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.

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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 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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