Lloyd Alexander Books

Lloyd Alexander's "Chronicles of Prydain" have become a classic staple of fantasy literature, a few rungs below "Lord of the Rings" and a few inches down from "Chronicles of Narnia." In this volume, all six books in his series are brought together, showing all of Prydain's beauty, richness, humor and sorrow as one big book.

"The Book of Three" opens with Assistant Pig-Keeper Taran yearning for adventure -- and getting more than he bargains for when he chases the pig into the woods, and is nearly run down by a sinister horned rider. Soon he teams up with a wandering king-minstrel, a sharp-tongued princess and a furry creature called Gurgi to save Prydain from the power of the Horned King.

"The Black Cauldron" has Taran and the others setting out to destroy Arawn Deathlord's evil cauldron, which turns dead men into unkillable zombies. But other forces are after the cauldron, including three peculiar witches who insist on trading something for the cauldron. What is worse, the company faces treachery from someone in their own camp...

"The Castle of Llyr" ties up some loose ends from the first book, as Princess Eilonwy is sent to the isle of Mona to become a fine lady. But she has barely arrived when she is kidnapped by a minion of the evil enchantress Achren, her "aunt." Taran sets out to save her, but must team up with the young man who wishes to marry Eilonwy -- even though Taran is rapidly falling in love with her.

"Taran Wanderer" has Taran setting out to discover his past, since he feels he can't ask Eilonwy to marry him if he is lowborn. With only Gurgi at his side, he encounters evil wizards, malevolent bandits, and finally learns that his father just might be a shepherd... until a new revelation leads him to learn of his true worth.

"The High King" wraps up the saga, with Taran returning home. But no sooner has he arrived than he learns that noble Prince Gwydion has been half-killed -- and the magical sword Dyrnwyn has been stolen by Arawn Deathlord. Now the heroes set out one and for all to attack Arawn's stronghold and get back the sword -- but how can they defeat a deathless army and a shapeshifting enemy?

Finally, "The Foundling" fills in a few of the gaps with short stories that illustrate the backstory of the Prydain novels. Among the stories are the tragic history of Dyrnwyn, how the wizard Dallben was reared by the three witches (and where he got the Book of Three), and the love story of Eilonwy's parents.

Take two parts "Lord of the Rings," add a bit more humor and comedy, and stir in bits and pieces of Welsh mythology. That pretty much sums up the Prydain Chronicles, which is one of the rare series that is meant for kids, but is as rich an experience for adults. Even better, if they know the origins of the old legends and myths that make up the edges of these stories. Alexander populates this little world with evil enchantresses, deathless warriors, eager teenagers and talking crows, all the while coming up with an original storyline that doesn't smack of lifted legends.

In a sense, the whole series is a coming-of-age story, where Taran learns wisdom, maturity, loss and love. Oh yeah, and that that Chinese curse about interesting times is quite correct. Princess Eilonwy and the bard-king Fflewddur Fflam add a bit of comic relief, but they are also strong characters in their own right, as is the fuzzy sidekick Gurgi, who goes from being an annoyance to a loyal and lovable friend.

"The Chronicles of Prydain" are fantasy at its best, mingling myth and legend with a fast-paced plot and endearingly quirky characters. Definitely not something to miss.

This entire series is just awesome. Every single book kept me enthralled when I was a kid (I read them over and over) and I am re-reading them for the second time as an adult.

Really, I'm not good at reviewing stuff, but this book hadn't been reviewed yet. Basically, you need to read this book. And the others.

Truthful Harp is another wonderful pick to read with your children. Beautiful illustrations, and a wonderful story. I highly recommend this and any other Lloyd Alexander books you can get your hands on.

In this wonderful book, the reader gets a chance to see Lloyd Alexander, and his works more closely than ever.

I first read the Prydain Chronicles when I was 10 years old, and can safely say that in my 45 years, I have never enjoyed a series of books more. To those who haven't read them, I am truly envious--to be able to enjoy and savor these books for the first time would be wonderful.

The themes and lessons that Lloyd Alexander incorporated into this book were things that I was not able to appreciate until I was an adult, which is why I truly recommend this series to adults as well. But what makes these books really great is that they're fun to read. His sense of humor, his command of character and his instinct for a good story make these books truly great literary treasures. When they're old enough I plan to introduce these books to my daughters and hope they become as precious to them as they were to me.

