Fantasy Novella Review: Spear by Nicola Griffith

Spear is a Nebula Nominated Novella by author Nicola Griffith. The Novella, which has won praise and nominations for multiple awards, is a queer adaptation of Arthurian and Welsh (Fae) Myth featuring a genderflipped version of the knight Perceval named Peretur. I enjoy some Adaptations of Arthurian Myth but don't really seek them out, so I skipped out on Spear when it first came out...but the sheer amount of acclaim the novella received made it pretty much impossible for me to skip it for too much longer.

And well Spear is pretty damn deserving of its acclaim. The story features Peretur as its protagonist as she starts out being raised alone in a cave magically warded by her mother Elen - who fears Peretur's fae father who once enchanted Elen - and follows Peretur as she sets out against her Mother's wishes to explore humanity and to join the companions of Artos who she sees defend the land. Written in really gorgeous prose, the story sees Peretur grow up, bind her breasts to appear as a boy, grow interested in and have experiences with girls, and - armed with her trusty spear - come into contact with Artos' companions and learn the truth behind both them and her own origins...and how power can so easily corrupt. It's a really effective story that is very easy to recommend.