The incomparable Nicola Griffith has done it again. The author of Hild and So Lucky has written another incredible novel, this time a spellbinding queer Arthurian adventure that our own Maria Dahvana Headley has called “a screamingly hot canon-queering epic” and Alix Harrow dubbed “humane, intelligent, and deeply beautiful.” Spear is coming out from Tordotcom publishing on April 19th. It’s a transporting, lush, and exhilarating adventure—a historical fantasy that takes everything we loved about Hild, tosses in some myth and magic, and then simmers it down to a condensed 184 pages. So, now that you can’t wait to sink your teeth into this gorgeous novel as humanly possible, we can share the good news!

If you preorder Spear, not only will you get to read it in your chosen format a.s.a.p., but you will also be anointed with a badge of honor, an insignia pin emblazoned with the titular spear, entwined with forget-me-nots. Just upload your receipt HERE to get your pin. All the cool knights are wearing them!

You can preorder the book in any available format and in any location. We suggest your local independent bookstore, but you can also try:

Bookshop

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Books-a-Million

Indie Bound

Apple Books

Praise for Spear

“Mesmerizing . . . A lyrical bildungsroman drenched in the natural world [turns into] a fast-moving, violent suspense tale with stakes that are at once epic and personal . . . A marvelously concise epic that is entirely Griffith’s own.” —Gary Wolfe, Locus

“Readers will appreciate this sparkling interpretation of Arthurian legend, which combines interesting historical detail with appealing, inclusive characters in a genuinely delightful way.” —Anna Mickelsen, Booklist

“There is magic in Nicola Griffith’s words. Prepare to be enchanted.” —John Scalzi, author of The Kaiju Preservation Society

“If Le Guin wrote a Camelot story, I imagine it would feel like Spear: humane, intelligent, and deeply beautiful. It’s a new story with very old bones, a strange place that feels like home. It’s exactly what I needed.” —Alix E. Harrow, author of A Spindle Splintered

“Nicola Griffith braids the Percival tales to her own ferocious imagination, and the results are spellbinding. Her novel is a reclamation of the touchstones of Arthurian myth—skewering received notions with the sharp point of her pen. If that sounds too theoretical, let me also say that it’s a screamingly hot canon-queering epic filled with bloody battles, and world-shaking magic. Spear is an unprecedented and spectacular investigation of the Matter of Britain. I’ve been waiting years for this book about the once and future everyone else to exist.” —Maria Dahvana Headley, author of The Mere Wife and Beowulf: A New Translation

“This fresh, emotionally immediate queer spin on the medieval tale of Percival and the Holy Grail reaffirms Griffith as a consummate storyteller . . . Steeped in period texture that brings remote history fully into the present, and lushly illustrated by Rovina Cai (The Seventh Raven), this tale of destiny, belonging, and home is a genuine pleasure.” —Publishers Weekly

“Breathtaking. Nicola Griffith knows what she’s doing.” —Jo Walton, author of Or What You Will

“Gorgeous . . . This slim volume manages to capture its reader and tell a complete story in just under two hundred pages, something which many longer books don’t achieve . . . I spent most of 2020 reading every Arthurian retelling I could get my hands on, and believe me when I say that Spear is truly one of the best.” —Fabienne Schwizer, Grimdark Magazine

“Set against the backdrop of King Arthur’s court, Nicola Griffith’s Spear is at once intoxicating, brutal, and entirely compelling. Readers will want to race through the novella to uncover the main character’s destiny as she fights to understand her place in the world, but they will linger over every word of Griffith’s lush prose. Fans of Camelot won’t want to miss this gorgeous take on the Percival legend.” —Swapna Krishna, co-editor of Sword Stone Table

“Just dazzling!” —Bruce Holsinger, author of The Gifted School

“A mesmerizing tale that manages to be both epic and immersive in a short, intimate span, Spear gives us a vivid hero, a daring quest, and a clear-eyed reimaging of Arthurian legend.” —Malka Older, author of State Tectonics