Excellent books for children and adults alike. The children in my family loved them as did I. Highly recommended reading!

I loved these as a child, and I have given sets to other children also. All children enjoy these books. They have adventure, humor and they show what it's like to grow. I've even read them again as an adult, and I enjoyed them just as much.

This was one of my favorite series of books when I was a child. After becoming an adult, I reread them, and I enjoyed them just as much. I gave these books as gifts to children in my family, and they loved them also! I recommend the Chronicles of Prydain for every youngster.

I first got into the Prydain series via Disney's adaptation of The Black Cauldron when I was little. After seeing and loving the cartoon, I read the books and loved them even more. It didn't occur to me until I was much older how far the movie really does stray from the books, but I hold both versions near and dear to my heart. I just finished rereading The Book of Three for at least the fourth time, and it's just as marvelous as it was when I was a kid.

The High King, like the four volumes leading up to it, is an entertaining read to say the least. Sadly, I was 17 before I discovered the chronicles of Prydain, so a lot of the magic and wonder was lost for me. Still, It never took more than two sittings to polish off any of them. So, for those of you thinking about a purchase, I will share the thoughts of an older reader.

For starters, this is probably the darkest of the series by far. There are some genuinely touching, although not totally unexpected, moments that draws you into a deeper connection with Taran and a couple other characters. Though Lloyd Alexander lacks the extensive descriptive capabilities of Tolkien, The High King does well to give a definitive image of who everyone has become throughout the course of their journeys. There are even a few decent battle scenes, something lacking in the previous installments.

Thankfully, the characters are as likable as ever, still providing a chuckle or two every once in a while. By this point, however, a sense of repetetiveness has more than taken hold. If you were annoyed by the running gags up to this point, then you will be doubly so with The High King. I suppose this is one of the things that declares this more a middle-school book than anything else.

Perhaps the most annoying thing about this entire series is its similarities to another work of fiction set in a little place called middle earth. From the moment I opened The Book of Three, I dubbed this series "Lord of The Rings for Dummies" and indeed it constantly justifies this title. Though, I suppose that it would be better to replace Dummies with Kids, as that is probably what Alexander was angling for. Regardless, it still gets annoying, and at one point down right infuriating, of how muck like Lord of The Rings this series is. I would like to think that I would have been able to get past that weakness if I were in about the fifth grade, but at that time I had already read quite a bit of Tolkien's work, so I doubt it would have changed anything.

I find the end of this series comes much as any other ending of any truly good book/books: a rush of joy at having concluded a good story coupled with a great sadness like the loss of an old, dear friend. Indeed, The Chronicles of Prydain, The High King included, deserves a place somewhere between Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter on the shelf of anyone that loves fantasy or just a good read in general.

Jamin P. review of The High King by Lloyd Alexander, March 19, 2008

The book I read, The High King, was great. The time, setting and plot all fit together quite nicely. The story takes place in Medieval Times but it is a fantasy world. Taran, an assistant-pig-keeper, is now a great warrior and he is the leader of an army of horsemen against Arawn-Death-Lord. There is a catch though Arawn has stolen the sword of Dyrawyn- the most powerful weapon in the kingdom of Prydain. Taran and is companions have set out to claim the sword back for the diabolical Arawn. They have to go to Arawn's lair, which is at the top of Mount Dragon. After many bloody battles they are able to retrieve the sword for Arawns Lair. At the end they end of the book some of Taran's companions go to the Summer Country, while some stayed on the now peaceful and prosperous land of Prydain.

Pig boy gets over it, the sword, the girl, the knowledge and the administration job.


Taran finally gets organised as far as the princess is concerned, but, as these things goes, is rudely interrupted by the goings on caused by your usual dark lord of the underworld.

A fantasy hero has to deal with that first, befor eany nuptials, as well as all the nicking off of the supernatural types and a decision for the woman of the piece.

