About a million years ago (in July of 2024), I went to a book event with an author that I didn’t yet know. The reason I went is that the novel he was reading from was an Arthurian story and one that I kept seeing everywhere (even though it was just then being published). I love King Arthur stuff. Lev Grossman (don’t judge that I didn’t know him) definitely convinced me to read The Bright Sword and also to go back and read The Magicians Trilogy. I have Bright Sword and The Magicians (The Magicians #1) on my shelves now. I am going to get to Bright Sword really soon. I can see it—I could even grab it if I stretched reeeeeally far—sitting there all alluring on my Read This Soon! Shelf, which, if you can believe it, I have kept to ten titles at this moment. (On the shelf. My head and my internet-based TBRs are a different story.)

Some of the best quotes from the event:

“Growing out a pixie cut is not a thing for public consumption” (said by the hosting author).“Writers are beloved by strangers but loathed by their families” (possibly a paraphrase from another author).Many stories are family stories or found family stories.You can publish a book before you are fully formed as a writer.“It’s humbling to be shown where your imaginative empathy has fallen short.”

The Bright Sword is an Arthurian tale, but it picks up the story after the death of Arthur (not a spoiler; one of the most famous books around is literally titled Le Morte d’Arthur). It takes place in modern times but is still Arthurian and it features some of the lesser-known characters from the original stories. Grossman said that T. H. White found a blank spot in the Arthurian legends to write about, and he believes he has done it too.

The Magicians Trilogy is:

The MagiciansThe Magician KingThe Magician’s Land

It is inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia even though people more often compare it to the Harry Potter series. I saw multiple people at the event who had The Magicians tattoos. I had no idea.

That’s really all I have to say. I enjoyed the event. Grossman was engrossing (get it?). I was ready to read his book the second I had it in my hands but sometimes that’s not the way it works. And I am guessing I will love The Magicians Trilogy once I get to it.