Spear

This gorgeous retelling of a classic Arthurian tale perfectly balances the 21st century with the 6th century. The writing style seemed to instantly transport me to that world, and engulf my senses.

Starting as an unusually tall and strong girl raised in the woods by her mother, Peretur - classically known as Percival - easily passes as a handsome man and fawns over young women, earning a reputation as both a warrior and a heart-breaker. Lanza (Lancelot) is a disabled foreigner who fights like a centaur when mounted. None of this inclusive revising of the story felt forced though. It seems only natural that LGBTQ+ people existed then as they do now, and more than likely that in a time before medicine, disabled people would be very visible. And why is Peretur unusually big and strong? Oh, you'll find out.

Griffith keeps a feeling of authenticity to the story by using Early Medieval names, and integrating Celtic mythology from that time. The mix of religions and cultures in this story was particularly refreshing to me. Christianity, only just introduced to England, was only established in some communities, and Pagan gods mix into the tale in fascinating ways. Griffith melds the treasures of the Tuath De with many of the mythical objects in the Arthur legends so seemlessly that it feels like the story should have always been told this way.
These changes brought the story to life such that, in spite of the magic and myth, it felt like reading history, only better.