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Available
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Publication
New York, Ballantine Books [1971]
Description
This acclaimed fantasy classic of men, elves, and gods is at once breathtakingly exciting and heartbreakingly tragic. Published the same year as The Fellowship of the Ring, Poul Anderson's novel The Broken Sword draws on similar Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon sources. In his greed for land and power, Orm the Strong slays the family of a Saxon witch--and for his sins, the Northman must pay with his newborn son. Stolen by elves and replaced by a changeling, Skafloc is raised to manhood unaware of his true heritage and treasured for his ability to handle the iron that the elven dare not touch. Meanwhile, the being who supplanted him as Orm's son grows up angry and embittered by the humanity he has been denied. A pawn in a witch's vengeance, the creature Valgard will never know love, and consumed by rage, he will commit a murderous act of unspeakable vileness. It is their destiny to finally meet on the field of battle--the man-elf and his dark twin, the monster--when the long-simmering war between elves and trolls finally erupts with a devastating fury. And only the mighty sword Tyrfing, broken by Thor and presented to Skafloc in infancy, can turn the tide in a terrible clashing of faerie folk that will ultimately determine the fate of the old gods. Along with such notables as Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury, multiple Hugo and Nebula Award winner Poul Anderson is considered one of the masters of speculative fiction. This edition contains the author's original text.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
This is a tale of faerie--of elves and changelings in the age of Vikings and dealing with creatures of Norse myth in the rhythms of the sagas. In this Foreward, Anderson writes of how elves had become a thing diminished in grandeur and stature:
In our day, J. R. R. Tolkien has restored the elves to
Anderson harked back though to an even older tradition from the sagas of elves as powerful, yes--but also amoral and ruthless. And like those sagas this deals with powerful curses, magical implements, doomed love--no spoiler for this is stated early on with very heavy foreshadowing. It reminded me not so much of Tolkien as Wagner's Ring of the Niebelungenlied, based on similar material. This is very unlike Anderson's Three Hearts and Three Lions, written the year before the first version of this novel revised decades later. That story is entertaining and very light-hearted, this one is positively grim without a touch of humor. Yet I prefer this one a tad more. I suppose because there's something so timeless about this sort of story and this one cuts deeper into the heart.
In our day, J. R. R. Tolkien has restored the elves to
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something of what they formerly were, in his enchanting Ring cycle. However, he chose to make them not just beautiful and learned; they are wise grave, honorable, kindly embodiments of good will toward all things alive. In short, his elves belong more to the country of Gloriana than to that house in heathen Götaland.Anderson harked back though to an even older tradition from the sagas of elves as powerful, yes--but also amoral and ruthless. And like those sagas this deals with powerful curses, magical implements, doomed love--no spoiler for this is stated early on with very heavy foreshadowing. It reminded me not so much of Tolkien as Wagner's Ring of the Niebelungenlied, based on similar material. This is very unlike Anderson's Three Hearts and Three Lions, written the year before the first version of this novel revised decades later. That story is entertaining and very light-hearted, this one is positively grim without a touch of humor. Yet I prefer this one a tad more. I suppose because there's something so timeless about this sort of story and this one cuts deeper into the heart.
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LibraryThing member jaddington
I found out that this book was published at the same time as J.R.R. Tolkien'n books. It took about 10 pages for me to become thoroughly enthralled. Notice I said enthralled and not enchanted. A curious word "enthralled". There were "thralls" in the book. Its funny how words change over time and if
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you don't catch yourself you may not fully understand what the meaning was at the time. But I digress. In this time of Marvel comics its nice to get a proper refresher on the whole Norse God tradition and the world of elves, trolls and the like and their respected "thralls". It is a harsh story, full of humans going viking, babies kidnapped, troll women raped, its a harsh world. But as we readers know, in the midst of the harshness there are glimpses of something more; beauty, kindness and Love. Yes folks, at the end of the day this a love story. But before your mind can protest "I don't want to read some silly romance", you are sucked in. And therein lies the twist. As it tends to be with Gods, elves and vikings the story gets all fucked up.And as the reader your are properly "enthralled" and cannot stop reading until the end. And you are left...bereft...wanting more. Show Less
LibraryThing member penwing
I wanted to like this book. The blurb was good. It looked exciting. It was dull. I know Poul Anderson is trying to mimic the mythic writing style, but I find that style hideously dry and dull. It read like a synopsis. It read like a little kid who can't express themselves fully and a surly teen who
It got better...
