The King of Elfland’s Daughter Review

The King of Elfland’s Daughter by Lord Dunsany! Did the book inspire J.R.R. Tolkien??? 😱

The book starts off with the Parliament of Erl wanting a magical ruler so the King of Erl sends his son Alveric off to Elfland to marry the King of Elfland’s daughter, Lirazel. This book I wish I would have eye read it instead of listened to it—I think I would have appreciated it a lot more for what it was—but while I was listening to it, I just wanted to read my next book.

Looking back on the story, I really like it and I think I will probably read it again. You can see throughout how a lot of fantasy books written between its publication and now were inspired or heavily influenced by it.

After Alveric wins his bride, he takes her back to Erl and they have a son named Orion. While this is happening, the King of Elfland is trying to coax his daughter back into Elfland. She finally goes back to her home and I kind of despised her for it, leaving both husband and son in Erl without another thought.

The rest of the book is about Orion growing up and becoming a hunter and Alveric hunting and searching for his wife and a way back into Elfland, finally ending happily. My final complain is the title; though minor, I wish it were a bit different 😂

This is definitely a must-read for anyone who is into the fantasy genre to see what inspired the fantastical monsters of modern history… just maybe ACTUALLY read it! I give the King of Elfland’s Daughter a 6.5/10 🧇

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