Spear Annotation

 

Author: Nicola Griffith

Title: Spear

Genre: Fantasy - Historical and Legend

Publication Date: April 19, 2022

Number of Pages: 184 pages

Geographical Setting: British Isles

Time Period: Arthurian Times, likely 5th-6th century

Series: None

Plot Summary: The book follows a girl in the Arthurian times who grew up in the wild with only her mother and not even the knowledge of her own name. When she leaves her mother's hidden sanctuary, drawn by the call of heroism and knighthood, she learns her name: Peretur. The reader follows the adventurers of Peretur, as she finds a home amongst travelers at first before stumbling upon the body of a fallen knight and taking his arms and armor. Peretur disguises herself as a boy and learns she has an inherent knack for horseback riding and the spear. She goes on to Caer Leon to meet up with King Arturus (Arthur) and the legendary Knights of the Round, also eventually meeting the king's sorcerer, Nimue of the Lake. To prove herself worthy of knighthood she, Nimue, and Llanza (Lancelot) embark on a quest for a magical artifact, a bowl or maybe a grail. 

The book is a genderbent retelling of the Arthurian tale of Perceval, leaning on the Welsh version of the familiar Arthurian stories.

Subject Headings:

Magic - Fiction

Heroes - Fiction

Fate and Fatalism - Fiction

Knights and Knighthood - Fiction

Lesbians - Fiction

Appeal:

• Story Line - Spear is, at its heart, a retelling and interpretation of an old Arthurian legend, specifically that of Percival and the grail. This makes it a fantasy story with both a historical story line as well as a mythical retelling. Peretur's adventure moves the story along, as she meets varied characters and finds out more about herself along the way. As stated by Wyatt and Saricks (2019), "fantasy novels follow some common tropes and themes" (p. 126). And Spear is no exception. The struggle of good versus evil is a very familiar trope that is used in the novella, as well as the epitome of the fantasy story, the quest.
  
• Frame/Setting - The setting of Spear is obvious and directly tied to the narrative: the British Isles in the time of King Arthur where characters of myth and legend walked the land. The setting is magical and mythical, with sorcerers and the inhuman Tuatha De populating the world alongside knights and kings. The trappings of knighthood and combat, and of the old legends help to build the framing elements of Spear. Great detail is paid to immersion and atmosphere throughout the novella.
  
• Language/Style - Griffith clearly did her research for this novel, incorporating Old English, Welsh, and Gaelic into her worldbuilding and language. With names like Peretur, Llanza, Gwenhwyhar, Angharad and more, the language and naming really transports you back to the time of Arthurian Britain. Otherwise, the style of writing is very descriptive, beautiful, and lyrical, reading much like a legend of old. Griffith fully immerses the reader into the world of magic and knights and mythical figures.
• For example: "And so it was that when Manandan, son of the sea, stole the greatest treasure, the cup, and calling himself Manawydan fad Llyr, fled over sea from Eiru to Dyfed, he found Elen waiting."
• Tone - Spear has a generally hopeful and adventurous tone. While Peretur faces hardship, the narrative doesn't dwell too long in the dark or dreadful. It's exciting and fun, and occasionally dipping into romantic. It lies a bit closer to dark than to humorous on the tonal scale of fantasy. Above all, the novella is very atmospheric with a tone that fully envelops the reader into the story and world. As an audiobook, this tone works especially well. It feels as if an old skald is telling a tale of myth and legend over a roaring fire.
• Characterization - Spear features one central character and her hero's journey from a lost, lonely girl without a name to a knight of legend, unmatched even amongst the Knights of the Round. The reader spends the story in Peretur's perspective, privy to her inner thoughts and her motivations. Like many fantasy novels of adventure, some of the characters rely on tropes and typical paradigms. Peretur certainly embodies the characteristics laid out by Wyatt and Saricks (2019) of the hero of a fantasy novel, "courage, honor, and steadfastness" (p. 128).  But this is not to say they're not interesting and fleshed out, especially Peretur herself. Other standout characters include Nimue, Llanza, and Cei, who all play important roles in the novella.
• Pacing - As a novella, Spear must move fairly fast. The entire story, starting from Peretur's childhood, takes place over fewer than 200 pages. It doesn't feel rushed or unfinished, but it does move quickly from scene to scene which keeps the pace fast. There are some slow periods of reflection and consideration, but overall the book moves swiftly.

Three terms that best describe the book: Legends, Feminist, Adventure

Relevant non-fiction works:

      

Relevant fiction works: