I unfortunately didn’t live this book. I didn’t click with the characters or the writing style which made me really uninterested in the story.

So much fun!! I think I've found a new author to check out! So well written and just a whole bundle of fun and mystery. Loved it!!

I must confess that I delayed reading this book for a while, but now I regret it because it turned out to be good. I was so engrossed in the story that I wouldn't have noticed if the world around me had ended due to environmental collapse. The book features dragons, which made the report even more captivating.

The book showcases Lee's exceptional talent in dealing with various topics. It tells the story of Sir Kay, one of King Arthur's knights, who awakens from a mythical slumber whenever Britain is in need. However, when Kay wakes up, he finds himself in a barely recognizable world where he sees a dragon for the first time in centuries. England is on the brink of collapse, with Scotland and Wales having declared independence and the country entire of camps for environmental refugees. This has led to high tensions between different factions. In a world where those in power are indifferent and those who care spend more time arguing than looking for solutions, what can one lone knight do?

Perilous Times is told through different POVs, the main three being Kay, Lancelot and Mariam. Throughout, we get an idea of the 'real' King Arthur: brash, quick to anger, and all too willing to follow along with whoever has his ear. With the country in its state, Kay knows some would instead put Arthur back in charge and let him deal with it, but Kay and Lancelot know that might do more harm to Britain than good.

Mariam is part of a feminist, eco-terrorist organization, and through her, we meet a band of women who clash and argue but ultimately try to do what's right. I loved this group. You have the mysterious older woman who has seen it all, trying to guide these younger feminists as best she can. You have a young woman who is insistent that they stick to their morals and avoid killing any living thing, no matter how difficult or impractical that makes things. This whole group was just fun to read about, and they formed a kind of fractured family, emphasized by how many people we see in the book are left without homes and families, forced to flee, and not always aiming their anger at the actual people who caused the mess.

Mariam initially wants to hand over responsibility to a hero and let them deal with the situation. Still, she realizes that such an approach has caused things to spiral out of control. The story also paints a worrying picture of a possible future, revealing how things could escalate. I particularly appreciated how the author, Lee, included various left-wing individuals and activists and held them accountable for their actions. The portrayal of Wales and its response to the crisis was also fascinating, with the country separating from England and crowning a Welsh-speaking king.

The book encompasses various elements, and Lee's approach towards different social issues is reflected in the experiences of Kay and Lancelot, the central knights. The book presents satire in an understated and subtle way, which works well. Characters sometimes let pride or fear dictate their actions, which are the defining moments that reveal the true heroes in the story.

Overall, this is an exceptional book that I will remember for a long time. It has me eager to see what Thomas D. Lee produces next.

I will put my hands up and admit I put this book off for longer than I should have, because it’s actually really bloody good. Like so wrapped up in the story the world could have ended around me due to environmental collapse, complete with dragons, and I wouldn’t have noticed.

The amount that is tackled in this book is an absolute testament to Lee’s talent. Sir Kay, one of King Arthur’s knights, awakes from a mythical slumber whenever Britain has need of them. But now, Kay wakes in a world barely recognisable, and sees a dragon for the first time in centuries. England is dying. The Scottish and Welsh have declared independence, and the country is full of camps for environmental refugees, where tensions run high between different fractions. But what can one lone knight do in a world where those in charge don’t care, and those who do care spend more time arguing than looking for solutions?

Perilous Times is told through different POVs, the main three being Kay, Lancelot and Mariam. Throughout, we get an idea of the ‘real’ King Arthur, brash and quick to anger and all too willing to follow along with whoever has his ear. With the country in the state it’s in, Kay knows there are some who would rather put Arthur back in charge and let him deal with it, but Kay and Lancelot know that might do more harm to Britain than good.

Mariam is part of a feminist, eco-terrorist organisation, and through her we meet a band of women who clash and argue but ultimately try to do what’s right. I loved this group. You have the mysterious older woman who has quite literally seen it all, trying to guide these younger feminists as best she can. You have a young woman who is insistent that they stick to their morals and avoid killing any living thing, no matter how difficult or impractical that makes things. This whole group was just fun to read about, and they formed a kind of fractured found family, emphasised by how many people we see in the book are left without homes and families, forced to flee, and not always aiming their anger at the actual people who caused the mess.

Mariam wants to just hand things over to a hero and let him deal with it, but realises that kind of handing things over is why things were progressed in such a bad way so much. There’s definitely the foreboding sense of this being near-future, too, a glimpse into how things might go. And something I really appreciated was Lee pulls in various types of left-wing folks and activists and gives them almost a reckoning. I particularly appreciated the way he’s portrayed Wales in how they deal with the crisis, separating from England and raising a new king who absolutely refuses to speak in anything but Welsh.

