Overview

IN PERILOUS TIMES LIKE THESE, THE REALM DOESN'T JUST NEED A HERO. IT NEEDS A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR. Sir Kay and his fellow knights awake from their mythical slumber whenever Britain has need of them; they fought at Agincourt and at the Somme. But in these perilous modern times, the realm is more divided than ever, a dragon has been seen for the first time in centuries, and Kay is not the only ancient and terrible thing to come crawling up out of the ground . . . Perilous Times is a fiercely entertaining contemporary take on the myths of Camelot, which asks: what happens when the Knights of the Round Table return to fix the problems of the modern world? This debut is perfect for fans of Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Jodi Taylor and Ben Aaronovitch. ****************************************** AN INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ****************************************** WINNER OF THE FANTASY HIVE 'DEBUT OF THE YEAR' AWARD ****************************************** 'If you like Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, you'll enjoy Perilous Times . . . wryly witty, it's an utterly original take on Arthurian myth' The Times 'This audacious, original debut is angry as well as entertaining, and an exciting new take on the Matter of Britain' Guardian 'Funny, weird, wise, lovely, and full of mad sh*t. You've never read anything like it before, and you should bang that order button now' Stuart Turton, author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle 'Lee has brought Arthur's legends into these modern, perilous, times' Fantasy Hive 'Like Good Omens with Arthurian knights. I've never read a book that treads so happily the ground between making you think, and making you laugh out loud' Beth Underdown 'I HOWLED my way through this book! Smart, funny, refreshing fantasy. . . Anyone who liked Rivers of London will love this' Natasha Pulley 'Forget the once-and-future-king; this is a once-and-future classic' Jackson Ford 'Lee has a maestro's eye for satire' Richard Swan 'A brilliant collision of ancient mysticism with modern madness' Robert Jackson Bennett 'Relentlessly entertaining, deadpan hilarious and full of heart. Give it five pages and you'll be hooked' Scott Hawkins 'Maintains a steady faith in humanity's ability to bring itself back from the brink' Publishers Weekly 'Perilous Times has knights, mad science, corporate villainy . . . and dragons ready to burn it all down... delightful' Kevin Hearne 'An awesomely accomplished debut' Daily Mail

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Reviews

Like Good Omens with Arthurian knights. Both massively escapist and a persuasive call to action - I've never read a book that treads so happily the ground between making you think, and making you laugh out loud. -- Beth Underdown, author of The Witchfinder's Sister Lee has brought Arthur's legends into these modern, perilous, times and has gifted us a story worthy of that canon -- Fantasy Hive I HOWLED my way through this book! Smart, funny, refreshing fantasy, full of vivid characters who will bring a lot of joy to a lot of people . . . Anyone who liked Rivers of London will love this -- Natasha Pulley, author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street Funny, weird, wise, lovely, and full of mad sh*t. You've never read anything like it before, and you should bang that order button now -- Stuart Turton, author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle Lee has a maestro's eye for satire -- Richard Swan, author of The Justice of Kings This audacious, original debut is angry as well as entertaining, and an exciting new take on the Matter of Britain -- Guardian Enormous fun, combining razor sharp wit with savage political commentary, propulsive action, and near-endless Arthurian Easter Eggs. A brilliant collision of ancient mysticism with modern madness -- Robert Jackson Bennett Angry, funny, grounded in a vital, urgent reality and soaring with joyous fantasy - a needful delight of a book -- Claire North, author of Ithaca Lee's tale of the Knights of the Round Table awaking in the modern world grabs hold and won't let go. Forget the once-and-future-king; this is a once-and-future classic -- Jackson Ford, author of The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind Perilous Times is a gloriously fun book, easily the best I've read this year. It's relentlessly entertaining, deadpan hilarious and full of heart. Give it five pages and you'll be hooked. -- Scott Hawkins Maintains a steady faith in humanity's ability to bring itself back from the brink; swords can do more than cleave if they become rallying symbols for folks who do not recognize their own heroism. Readers with a love of Arthurian romance and ecological optimism will appreciate Mariam and Kay's struggles and triumphs -- Publishers Weekly It's rare to find a book so entertaining yet thematically juicy. Perilous Times has knights, mad science, corporate villainy, radicals from the far fringes of the left and right . . . and dragons ready to burn it all down. A delightful and poignant read for our times -- Kevin Hearne Wow, what a book. Hilarious, heartwarming . . . such a fun, fresh twist on the Arthurian legend. All great fantasy is escapist, but this one offers a hard, and quite necessary, dose of reality as well -- Nicholas Eames A breakneck pace and a compelling urgency that pulls readers along on a wild, glorious, and epic ride . . . Highly recommended -- Library Journal (starred review) An awesomely accomplished debut -- Daily Mail

Like Good Omens with Arthurian knights. Both massively escapist and a persuasive call to action - I've never read a book that treads so happily the ground between making you think, and making you laugh out loud. -- Beth Underdown, author of The Witchfinder's Sister Lee has brought Arthur's legends into these modern, perilous, times and has gifted us a story worthy of that canon -- Fantasy Hive I HOWLED my way through this book! Smart, funny, refreshing fantasy, full of vivid characters who will bring a lot of joy to a lot of people . . . Anyone who liked Rivers of London will love this -- Natasha Pulley, author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street Funny, weird, wise, lovely, and full of mad sh*t. You've never read anything like it before, and you should bang that order button now -- Stuart Turton, author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle Lee has a maestro's eye for satire -- Richard Swan, author of The Justice of Kings Enormous fun, combining razor sharp wit with savage political commentary, propulsive action, and near-endless Arthurian Easter Eggs. A brilliant collision of ancient mysticism with modern madness -- Robert Jackson Bennett Angry, funny, grounded in a vital, urgent reality and soaring with joyous fantasy - a needful delight of a book -- Claire North, author of Ithaca Lee's tale of the Knights of the Round Table awaking in the modern world grabs hold and won't let go. Forget the once-and-future-king; this is a once-and-future classic -- Jackson Ford, author of The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind Perilous Times is a gloriously fun book, easily the best I've read this year. It's relentlessly entertaining, deadpan hilarious and full of heart. Give it five pages and you'll be hooked. -- Scott Hawkins Maintains a steady faith in humanity's ability to bring itself back from the brink; swords can do more than cleave if they become rallying symbols for folks who do not recognize their own heroism. Readers with a love of Arthurian romance and ecological optimism will appreciate Mariam and Kay's struggles and triumphs -- Publishers Weekly It's rare to find a book so entertaining yet thematically juicy. Perilous Times has knights, mad science, corporate villainy, radicals from the far fringes of the left and right . . . and dragons ready to burn it all down. A delightful and poignant read for our times -- Kevin Hearne Wow, what a book. Hilarious, heartwarming . . . such a fun, fresh twist on the Arthurian legend. All great fantasy is escapist, but this one offers a hard, and quite necessary, dose of reality as well -- Nicholas Eames A breakneck pace and a compelling urgency that pulls readers along on a wild, glorious, and epic ride . . . Highly recommended -- Library Journal (starred review)

Author Information

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

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