Perilous Times by Thomas D Lee (Orbit, £16.99)
Merlin ensured that King Arthur’s knights would return from a magical sleep whenever the kingdom was in peril. Having fought in many wars over the centuries, Sir Kay knows the drill. But when he wakes in a 21st-century Britain ravaged by the climate crisis and social unrest, it’s hard to identify the enemy. After rescuing a young woman fleeing from armed guards near a blazing fracking facility, he allies himself with feminist eco-terrorists trying to save the planet. The appearance of a fire-breathing dragon suggests somebody is messing around with magic, and he has a duty to stop them. Humorous fantasy based on magical mishaps may not be a comfortable fit with the grim vision of a very near future in which half of England is underwater, but it works. This audacious, original debut is angry as well as entertaining, and an exciting new take on the Matter of Britain.