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won't express themselves.It got better...
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LibraryThing member GSB68
Its very interesting to read a fantasy the isn't beholden to Tolkien. Its elves and trolls and other creatures of faerie are its own.
The story has the feel of being a myth retold and the gods here are precursors to those of Neil Gaiman's American Gods.
The story has the feel of being a myth retold and the gods here are precursors to those of Neil Gaiman's American Gods.
LibraryThing member EJAYS17
I knew the name Poul Anderson, but I tended to see him as more of a science fiction author than a fantasy one. It was an unfair view, because like many of the early SFF authors Anderson crossed genres. He was actually well regarded as a fantasy author, being one of only 8 members of S.A.G.A (the
The Broken Sword is a short book, especially by today's doorstopper standard, it weighs in at just over 200 pages, but not one of those pages is wasted. The story follows it's hero; Skafloc, a child born of Orm the Strong, a Viking who settles in England, Skafloc is stolen by the Elf King Imric and in his place is placed Valgard, the result of a union between Imric and a captive troll lady. Eventually the two men clash and while the story builds to the inevitable battle between Skafloc and Valgard there is so much more to this story.
There's a vengeful witch, the war between elves and trolls, a forbidden love affair between Skafloc and his sister Freda. There's a patricide by the tortured Valgard, and the adventure of Skafloc and his Sidhe compatnion Mananaan to reforge the broken sword of the title. In fact the adventures that Skafloc and Mananaan have whilst trying to return from Jotunheim back to Alfheim would have made a book of their own, they are covered briefly, but you got the impression there was more material for Anderson here and it's a shame he never got to explore it.
There seems to be a misconception among readers new to the fantasy genre that hard edged, gritty and gory fantasy began with authors like George R R Martin and his epic A Song of Ice and Fire, this is not the case. While Anderson drew on Norse legends and the sword and sorcery work of Robert E. Howard, Martin has drawn on Anderson and his contemporaries. It even has the bleak sort of ending that is so beloved of Martin.
The Broken Sword is the work of a master and there's not a lot wrong with it. Some of the wording was a little old fashioned in parts, I could have done with a few less 'erenows', but even that assists Anderson in setting the mood he's was trying to evoke.
There doesn't seem to be a lot of Norse themed fantasy around if anyone enjoys what Poul Anderson has done with The Broken Sword. The only thing I can think to recommend are the works of Elizabeth Boyer, she wrote 3 Norse themed series between 1980 and 1995 (World of the Alfar, Wizard's War and Skyla), however she has stopped writing, so the books may be hard to find.
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Swordsmen and Sorcerors' Guild of America, Ltd), membership was limited to authors of the sword and sorcery subgenre of fantasy (the other 7 members were: Lin Carter, L. Sprague de Camp, John Jakes, Fritz Leiber, Michael Moorcock, Andre Norton and Jack Vance) august company indeed. The Broken Sword, which Poul Anderson wrote in the early 50's (it was first published in 1954) is a fantasy classic and it tends to defy categorisation, there are elements of S&S in it, but it's more than a barbarian hack and slash fest.The Broken Sword is a short book, especially by today's doorstopper standard, it weighs in at just over 200 pages, but not one of those pages is wasted. The story follows it's hero; Skafloc, a child born of Orm the Strong, a Viking who settles in England, Skafloc is stolen by the Elf King Imric and in his place is placed Valgard, the result of a union between Imric and a captive troll lady. Eventually the two men clash and while the story builds to the inevitable battle between Skafloc and Valgard there is so much more to this story.
