The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson

by Sofia
(Cairo, Egypt)

The Broken Sword was first published in 1954, the same year as The Fellowship of the Ring.

Anderson's approach to his Norse material is grittier and less sanitary than Tolkien's: be prepared for elves who are not super-human, but inhuman, and bad guys who behave truly badly.

The novel tells the story of Valgard the Changeling, switched at birth with the mortal Skafloc, who becomes his deadliest enemy in a supernatural war in which elves, trolls and even gods take part.

While The Broken Sword is short (and - a fact that seems shocking in today's world of sprawling fantasy series - has no sequel), it possesses the driving energy of the sagas which inspired it.

Tolkien fans should enjoy its medieval setting, magical atmosphere and quite decent skaldic poetry.

I generally spend my time wringing my hands because there is not enough that's really like Tolkien for me to read - and when I say "like Tolkien" I do not mean possessing the same elements, but interacting with the mythology of northern Europe in a vivid and meaningful way. The Broken Sword is one of the books I go to.

SBI!