Adult fantasy

Poul Anderson

In Viking-age England, where winter seems to seep into the bones, a young boy’s fate becomes entangled with that of a changeling—two lives bound to an ancient, escalating war between elves and trolls. As the forces of light and dark close in, only the legendary, cursed sword Tyrfing offers any hope, and its iron blade can be wielded only by an elf-reared mortal. Drawn from the saga tradition that shaped Poul Anderson’s imagination, this epic fantasy blends historical texture with mythic stakes, following how names, bloodlines, and bargains with fate can turn a single life into a turning point for whole peoples. With its sweeping quest, Norse-inflected wonder, and themes of destiny versus choice, *The Broken Sword* delivers a saga-like adventure where heroism is forged as much by suffering as by steel.