Three Hearts and Three Lions cover art

Three Hearts and Three Lions

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Three Hearts and Three Lions

By: Poul Anderson
Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
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About this listen

The gathering forces of the Dark Powers threaten the world of man. The legions of Faery, aided by trolls, demons, and the Wild Hunt itself, are poised to overthrow the Realms of Light. Holger Carlsen, a bemused and puzzled twentieth-century man mysteriously snatched out of time, finds himself the key figure in the conflict. Arrayed against him are the dragons, giants, and elfin warriors of the armies of Chaos and the beautiful sorceress Morgan le Fay. On his side are a vague prophecy, a quarrelsome dwarf, and a beautiful woman who can turn herself into a swan, not to mention Papillon, the magnificent battle horse, and a full set of perfectly fitting armor, both of which were waiting for him when he entered the magical realm. The shield bears three hearts and three lions—the only clue to Holger Carlsen’s true identity. Could Carlsen really be a legendary hero, the only man who can save the world?

©1953 Fantasy House, Inc. 1961 by Poul Anderson (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc. Fantasy Fiction Science Fiction Magic

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Really enjoyed this. A fast moving pacey fantasy story of good versus evil. Great big helpings of derring do leavened with a dusting of humour.

Highly recommended.

Hugely enjoyable fantasy tale

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loved every minute of it.
I need more of this
fantastic. all the characters we believable

loved every minute.

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Excellent reading of this wonderful story. Great piece of escapisme, thoroughly recomend. listening to this book read for me made it come to life.

Brilliant escapisme

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I was distracted by the accents. From broad Scottish, generic Scandinavian to broad olde Worlde unknown with the occasional hint of Geordie and a hint of Welsh it was very hard to follow.

Dreadful accents

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This is a story for D&D fans. It was a major influence on the alignment system and on certain monsters, notably trolls. It is also the source of the Paladin character class.

Apart from that, the story itself isn't very sophisticated, and smacks of the casual sexism that permeated its era.

Bronson Pinchot's reading is, however, masterful and goes a long way towards making this audio book enjoyable.

Fun but silly story, important for gaming history, great reading.

Great performance.

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Poul Anderson's work had a big impact on the fantasy genre which makes it an interesting read for that sake, but the story itself is as by the numbers as you can get.
That doesn't have to be a bad thing if you just want something classic. I enjoyed it well enough, but there were points where I found myself groaning at the protagonist's fawning over an underage girl and fighting in pure power fantasy.

There's a few instances of good fights with interesting solutions, but that's about it really.
the world feels like a vague soupey rollercoaster of "fantasy greatest hits". The main trio are equally classic (and predictable) with the destined hero, the fawning maiden and the dwarf sidekick that lives to spout exposition.

The narration makes it very easy to listen to and lends well to the pulpy nature of it all with a good range of voices, even if they're a but over-exaggerated.

Pure Pulp

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I first read this story at the age of 18 back in 1973, the chivalry and high romance touched my heart and has stayed with me all these years. I was delighted to find it on Audible but half frightened that the story's magic would have faded. I need not have been concerned, the magic remains untarnished and is brilliantly brought to life by Bronson Pinchot's masterful narration.

Classic fantasy at its finest

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Love the story but the Scottish accent is horrendous. Its Very hard to understand and I've spent time in Glasgow.

Great story shocking accents

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