The order came in a few days which was great. The person I orded this for was happy with the book and enjoyed reading it. All in all the order was fast and I was a satisied costomer. Cyndi

It is NOT my intent to be inflammatory or insulting with this review. However, as humans, we live and die by comparing and contrasting, so I can't help it if I do so. Please don't shoot the messenger because I rate Alexander's series according to personal standards.

Second, I am not merely reviewing The High King here; this is the best place to review the entire Chronicles of Prydain, and so I shall.

I have also heard a little rumor recently that Alexander's books have been recommended in reference to Harry Potter, and I have nothing against Harry Potter other than it is a lukewarm, morally tepid tale in which the characters, magic and plot are only occasionally consistent; however, the likeness between Harry and Taran are, in short, the difference between heroism by circumstance and heroism by choice.

Now to the review and to more (unintentional) offense: The Chronicles of Prydain slightly resemble (especially in the first part, The Book of Three) The Lord of the Rings because they are both drawn from the same Welsh roots. The Chronicles of Prydain are better, hands down, no questions asked. I have always regarded Tolkien as the untouchable master of Fantasy, until now. Here is why Alexander tops the unbeatable:

1. His characters are closer, more human, and more real. They are all easily accessible. They are all ingeniously well-defined. I am not as well-read as I should be, but I have never read a more likeable, fleshed-out and consistent, large cast of characters. His genius shines through.

2. Where Tolkien is mythology, Alexander is what mythologies are made of. The Chronicles of Prydain cut right to the core of the greatest human stories and their humanity--their sacrifice. The individual acts of sacrifice in each of the books are heartrending, and somehow, almost in an act of divinely-inspired propitiation, heart-mending. Frodo's act of sacrifice at the end of Return of the King pales in comparison to the multitude of sacrificial acts that culminate with Taran's decision at the end of The High King. It is awe-ful.

3. The female characters are superb. Eilonwy is a likeable, strong and strong-willed female who is consistently Eilonwy, the perfect foil to Taran, and perfectly balanced. Alexander did not make her a shrew, a feminist, or anything overboard to the point of ruining the character, the story or the consistency. She is wonderfully written and no less a hero than Taran, though the spotlight is not always on her. Alexander was truly ahead of his time in making a female hero so real, so approachable, so likeable, and truly heroic.

4. The plot is seamless. Books one through five fit together as in a panoramic puzzle, with each thing building on the other. Granted, Tolkien wrote in the style of the medieval, and he did so without flaw, but with Alexander, every scene serves the plot. There is not one wasted word, and few unanswered questions, if any.

5. The plot is character-driven. Unlike Harry Potter, where the deus-ex-machina is unbelievably heavy, the plot in the Chronicles of Prydain is character-driven, and hinges on the characters making the right decision without regard to their personal desires. I have only seen one other author in whose books this trait is so pronounced (see Nicole of Prie Mer: Book One of the Latter Annals of Lystra, to start) and so perfectly wielded. However, it makes for the most satisfying plot resolution possible.

6. The characters are hopefully complex and dynamic. I have never read of so many characters that are redeemable--and indeed, we see many of them redeemed. I can only hope to look on life with the optimism that Alexander must have had. His characters, even many of his bad ones, are so lovingly handled, I must hope that my Author chooses to deal with me so mercifully. The Mercy offered in these books goes beyond the pity offered to Gollum and into the redemptive work of One who can transform lives. It is extremely powerful, and the same reason so many of the minor characters are beautifully real and dance off of the pages.

I could go on and on, and fortunately for you, I won't. I am so lucky to have found these books. I hope many receptive hearts will continue to find them for several generations. May Alexander rest peacefully, and I hope that somehow, somewhere, he knows that his Taliesin is smiling.

Lloyd Alexander was one of my favorite authors as a young adult and his work has really held up now that I'm an adult. The stories and characters are just so well crafted and executed. This is a great book to go back to or to get for someone who is just starting to explore the realms of fantasy.