There's a vengeful witch, the war between elves and trolls, a forbidden love affair between Skafloc and his sister Freda. There's a patricide by the tortured Valgard, and the adventure of Skafloc and his Sidhe compatnion Mananaan to reforge the broken sword of the title. In fact the adventures that Skafloc and Mananaan have whilst trying to return from Jotunheim back to Alfheim would have made a book of their own, they are covered briefly, but you got the impression there was more material for Anderson here and it's a shame he never got to explore it.
There seems to be a misconception among readers new to the fantasy genre that hard edged, gritty and gory fantasy began with authors like George R R Martin and his epic A Song of Ice and Fire, this is not the case. While Anderson drew on Norse legends and the sword and sorcery work of Robert E. Howard, Martin has drawn on Anderson and his contemporaries. It even has the bleak sort of ending that is so beloved of Martin.
The Broken Sword is the work of a master and there's not a lot wrong with it. Some of the wording was a little old fashioned in parts, I could have done with a few less 'erenows', but even that assists Anderson in setting the mood he's was trying to evoke.
There doesn't seem to be a lot of Norse themed fantasy around if anyone enjoys what Poul Anderson has done with The Broken Sword. The only thing I can think to recommend are the works of Elizabeth Boyer, she wrote 3 Norse themed series between 1980 and 1995 (World of the Alfar, Wizard's War and Skyla), however she has stopped writing, so the books may be hard to find.
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LibraryThing member salimbol
An engaging mishmash of Norse and Celtic legends (written at about the same time as the Lord of the Rings, and drawing on much of the same source material), which definitely captures some of the feel of the old sagas, with flashes of quite poetic prose, the brooding feeling of a world swirling
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towards darkness, and fairly thin characterisation. I'd say that it probably has had nearly as much influence on the fantasy that followed afterwards as Tolkien's work, though in different ways. Show Less
LibraryThing member clong
I read this on a friend's recommendation, although I was a bit skeptical going in (Viking tales are not really my thing). I found the introductory back story to be slow going, but by the time we get to the stories of Skafloc and Valgard the pace picks up and the narrative flows very quickly.
The Broken Sword is one of those books that is easy to read, but challenging to think about. It's definitely worth your time, not only for its own merits but also for some perspective on how fantasy has evolved in the last fifty years. I read the 1971 revision.
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Anderson's language is at times deliberately archaic, which took me a while to adjust to, but it clearly fits the storyline. This is a world where both the good guys and the bad guys (whp are mostly not really guys at all, but rather elves, trolls, gods and the like) are violent and amoral, and where the good guys are likely create their own doom through hubris and overconfidence. The Broken Sword is one of those books that is easy to read, but challenging to think about. It's definitely worth your time, not only for its own merits but also for some perspective on how fantasy has evolved in the last fifty years. I read the 1971 revision.
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LibraryThing member lcsdr60
not too bad but a very slow read. It was hard for me to keep interested within the story but all in all it was a decent read. The end was too predictable making it less of an interesting read with few jumps or unpredictible moments. would reccomend this read to ages 16 and up that like this type of
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story line. Show Less
LibraryThing member Karlstar
This is very different from Anderson's other classic fantasy, Three Hearts and Three Lions. It is set in an Earth that might have been, heavily drawn from Norse mythology. It is more than a bit dark, featuring the gods at their most vengeful. It actually took me quite a while to get warmed up to
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this one, but after a bit I was engaged. Definitely worth reading, though not nearly as good as Three Hearts and Three Lions. Show Less
LibraryThing member CountFenring
Alternative to Tolkein - vivid and coarse, it careers through various fantasy and myth tropes with flawed and violent characters. Told in suitably over-the-top fantasy-speak: "Ax and sword! Spear and club! Cloven shield and sundered helm and ripped byrnie! Red gush of elf blood meeting cold flow of
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troll's!" Show Less
LibraryThing member JaneAnneShaw
Dark fantasy based in the Norse sagas - recommended by Richard Morgan ~ & he was right! However, Anderson's style does mix 'n' match various saga conventions, & at times can read like Kipling's 'Puck of Pook's Hill' crossed with Elizabeth A. Lynn's 'Dragon's Winter'. At least it isn't a pastiche of
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Tolkien ... is it? Anderson's elves are intelligent & vicious, with a patently nasty streak in their make-up which is refreshing! Show Less
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
This was an interesting story, almost mythic rather than fantastic in it's feel I enjoyed this read. Scafloc is stolen from his parents by elves and a changeling child left in his place. When they both grow to adulthood things happen that cause them to fight each other and in order to win the sword
There were some bits that really were twitch-making but overall not a bad read.
