 | Spear is the story of Perceval, one of King Arthur’s knights and the original hero who quested for the Holy Grail. And it’s the story of a young woman raised in the wild by her mother. One day, the nameless young woman finds a slain knight while roaming the wildwood. She takes his weapons then teaches herself how to throw the spears for hunting. When a contingent of knights is beset by bandits, she helps them, attacking the bandits but staying hidden in the trees. The encounter makes her long for the larger world. She decides to leave the wildwood; as a parting gift the woman’s mother names her Peretur, spear enduring. |
Peretur’s deep connection with the natural world was my favorite part of the story:
 | "Before harvest, when bee hum spreads drowsy and heavy as honey, she tastes in their busy drone a tale of the stream over which they skim, the falls down which the stream pours, the banks it winds past where reeds grow thick and the autumn bittern booms. |
 | "Sometimes Elm [tree] rocks her gently to sleep in the late spring breeze, or whispers to her of how it is to grow from a sapling, to draw water from deep in the earth, to feel the world turn season after season, and once Elm shows her the sparrowhawk that waits with marigold eyes for the mistle thrush to leave the safety of its nest. |
 | "She listened to the liquid ripple of blackbird song and let herself feel the rise and fall of its tiny breast; watched the scudding approach of cloud from the southeast and let herself feel the gathering of droplets within. |
This ability to connect deeply with the world around her serves Peretur well when she faces off against the Red Knight:
 | " . . . as he came, Peretur felt, through her palm, the wood of her spear; from the wood, the blade; and, at the tip of the blade, a taste of blood—not much blood, for she had barely pricked him—but enough: for now she could feel the Red Knight as she felt herself. Now his knowledge was her knowledge. |
Another delightful aspect of the novel was Peretur’s gender identity, which the author handled skillfully. Here, Peretur meets a young maiden, Angharad:
 | "Her lips were soft and plump as rain and Peretur wanted to plunge her hands deep into her golden yellow hair, deep under her skirts to the soft places beneath, and she could feel their hearts like horses, like horses yoked and racing together, pulling towards the same goal, breath tearing in and out, in and out. |
When Peretur places Angharad’s hand between her own legs, to wordlessly explain her gender, I felt acute anxiety at her risk . . . but Angharad is neither scandalized nor deterred, and the two become lovers.
Later in the story, Peredur confides her birth gender to one of the knights:
Later in the story, Peredur confides her birth gender to one of the knights:
 | “I am not his sister-son.” His eyes stretched wide. He reassessed the line of her jaw, the size of her hands. She nodded. |
As the story unfolds, the supernatural source of Peretur’s magical sensitivity to the physical world and her extraordinary strength is revealed, deepening our understanding of her character. There are other fun twists on the Arthurian legend:
- the ancient nature of the Grail itself
- the Arturus (Arthur)-Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere)-Llanz (Lancelot) triangle
- the complex relationship between Myrddyn (Merlin) and Nimue, the Lady of the Lake
- the inherent danger of powerful, Otherworldly magic (Excalibur, the Grail) in mortal hands
The book’s ending is both surprising and wonderful: Peretur and Nimue use misdirection and sleight of hand to direct the course of history.
And the closing sentence confirms Peretur’s bright future:
“She cared only for the fact that she was young and strong, her love was in her arms, the fire was warm, and the tide of life was rising, rising within her.”
The Author’s Note at the end of the book is a fascinating essay on King Arthur's legend and how Nicole Griffith selected the elements she chose to weave into her novel.
Spear is a relatively short book at 167 pages, but the story is as rich and deeply layered as much longer books. Highly recommended.
And the closing sentence confirms Peretur’s bright future:
“She cared only for the fact that she was young and strong, her love was in her arms, the fire was warm, and the tide of life was rising, rising within her.”
The Author’s Note at the end of the book is a fascinating essay on King Arthur's legend and how Nicole Griffith selected the elements she chose to weave into her novel.
Spear is a relatively short book at 167 pages, but the story is as rich and deeply layered as much longer books. Highly recommended.
Read other books imbued with land magic:
Song of the Huntress, Sistersong, The Queens of Innis Lear
Read other novels with transgender characters:
The Four Profound Weaves, Light from Uncommon Stars, The Bruising of Qilwa, Sistersong, Most Ardently
Song of the Huntress, Sistersong, The Queens of Innis Lear
Read other novels with transgender characters:
The Four Profound Weaves, Light from Uncommon Stars, The Bruising of Qilwa, Sistersong, Most Ardently
