Transported to a medieval realm of magic and myth, a World War II resistance fighter undertakes a perilous quest in this classic fantasy adventure. Holger Carlsen is a rational man of science. A Danish engineer working with the Resistance to defeat the Nazis, he is wounded during an engagement with the enemy and awakens in an unfamiliar parallel universe where the forces of Law are locked in … are locked in eternal combat with the forces of Chaos. Against a medieval backdrop, brave knights must take up arms against magical creatures of myth and faerie, battling dragons, trolls, werewolves, and giants.
Though Holger has no recollection of this world, he discovers he is already well-known throughout the lands, a hero revered as a Champion of Law. He finds weaponry and armor awaiting him–precisely fitted to his form–and a shield with three hearts and three lions emblazoned upon it. As he journeys through a realm filled with wonders in search of the key to his past, Holger will call upon the scientific knowledge of his home dimension, the destinies of both worlds hanging in the balance.
Before Thomas Covenant, Roger Zelazny’s Amber, and J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, the great Poul Anderson introduced readers to the Middle World and the legendary hero Ogier the Dane. Inventive and exciting, Three Hearts and Three Lions is a foray into fantasy that employs touches of science fiction from an award-winning master of the speculative.
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My first Poul Anderson book and I was underwhelmed. Yet another story where all the women are either stupid or evil, but no matter who they are they just want to sleep with the hero. I won’t be going out of my way to read more. I’m sure teenage boys will like it.
I haven’t read much Poul Anderson. I really enjoyed the characters with their believable dialog including funny Scots accents spelt phonetically which made it a lot of fun. The story came across as quite charming but finished too abruptly for me to give it 5 stars.
I really wanted there to be more but it seems to be a standalone story which makes the ending all the more disappointing.
An interesting premise and well written. Just a bit of dragging in the middle.
One of the best early ‘other-world’ stories. A Dane in the WW II underground suddenly finds himself in a forest with a horse and armor. They are his; he is a knight, one of the foremost Christian champions. He slowly discovers this while recruiting a dwarf and a swan-may (shape-changer) and outwitting the lords of Faerie, who seek to occupy him during an invasion they are planning. He solves a werewolf problem, kills a giant, fights off a dragon, and destroys a troll (which heals any wound, basically unkillable) by burning the bits he hacks off the thing. His quest for one of the Blessed Swords of Christendom complete, he rides against the monsters of Faerie and saves humanity.
This book of heroic fantasy is a must read for all fans. A story of a hero ‘s airstrip find himself with all the action you expect.
Great alternate universe story
In my opinion, Poul Anderson is one of the greatest fantasy authors who ever lived. I have loved every story of his I have ever read. This one was no exception. Excellent blending of European legends and history with plenty of magic and adventure. Truly one of the greats.
Must read for any fantasy fan……
Dramatic and fascinating
Excellent story by an excellent (and greatly-missed) author. It’s just that I’ve read it before, sometime in the 1960’s. Hence the four stars…
I thought it to be a bit slow, unusual for this author.
I enjoyed this odd combination of time-travel science fiction and fantasy. Odd, but well put together and fun to read. May read again, it was that good.
Three Hearts and Three Lions is a fast, involving read. It has a wonderful surprise at the end. It’s one of Poul Anderson’s best fantasy tales.
Poul Anderson does a good job of the modern man thrust into another world genre. Probably been 40 years or more since I last read it. Keeps moving well, with engaging characters. A fun read.
Really, at least SIX stars. A terrific parallel universe/fantasy story. At the time of World War II a Danish engineer who is in the midst of a battle against Nazis finds himself transported to a medieval realm populated by Knights, ladies and supernatural creatures – some friendly, some less so and some – perhaps – TOO friendly. Characters you care about – even a few tears worth of care. Some chuckles as well. Follow his adventures in the war there between Law and Chaos. If Poul Anderson wrote a bad story I never read it.