ashleylm's review against another edition
2.0
Tremendously disappointing. At times there were some decent sentences, but I didn't care about any of the characters, the plot went nowhere (it read like a rather long-winded first 3rd of a book, basically all set-up and meandering), and for the life of me I fail to see how this gained any reputation as a classic at all. I'll assume the novella was tighter and more interesting, because how could it not be?
There's something awfully dated about portal fantasy (to me, at any rate), of this sort--where you can't just accept the other realm, you have to make up explanations for why you have characters in it. It sort of put me off Thomas Covenant or the Fionavar series, made me quickly abandon Beyond the Pale, and annoyed me throughout the half of Glory Road I read before tossing it. Whereas, for contrast, I'm reading the Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser series for the first time and absolutely loving it--despite (mostly) being written earlier, it feels much more fresh and modern, as if Joss Whedon had written it. And Poul Anderson, you're no Joss Whedon.
I also wasn't that enthralled with his The Broken Sword, so I guess I'm just not a fan, despite some effort. At least I made it all the way to the end. But it's a weird, weird book, with antagonists who rarely show up, a disappointing climax, heroes who are just wonderful, apprently, and by the time they reached the Magic Sword (yes, it's one of those books) I'd pretty much forgotten why they wanted it in the first place.
Your time can be better spent!
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
There's something awfully dated about portal fantasy (to me, at any rate), of this sort--where you can't just accept the other realm, you have to make up explanations for why you have characters in it. It sort of put me off Thomas Covenant or the Fionavar series, made me quickly abandon Beyond the Pale, and annoyed me throughout the half of Glory Road I read before tossing it. Whereas, for contrast, I'm reading the Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser series for the first time and absolutely loving it--despite (mostly) being written earlier, it feels much more fresh and modern, as if Joss Whedon had written it. And Poul Anderson, you're no Joss Whedon.
I also wasn't that enthralled with his The Broken Sword, so I guess I'm just not a fan, despite some effort. At least I made it all the way to the end. But it's a weird, weird book, with antagonists who rarely show up, a disappointing climax, heroes who are just wonderful, apprently, and by the time they reached the Magic Sword (yes, it's one of those books) I'd pretty much forgotten why they wanted it in the first place.
Your time can be better spent!
(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve!
thomcat's review against another edition
4.0
Very episodic, but a great yarn. Been meaning to read this for quite a while; glad I picked this one to start the year off.
doruga's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good! I rolles my eyes at all the male fantasy bullshit and the annoying and not well-developed romance. But otherwise I can see why this was a very influential story! Weird how related the central themes to this are similar to the ones for the dnd game I am running lmao. Recommend if you can get past some of the annoying stuff
lanko's review against another edition
2.0
It was ok, not exactly what I was looking for, but some interesting bits.
This also feels weird as it was presented as a standalone to me (which it does look like it is) but it's also presented as book 2.5 of a trilogy, but looking at the other blurbs it also looks completely unrelated.
Which is fine, it stands on its own. The end feels extremely rushed, considering the universe is saved, and happened offscreen no less.
The hero puts a new level on chosen one, as he's the chosen one not only on one, but on two different worlds.
He then meets four or five women through the jorney and all fall for him as soon as they see him. And not just any women: a faerie ruler, a valkyrie, a siren, and even legendary witch Morgan le Fay, I kid you not. Then he passes a good deal of the book regretting how he didn't bang any of them, when it was being so easy to do so. It was hard to suspend disbelief.
The prose is a good nostalgic call to classical times, with clear different voices, though sometimes it did get in the way. The idea was cool in the beginning, but it didn't feel there were too many stakes or wonders enough.
This also feels weird as it was presented as a standalone to me (which it does look like it is) but it's also presented as book 2.5 of a trilogy, but looking at the other blurbs it also looks completely unrelated.
Which is fine, it stands on its own. The end feels extremely rushed, considering the universe is saved, and happened offscreen no less.
The hero puts a new level on chosen one, as he's the chosen one not only on one, but on two different worlds.
He then meets four or five women through the jorney and all fall for him as soon as they see him. And not just any women: a faerie ruler, a valkyrie, a siren, and even legendary witch Morgan le Fay, I kid you not. Then he passes a good deal of the book regretting how he didn't bang any of them, when it was being so easy to do so. It was hard to suspend disbelief.
The prose is a good nostalgic call to classical times, with clear different voices, though sometimes it did get in the way. The idea was cool in the beginning, but it didn't feel there were too many stakes or wonders enough.
arthurbdd's review against another edition
4.0
Extremely influential, and still a grand adventure story, though of Anderson's fantasies of this period I think The Broken Sword has the edge on this. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2011/02/10/three-lions-on-the-shield/
ambervk's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
katmarhan's review against another edition
4.0
This classic fantasy from 1961 is a deceptively simple story with far more depth and a greater reach than one might originally suspect. The author weaves the legends of great heroes like Arthur and Roland into the story of Holger Carlsen/Danske, a member of the Danish underground in WWII who is inexplicably transported to a fantasy version of Carolingian medieval times. A well-written tale that moves right along, following Holger as he discovers his role and his identity. Many a fantasy trope and archetype have their roots in this book, along with some of the conventions of Dungeons and Dragons and other fantasy role-playing games. Truly a classic story and one that should be far better known than it is.
halski's review against another edition
3.0
Uneven, but entertaining. Most people these days probably read this because it influenced a lot of stuff in Dungeons & Dragons, and I'm no exception. The book has a lot of cool elements, but for a long while, it felt like a series of separate encounters in an adventure rather than a coherent story. The last third was quite good, though.
jvan's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars really.
This feels like half a book. The side quests accomplished, it stops and gets summed up in 2 pages as "I defeated Chaos and came home" and that was wildly unsatisfying.
The half we get is fine, in places exceptionally good, but it feels incomplete and uncommitted.
This feels like half a book. The side quests accomplished, it stops and gets summed up in 2 pages as "I defeated Chaos and came home" and that was wildly unsatisfying.
The half we get is fine, in places exceptionally good, but it feels incomplete and uncommitted.