The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander is an interesting book that I would recommend to people to all ages.The story opens up at their cottage,while they are trying to find or get a counselor.After the meeting they were still trying to get a counselor so after the Prince heard about them talking who is the counselor, he just said that he was the counselor but he really wasn't.One day they realized that something was missing!So they went to go look for it because it wasn't theirs it was theirs it was the three wtches.When they were out looking it started to rain so they had to find some where to stay, so they found this cottage and stayed their.When they were their they ran into the three witches and they said they wanted to turn them into frog/toads.There names were Orwell, Rod, and Orgoch.So will they get the cauldron back???When they found the cauldron they found out that it was the three witches.So they felt bad.After they found that out they gave it to back to the three witches, and they didn't turn them into toads/frogs they were happy about that but sad about the black cauldron.
The setting takes place at two places but it takes place mostly at cottage/outside.The cottage/outside is dark,creepy,and old.The people are scared and frightend because of how dark,creepy,and old it is.
I recommend this book because it is exciting!!!

The Black Cauldron is the second book to the series by Lloyd Alexander. It describes a quest that Taran and his fellow companions go on to retrieve and destroy the Black Cauldron. It is a dangerous weapon Arawn uses to create his deathless warriors known as Cauldron-Born. In this story Taran and his companions face many challenges such as Huntsmen and other warriors to get the Cauldron. This book is full of excitement, fantasy, and adventure that anyone would enjoy a lot.

This book is about an assistant pig keeper named Taran. He and his companions Doli, Gurgi, Fflewddur, Adaon, Eilonwy, and Ellidyr, are planning to go retrieve the Black Cauldron and destroy it. They have to retrieve it from Arawn the evil Lord of Annuvin to prevent him from making more Cauldron-Born which are the mute and deathless warriors who serve him, but when they finally reach Annuvin there is something strange. As they went through the gates there is no one. Then they hear that the cauldron had already been stolen before they had gotten there. They are ordered to retreat and go back so they can form a new plan. On their way back they encounter Huntsmen. Huntsmen are warriors who had betrayed their comrades and kill for the joy of it. They travel in small groups and when one of them dies it adds strength to the rest. Taran and his companions managed to escape, but the Huntsmen are still following them, but just as they are about to be captured they found a secret passage where they meet Gwystyl. He helps them hide from the Huntsmen and tells them that three sisters known as Orddu, Orwen, and Orgoch have it and they live in the Marshes of Morva. After a long journey they had mad it to the Marshes of Morva where they are captured by the three sisters. When they are about to be killed, Taran tells them of the cauldron they have been searching for. The sisters tell him that they will give it to them if they trade something that they prize. All of the companions offer everything they prize, but it wasn't good enough. Then Taran remembered the necklace he had gotten from someone before and tried to trade that. The three sisters agreed and gave them the Black Cauldron. Taran and all his companions tried to destroy it, but they learned that it can only be destroyed by a living person willing to crawl in the pot as a sacrifice to destroy it. Ellidyr decides to sacrifice himself and he crawls into the cauldron and it split and shattered.

The Black Cauldron takes place in a large land called Prydain. Throughout the story Taran and his companions travel through many different places in Prydain such as the Marshes of Morva and the Forest of Idris. The Forest of Idris was full of steep slopes, gorges, pleasant meadows wrinkled into hills. There was also brown withered grass, oaks and alders with dead leaves hanging on the crooked branches, and the trunks were black and shriveled. The Marshes of Morva there were growths of thorny furze that rose up, long swamps, and small clumps of dead tree trunks. Also there was dead brown grass and gray pools of stagnant water.

The main problem in the story is that Taran and his companions are trying to retrieve and destroy the Black Cauldron before the evil Lord Arawn makes more of his Cauldron-Born and rules all of Prydain. Although when they attempt to steal the cauldron from him it was already gone. It was taken by its original owners Orddu, Orwen, and Orgoch. So after many days of traveling through the Marshes of Morva they finally find the three sisters. They were willing to give Taran the Black Cauldron if he traded something he prized very dearly. He gave them a very special necklace which was given to him by a good friend of his. They try to destroy it but the only way they could was if a living person was willing to sacrifice themselves. None of them wanted to do it so Ellidyr chose to do it. When he put himself inside the Black Cauldron split and shattered. That was the end of Ellidyr and the Black Cauldron. Now Arawn would never be able to create any more Cauldron-Born again

Pig-boy gets to be a bit princely, but has problems with undead, goddesses, etc.

