smiorganbaldhead's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/5. I really enjoyed the conclusion to Corum’s saga. It’s vividly imaginative as usual from Moorcock. I liked seeing some characters show up later in the book that might seem familiar for readers familiar with Elric’s saga. The ending hit me pretty hard. Having read Elric, it wasn’t entirely unexpected, but I thought we might get a happier or bittersweet ending as in the first Corum trilogy or John Daker’s trilogy. The ending we get is similar to Stormbringer, and in some ways even darker.
I wish though that I understood more clearly why Medhbh acted as she end at the end. She had previously distrusted Corum, but she would have just seen the doppelgänger, confirming his story and removing any reason for lingering doubt she might have had. I find it hard to believe that she was really convinced her world would be better off without Corum. This issue echos a recurring problem I see with the Corum stories: they are very enjoyable and imaginative reads, but sometimes important character motivations are unclear.
I wish though that I understood more clearly why Medhbh acted as she end at the end. She had previously distrusted Corum, but she would have just seen the doppelgänger, confirming his story and removing any reason for lingering doubt she might have had. I find it hard to believe that she was really convinced her world would be better off without Corum. This issue echos a recurring problem I see with the Corum stories: they are very enjoyable and imaginative reads, but sometimes important character motivations are unclear.
mordecai's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
arthurbdd's review against another edition
2.0
The end of the trilogy is rather disappointing, not least because it ends up focusing on two plot strands which are kept rigorously separate, but the page count of the novel isn't sufficient to adequately serve either of them, which means that in practice both plots suffer. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2012/01/22/the-vengeance-of-cornwall/
riduidel's review against another edition
4.0
La conclusion du cycle de Corum est bien triste. On y aperçoit un héros qui tout en luttant pour qu'un nouveau jour se lève, sent confusément la fin arriver. Et que fait un héros l'issue à tâchez est accomplie ? Eh bien dans le cas de ce roman, il meurt. Et c'est triste. Mais c'est aussi fort beau, et juste, et poignant.
smcleish's review against another edition
4.0
Originally published on my blog here& in August 2000.
The second trilogy of Corum novels ends on a distinctly bitter note. The Sword and the Stallion is sombre throughout, and almost amounts to a campaign against the idea of the hero, particularly against the concept of the Eternal Champion so important in Moorcock's work. This trilogy is particularly influenced by Irish mythology, which seems to have a more ambivalent attitude to heroism than that of many cultures.
Continuing his seemingly hopeless struggle against the Fhoi Mhore, Corum needs to seek new supernatural allies before the humans he is aiding are destroyed. Captured in an illusion by those whose aid he sought, he is rescued by the arrival of an enemy, the evil wizard Calatin. Then he discovers that in the months that have passed in the outside world, Calatin has created a double of Corum, who has fought against his friends, convincing them that Corum has become a traitor.
The trilogy, because of its downbeat tone, is one of Moorcock's most impressive works, unusual in his output. It is a depressing read, however, with its message that heroes are no longer necessary or even desirable. From here on, Moorcock's novels become much more ambiguous and literary in character; he has shaken off some of the ideas from popular literature which inspired his earlier writing.
The second trilogy of Corum novels ends on a distinctly bitter note. The Sword and the Stallion is sombre throughout, and almost amounts to a campaign against the idea of the hero, particularly against the concept of the Eternal Champion so important in Moorcock's work. This trilogy is particularly influenced by Irish mythology, which seems to have a more ambivalent attitude to heroism than that of many cultures.
Continuing his seemingly hopeless struggle against the Fhoi Mhore, Corum needs to seek new supernatural allies before the humans he is aiding are destroyed. Captured in an illusion by those whose aid he sought, he is rescued by the arrival of an enemy, the evil wizard Calatin. Then he discovers that in the months that have passed in the outside world, Calatin has created a double of Corum, who has fought against his friends, convincing them that Corum has become a traitor.
The trilogy, because of its downbeat tone, is one of Moorcock's most impressive works, unusual in his output. It is a depressing read, however, with its message that heroes are no longer necessary or even desirable. From here on, Moorcock's novels become much more ambiguous and literary in character; he has shaken off some of the ideas from popular literature which inspired his earlier writing.
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