All the different elements of the book and the way Lee approaches a variety of different social issues, reflected a lot in the experiences of Kay and Lancelot, the main knights we meet, gives a very great deal of satire, in an understated, subtle kind of way. It works. There are moments where characters let pride or fear get in their own way, and these are the moments where we see the real heroes arise.

Overall, this is a bloody fantastic book, one I think I’ll be thinking about for ages, and one that makes me very excited for whatever Thomas D. Lee comes out with next.

A grand debut that is Arthurian satire in modern land. As mass extinction looms, birds and bugs vanish while climate countdowns to doomsday. Oh, and a dragon roams too! A wickedly funny fantasy where original characters like Arthur the legend is crafted with care and a diverse cast stands out. The loss of loved ones, a quest for belonging and the fight for purpose brews a strong emotion that lingers. The magical and motivational elements are unfortunately underbaked but the literary tone is great in terms of magical realism.

Arthurian characters are resurrected in modern times to face challenges such as climate change and capitalism instead of dragons and witches… although those are there too!

This sounds like a Pratchett-esque romp based on the blurb, cover and comparators but it is weighed down by the massive responsibility of its moral messages and also by the sheer depressing helplessness and crippling self-doubtful moral agonising that plagues the main characters throughout. The plot and (most of the) characters are clever and well-developed but large chunks of the standing staring hopelessly at the unfolding disasters all round could have been trimmed and still kept the overall structure intact (and lighter!) My average reading time for a novel of this size is 3-4 hours spread over a day or two. This one took me more like 8 hours and a week!

I did like the overall message of the story and the main plotline, and I really enjoyed following loyal Kay, conflicted Lancelot, cynical Marlowe and egomaniacal Arthur. I never quite clicked with Mariam’s character though – she didn’t feel as real or well-rounded as the others, which was a shame as she carries a lot of the story’s weight.

This feels like a really good light fantasy romp bogged down by hefty moral messaging, or a really interesting moral tome constantly interrupted by interludes of inopportune levity – I enjoyed both sides, but felt they were hard work when taken together!

Thank you to Orbit books and Netgalley for this advance copy (and sorry for the late review!).

Arthurian retellings are my thingggg. I love them. And therefore, I adored Perilous Times. Witty and so clever, yet compulsively readable. I definitely recommend picking this one up!

The writing style is not the best but the tone skillfully mixes grim dystopian, gallows humor, and pockets of hope.
Easy to read with characters it's hard not to love.

I struggled a bit with Perilous Times.
I found the writing while not hard to read, a little awkward.
The characters were okay but no one really stood out to me.
I also thought the book was a little too long and it definitely could have been shorter.

I did also enjoy parts of the book!
I liked how it dealt with climate change and there were definitely some fun moments in the book.
So I would still recommend this one!

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Growing up on the mythology of Arthur I jumped at the chance to read about his knights saving the world in peril. And I wasn't disappointed.

Some time in the not to distant future, a world drowning and overheating filled with people in need and needing hope. Knights, immortal beings, and strong female leads fill a world we sadly recognise.

Punctuated with mythological references, geographical landmarks and funny notes. Perilous Times is dark, but not depressing, sad with humour and truth mixed with mythology.

Certainly a new take on the Arthurian legend of a Once and future king.

Grab this for a night time beside read to fill your dreams with knights, dragons and women who can save the world.

The author clearly knows a lot about the Arthurian Legend. I liked the idea of the book, the knights of the Round Table being resurrected whenever the realm is in peril, which this time means a dystopian Britain suffering from climate change.

I had the feeling that the plot suffered from all the commentary on climate change, gender identity, sexual orientation and racism. It bogged the story down and made sticking to the book very hard for me. It was very easy to put the ARC away and similarly very hard to pick it up again.

This is a truly excellent book, I really enjoyed it, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing what else he writes in the future.