This is a reasonably diverting kids book, and doesn't take itself too seriously, even with putting in the Celtic legends about magic pots that can bring the dead back to life, and the various deities that are associated with that sort of thing. Your evil witch queen of the undead type person, at least, of sorts. So, a good one for the kids, for sure.

The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander is an adventurous book that I wouldn't recommend to any age. First Taran is trying to find a counselor. They also have problems with the cauldron, it got stolen two different ways. Taran had looked everywhere for it! There are three witches that are mangy and ugly. Their names are Orrwen, Orddu, and Orgoch. These three witches wanted to turn Taran into a toad! The witches also owned the black cauldron but Taran had stole it. Now the the witches want Taran, so they can get to the cauldron and also turn him in to a toad.
Taran is a pig boy that learns that life of a true hero involves painful sacrifices. The three witches are scary and evil. The witches are determined to get cauldron back. The witches want to turn Taran and his people to become toads, then the witches would have their cauldron. The cauldron is an important item to everyone. The cauldron is about half the size of a man, and black.The black cauldron is also very wide, that way all three witches could fit around it and add all the ingredients. The witches want the cauldron back because they want to make a potion to turn Taran in to a toad.
I recommend you don't read this book because its not very exciting. I really don't think you would like this book weather you like books or not! You wont enjoy this book... guarenteed.

Published way back in 1963, "Time Cat" was the first book ever written by Lloyd Alexander, and as such, exists as an interesting comparison to many of his later books, with echoes of plots and characters that will later be used in his more famous and sophisticated works. It is quite a simplistic book, with a straightforward story told in clear but sparse prose, but there are certainly traces of the excellence that is to come in Alexander's later books, particularly the award-winning The Prydain Chronicles.

Jason has been sent to his bedroom in disgrace, only to find that his black, orange-eyed cat can talk! Gareth informs him that rather than the oft-believed saying that cats have nine lives, it is in fact the ability to *visit* nine lives that make cats so special - and Gareth offers to take Jason on the journey that he intends to take that very moment. What follows is not so much a single over-arching story as a series of short-stories detailing the adventures that take place in nine different locations across time that Jason and Gareth make. Starting in Egypt in 2700BC and working their way forward to America in 1775, Jason learns about history, personal wisdom, and himself, before finally returning to his own time. In each location there is some commentary on mankind's progress and how it relates to their relationship with cats, moving from Egypt in which cats were venerated as gods, to Germany in the 1600s, in which they were destroyed as devils. As Jason puts it: "In Egypt they thought you were a god. Here they think you're a demon. Won't anyone ever understand you're a cat?"

It is an odd format for the book to take, as each "time-zone" is only given two chapters each (except for the second-to-last one, which has three) making the adventures fly past rather swiftly, with little in the way of delving deeply into the context of the time and places they visit. Although there is a small amount of intrigue or danger to each location, the two time-travelers move on quickly from place to place. However, it is not the intention of the book to create a deep, drawn out story, and it would be unwise to approach this book expecting this. Instead, look for a breezy, fast-paced time-travel adventure with hidden undercurrents of awareness and intellectual growth. Alexander is the master of hiding bits of profound wisdom in his stories without ever becoming preachy (not even C.S. Lewis and Philip Pullman have fully mastered this art). There are too many to list here, though I can't resist adding one of my favourites: "You can say some of the loveliest things in the world - without words."

As well as witch-hunts in Germany, cat-worship in Egypt and the Revolution in America, the story also involves a love story on the Isle of Man, Leonardo da Vinci's youth in Italy, and the beginning of Saint Patrick's missionary work in Ireland - not to mention visits to Japan, Britain and Peru. In each story, Alexander incorporates his love of cats and has some rather beautiful things to say about their intelligence, beauty, liveliness and ability to bring comfort to human beings. Cat-lovers will adore this book, and Alexander follows up on his `ode to cats' with Dream-of-Jade: The Emperor's Cat and The Cat Who Wished to Be a Man.

