SpearSpear
What it's about
A girl grows up in the wild wood with her mother, hidden from the world. When she hears of Artos, king of Caer Leon, she breaks her promise to her mother and rides out to his court, brimming with magic and eager to test her strength. Nicola Griffith's retelling of the Percival legend is fierce and queer.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Nebula Award finalist. It's a short, vivid and fresh take on Arthurian legend.
You'll love it if you liked
Good to know
It's short and written in rich, poetic language.
By the numbers
- Readers68 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics24 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller17 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz26 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #186 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #228 of the 481 new books we rank
- #1277 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous
More by Nicola Griffith
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Quick answers
Is Spear worth reading?
Yes. It was a Nebula Award finalist. It ranks #1,277 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 70.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Spear about?
A girl grows up in the wild wood with her mother, hidden from the world. When she hears of Artos, king of Caer Leon, she breaks her promise to her mother and rides out to his court, brimming with magic and eager to test her strength. Nicola Griffith's retelling of the Percival legend is fierce and queer.
How long does it take to read Spear?
About 5 hours (192 pages), or about 10 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Spear?
If you liked it, try The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart, Circe by Madeline Miller or Hild by Nicola Griffith.