The King of Elfland's Daughter
Author: Lord Dunsany
Year: 1924
Abstract:
The parliament of Erl would like magic to be brought to the land and so Alveric is
sent out to fetch the King of Elfland's daughter. Will she bring magic, or will it be the
downfall of little Erl?
| Advanced Mind | |
| Exploration/Quest |  |
| Military/Fighting | |
| Horror | |
| Magic | |
| Advanced Technology | |
| Time Travel/Alternate History | |
| Science | |
| Aliens/Beasties | |
| Contemporality |
Other books in this series:
None
tyranist's Review
I first became interested in this book when I learned of Lord Dunsany's influence on H. P. Lovecraft,
a personal favorite. As I attempted to find a copy, it became apparent that, while many had
heard of it and even praised it, nobody seemed to know where to find it. Curse the dearth of
publishing resources that obscurs these titles from us.
Anyway, when I finally did get a copy and then finally got around to reading it, I found that the
narrative style was difficult and that it held more in relation to the Mabinogion than to any
Lovecraft I had read. Still, the underlying story is fascinating and it is really one of the earliest
fantasy novels. Most unusual are the trolls, who are more like those hideous little dolls that were
every where a few years back than the hulking beasts of Tolkien. I liked them.
In spite of the stylistic markings, the novel is a quick, enjoyable read. Any fan of fantasy should
probably take a look at this at some point, just to understand a little more of the history of the
genre.