[LISTENED TO: October 2021] Three Hearts and Three Lions
Every since I signed up for Chirp audio books, I’ve been able to really indulge my love of Bronson Pinchot as a reader.
I bought this book without knowing much about it. I basically make sure that the books aren’t war books, because I don’t care about that subject, and if it’s not, then I’m on board.
This book was a cool sci-fi fantasy story by an author whom I had heard of but didn’t know anything about. Imagine my surprise to find out that book was initially written in 1953 as a novella and expanded into a novel for 1961! I was especially surprised because there is some serious science a the book opens which seemed far more contemporary.
Holger Carlsen is an engineer. The prologue of the story shows him working in an engineering department and talking about science-y stuff. The story is about Carlsen, but told from a different point of view. Pinchot gets to use a Danish accent for all of his speaking parts.
The narrator talks about what happens as if it is not believable but that he is going to relate the story anyway: “Holger’s tale does not seem altogether impossible to me. Not that I claim it’s true.” He says that Carlsen was generally well-liked and respected. And this is his story.
Carlsen decided to join the Danish resistance in fighting Nazis in WWII. The fighting is going well, and the American forces are known to be coming. But Holger is shot. He wakes up naked in an unfamiliar place.
He looks around. Things seem normal, although he can’t explain his nakedness. He wanders around and finds a horse who is not afraid of him. He also finds a cottage that has clothes which fit him, Things seem off somehow, though, and he genuinely can’t get his bearings.
Soon enough he meets an old woman who claims to be a witch. She speaks a language he doesn’t know and yet he understands her. Through a drawn out discussion and some revelations, he realizes that he is kind of a medieval knight and he sees a shield emblazoned with three hearts and three lions.
The witch sends him off to the meet some folks from the Middle World (the world of Faerie) whom she says will help him to get home. He is partnered up with Hugi a dwarf (Pinchot’s thick Scottish burr for Hugi is almost incomprehensible–its wonderful). He soon meets up with Alianora, a human who can turn into a swan (I’m not sure exactly how that works, it was a little unclear since Hugi explained it).
They are sent to meet Duke Alfric of Faerie, an elf who ultimately imprisons Holger.
As the story unfolds, we learn that King Charlemagne was real and that Morgan Le Fay was Holger’s lover.
They run across many fantasy villains. They encounter a dragon. Holger uses rather simple science to defeat the beast). Then they meet a giant who demands they give him a riddle he cannot answer (he stats with Why did the chicken cross the road?). They also meet a werewolf,
They finally make it to a town. Through the help of more magic, Holger (I can’t say this name without hearing it in Pynchot’s Alianora voice) is able to disguise himself from other people–even his shield looks different and tattered. While in the tavern they meet a mysterious Saracen named Carahue, who has been searching for Holger. Carahue doesn’t recognize him but they wind up travelling together (mostly because Carahue is willing to pay their way).
Their destination is to find the holy sword Cortana which is in a ruined church. Holger and Alianora fall in love, despite the weird swan thing and the fact that he’s not even from this land. But Holger also knows that he wants to go back home so he remains aloof (despite Hugi’s nudges).
As they travel further, Holger is captured by a nixie who drags him under water in an attempt to keep him there forever (he is magically able to breathe underwater with help form the nixie).
It turns out that all of these monsters were sent by Morgan Le Fay who fears that Holger will spoil her plans.
But Holger has a destiny to fulfill and his own concerns only play a small part in that destiny.
I really enjoyed the interplay of modern world and fantasy—Holder’s use of contemporary studies and ideas to explain thing that they couldn’t possibly know in the olden days. There was also a lot of humor in the story and while the plot was rather episodic, it was always exciting. The fact that someone important in the story dies shows that the dangers are real as well.
I enjoyed this so much. I’m sure a lot had to do with Pinchot’s reading, but the story itself was really compelling with a great understanding of fantasy and humor.
I would happily listen to this again.
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