Anderson, Poul - Three Hearts And Three Lions (2)

123 Pages·2016·0.57 MB·English

by  Anderson Poul

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Poul Anderson
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Editorial Reviews
Ingram
Transported into a magical alternate world of dragons, witches, and fairy-folk, skeptical engineer
Holger Carlsen finds himself at the center of a looming conflict in which he is inexplicably a key
figure. Reissue.
Spotlight Reviews
My first Anderson, June 17, 2000
Reviewer
:
and not a bad place to start (I've read plenty since). This book introduces the reader to the Nordic
themes that pervade Anderson's fiction, even his ostensibly hard sf (yes, this book is actually set in
the world of Charlemagne's paladins, but guess which of the paladins is the hero? You guessed it,
Ogier the Dane; well, Anderson is of Danish origin, so what does one expect?). The story is fairly
formulaic, but with some nice touches. Virginity doesn't get the short shrift it frequently does in
modern fiction, and the hero converts to Catholicism after his return to our world (which gave me a
mistaken view of Anderson's attitude to orthodox Christian doctrine and morals--at least, many of
his other writings give a somewhat different picture, though he is certainly rather intrigued by
Christianity, especially Catholicism). Often praised are the pseudo-scientific explanations for why,
say, it's dangerous to steal a giant's treasure, or exactly what might cause someone to become a
werewolf. But on the whole this is a good rather than outstanding work of heroic fantasy--a
pleasant evening's read, but not something one wants to come back to over and over again or live
by the light of. One of the serious flaws, IMHO, is that the ending lacks climax. It should also be
noted that this is part of a series of books describing alternate worlds--others include _A
Midsummer Night's Tempest_ and _Operation Chaos_.
Great book!, December 29, 2000
Reviewer
:
While running from the Nazis in occupied Norway, Holger Carlson is struck unconscious, and
awakens in an alternate Earth. In this Earth, it is still the medieval period, and the forces of Law
and Chaos are locked in a life and death struggle. Lawful humans seem to believe that Holger is a
great knight-errant, who will carry the battle to the Chaotic elves.
This wonderful fantasy book was written one year before Tolkien's Lord of the Rings (and 16
years after The Hobbit), and was a major influence on the original Dungeons and Dragons role-
playing game. It is a great adventure, and quite a view into the early history of modern fantasy
literature. This is a great book, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.
All Customer Reviews
Avg. Customer Review:
Great Book!, April 18, 2003
Reviewer
:
Like others I've read this book too many times to remember and when I need an escape from this
world, or an adventure, I turn to it still. For those of us who favor chivalry, honor and duty it is a
must-read. It's about an ordinary man who is spirited away to another time and place and in the
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process discovers what kind of man he has it in him to be. --This text refers to an out of print or
unavailable edition of this title.
An Almost Archaeological Appreciation, March 24, 2003
Reviewer
:
Like many others, I found out about this book long after being introduced to fantasy role-playing
games, specifically Dungeons and Dragons. It is mentioned in the FAQ on a D&D newsgroup as a
source for some of the ideas in the game. To be specific, this is where the regenerating trolls come
from. There are a few more ideas in here that I recall from my early days of Basic D&D. The early
D&D alignment system seems to draw from this book as well (Law vs Chaos with a sizeable
Neutral populace), and possibly others. Other D&D concepts are mentioned as well, but those were
the most noticeable. In that context, the book is fascinating, and a must-read for any gamer.
The story itself is a twist on the "Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" idea. Though in
this story, the modern man is taken into a fantastical world where magic works and the forces of
Chaos are rallying to strike against the world of Law (humans). The modern man is Holger Carlsen,
a Danish engineer who goes home to join the resistance in World War II. During a crucial fight
against Nazis he loses consciousness and wakes up in a world where he is a great knight fighting on
the side of Law (which equates to good in this book). Opposing him is an assortment of magical
foes, and at his side is Hugi, the hill dwarf, and Alianora, the swan-may.
Carlsen, or Sir Holger as he is called in this fantasy world, approaches the magic around him
with an engineer's eye. He reasons out the mechanics and laws governing certain aspects of the
magical world, and identifies a couple of scientific reasons for the superstitions prevalent there.
Though he wavers sometimes in the purity of his thoughts, he is the archetypical paladin, a good
guy through and through. Soon after arriving in this fantasy world, he figures out what he must do
and pursues that quest with unwavering sureness. The supporting characters are fairly well drawn
out for such a short novel. It's a little hard to follow Hugi's brogue in the beginning, but you get
used to it, so it doesn't really detract from the story.
Holger draws parallels between the magical world, with Law at war against Chaos, and our own,
in his time at war against the Nazis. The causes for war are simplified in the fantasy world to the
fact that Chaos more or less equates to evil, and Law is nearly synonymous with good. But Holger's
quest remains the same: to defeat evil. A simplistic motivation, but it makes for a highly enjoyable
story. In the tradition of Arthurian legend, Holger's quest takes him across the countryside, from
adventure to adventure, meeting friends and enemies on the way. Because of its common themes, it
can be enjoyed by readers of all ages.
If you give this book to any fantasy reader, it's sure to become one of their favorites.
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The Knight with the Brass Voice
The broadsword wasn’t meant for thrusting, but Holger saw a crack in his opponent’s breastplate
and stabbed inward. Sparks poured forth. The knight reeled, sank to his knees, and then fell to the
ground with a hideous clanking sound...
Then Alianora was clinging to his arms and sobbing and exclaiming at how well he’d done in
his first battle. I? Holger thought. I know nothing of broadswords and lances—and yet, who won
this fight?
He knelt down and opened the visor of the slain knight’s helmet.
Hollowness gaped at him. The armor was empty. It must have been empty all the time.
THE SWORD AND THE SPELL
A near-miss on a modern battlefield—and Holger finds himself no longer a soldier but a knight-
at-arms, exiled to an eldritch realm of sorcery and magic where a bloodsome war is gathering. The
enchantress le Fey would have his sword for Chaos; the San-may would have him serve her gentler
kind. At first he denies them both to find out how to return to ‘reality’—but the chill of his knowing
is like a cold wind through his ribs. For it was Earth that was his exile: It is here, in the lowering
dragon-smoke, that he must fight and die...
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Copyright © 1953, by Fantasy House, Inc.
Copyright © 1961 by Poul Anderson
All rights reserved
Published by arrangement with Doubleday & Company, Inc.
All rights reserved which includes the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For
information address
Doubleday & Company, Inc.
245 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10022
SBN 425-03680-4
BERKLEY MEDALLION BOOKS are published by
Berkley Publishing Corporation
200 Madison Avenue
New York, N.Y. 10016
BERKLEY MEDALLION BOOK TM 757,375
Printed in the United States of America
Berkley Edition, APRIL, 1978
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Contents
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NOTE
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To Robert and Karen Hertz
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