It's not all perfect: the time-travelling itself is a little spotty (there's no rhyme or reason to shifting from place to place), and often Alexander takes short-cuts in the storytelling - for example, Jason's sea voyage from Rome to Britain is described in the space of a couple of lines, which is a little disconcerting - just how long is Jason away from home exactly? Likewise, Jason himself makes a rather bland protagonist, as although he's polite and kind-hearted, he doesn't have much in the way of a personality! More reactive than proactive throughout the entire book, he acts mainly as a vessel for the experiences and life lessons that Alexander has strewn within the story.

However, as long as you know what to expect from "Time Cat," it's a highly enjoyable read. It's especially fun spotting several story components that will pop up again in a slightly-different form in other books, particularly the red-gold haired figure of Diahan, a direct precursor to Princess Elionwy, who at one stage: "refused to speak to [Jason], except to remind him, several times, that she wasn't speaking to him." Sound familiar?

this was a great book because I liked the idea of a cat being able to go through time, and how he would all of a sudden travel, without warning. I also liked that the chapter titles, which were cool because it told you the exact location and time you were going to.

(written by 9 year old daughter)

A classic. A great book for the child who loves cats.

author of "Hobo Finds A Home"

Do you ever wonder if your cat can talk? If your cat really has nine lives? Where cats go when you are looking all over for them, and can't find them? Or how your cat can suddenly appear in a room that you are certain is empty? TIME CAT, a YA soft sci-fi fantasy by Lloyd Alexander, answers all of these questions and more.

Not surprisingly to cat lovers, your cat can talk to you, but only if no one else is a round. Cats do not have nine lives, but here is where their magic comes in: they can visit nine lives - anywhere, any time, any country, any century. And they can take you with them.

Gareth and his human friend, Jason set out on time travel trip, visiting 9 different eras and making a difference in the lives of nine different people, both historical figures and regular folks. They meet Saint Patrick, DaVinci, Manxmen, kings, Egyptian, Incas, a Japanese child-emperor, ancient Britons, and American revolutionaries. In each case, both Gareth and Jason have a positive impact on the people they meet, perhaps setting history on its proper course.

TIME CAT is written is simple, easy style, perfect for young readers. The story of each era is told in a stand alone, 2-3 chapter section, creating a series of loosely related vignettes, almost short stories. This make the book very easy to pick up and put down, enjoying each section at your own pace and leisure.

I read TIME CAT at the recommendation of my 11 year old. We both enjoyed traveling with Gareth very much. Perhaps Ping, our resident feline, will take us on travels of our own. I know Ping appears out of nowhere with alarming frequency. And I am certain he can talk.

I read Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander. In the book there is a boy named Jason who has a cat named Gareth. One day Jason went up to his room and Gareth started talking to him. Gareth told Jason that a cat had nine lives. With these lives they can go to any nine places in the world. In the blink of an eye, Jason and Gareth were in Egypt. Jason learned that in Egypt people worship cats. The next place they went to was Rome. They met a group of people who sailed on a boat with them all the way to England. In England Jason met a man named Cerdic Longtooth. Jason and Gareth went to Ireland next. When they reached Ireland they met a girl named Daihan. They also met a magician named Sucat who wanted to burn them and make them into spirits. They also went to many more places like Japan, Italy, Peru (where someone tried to steal Gareth), The Isle of Man, German, and America. Will Jason and Gareth ever find their way home?

I would recommend this book to people who like learning about other places while having fun.

The Conflict:
Every time Jason went to somewhere people would try to take his cat.

I could connect to this because I have also traveled around the world.

By: TJ

but I'm glad I read it now.

This is a nice combination of philosophy and action. In the philosophical aspect, it ranges from questioning reality -- did Tamar really bet his life on a throw of the dice, or was it all a dream? -- to questioning the definition of honor and duty, to questioning whether fate and destiny are truth or illusion. At the same time, it goes through a great adventure, one with a much greater range and fluidity than is the norm in young adult books: rather than leading steadily and surely up to a great conflict, following the bell-curve plot diagram that is the bane of English students across the US (and presumably worldwide), this one goes through some sharp twists, drop-offs, leaps and bounds. The best part of that, for me, was that every moment when the action slowed, there was a thought-provoking moment of philosophy, and then when the action picked back up, the concept revealed in the lull just previous was put to the test. That much control over the story is the hallmark of a great writer, which Alexander was.

