The Armies of Elfland

by Poul Anderson

The author of The Broken Sword, known for his scientific accuracy and the creation of plausible fantasy worlds, presents this collection of tales of gods and warriors marching under the Armies of Elfland banners. Originally in paperback.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Speculative Fiction

242 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 1992

About the author

Pseudonym A. A. Craig, Michael Karageorge, Winston P. Sanders, P. A. Kingsley.

Poul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories. He received numerous awards for his writing, including seven Hugo Awards and three Nebula Awards.

Anderson received a degree in physics from the University of Minnesota in 1948. He married Karen Kruse in 1953. They had one daughter, Astrid, who is married to science fiction author Greg Bear. Anderson was the sixth President of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, taking office in 1972. He was a member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America, a loose-knit group of Heroic Fantasy authors founded in the 1960s, some of whose works were anthologized in Lin Carter's Flashing Swords! anthologies. He was a founding member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. Robert A. Heinlein dedicated his 1985 novel The Cat Who Walks Through Walls to Anderson and eight of the other members of the Citizens' Advisory Council on National Space Policy.[2][3]

Poul Anderson died of cancer on July 31, 2001, after a month in the hospital. Several of his novels were published posthumously.


Series:
* Time Patrol
* Psychotechnic League
* Trygve Yamamura
* Harvest of Stars
* King of Ys
* Last Viking
* Hoka
* Future history of the Polesotechnic League
* Flandry

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some interesting ideas, and Poul Anderson can clearly write well, but I felt like I was trudging through page after page.

One of my major gripes was the attempt to world-build on such short stories. The addition of unnecessary lore on top of stylistic fantasy language are normally tasty treats on my way through a fantasy epic, but here, it just made my eyes glaze over and skim past. When I'm in love with the world, all the little nuances and flourishes are wonderful, but when the story is 40 pages, I am not so devoted.

Short stories are best when they are clever ideas that don't expand well into a novel. Some of these, however, felt like they were going to be full-length novels that couldn't make it past short-story length.

[Andrew Hale · Rating 2 out of 5]

"... in the Middle Ages "romance" meant a tale full of color and imagination."

Poul has some interesting tales, no doubt, but most of them tend to lack enough action to justify the investment, though House Rule gave a very romantic concept in the idea of interacting with different eras, even alternate eras where life isn't as hard on a person. Fairy Gold came full circle but with much hope in a tough atmosphere. The two Cappen Varra stoires are the best of this set, and the last two tales were a bit too tongue-in-cheek, as if to humorously cast shade on sword-and-sorcery fans and believers in faith. Hauk presented a viable transition from barbaric conquests to free enterprise. The Queen of Air and Darkness had a lot of potential for world-building and a sci-fi romp but it simply flamed out before it went any further.

The Queen of Air and Darkness 3/5
Earth is seemingly long gone, with humanity spread out amongst other worlds. This tale takes place on Roland in a land called Arctica, where the city side of humanity still has outliers of frontiersman and the mysterious wild beyond. A widowed frontiersman mom seeks her missing son, and with no true help from the authorities, brings in a private investigator from another world (Beowulf). Much talk is made about myths, old and new, and humanities tendencies towards knowledge and mystery, fear of the unexplainable. The Dwellers of Roland, the aborigines, basically start kidnapping human children with the intent to conquer their civilization, as , ironically, their fear of the unknown makes them believe they will be conquered. The stolen youth love the Dweller lands because the Queen (who find God as her enemy) and her creatures have used hallucinatory practices to make the human children believe they are free and in a type of forever heaven, disguising their horrid natures, which is a potent point even in 2024 for how our own youth are manipulated into rebellions and revolutions against their own. With that said, it wasn't an action-packed tale and some of the language was hard to follow in terms of science talk and the creatures at large.
Character Reference:
- Mistherd - Outling human; S-o-a-d's lover
- Shadow-of-a-dream - Outling human; Mistherd's lover
- Atoch - pook
- Star-mother - Queen of Carheddin and Starhaven; Snow-maker; Lady Sky; Wonderful One; Garland bearer; Sister of Lyrth; All-Healer; Moonmother
- Lord Luighaid - master Knower
- Nagrim - hulking nicor
- Morgarel - wraith
- Barbro Engdahl Cullen - son kidnapped; from Roland world
- Timmy Cullen - Barbro's husband
- Jimmy Cullen - Barbro's 3-year-old
- Eric Sherrinford - private investigator on Beowulf world
- Chief Constable Dawson - in Roland
- William Irons - outwayer/frontiersman with a lot of land and cattle

House Rule 4/5
"I assure you, for instance, I do not fear you telling me the date and manner of my death, if you know them. God will call me when He chooses." - da Vinci
Few ever get the chance to enter the Old Phoenix Tavern, a multi-dimensional meeting ground, as it not only moves through space and time, it also chooses who enters, ran by Taverner Gastwirt. The narrator (Albergatore?) has been given the chance, enjoying a convo of his own, he is able to translate between two geniuses: Catholic Leonardo da Vinci and Jewish Einstein. He also witnesses the reunion of romantic tragedy couple, 12th century Argenteuil nun (Héloise) and Monk Alébard. All the while Norsemen, old Spanish, and alien dialect (from Technic History, van Rijn) abound from other grouped chatterers. The night is one to remember and cosmic to reflect upon.

