The Bright Sword Audiobook By Lev Grossman cover art

The Bright Sword

A Novel of King Arthur

Preview

Get this deal Try for $0.00
Offer ends April 30, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Bright Sword

By: Lev Grossman
Narrated by: Nicholas Guy Smith, Lev Grossman
Get this deal Try for $0.00

$14.95/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends April 30, 2025 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $29.25

Buy for $29.25

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A New York Times Editors’ Choice • The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Magicians Trilogy returns with a triumphant reimagining of the King Arthur legend for the new millennium

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, NPR, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, VANITY FAIR, TIME, OPRAH DAILY, TOWN & COUNTRY, ELLE, VOX, PASTE, LIT HUB, POLYGON, KIRKUS REVIEWS

“Lev Grossman’s The Bright Sword stands out as the best fantasy of the year.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Grossman, who is best known for his The Magicians series, is at the top of his game with The Bright Sword.”—The New York Times Book Review

“A thrilling new take on Arthurian legend. . . . Marvelous.”—The Washington Post

“If you love King Arthur as much as I do, you’ll love Lev Grossman’s The Bright Sword, a fresh and engrossing take on the Matter of Britain featuring a colorful cast of Round Table knights who don’t often get as much story time as they deserve. The creator of The Magicians has woven another spell.”—George R. R. Martin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Game of Thrones

A gifted young knight named Collum arrives at Camelot to compete for a place at the Round Table, only to find that he’s too late. King Arthur died two weeks ago at the Battle of Camlann, and only a handful of the knights of the Round Table are left.

The survivors aren’t the heroes of legend like Lancelot or Gawain. They’re the oddballs of the Round Table, like Sir Palomides, the Saracen Knight, and Sir Dagonet, Arthur’s fool, who was knighted as a joke. They’re joined by Nimue, who was Merlin’s apprentice until she turned on him and buried him under a hill.

But it's up to them to rebuild Camelot in a world that has lost its balance, even as God abandons Britain and the fairies and old gods return, led by Morgan le Fay. They must reclaim Excalibur and make this ruined world whole again—but first they'll have to solve the mystery of why the lonely, brilliant King Arthur fell.

The first major Arthurian epic of the new millennium, The Bright Sword is steeped in tradition, complete with duels and quests, battles and tournaments, magic swords and Fisher Kings. It's also a story about imperfect men and women, full of strength and pain, trying to reforge a broken land in spite of being broken themselves.

©2024 Lev Grossman (P)2024 Penguin Audio
Editors Select Epic Fantasy Historical Arthurian King Royalty Feel-Good

Interview: "The Bright Sword" reimagines the legend of King Arthur for today’s age

'...it was interesting to me to try to take on something more in the epic line, and you don't get much more epic than Arthur.'
-0.00
  • The Bright Sword
  • '...it was interesting to me to try to take on something more in the epic line, and you don't get much more epic than Arthur.'

Editorial Review

Behold the legend of King Arthur’s leftover knights
Lev Grossman has thrown himself headfirst into the legend of King Arthur, and he’s come up with a retelling of the many-faceted story that feels both earnest and tongue-in-cheek. The rub is that the story starts after Arthur has died and Camelot is in shambles—what happens next? Collum, our impassioned, naïve hero, shows up a little too late to become a knight of the glorious Round Table. But fear not! There are plenty of adventures to be had for the despondent leftover knights. Replete with Grossman’s signature critical eye toward tropes and accepted truths, and juxtaposed with narrator Nicholas Guy Smith’s classical British storyteller vibe, The Bright Sword is the King Arthur legend for the questioning masses of today. — Melissa B., Audible Editor

What listeners say about The Bright Sword

Highly rated for:

Fresh Arthurian Retelling Compelling Character Development Engaging Storytelling Style Imaginative Magical Realism
Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    313
  • 4 Stars
    95
  • 3 Stars
    51
  • 2 Stars
    22
  • 1 Stars
    14
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    359
  • 4 Stars
    74
  • 3 Stars
    19
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    5
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    290
  • 4 Stars
    83
  • 3 Stars
    46
  • 2 Stars
    19
  • 1 Stars
    20

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A new twist on King Arthur

I have read & listened to many many books on King Arthur. This by far was the most entertaining and the most original King Arthur story I've encountered! It has elements of some really old and accurate information that pertains to his story, plus loads of fun bits & bobs that will make you laugh out loud! Don't hesitate on this one, it's a gem!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely PERFECT!

I’m sure I would have enjoyed the hard copy just as much, but the narration is fabulous. A real treat!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

A rollicking adventure that I could not stop listening to. The author does a wonderful job breaking the main narrative up with chapters reveling important facts about each character.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Meh

Lots of good things but I struggled to care or stay awake. I loved the magicians but the large ensemble of characters in this one and a rather oafish main character who didn’t really transform in a meaningful way except he got good at fighting.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding retelling and addition to Arthuriana

We get not only a fantastic addition to the legend of King Arthur and his Knights -- that of Callum, arriving weeks after Arthur has fallen and Camelot hosts only a handful of remaining heroes, and the adventure that befalls them -- but also fantastic retellings and renderings of Arthur, Bedivere, and more. We see through Bedivere's devoted eyes the young boy Arthur pulling the sword from the stone, growing into his kingship. And many other glimpses besides which I dare not begin to spoil the delight of here. Wonderful narration from Nicholas Guy Smith, and just a hint of modern snark from Grossman atop Abercrombian duels and battles and realism.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Not really a story

It seems like a book if short stories stitched. Together with random jumps in time and place. Very disappointing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting perspective

I really enjoyed this version of the King Arthur Story. I was intrigued by the humanization of the Knights of the Roundtable, their faults as well as their talents. Overall, I would recommend it as an enjoyable read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Gorgeous

I loved the gorgeous blending of historical facts and myths with the high medieval gloss as the author calls it. I'm a serious Arthur nerd so it hit all the best notes for me. if you want a better understanding of how many beautiful, subtle details of all of Arthurian legends are in this book I highly recommend Dorsey Armstrong's Great Courses lecture seri

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Instant Classic

This is a great story with beautiful writing. The narrator is exactly right for the material, and does a great job with it. If you have read Lev Grossman’s other work—and especially if you have watched the TV adaptations—you will not be surprised by brief discussions of gender and sexuality that seem unusual for stories of The Knights of the Round Table. I like it when an author surprises me, so I found this refreshing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The characters

I loved the story from start to finish. I couldn’t stop listening. Recommending it to everyone I know.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!