Weekly Reader: To Carry The Horn (The Hounds of Anwn) by Karen Myers; Brilliant Start To Fantasy Series Builds Epic Alternate World of Elves

Weekly Reader: To Carry The Horn (The Hounds of Anwn) by Karen Myers; Brilliant Start To Fantasy Series Builds Epic Alternate World of Elves




By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews



Spoilers: Karen Myers's To Carry the Horn is the first book in The Hounds of Anwn a four novel and five short stories series about an alternate elven kingdom that exists alongside modern Virginia. It is a captivating start as it presents a magical world that is unique in the resident's influence from humans and still keeps their toes in their fantasy mythological roots.




George Talbot Traherne is a typical modern man who manages a software company and is a whipper-in for fox hunting trips. While chasing after a pack of dogs, in which he was in charge, George falls off his horse. When he comes to, he finds himself in a part of the woods in which he is unfamiliar with no cell phone reception, strange white dogs, and mysterious unknown riders in period clothing. Worst of all, he stumbles onto a dead body and a stern, but youthful authority figure called Gwyn Anwn who wonders what George is doing on his land.



George learns that he is in an elvish and that he is descended from Gwyn. He also learns that the dead man was Iolo ap Huw, Gwyn's foster son, and huntsman in their annual hunting expedition. They take their Hunts seriously seeing as how it's descended from The Wild Hunt of the god, Cernunnos from Celtic myth and legend. The Hunt determines their legislature as well as political structure so Gwyn stands to lose much if he loses the match. Iolo, their lead hunstman, is now dead under mysterious circumstances. They have no other huntsman declared and George has plenty of experience, so could he please, pretty please, be the next huntsman?




To Carry the Horn serves as our introduction to the elves' world and Myers does this by combining typical fairy lore with the modern world. These elves  hav portals all over the world including in Virginia, because like their human counterparts they traveled from Europe to the Americas (though unlike humans, they cooperated and worked alongside the local Natives.). Elves have had numerous encounters with humans and have even adapted to some of our ways as George realizes when he observes the elvish denizens dressing in Colonial period costumes and displaying electric lights in their homes.




Along with that adaptability comes a willingness to accept change. When George assumes the role of huntsman, he makes a few changes such as promoting lutins, house staff who prove to be good at hunting and handling dogs, on the hunting team and declaring Gwyn's feisty foster daughter, Rhian, as an assistant huntsman, a role she has wanted for some time. One would expect Gwyn to be an old school leader and argue against change. But instead, he shrugs and says it's alright with him. These exchanges show an old world that is willing to accept and even embrace new changes.




Myers plays with fairy lore by having characters dispell misconceptions. As we can figure out with Iolo, elves can die but they are very long lived. While youthful in appearance, Gwyn is revealed to be George's great grandfather and reappears every few years to assume the rule of the nearby human estate of Bellemore's lone heir human, at least in appearance, and using a variety of pseudonyms. The characters scoff at many of the human assumptions such as elves being vulnerable to iron. (They say that started because humans believed that fairies rejected Christianity or human encroachment. On the contrary, they insist, humans have their beliefs and they have theirs.)



Of course no fantasy novel starring elves would be complete without magic and Myers shows us exactly that by making them be an almost every day occurrence in the character's lives. There is a whiff of murder mystery in the air when George and co. investigate Iolo's body to determine the cause of death. You have to hand it to any novel that considers "death by magical means" to be a probable cause. (I don't remember any episode of CSI or Law and Order considering that possibility.)

Travel between sections of the elves' worl as well as between human and elven lands are done in places called ways. Ways can only be activated with certain devices called tokens and only specific characters have knowledge of where these ways are. There are some incidents where George learns that he has more power than he thought when he is capable of knowing the exact locations of the ways around Gwyn's lands, ways in which even he was previously unaware.

Shape shifting is also an important magical skill. It comes in handy when the characters want to follow or avoid someone, as a passage demonstrates where Rhian transforms into an an old woman right in front of an amazed George.

Myers clearly has fun not only describing the process of shape shifting, but the limitations that some have as well. Shape shifters can only change into something that matches their height or weight. Transforming into an animal or the opposite sex is possible but only by the truly powerful. There is also the possibility of getting lost inside the new form and finding it difficult to change back. In one spine tingling moment, George transforms in the presence of Cerridwen, a wise elder and historian, and takes on a more powerful and somewhat terrifying form.


The book isn't just an introduction to this elven world. It is also filled with rich characters that inhabit it. George is an impressive lead as he learns about this world and his new family while accepting his new role as lead huntsman. He is very observant and ks an excellent judge of character, as he shows when he promotes Rhian and others after he recognizes their skills and competence. He is also able to recognize a threat when he sees one and knows how to get rid of it without causing any damage to Gwyn's leadership. He does this by role playing an argument so an enemy spy, who was part of the hunting team, loses his position solely based on George's insistence and no one else. (So if the spy reports back to his employer then it won't be Gwyn, or anyone else, they will come after. Only George.)

There are some moments and discussions that will go over Reader's heads as the characters and narrative uses hunting terms and gets very detailed in descriptions of hunting. However, the Reader understands that George is proving his effectiveness as a good leader. He accepts advice and much needed information from others. He encourages his team to learn combat skills for self-defense and to work alongside each other to practice teamwork. He is also able to adapt and change by keeping what works and changing what doesn't.


Gwyn is also a well written character. He is more cautious and steadier than the big picture thinker that is George. At first, he is somewhat suspicious of George wondering who sent him and what this means for his rule. However, he sees that many of George's ideas make sense and ensures the survival of his people. Gwyn also bears a lot of guilt over the decline in his relationship with his sister, Creiddylad, who has become a bitter rival. One possibility towards Gwyn's acceptance of George is that Gwyn may feel his time is up and perhaps George is a potential leader for not only the hunt but for his part of the elven lands. Gwyn is doing his best to smooth the transition of power and helping George inherit a peacefully evolving kingdom.




To Carry the Horn is a terrific first novel that combines fantasy with the modern world. Hopefully, the rest of The Hounds of Anwn continues to develop this brave new magical world.










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