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Tyrfing has to be remade. Tyrfing was broken years ago because it could be used to strike at the roots of Yggdrasil, the world tree, but now it's the onlly thing standing between the elves and destruction. There were some bits that really were twitch-making but overall not a bad read.
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LibraryThing member ashleytylerjohn
It's fine. It's not the second coming. Any comparison to The Lord of the Rings is likely precipitated by the coincidence of publication dates.
It reads more old-fashioned than it actually is (it reminds me of the mood of 1920s or earlier fiction, e.g. Lord Dunsany, or Eddison, or going back
It would likely make a pretty exciting movie, and no one could complain that they hadn't captured the nuance of characters as there is none to be captured. Here is a sample of the style:
Skafloc grew apace, and a bonny boy he was, big and gay, with great blue eyes and hair like spun gold in the sunshine. He was noisier than the few elf children, and grew so much swifter that he was a man when they were still unchanged.
(It should really be "so much more swiftly" ... my initial read of this passage was that he would win a footrace!)
Or, in a more blood-thirsty vein:
Mightily he smote at the flank of the invaders. An elf fell to his ax, he twisted the weapon loose and struck at another, smashed the face of a third with his shield--hewing, hewing, he waded into battle.
So if you'd like a modern faux-Icelandic saga, this is for you! But don't expect unforgettable characters, or an exciting new milieu, or even unanticipated twists and turns. It's not that kind of book.
It reads more old-fashioned than it actually is (it reminds me of the mood of 1920s or earlier fiction, e.g. Lord Dunsany, or Eddison, or going back
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further, but more appropriately) William Morris). The characters are lightly sketched, without the kind of psychological realism we are used to in a novel--reminding me (again, appropriately) of characters in a viking saga, or any piece of literature pre-18th century (when characters had names, a bit of description attached, and then they wander through the plot with little more than that). It would likely make a pretty exciting movie, and no one could complain that they hadn't captured the nuance of characters as there is none to be captured. Here is a sample of the style:
Skafloc grew apace, and a bonny boy he was, big and gay, with great blue eyes and hair like spun gold in the sunshine. He was noisier than the few elf children, and grew so much swifter that he was a man when they were still unchanged.
(It should really be "so much more swiftly" ... my initial read of this passage was that he would win a footrace!)
Or, in a more blood-thirsty vein:
Mightily he smote at the flank of the invaders. An elf fell to his ax, he twisted the weapon loose and struck at another, smashed the face of a third with his shield--hewing, hewing, he waded into battle.
So if you'd like a modern faux-Icelandic saga, this is for you! But don't expect unforgettable characters, or an exciting new milieu, or even unanticipated twists and turns. It's not that kind of book.
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LibraryThing member themulhern
Apparently published in the same year as Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings". Plenty of elves, trolls, dwarves, etc, but very little interest in language. I would have loved this book as a sixteen year old; the amoral and immortal elves would have seemed quite the thing.
LibraryThing member anthonywillard
Disclaimer: I did not finish this book, I quit after about 55 percent, when they finally remembered the fool sword. The book is a tour de force of mythological reformatting, but in its unceasing artificial skaldic rhetoric and its puppetlike characters it does not provide much plot interest. It was
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hard for me to care what happened to the characters, who were universally either nasty or stupid, probably because they seemed all made of wood. The story itself is hackneyed and more than a little beholden to Wagner as well as Norse materials. If you want to read a grim folk-tale that's worth reading, try some of the originals, like Niebelungenlied, or the Volsungs Saga. Show Less
LibraryThing member jshillingford
I came across this book while looking for Viking/Norse based stories. The Broken Sword started out so promising, but ultimately failed to deliver.
