Originally published on my blog here& in August 2000.The second trilogy of Corum novels ends on a distinctly bitter note. The Sword and the Stallion is sombre throughout, and almost amounts to a campaign against the idea of the hero, particularly against the concept of the Eternal Champion so important in Moorcock's work. This trilogy is particularly influenced by Irish mythology, which seems to have a more ambivalent attitude to heroism than that of many cultures.Continuing his seemingly hopeless struggle against the Fhoi Mhore, Corum needs to seek new supernatural allies before the humans he is aiding are destroyed. Captured in an illusion by those whose aid he sought, he is rescued by the arrival of an enemy, the evil wizard Calatin. Then he discovers that in the months that have passed in the outside world, Calatin has created a double of Corum, who has fought against his friends, convincing them that Corum has become a traitor.The trilogy, because of its downbeat tone, is one of Moorcock's most impressive works, unusual in his output. It is a depressing read, however, with its message that heroes are no longer necessary or even desirable. From here on, Moorcock's novels become much more ambiguous and literary in character; he has shaken off some of the ideas from popular literature which inspired his earlier writing.
Although the second volume ("The Oak and the Ram") was only mediocre, this third and concluding volume more than makes up for it. Moorcock does a clever job of exciting genre expectations, deliberately disappointing them, and then satisfying you in spite of your disappointment by lavishing upon you unexpected, unusual adventures. For example, he prepares you for a grand battle in the Tolkien tradition to save Mabden civilization from the alien Fhoi Myore, complete with a Homeric catalogue of colorfully-named warriors . . . and sends our hero Corum off on a quest just before the battle. Later, we hear second-hand that they have all been slain, never having seen them in action. Yet Corum's quest is more interesting than most battles, and it leads to a final battle that has the excitement we could wish for.The ending is shocking and sad, by it really isn't surprising when you remember that, although Moorcock is a fantasy writer who reveres the heroes he creates, he is also a pragmatist and self-described anarchist who knows that heroes, however indispensable, are a burden and a danger to society if they overstay their welcome.All in all, an exciting, shocking and thought-provoking ending to an entertaining series.
Do You like book The Sword And The Stallion (1986)?
