear side by side in the collection. Both apply Arthurian motifs to the struggles of Native Americans to resist White imperialism, but from very different perspectives. “Mayday” makes Arthur a presidential candidate whose business (and life) is founded on the exploitation and abuse of Native Americans (especially women). On the other side of the spectrum, “Heartbeat” tells of a boy (named Art) growing up on a reservation whose traditions are being systematically erased and restores to his tribe (by lifting a boulder) the drums buried by his ancestors. These stories at once reveal the range of possibilities enabled by Arthurian elasticity, and also some of the perils. Although Waubgeshig Rice is himself part of the Anishinaabe community, the imposition of Arthurian names on the Native community (not just Art, but also Merle: the only elder who preserves the old language and traditions) itself feels like a continuation of western imperialism.
This also introduces my next point which I will (admittedly, rather misleadingly) dub the “Disney-fied” stories. Although the image of Arthur pulling the sword from the stone is one of the most recurring and popular in western culture, I think it’s safe to say the most pervasive and enduring one in recent memory comes from Disney’s The Sword in the Stone, an adaptation of T.H. White’s book of the same name. “Heartbeat” ends with this triumphant image while Alex Segura’s “Black Diamond” similarly makes use of the ancestral sword motif (by turning Excalibur into a baseball bat). In both cases, the symbolism is overshadowed for me by the knowledge that the motif functions as part of a larger pattern inexorably bending toward self-destruction that the Disney version (and other Swords in Stones of the same model) do not address. However, the one I find most disappointing (and I only say disappointing because of its tremendous potential) is Anthony Rapp’s “Jack and Brad and the Magician.” Set during the AIDS crisis as protagonist Jack watches his boyfriend Brad slowly die in hospital, they are granted a moment of beauty and comfort by the arrival of a magician, Merlin, who is clearly modeled on T.H. White’s time-addled wizard. Unfortunately, Merlin feels like an intrusion into the story: only able to offer the rather forlorn hope that AIDS will not always be a death sentence, a knowledge he recognizes will come too late for Brad. There is much untapped potential here in the bedridden figure barely clinging to life and the protagonist who is ignorant (or innocent) of Arthurian stories for a version of the Grail Quest (indeed, Brad is reminiscent of the name Bron which is sometimes applied to the Fisher King), but sadly the only Arthurian element feels like a disturbance to what is otherwise a well-written and tragic love story.
Most of the other stories in the collection centered on Merlin consider the complicated relationship between teacher and student. In Preeti Chhibber’s “Once (Them) & Future (Us)”, a resurrected Merlin is forced to choose between steering a new Arthur on the road to Camelot or falling in love with this new Arjun, thereby forgetting his old self and power. Nisi Shawl also explores the more traditional love affair between Merlin and his apprentice in “I Being Young and Foolish”, in which a young woman named Nia, marked as magical by her albino skin, leaves her home of Nakasongola to study magic with Merlin in England. Both stories (one told from his perspective, the other from Nia’s) force Merlin to choose between love (also equated with death) and power –– a decision that is arguably made more powerful by Chhibber’s queer reading of the character. The protagonist of S. Zainab Williams’ “The Quay Stone” also finds herself snared in a perilous relationship as she follows her new friend Nenive (one of the more traditional names for Merlin’s student) through the streets of Singapore while becoming ever more frightened of her friend’s power. Each story in its own way examines the classic tale and the questions of power, agency, love, and desire it raises.
Other queer-centric stories include “Do, By All Due Means” (Sive Doyle), “Little Green Men” (Alexander Chee), and “How, after Long Fighting, Galehaut Was Overcome by Lancelot Yet Was Not Slain and Made Great Speed to Yield to Friendship; Or, Galehaut, the Knight of the Forfeit” (Daniel M. Lavery). This last is an intriguing reading of knightly duels as examples of sadomasochistic performativity in which defeated knights render themselves utterly submissive to the victor. In this case, Galehaut (who is different from Galahad and whose close relationship with Lancelot in the 13th century Vulgate cycle has inspired queer-readings from scholars) desires nothing more than to be subdued, a wish that is not granted until he is overthrown by Lancelot. Chee’s science-fiction story “Little Green Men” reframes the tale of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” around the kisses exchanged between Gawain and his host Lord Bertilak in the original 14th century poem. Meanwhile, Doyle adapts a lesser known Arthurian story –– the tale of the female knight Britomart from Edmund Spenser’s 16th century “Faerie Queene” –– with a few appreciable twists, including the love between Britomart and the maiden she rescues. In each case, the authors follow their medieval/early-modern sources fairly closely, making the characters’ implied desires overt and romantic.
