When I reviewed Three Hearts and Three Lions, by the same author (Poul Anderson), I half-jokingly mentioned that it was "the very first book in the Appendix N - for alphabetical reasons, but still..."
Well, The Broken sword is the third book on the list, but it sits on the top of the Appendix N for a different reason – it is one of the best book the list has to offer, ate least from the ones I’ve read so far.
The book tells the saga of two men switched at birth: the heroic human Skafloc, kidnapped and raised by the king of the elves, and his changeling doppelganger Valgarad, raised among human Vikings converted to Christianity (with little enthusiasm). Both will grow up to be great warriors with very different personalities, and will face various difficulties and tragedies until they can meet each other in battle.
The “broken sword” of the title is a cursed blade that will become important in the latter half of the book. Moorcock has mentioned it as an influence to his own cursed sword, Stormbringer, and it really shows (there are likely other influences too - the elves, Skafloc himself, etc.). If you like Moorcock as much as I do, The Broken Sword is a must-read.
The book was published in 1954, the same year as The Fellowship of the Ring, and Anderson might be at least as influential as Tolkien in D&D terms. This might sound odd given the huge impact of Tolkien’s work, but Gygax famously wasn’t a fan (and Moorcock finds Anderson’s work to be superior).
The D&D references are fewer here than in “Three Hearths…”, however – but I find this a much better book.
It might be because of the tone. The Broken Sword is dark, violent, full of tragedy and war. It is reminiscent of the Nibelungenlied and Beowulf. The language is purposely old-fashioned, which demands some attention but gives the book a mythic feel that is hard to find. It has some of the best prose I’ve read in fantasy books.
TBS also has all the trappings I’d expect in a good dark fantasy novel – great characters, action, grittiness, humor, tragedy, passion, revenge, and many shades of gray. This is not plain “Law versus Chaos” – it is nature versus nurture, paganism versus Christianity, elves versus trolls versus humans, deities against mortals, fate against all. The elves, especially, receive an awesome treatment as something very different from humans – not only in looks and customs, but also morality and behavior. And it has the stuff you might use in your D&D games – monsters, factions, magic items, spells, and so on.
This book is a masterpiece. Definitely worth the read from anyone interested in fantasy, and already one of my favorites.
Note: the author made a revision in 1971, apparently toning down the violence and flowery language. I only read the 1954 version.
No comments:
Post a Comment