The Tale of Hauk 3/5
Hauk the Ghost Slayer, is a new generation viking who has found success and fulfillment in trading goods, much to the chagrin of his ailing, aging father, Geirolf, a man used to pillaging and enslaving for goods. A slow-going ghost/Viking story, this tale of unquenched rage goes beyond the grave and against the ties of familial blood.

Fairy Gold 4/5
"'Oh, Wonder of wonders,' Irrendal exulted. And the moon rose."
The Dynast's War has emptied most of Caronne kingdom's treasures, and life is tense or slow ... Sir Falcovan Roncitar prepares to sail to the New Land to establish a colony. Jeweler Natan Sandana seeks financial backing to buy cargo of pearls from Norrener captain Haako Grayfellsson. Haako seeks the warm embraces of Madam Vardrai. High-end courtesan Vardrai of Syr seeks her own house of whores to set herself free from growing old as one. Local guide and nobleman bastard Arvel Tarabine seeks financial aid for passage to the New Land. Ever unlucky potter Lona Grancy seeks security with Arvel's aimless pursuits. Fair Folks Irrendal seeks a man of sword who can conquer a ravenous displaced troll named Uha. Through it all, a bit of fleeting gold could make or break the aspirations of many.

The Valor of Cappen Varra 4/5
King Svearek of Norren, strange since his daughter Hildigund was abducted by a troll, accepts a feast from his brother, setting out across the water of the Wolf's Throat. The journey is rough for these northern barbarians but it's a miserable experience for the southern bard, Cappen Varra of southern Croy, a red-haired harpist who hasn't found his sea legs. Needing fire for the shop, the crew votes Cappen to pull his own weight by rowing out to a supposed troll island to find fire wood. What Cappen finds changes many lives at hand, and his tendency towards poetic prose mixed with cocky wit, partnered with his eagerness to believe false truths, become the fine line between life and death, between fear and courage. Between cowardice and valor.

The Gate of the Flying Knives 4/5
The land of Ranke hosts a pantheon of gods. The crown city of the Empire, Sanctuary, sees old gods, foreign gods, and new gods abound. The conquering Empire believe the Imperial gods Savankala and Sabellia should hold rank with larger temples than the local gods of old, Ils and Shipri. Aristocratic priest Molin Torchholder is to spearhead the temple construct for the Empire but a fanatical priest of the Temple of Ils takes offense at his god's slight. The High Flamen priest of Ils, Hazroah, has access to the realm of Ils, a parallel universe, where he can use an attribute of Ils' to force the Empire to back off their endeavor. Lady Rosanda and her servant Danlis are swept away to the realm of Ils by dragon-like sikkintairs, through a guarded portal/gate but unfortunately for the whole conspiracy, Danlis is loved fiercely by Cappen Varra, traveling minstrel of Caronne. With intel from the Vulgar Unicorn's tavern owner, One-Thumb, and esoteric info from the continually reincarnating wizard, Enas Yorl, Cappen sets out to rescue his beloved. For such a man as Cappen, he will find greater victory with the brawny skills of Jamie the Red, youngest King's son among the poorer mountain barbarians, and quite the reveler in feminine prowess.

The Barbarian 2.5/5
"Why do you think wars are fought? War is an extension of diplomacy. It's the final means of making somebody else do what you want. The object is not to kill them off. How can corpses obey you?" - Grythion
Sarmia has engaged in a slow-burn border war with Chathakh/Chathaka, while Sarpens awaits to pick a side, if need be. The rumors of a Northern barbarian soldier-of-fortune proves true when Cronkheit comes to a town, with a cringey Schwarzenegger accent and the stench of an unbathed ... uh, barbarian. The voluptuous horny empress, Lady Larra, desires to bed this beast but sets him out to be civilized and refined as a brigade commander under General Grythion, where his narcissistic, primal, and volatile persona classes with his fellow soldiers. Cronkheit can overcome the enemy, just like he did the Centaurs, but between these three kingdoms, they'd rather not win the war if it means housing Cronkheit in their mists.

A Feast for the Gods 1/5
What do you get when Hermes, St. Francis, Aegir, Odin, Krishna, Marduk, Mohammed, Sidhe, Seaxnot, Amon-Ra, Oannes, Eros, the Old Woman of the Sea, Yahweh, Isis, Ares, Jesus, and Poseidon get tired of the same food after eons of immortality? Well, you get the search for something new and ever-changing, and so the newest god supplies that answer: Presence, a.k.a. modern computer data. As interesting as I find mythology, this humorous story isn't up my alley. Artist Roy Elkins is a bit too free with his love and finances, whereas his fiancé, Vanessa Talbott, is more refined. Such a clash causes their break-up, and a drunken call out to Aphrodite to bring Toy back causes Hermes to show up and wax historically with Vanny about old gods and new gods and all their pantheon feasts. Of course, Hermes the Wayfarer plants his seed in more ways than one, and Roy comes running back to lock Vanny down before she is "handled" any further. What a time to be alive, I guess.

[Genna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an EXCELLENT collection of short stories. I enjoyed every single one of them, which is rare with a collection but, then, with Poul Anderson I would expect nothing less.

[PG Pariseau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short review: Anything that contains “The Tale of Hauk” automatically earns 4 stars.

[Judy]

need to hunt for a copy of this at some point

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good collection of short stories. I prefer the novels by this writer more but there was a couple of good stories in this collection. Recommended