However, my favorite stories in the book all center on the figure of Elaine, the famous Lady of Shalott/Astolat. These include: “Passing Fair and Young” (Roshani Chokshi), “Flat White” (Jessica Plummer), and “A Shadow in Amber” (Silvia Moreno-Garcia). In both “Passing Fair and Young” and “Flat White”, the authors place the role of destiny front-and-center in the tale of Lancelot and Elaine as something they can recognize, critique, and resist, albeit in different contexts. Chokshi makes destiny visible in “myth marks” and has Elaine choose her role as the brief, almost forgotten side-character in the romance of Lancelot and Guinevere –– while also allowing the years Lancelot and Elaine spend living together to be a truly joyous example of domestic bliss. Plummer, on the other hand, places Elaine in the modern day as a barista who becomes obsessed with Lance, a regular customer, and then finds herself inexorably dragged into the love triangle with his best friends, Arthur and Gwen. It is the arrival of these two that nudges something in Elaine’s brain and makes her go to Wikipedia where she pieces together the story herself and her role in it. (Incidentally, this is my favorite story in the collection for its self-awareness and sense of humor which is reminiscent of Neil Gaiman at his best.) Moreno-Garcia, on the other hand, places Tennyson’s Lady of Shalott in a cyberpunk city, shut in her luxurious apartment and only experiencing the outside world through drug-induced memories brought to her by a dealer. She becomes (quite literally) hooked on the experiences of a vibrant, romantic young man she knows only as Lancelot: the only spark of authenticity in her enclosed world.
The other stories in the collection are harder to tie into a discernible pattern. “The Once and Future Qadi” (Ausma Zehanat Khan) imagines a fascinating exchange between East an West as a Muslim Qadi is summoned by Arthur to Camelot in order to judge the truth behind Lancelot and Guinevere’s affair. I feel myself wanting more, while at the same time wondering if the Arthurian setting is the best for this story since the “mystery’s” conclusion is already established. Conversely, “The Bladesmith Queen” (Sarah MacLean) is Arthurian only in the abstract: a female smith sends a warrior into the world to slay her most sinister customers and recollect the blades she regrets making. The scene where they have sex in the lake is the closest to an Arthurian homage in the piece. Finally, “White Hempen Sleeves” (Ken Liu) imagines a future where technology has made death all but impossible for the rich and so an inventor splits his consciousness so he can test his own resolve in the face of inevitable destruction over and over again. There is an attempt here to draw a connection with the magical deception that enables Arthur’s father, Uther, to lie with Igraine in the guise of her husband, but it ultimately feels strained in a story already bursting with complexity, which is unfortunate in the hands of so able a writer as Ken Liu.
As I stated at the beginning, my intention in this (rather lengthy) review is not to address the merits of the stories themselves, but instead to place them in conversation with one another and the larger tradition. In doing so, I do not mean to disparage anyone for departing from the “canon” (a concept as elusive and illusory in Arthurian studies as Avalon itself), but rather to use the heightened vantage point of my expertise to identify the roads not taken and point the way toward unexplored frontiers I hope the next wave of writers will undertake. If nothing else, I hope my review has demonstrated that the Arthurian legend is one of the most enduring and flexible in the western tradition and stories like this (despite what others might say) are some of the best testaments to its continued strength and relevance.