Okay so I was really excited for this. I love King Arthur retellings but this one just didn’t work for me. I think it’s more to do with the writing style than an issue with the story. I think that lots of other people will enjoy the book though

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Orbit for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: death, violence, racism, environmental issues, apocalypse, resurrection

"Perilous Times" is an incredible book, following the ancient knight Sir Kay who is forced to rise from his grave underneath a tree every time Britain might be in peril. He was a knight of King Arthur's Round Table, his brother, and is committed to bringing peace to the realm- whether it's against Vikings and Saxons or in the trenches of World War I. Every time Kay comes back he is shoved into a world he doesn't understand, but this time it's different; no one welcomes him from his grave and it soon becomes clear that the Britain he left behind last time is gone. Oil rigs have taken over the coast, and most of the South of England is entirely underwater. The government's lack of action on the climate crisis has led to resistance groups, working alongside a variety of different figures, who all aim to save the world. After an oil rig explodes near to Kay's grave, he meets the unintentional bomber, a woman named Mariam who is tired of being scared for the future. She convinces him to come with her to Manchester, where there will be a mass gathering of all the resistance groups, alongside her friends, but Kay isn't sure. This time is different, some of Arthur's knights haven't came back this time (except for Lancelot, who works alongside Christopher Marlowe and massively resents his legacy as the thief of Arthur's wife) and it soon becomes apparent that the world doesn't need a heroic knight, it needs something more like a legendary king. However, the legacy of Arthur isn't accurate to the man himself, and Kay finds himself unwilling to bring his brother back; but that won't stop Mariam, who wants to make everything okay.

I adored this book, in part because of it's humour and also because of it's depiction of social issues like race and LGBTQ+ rights; in particular I liked the focus on Mariam's responsibility, one felt by younger people, to protect the planet even when it's literally on fire. Kay isn't exactly what you imagine when you think of a knight, he's tired and just wants to go back to his tree and a semblance of peace, he's also Black and soon finds that people wearing the cross of England are worse towards him than the Saxons were. His experiences and flashbacks throughout the book are excellently written and I loved how he keeps coming back every time because of his belief that he's helping. "Perilous Times" features characters from Arthurian mythology, like Merlin, Morgan Le Fay and Lancelot, but not as they've been depicted in the past; the real enemies of this book are the corporations who have broken the world and are now seeking a way out of it. Another highlight is that there's a talking squirrel and two dragons. I think this is an incredible debut, with rich world building and excellently written characters; I'd adore a sequel and I'll definitely read more from this author.

DNF @ 48%

I love an Arthurian legend & a modern day retelling with a climate twist sounded right up my street! But I found that I couldn’t get into this, the message was coming across as very heavy handed & unrealistic almost stereotypical climate activism. Didn’t really jam with any of the main characters, but I did really like the humour in it so will be keeping an eye out for future releases!

4*

I grew up on Arthurian Legend. King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table were, essentially, the first story that I learned. So when I saw the premise of this twist on a familiar tale, I knew I had to read it. Lee didn't disappoint.

I found that Lee balanced the broad and treacherous scope of themes that he'd chosen for this story (including climate change, feuding political parties, and identity) well, and still delivered a deftly written plot that kept me interested throughout.

I enjoyed the balance of old, familiar characters on new landscapes, as well as the new characters that Lee introduced. This was an enjoyable read for any fans of Arthurian Legend, fantasy, or anyone frustrated with watching the world burn in real time.

Regardless of the themes of climate change, hints of feudalism, extreme privatisation of whole counties as well as eco-warriors and activists, Perilous Times is such a fun easy-going book to read.
Sir Kay, along with other knights of the round table, is resurrected every time there is a threat to Britain. This is usually during wartime but it's different this time.
Dragging himself from the earth, Kay finds himself teaming up with Mariam and her team of eco-warriors who are fighting extreme climate change and oil corporations.
Thomas D Lee manages to mix in present issues facing the world with Arthurian legends and mystical beings to great effect. Along with the dry humour within the book, Lee also manages to weave in a sense of loss experienced by the three main characters - Kay, Mariam and Sir Lancelot.
A very enjoyable and ambitious read.

If you’ve ever wondered what the earth would be like further along the road of climate change, Perilous Times places us smack bang in the UK to experience it. Not just the climate and the economy but the factions, the politics, fighting and the eco warriors … and the big guys who only think of saving their own skins.

Thomas D Lee tackles very real climate issues with a sprinkling of humour that offsets the grit of what is happening. I thought this was very clever! No lecturing or censure, it’s just how it is.

This is the world that Kay ‘wakes up’ to (Lancelot and later Arthur too). This is a quest like no other, to save the world that is self-destructing. It’s very different to when they were last here. The Saxons in this contemporary world are very different to the Saxons they knew and fought with!

Perilous Times gives a very different perspective on the characters of King Arthur, Merlin and the Knights. I really felt for Kay (especially after he finds out a truth) but my favourite is Lancelot. He experiences the most change and snuck into my heart. The magic is very earthy and Merlin, nebulous.

