The British diplomat John William Wall, also known as Sarban, wrote The Sound of His Horn, a dystopian time travel book. They knew him as The Encyclopedia of Fantasy, as he was a subtle literate teller of tales. His diplomat career lasted thirty years, but as a writer, he was not so prolific.
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Author: Sarban
Genre: Science fiction
Pages: 101
Good reads rating: 3.75 of 5
My Rating: 7.4 of 10
Published: 1952 (Original Publication)
Publisher: Tartarus Press (April 4, 2011)
Language: English
For The Latest Price: The Sound of His Horn
***Warning Spoilers Below This Point***
The novel is a very subtle piece of writing by Sarban as his novel describes the first alternate Nazi historical novels. But the fantasy in the story covers all the alternative history.
Alan Quirdilion, in 1943, a British prisoner became captured at a German camp and was the main character around whom the story revolves. One night, being thirsty and hungry, he saw a light in the passway. He runs towards the light thinking it was a forest. Somebody struck him with a pipe and he became unconscious. The next day he woke up in a hospital, looked after by two nurses. He attempts to know where he finds himself and what the city name is. The nurses refuse to tell him. Eventually, they inform him the place name is Hackelnburg. He hears a horn from a distance, he again asks the nurses about the place. They informed him that the person was Reich Master Forester, owner of the estate.
The next thing he knew, was the plan to escape from the German captivity. The day after they finalised the estate tour. During his tour, he could escape from the German captivity and stopped near a castle where he had a meeting with the owner of the castle and the estate.
He ran into woods just to see the bird-woman he met before his hunt started. She said her name was Kit, and also an English. Then Alan told her about his plan to escape from there as he told her about the secret tunnel. She thought it was impossible to do, but she agreed to his plan.
They decided to hide in the forest to gain more time. After, some time Alan and Kit heard sounds of horns from distance announcing that they were searching for Alan. Hearing this, they ran towards the tunnel with all their lives. They were running as fast as they can. When they reach the tunnel, suddenly the forces stop them. To stop those forces, Kit sacrificed her life to save Alan and set him free from the captivity.
The novel is a masterpiece in keeping the suspense, which was really intense. The author wrote the book after the cold war era and focused on alternative history. I rate this book 7.4 out of 10 because of the interesting storyline it presents. Would I re-read this novel? Yes. Am I glad I read it? Yes.
For The Latest Price: The Sound of His Horn
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