I suppose a good place to start is by defining the flexibility of the Arthurian tradition that makes this project (at its best) so successful. In our modern age of mass media, the images and conceptions of King Arthur are rampant, which can make it extra difficult to address any one person’s idea of who Arthur is. At the most basic and popular level, Camelot and the Knights of the Round Table operate in a didactic fantasy-world of good versus evil –– shiny knights versus black –– in an idyllic society brought down by treachery. However, the fascinating thing about the legend is that this same good/evil dichotomy has been used at different times to either justify empire (Geoffrey of Monmouth, Wace, Edmund Spenser, Nazi Germany) or to critique it (Sir Thomas Malory, T.H. White). Arthur has been used by English kings (post-Norman conquest) to justify their rule and by the rebellious Britons (especially Welsh and Scots) as a symbol of resistance. This lends the legend a wonderful elasticity that the writers of this volume embrace and twist in different ways.
One of my favorite examples of this comes from juxtaposing the stories “Mayday” (Maria Dahvana Headley) and “Heartbeat” (Waubgeshig Rice), which appear side by side in the collection. Both apply Arthurian motifs to the struggles of Native Americans to resist White imperialism, but from very different perspectives. “Mayday” makes Arthur a presidential candidate whose business (and life) is founded on the exploitation and abuse of Native Americans (especially women). On the other side of the spectrum, “Heartbeat” tells of a boy (named Art) growing up on a reservation whose traditions are being systematically erased and restores to his tribe (by lifting a boulder) the drums buried by his ancestors. These stories at once reveal the range of possibilities enabled by Arthurian elasticity, and also some of the perils. Although Waubgeshig Rice is himself part of the Anishinaabe community, the imposition of Arthurian names on the Native community (not just Art, but also Merle: the only elder who preserves the old language and traditions) itself feels like a continuation of western imperialism.
This also introduces my next point which I will (admittedly, rather misleadingly) dub the “Disney-fied” stories. Although the image of Arthur pulling the sword from the stone is one of the most recurring and popular in western culture, I think it’s safe to say the most pervasive and enduring one in recent memory comes from Disney’s The Sword in the Stone, an adaptation of T.H. White’s book of the same name. “Heartbeat” ends with this triumphant image while Alex Segura’s “Black Diamond” similarly makes use of the ancestral sword motif (by turning Excalibur into a baseball bat). In both cases, the symbolism is overshadowed for me by the knowledge that the motif functions as part of a larger pattern inexorably bending toward self-destruction that the Disney version (and other Swords in Stones of the same model) do not address. However, the one I find most disappointing (and I only say disappointing because of its tremendous potential) is Anthony Rapp’s “Jack and Brad and the Magician.” Set during the AIDS crisis as protagonist Jack watches his boyfriend Brad slowly die in hospital, they are granted a moment of beauty and comfort by the arrival of a magician, Merlin, who is clearly modeled on T.H. White’s time-addled wizard. Unfortunately, Merlin feels like an intrusion into the story: only able to offer the rather forlorn hope that AIDS will not always be a death sentence, a knowledge he recognizes will come too late for Brad. There is much untapped potential here in the bedridden figure barely clinging to life and the protagonist who is ignorant (or innocent) of Arthurian stories for a version of the Grail Quest (indeed, Brad is reminiscent of the name Bron which is sometimes applied to the Fisher King), but sadly the only Arthurian element feels like a disturbance to what is otherwise a well-written and tragic love story.
Most of the other stories in the collection centered on Merlin consider the complicated relationship between teacher and student. In Preeti Chhibber’s “Once (Them) & Future (Us)”, a resurrected Merlin is forced to choose between steering a new Arthur on the road to Camelot or falling in love with this new Arjun, thereby forgetting his old self and power. Nisi Shawl also explores the more traditional love affair between Merlin and his apprentice in “I Being Young and Foolish”, in which a young woman named Nia, marked as magical by her albino skin, leaves her home of Nakasongola to study magic with Merlin in England. Both stories (one told from his perspective, the other from Nia’s) force Merlin to choose between love (also equated with death) and power –– a decision that is arguably made more powerful by Chhibber’s queer reading of the character. The protagonist of S. Zainab Williams’ “The Quay Stone” also finds herself snared in a perilous relationship as she follows her new friend Nenive (one of the more traditional names for Merlin’s student) through the streets of Singapore while becoming ever more frightened of her friend’s power. Each story in its own way examines the classic tale and the questions of power, agency, love, and desire it raises.