Our reluctant heroine Mariam is on her own quest to save the earth from destruction. Discontent that things are moving too sluggishly, she takes her own action. And this brings Kay into her life.

I enjoyed watching her confidence and belief in herself grow. Who needs the Knights of the Roundtable? Especially with the in-fighting and egotistical needs …

LOVED the scene at the wellhead. Powerful and multi-layered, it’s a culmination of all the days before.

Perilous Times is a dystopian story that turns the Arthurian myths on its head. It’s a crazy world where the veil between worlds is weakened and a hero/ine is needed to banish the monsters and set the earth on a new trajectory. I loved it!

Drake is in his hammock an' a thousand miles away, sleeping until his country needs him... but Arthur sleeps in England, resting with his knights in a cave beneath Alderney Edge - a farmer once saw him when the wizard who wove the magic needed a last white horse. Or perhaps elsewhere, in Scotland where his seat overlooks the Parliament building, or Wales - or on the Island of Avalon, where the sweet apples grow, or before the High Altar at Glastonbury Abbey (but they dug him up!) There are hills, stones and barrows across this land associated with the sleeping king and while the stories about his life are confused and contradictory, all agree that he saved Britain - or tried to.

So go the legends, telling us that we are special, that Britan is guarded, protected. Whether Arthur is the exemplar of a mythical code of chivalry, or the leader of a post-Roman* warband, hardly matters. What he means changes from age to age as we change, and he can equally be a New Age archetype, the defender of the Greenwood and a spirit of of the ancient land...

...Or we can look closer, as Thomas D Lee does in this story of a gathering apocalypse, environmental, yes, but also hastened by the grey-faced oilmen and warmongers. In such times, do we need a war leader? Does Pendragon's record actually stand much scrutiny? Perilous Times is one of several books I've read lately that take a sceptical look. Here, things are narrated by Kay, Arthur's stepbrother, but we also meet Mariam, a young women of the early 21st century who's definitely not waiting for a white knight to gallop up to her on his horse.

Just as well because Kay isn't white and he doesn't have a horse (for most of the book). Kay has been bound by Merlin's magic to rise from the earth when summoned, or when England is in danger, and over the centuries he's become accustomed to clawing his way up from the mud to face slaughter, often at the command of those same grey faced men, one of whom also features in the story. Others of Arthur's court have the same ability - suffer the same fate - and a theme here that Lee explores intelligently is the limit of loyalty, and the habit we have of surrendering choice for the comfort of a strong leader who thinks they have the answers.

In a world going all to pieces that's a comforting thing to be able to do, but is it actually helpful - for Kay or for the bemused band of women she is part of, women who seek both to ameliorate the conditions of those suffering from climate collapse, war, and persecution and to put an end to the evils that cause them. As in Arthur's day, many factions jostle for power in the land, not least mercenaries and fanatics.

Lee navigates this complicated moral landscape with considerable skill, deftly blending the personal and the political and rooting them in a landscape - whether an apocalyptic Manchester or a hellish metal Avalon - that has heft and depth, not least when Kay or Lancelot are seeing it through fifteen hundred year old memories of Mamucium or Londinium.

There is though more to these fascinating characters than their status as legends walking the modern world. We come to learn how both have devoted their lives - many lifetimes - to the grubby business of Empire, to the belief that they had a purpose, that they mattered and could make a difference. There are centuries of horror locked in Kay's head, so much so that at time he welcomes another death and his return to the mud, but also centuries of experience. It's patchy, iffy experience and he doesn't always understand the modern world (who does?) but he can also bring some perspective and he can spot a bad idea when he sees one.

So - let's get the (war)band together for one last time, sharpen the sword edges and form up the shieldwall because, yes, these are Perilous Times indeed.

I just loved this book - it's a truly modern take on Arthur and the Matter of Britain, a long-needed updating to counteract the seizing of our national myths by those with dubious purposes, but more than that, just a brilliant, involving read (and great fun to see some hints and allusions to other books I've read and loved - not least the tarnished iron gates below Alderney Edge). Strongly recommended (though there is one death in this book that I'm not sure I'll forgive Lee for...)

There's a number of retelling of the Matter of France since Middle Age but this is one of the most original as it mixes myth, contemporary issues like environment and add a lot of humour.
The mix works very well, it can make you laugh or it can move you to tears, I was moved to tears, but it never drags or let you down.
I liked how the author developed his version of Artu, Kay and the other and made me them act in a contemporary environment.
The most chilling part is the world building as it's one of the possibile not very far future.
Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table will raise again in the moment of the need, that future would be the right one.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine