The Bright Sword is pretty good. It's a nice, modern take on the story and an interesting central idea - what if Arthur's story isn't so much about Arthur, but instead about what happens after he's gone, and the small people are left to pick up the pieces?I like Arthur stories - Cornwell's trilogy was great and I really liked what I've read of Mary Stewart's series - but I generally like them more grounded and historical than fantastical. This one worked pretty well for me, despite not being what I generally like. The focus on the less famous members of the Round Table was fun, and the found family aspect was endearing. Collum is a fun character, and being in his head as an outsider to Arthur's world was an interesting point of view.

The middle third of the novel drags on a bit, though it's mostly made up for by the high-stakes final 20%.