Customer Reviews

Huon of the Horn

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Huon Of The Horn

"This is a book that belongs with the great company of the hero tales. It is the later part of the Charlemagne saga, coming after the death of Roland at Roncevaux. Andre Norton has adapted the story...

"It is a hero story in the great tradition. In it Huon, Duke of Bordeaux, is betrayed by the knight Amaury, just as Roland is betrayed by the Ganelon. To redeem himself in the eyes of the emperor, Huon is sent on a difficult, practically impossible mission to Babylon, which is in the hands of the Saracens--Charlemagne's bitter enemies...
"The story is stirring and inspiring. Huon has something of Roland's qualities: charm, courage, a romantic appeal, and the fiery spirit of youth."

Recommended for fans of Andre Norton

Gunner July, 2008

This is a rendering of one of the more obscure offshoots of the legends surrounding the mythical King, Charlemagne; not the Charlemagne of history, but a different, more romantic person. The book concerns the son of one of the Companions of Charlemagne, one Huon, who encounters magic, evil foes, chivalric episodes and the King of Fairies, Oberon himself. A great read for pre-teens, teens and a nostalgic plunge for older readers.

This is a hero tale in the classical tradition of such stories. Huon is a man of noble birth, born in the time of Charlemagne, and the story opens when his father, the Duke of Bordeaux, dies and there is a contest over who will succeed him. Huon is a proud and chivalrous knight and he engages in many adventures reminiscent of the Odyssey and the labors of Hercules. His enemies are many and King Charlemagne gives him an impossible task as a consequence of Huon's action against one of his enemies.
Huon travels to far lands, meets many challenges, is aided by a magic horn, fights a deadly creature, is shipwrecked on a remote island, is rescued by being picked up by a griffin and eventually returns to his native Bordeaux in triumph. Huon also marries a fair maiden met on one of his early adventures, leaves her behind to fare for herself and then comes back in her time of need.
The adventure is largely formulaic and lacks a great deal of the drama needed to make such stories interesting. The tone of the rendition is more that of a diary than of an epic tale, a characteristic that lessens the impact on the reader.

Huon of the Horn is a medieval romance, but Norton has adapted it into a novel. King Arthur is also a bit player in this tale, so that is the setting you are talking about.

This is from Huon's point of view, and we see that Huon is 'better' than Arthur, and they come into conflict over territory.