A book like this is what I have been waiting for since middle school. As I have said many times before, I love the King Author mythos. I am, however, not an avid reading of retellings of Kind Arthur for one reason, they are all more or less tell the 3 same stories over and over again. They tell about how Arthur became King, they detail the search for the Holy Grail, or they focus on the affair between Lancelot and Guinevere and how this led to the fall of Camelot.
The Return of Sir Percival is the story about the aftermath of Camelot’s defeat. It’s the story of how this left the people of Britain at the ruler’s mercy, the story of a former Queen trying her hardest to keep a brave face during all of this, and the story of a knight who has returned home to a land that has changed as much as he has.
Yes, this book has flaws, but I love it despite its flaws. There are many flashbacks used throughout the narration, and in my opinion, most of it works. We wouldn’t know about crucial events that occurred earlier in the story without said flashbacks, but on the other hand, there were flashbacks that I thought were unneeded. To me, the well-done flashbacks outnumbered the sloppy ones, but if flashbacks drive you bonkers, the book might not be for you.
I loved the main characters, especially Percival, and his brother-in-arms, Capussa. The two spent the last ten years together as gladiators, and it shows. The two know each other and have the desire to see the other achieve his dreams. The two also have different religious beliefs, but they still respect each other despite this. I think a friendship like this was very refreshing to read as I haven’t seen this as much as I would like in fiction. My only gripe with the friendship was I felt Capussa’s history wasn’t as delved into as it could’ve been. However, this book is the first in a series so we could learn more about Capussa’s past in the future.
The romance was impressive. It was important to the characters involved but didn’t swallow the entire plot. *Spoilers* The couple in question was separated for the majority of the book, but from the way they spoke and thought about their respective significant other while they were apart allowed me to learn how much they did care for each other. In my humble opinion, it was all the more satisfying when they were finally reunited. *End Spoilers*
If you love Kind Arthur or tales about chivalry in general, then I would recommendThe Return of Sir Percival. However, if you cannot stand flashbacks as a narrative device, it might not be something you would enjoy as much as I did.
