John Myers Myers (1906-1988) was born on this date, January 11. He is best remembered as the author of Silverlock. If you haven’t read it, you should. Poul Anderson, Jerry Pournelle, and Gordon R. Dickson number among its fans.
But that’s not the book I want to talk about today.I had seen copies of The Harp and the Blade floating around when I was in high school, but I didn’t know much about it. I was more into science fiction at the time and didn’t read it. (I didn’t read Silverlock until I was in college.) Deuce Richardson recommended it to me recently. So I read it for this post.
I wish I had read it years ago. I started and finished the book in under 24 hours. It’s a great medieval fantasy. Finnian is a wandering Irish bard making his way through France. The book indicates the year is about 950 or so. After watching a local warlord murder a young man in a tavern, he goes on his way. Later that night a Druid curses him by making him anyone in need as long as he stays in the druid’s land.
Soon the curse begins to take effect. Finnian finds himself aiding another man named Conan, who is trying to establish his own domain. No, not that Conan. This story is set in France, not Aquilonia. Finnian only wants to go on his way. It’s not going to be that easy. Every time he thinks he is free to move on, someone needs his aid.
The story moves briskly, with more action and character development than many fantasy novels twice the length. There are battles and personal feuds, songs and poetry, and romance. Not everything ends well.
If you like historical fantasy, with likeable characters, dastardly villains, and lots of action, check this one out.
“I wish I had read it years ago. I started and finished the book in under 24 hours. It’s a great medieval fantasy.”
I’m glad you got such a kick out of it, Keith. That was kind of my reaction when I finally read it in my late 20s. I’d known about it for 10yrs but never pulled the trigger.
“Finnian finds himself aiding another man named Conan, who is trying to establish his own domain. No, not that Conan.”
Maybe not THAT Conan, but I do believe JMM was aware of REH and Conan. That said, there were a LOT of notable Bretons/Romano-Britons named ‘Conan’. It’s one of the few (fairly) ‘pan-Celtic’ names, being found in that form in Scots and Erse Gaelic, as well as in Breton, with close cognates in Cornish and Welsh.
Personally, I’ve always called this novel “borderline sword and sorcery”, since it has an authentic element of magic and other wise reads like a perfectly good S&S novel. I look at MWW’s CAHENA the same way.
I loved it, Deuce. Thanks for suggesting it.
I don’t see how JMM couldn’t have been aware of REH’s Conan. At least if he was at all familiar with what was being published in the pulps.
I’ve not read CAHENA yet. It’s on the radar for later this year. Classes started this past week, and I’m hoping once we settle into a routine, I’ll be more productive on reading and writing.