I loved the blend of Peretur becoming involved in the world of men, and fitting in seamlessly, with her moments alone as a woman, or with other women. She becomes he when the time is right, when she breaks into the world of men and knights, but returns to she when she meets beautiful women she simply cannot resist. I thoroughly enjoyed Griffith’s characterisation of Peretur, who takes to gender fluidity like a duck to water. She has taken on particular knight, Perceval, and traced his origins through ancient lore and come up with her own iteration of the character through Peretur, a brilliant, lesbian, determined woman. Nicola Griffith makes excellent use of her intense knowledge of Arthurian myth and legend, and its origins, in Spear.
On her adventures, she will steal the hearts of beautiful women, fight warriors and sorcerers, and make a place to call home. Aflame with determination, she begins a journey of magic and mystery, love, lust and fights to death. With her stolen hunting spear and mended armour, she is an unlikely hero, not a chosen one, but one who forges her own bright path. So, brimming with magic and eager to test her strength, she breaks her covenant with her mother and sets out on her bony gelding for Caer Leon. And when she hears a traveller speak of Artos, king of Caer Leon, she decides her future lies at his court.
She grows up in the wild wood, in a cave with her mother, but visions of a faraway lake drift to her on the spring breeze, scented with promise. She left all she knew to find who she could be. In Spear, Nicola Griffith subverts traditional tropes by gender bending an Arthurian legend, and adds a healthy dose of LGBTQ+ characters for extra satisfaction.
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