Other queer-centric stories include “Do, By All Due Means” (Sive Doyle), “Little Green Men” (Alexander Chee), and “How, after Long Fighting, Galehaut Was Overcome by Lancelot Yet Was Not Slain and Made Great Speed to Yield to Friendship; Or, Galehaut, the Knight of the Forfeit” (Daniel M. Lavery). This last is an intriguing reading of knightly duels as examples of sadomasochistic performativity in which defeated knights render themselves utterly submissive to the victor. In this case, Galehaut (who is different from Galahad and whose close relationship with Lancelot in the 13th century Vulgate cycle has inspired queer-readings from scholars) desires nothing more than to be subdued, a wish that is not granted until he is overthrown by Lancelot. Chee’s science-fiction story “Little Green Men” reframes the tale of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” around the kisses exchanged between Gawain and his host Lord Bertilak in the original 14th century poem. Meanwhile, Doyle adapts a lesser known Arthurian story –– the tale of the female knight Britomart from Edmund Spenser’s 16th century “Faerie Queene” –– with a few appreciable twists, including the love between Britomart and the maiden she rescues. In each case, the authors follow their medieval/early-modern sources fairly closely, making the characters’ implied desires overt and romantic.
However, my favorite stories in the book all center on the figure of Elaine, the famous Lady of Shalott/Astolat. These include: “Passing Fair and Young” (Roshani Chokshi), “Flat White” (Jessica Plummer), and “A Shadow in Amber” (Silvia Moreno-Garcia). In both “Passing Fair and Young” and “Flat White”, the authors place the role of destiny front-and-center in the tale of Lancelot and Elaine as something they can recognize, critique, and resist, albeit in different contexts. Chokshi makes destiny visible in “myth marks” and has Elaine choose her role as the brief, almost forgotten side-character in the romance of Lancelot and Guinevere –– while also allowing the years Lancelot and Elaine spend living together to be a truly joyous example of domestic bliss. Plummer, on the other hand, places Elaine in the modern day as a barista who becomes obsessed with Lance, a regular customer, and then finds herself inexorably dragged into the love triangle with his best friends, Arthur and Gwen. It is the arrival of these two that nudges something in Elaine’s brain and makes her go to Wikipedia where she pieces together the story herself and her role in it. (Incidentally, this is my favorite story in the collection for its self-awareness and sense of humor which is reminiscent of Neil Gaiman at his best.) Moreno-Garcia, on the other hand, places Tennyson’s Lady of Shalott in a cyberpunk city, shut in her luxurious apartment and only experiencing the outside world through drug-induced memories brought to her by a dealer. She becomes (quite literally) hooked on the experiences of a vibrant, romantic young man she knows only as Lancelot: the only spark of authenticity in her enclosed world.
The other stories in the collection are harder to tie into a discernible pattern. “The Once and Future Qadi” (Ausma Zehanat Khan) imagines a fascinating exchange between East an West as a Muslim Qadi is summoned by Arthur to Camelot in order to judge the truth behind Lancelot and Guinevere’s affair. I feel myself wanting more, while at the same time wondering if the Arthurian setting is the best for this story since the “mystery’s” conclusion is already established. Conversely, “The Bladesmith Queen” (Sarah MacLean) is Arthurian only in the abstract: a female smith sends a warrior into the world to slay her most sinister customers and recollect the blades she regrets making. The scene where they have sex in the lake is the closest to an Arthurian homage in the piece. Finally, “White Hempen Sleeves” (Ken Liu) imagines a future where technology has made death all but impossible for the rich and so an inventor splits his consciousness so he can test his own resolve in the face of inevitable destruction over and over again. There is an attempt here to draw a connection with the magical deception that enables Arthur’s father, Uther, to lie with Igraine in the guise of her husband, but it ultimately feels strained in a story already bursting with complexity, which is unfortunate in the hands of so able a writer as Ken Liu.