I literally flew through the first half of the book because it was so good. Anderson blends Viking themes with Celtic fae myth in a new and startling
Unfortunately, halfway through the story loses all momentum and turns into a star-crossed Oedipal romance. Trollheim has often tried to conquer the Elves, but always failed. Until now. In their arrogance, the Elves refuse to see the danger and their lands fall. Skalfloc the mighty iron warrior is reduced to hiding in a cave with a girl, whining about what happened. This goes on for far too long before he decides to find the fabled broken sword Tyr prophesied will give victory, but at great cost. He spends the rest of the book moping because his girl leaves him. Worse yet, the book ends on a cliffhanger when another child is born who is ultimately the one the prophecy refers to about the sword. *sigh*
Such wasted potential. I wish the author had skipped the “romance” and stayed with the myths. Not every book has to have a romance. The relationship between Skalfoc and his changeling should have been the focus. Overall, it wasn’t awful but I have found much better Norse and Fae based books out there.
I literally flew through the first half of the book because it was so good. Anderson blends Viking themes with Celtic fae myth in a new and startling
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way. Skafloc was born to a Viking Lord, but because his mother was prevented from baptizing him (this being when the Roman faith had begun to take over) immediately after birth, an Elf fae Lord stole and replaced him with a changeling. Cool. Skafloc was raised by the elves and has special abilities because of it. He’s bold, exciting and a strong protagonist. Valgard is…wrong. He shouldn’t exist and that manifests in a brutal, violent nature. Very cool. Anderson also peppers the text with lyrical poetry that emulates the Norse Eddas in a Tolkien fashion, but also has some excellent action sequences. It gives the story a unique flavor.Unfortunately, halfway through the story loses all momentum and turns into a star-crossed Oedipal romance. Trollheim has often tried to conquer the Elves, but always failed. Until now. In their arrogance, the Elves refuse to see the danger and their lands fall. Skalfloc the mighty iron warrior is reduced to hiding in a cave with a girl, whining about what happened. This goes on for far too long before he decides to find the fabled broken sword Tyr prophesied will give victory, but at great cost. He spends the rest of the book moping because his girl leaves him. Worse yet, the book ends on a cliffhanger when another child is born who is ultimately the one the prophecy refers to about the sword. *sigh*
Such wasted potential. I wish the author had skipped the “romance” and stayed with the myths. Not every book has to have a romance. The relationship between Skalfoc and his changeling should have been the focus. Overall, it wasn’t awful but I have found much better Norse and Fae based books out there.
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LibraryThing member ragwaine
Rushed. Lots of monsters, magic and fighting. 2d characters.
LibraryThing member Kisners42
I was quite impressed with this book. It should be considered a classic of sword & sorcery fiction, and I found it to be a much more engaging read than the average fantasy novel.
While the book deals only somewhat with the major entities of Scandinavian mythology, it is a must-read for anyone
- Peter K.
While the book deals only somewhat with the major entities of Scandinavian mythology, it is a must-read for anyone
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interested in elves and other fay creatures, portraying them in a fascinating but weird and somewhat unsettling light.- Peter K.
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LibraryThing member Aidan767
Deserves its acclaim as a fantasy masterpiece. I love Anderson’s maximalist language and narration style, it makes the story fittingly feel like an Anglo-Saxon epic. The fantasy elements are wide and wild co-mingling many mythologies and many tropes from ancient epics. My biggest hesitation comes
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from the melodrama that the writing descends to at some points but overall it’s a well-paced, action-packed story that deserves more readers. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Language
Original publication date
1954 (original version)
1971 (revised version)
Physical description
xvi, 207 p.; 18 cm
ISBN
034502107X / 9780345021076