John Glynn's first novel, The Lost Book of Lancelot, is a beautiful foray into Arthurian legend from the point of view of one of its most notorious but less explored characters, Lancelot.
Glynn begins Lancelot's story on the Isle of Women, where he is being raised, nameless, by a mysterious and magical sisterhood. He is the only man or boy allowed to reside there, until the handsome Galehaut is brought to train with him to become knights. Lancelot discovers his name, his family, his true love, and the prophecies about him from the great Merlin--prophecies Lancelot wishes to reject--but fate has other plans.
Despite his best efforts, he finds himself at Camelot, grief-ridden. He is in the service of King Arthur, growing close with Queen Guinevere, and trying to prove himself worthy of knighthood among the Round Table, and of the quest for the grail especially. But little about Camelot, or even about who holds true power in this world, is straightforward.
Glynn's queering and expansion of the tale is thoroughly researched and knowledgeably done. He finds the opportunities in historical texts to reinvigorate these stories and characters in a way that feels modern but also fits seamlessly into the wider body of Arthuriana and existing adaptations. Readers will meet characters they think they know well, as well those pulled from historical ephemera, in this exquisitely layered novel. The Lost Book of Lancelot is astounding in its perspective on a legendary time through the lens of various forms of love, including first love and the deepest friendships. Glynn imagines a more multifaceted past underneath the familiar story. --Michelle Anya Anjirbag, freelance reviewer