As I stated at the beginning, my intention in this (rather lengthy) review is not to address the merits of the stories themselves, but instead to place them in conversation with one another and the larger tradition. In doing so, I do not mean to disparage anyone for departing from the “canon” (a concept as elusive and illusory in Arthurian studies as Avalon itself), but rather to use the heightened vantage point of my expertise to identify the roads not taken and point the way toward unexplored frontiers I hope the next wave of writers will undertake. If nothing else, I hope my review has demonstrated that the Arthurian legend is one of the most enduring and flexible in the western tradition and stories like this (despite what others might say) are some of the best testaments to its continued strength and relevance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2021
As with any anthology of stories written by multiple authors, some of these were great, some of these were ok, and some of these were not for me. But still, overall worth 4 stars because the stories that I loved, I really loved. As a teenager, I went through a King Arthur and Camelot obsession and tried to read everything I could get my hands on. This takes those old stories I remember and reimagines them for our world.
These are the stories I loved:
“The Once and Future Qadi” by Ausma Zehanat Khan
“Passing Fair and Young” by Roshani Chokshi
“I Being Young and Foolish” by Nisi Shawl
“The Quay Stone” by S. Zainab Williams
“Once (Them) & Future (Us)” by Preeti Chhibber
“White Hempen Sleeves” by Ken Liu
"Little Green Men” by Alexander Chee
And my absolute favorite one that I wish was an entire novel instead of just a short story:
A Shadow in Amber” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
These are the stories I loved:
“The Once and Future Qadi” by Ausma Zehanat Khan
“Passing Fair and Young” by Roshani Chokshi
“I Being Young and Foolish” by Nisi Shawl
“The Quay Stone” by S. Zainab Williams
“Once (Them) & Future (Us)” by Preeti Chhibber
“White Hempen Sleeves” by Ken Liu
"Little Green Men” by Alexander Chee
And my absolute favorite one that I wish was an entire novel instead of just a short story:
A Shadow in Amber” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
July 2, 2021
3 stars *may change
Arthurian mythology is so often watered down to "that king who had a golden cup, I think, and also his best friend slept with his wife," but I don't think that's quite fair. It's more like "that king who had a golden cup, I think, and also his best friend slept with his wife and there's a wizard with a funny hat and some other people who also do things."
Okay, so I don't actually know anything about Arthurian mythology, and I'm not sure if that made the reading experience better or worse. If I had known more, would I have sat there criticizing the way the stories interpreted the myths? I honestly read these mostly not understanding any of the backgrounds, which was fine for me.
Oh, yeah, it's stories. Plural. The problem that seems to arise with anthologies is that almost all of them seem to get the same reaction. Some stories are funny, some are sad, some are bittersweet, some are good, and some are boring. It leaves the entire impression of the anthology to just be, "It was fine." Some stories stood out more, like Chokshi's and MacLean's, while other ones seemed very dull or just didn't grab my attention. There's certainly a story for everyone here, whether or not you like or even understand Arthurian legend, but I don't think every story is for me.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader's copy.
Arthurian mythology is so often watered down to "that king who had a golden cup, I think, and also his best friend slept with his wife," but I don't think that's quite fair. It's more like "that king who had a golden cup, I think, and also his best friend slept with his wife and there's a wizard with a funny hat and some other people who also do things."
Okay, so I don't actually know anything about Arthurian mythology, and I'm not sure if that made the reading experience better or worse. If I had known more, would I have sat there criticizing the way the stories interpreted the myths? I honestly read these mostly not understanding any of the backgrounds, which was fine for me.
Oh, yeah, it's stories. Plural. The problem that seems to arise with anthologies is that almost all of them seem to get the same reaction. Some stories are funny, some are sad, some are bittersweet, some are good, and some are boring. It leaves the entire impression of the anthology to just be, "It was fine." Some stories stood out more, like Chokshi's and MacLean's, while other ones seemed very dull or just didn't grab my attention. There's certainly a story for everyone here, whether or not you like or even understand Arthurian legend, but I don't think every story is for me.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader's copy.
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