The Broken Sword

Poul Anderson has woven a rich tale from Norse myth. The style and pacing are excellent. Anderson has created a tragedy of Shakespearean proportion and knowing from the first page that it will all end badly, you are still swept away with the story and can't stop. Pinchot is truly one of the best readers and his style well matches the story. I had read the novel 20 years ago, but Pinchot's reading brought to the story new depths I had not realized.

Listening to Poul Anderson???s The Broken Sword was a powerful experience. Anderson wove elements from Norse, Anglo-Saxon, and British mythology and legends, Viking history in England (when Christianity was inexorably spreading and converting heathen), Faerie (elves, trolls, and the like sharing the world of mortals but usually remaining just out of sight), and his own imagination to write a bleakly beautiful, horribly heroic, and bloodily tragic epic fantasy novel.

Because it was first published in 1954 and draws on similar sources, The Broken Sword is often compared with The Lord of the Rings, but it feels closer to The Silmarillion, for Anderson???s novel has a similarly deep sense of beauty, irony, fate, time, and tragedy (as well as similar manipulation of mortals by gods, incest, flawed ???heroes,??? mortals mixing with immortals, and the passing of a wondrous age). But although Anderson???s novel features epic language with Anglo-Saxon-esque alliteration and poetry, as well as archaic words (fey, ere, twain) and syntax (savage was the battle), it is a straight-forward, action-packed, and rawly human read. Anderson???s doppleganger heroes, the elf-raised Skafloc and the human-raised changeling Valgard, are prey to all-consuming valor, hatred, and love. The broken sword is a compelling artifact, evil, charismatic, powerful, and treacherous.

Bronson Pinchot gives a grand performance; from the disturbingly quiet elf-lord Imric to the ominously deep voiced troll king Illrede, all the characters come alive, full of their crafty manipulations and overwhelming passions. The vengeful witch negotiating with Satan for aid, Freda???s dead brother revealing that she and Skafloc are siblings, Valgard telling his elf-lord father Imric why he hates him prior to torturing him, Odin explaining to Freda what he wants from behind her girdle, in such scenes Anderson???s writing and Pinchot???s reading combine to make unforgettable dark epic fantasy magic.

This is a real treat for audible listeners!

If you like greece mythology with all it's drama your are going to love this story.

It is a lovely fast-paced story with Gods, trolls, fairies, love, war and magic!

Bronson Pinchot does and FANTASTIC job narrating this story, I've never heard a narrator scream before <3 Bronson really makes a the characters and story come to life!

If you are having a hard time finding a good audible book, look no further. You just stumbled over a great story! And a great narrator!

Elves, humans, changelings and others all wrapped in malice and violence. One must hope for a hero if anything is to change.

Yes, loved the story content, topic and telling of.

When the hero found out about his sister

The witch was my favorite performance

The headline says it all, really. This comes from a different period in the genre than a lot of fans are probably used to, so it's less interested in setting up an epic twisty pot than it is in presenting sympathetic characters on all sides of its conflict. Depending on what you want from the genre, it might not be for you, but this is a very good book that falls just short of great. Pinchot's performance is beyond reproach here. He really gets the prose's rhythms and the emotion behind the story. It's probably one of the best readings I've ever heard.

I got this book because it was narrated by Bronson Pinchot and the plot sounded interesting. However, I had no Idea how great this book was going to be. It was originally released in the 1950's. However, there is no way you could tell, because the story and the setting are timeless. The narration was first rate Mr.Pinchot never disappoints and the story had me enthralled. If you like lord of the rings or fantasy in general you should pick this one up.

This is a great blending of gritty historical dark ages with elves and trolls, gods and giants. These aren't the elves from Tolkein, they are amoral, child-stealing immortals. And these are the

Imric, the Elf-earl, learning of the unbaptised child, racing home to make the Changeling.

Strong narration. Excellent tone to match the mythical tragic themes of the story.

In the last days of Faerie and the Old Gods, what is the price of True Love.