Here's what I mean. The hero, Tamar, initially loses his great struggle against the villain, and is captured and put into a hellish prison, chained and enslaved by an Untouchable. This was especially interesting to me as a Westerner because it is a spiritual torment, one that I would not experience the same way. Tamar survives through it and gains strength and wisdom from it, and then when he is freed from that torture and he goes back to fight once more, he has gained the maturity he needs to turn his final confrontation with the villain into a spiritual victory, rather than a defeat -- and it is immediately clear that the change in his attitude, his growth as a man, has come about because of what he has been through. The message here, that killing is not a path to victory, is made absolutely clear by the preceding section's painful immersion in death. It worked, I thought, extraordinarily well, though I can see it being tough for a younger reader to puzzle out the first time through. Still, there is a lot to digest in this book.

Add to that some genuinely funny parts, particularly those featuring the whiny Garuda and the mocking Hashkat, and you have a book that is both entertaining and thoughtful, as well as multi-layered enough to be read and re-read by all ages. It's a book I would love to teach to younger students in an English class, or read to my own kids and maybe even discuss a little bit. It's definitely worth a read.

Alexander does here with Indian mythology what he does for Welsh in the Prydain books, and pulls a surprising number of stories together. His young hero Tamar is honorable from the first paragraph, but his task in the book is to think for himself and determine what honor *really* demands of him instead of just parroting what he's been taught (his teacher also learns a few things along the way. The parallel to the Prydain stories is obvious (and might be more annoying had I read the latter more recently) but the theme that growing up means learning to think for yourself really is a universal one. (Or at least, one that far too many members of *our* universe need to be exposed to!) I don't think it's a completely accurate representation of ideals and caste in ancient India, but I don't think it's meant to be, either. Fun, but also more than fun.

My daughter brought this book home and I began reading it and almost couldn't put it down. The story is gripping and full of action and the characters were well-drawn and likable. I cared about Tamar and his predicament, perhaps because it involved a serious moral dilemma. Beneath the action are questions about loyalty and honor.

There is one difficult part where Tamar is forced to live with an untouchable in charge of burning the dead. I was afraid my daughter would be put off, but I was wrong. She loved the book too. This section is possibly the most moving of the book. I had heard about the caste system and untouchables before reading this book, but the vivid descriptions of Tamar's revulsion and fear of the untouchable and the burning ground gave me a new perspective on how hard it is to question and overcome deep-seated cultural prejudices.

But the book was not just about ideas; there was plenty of action and the drama of the relationships and growth of the characters. Would Hashkat, the monkey, remain faithful or would he flit away as monkeys usually do? Does the cowherd girl have anything to teach Tamar, a king and Brahmin? Of course the answer is yes, but the finding out is the fun part. I loved this book!

As people say, "the plot is strange, bad..." I disagree with that. Jaya(this character is the king of Mahapura)describes the plot at the end. THe people that say bad stuff about this book, they probably dont know how to read, or do not understand adventure books. THey have to go into a book club.
I hope this review will be very useful to you and
READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As much as I want to trash this book I'm going to have to show SOME restraint, and try to swap it for positive criticism.

The plot is horrible... there I said it. It has no creativity and much of it is derived of Indian mythology. Stories of heroes that Alexander just put together. The statement on the back of the book says, "Magic is everywhere" what a joke the only thing that resembles magic is when get this a diamond merchant turns into a demon! What the heck is Alexander doing!

I laughed at stuff that wasn't supposed to be funny because it was so messed up. For example there is a thing called Dharma that every character in the book has. Dharma is that characters own set of rules kind of like a religion that has been taught to him and that he must obey. So right when you think there about to break out in a fist fight their dharma kicks in and they immediately resolve the conflict through negotiation or through a honorable contest of might.

The action scenes are so mundane and boring. Even during any of the two supposedly enormous battles you fail to feel exited. Alexander also fails to convey the size of the battles properly. You know in your mind they're supposed to be huge but they feel small and claustrophobic. Every thing that happens in the book is so predictable so it ruins the surprise. There is only one surprise in the book and it's a huge one but I wont spoil it for you. I'm going to make you suffer and have to read through this entire horrible book to find out. Also another annoying detail was that the main quest described on the back of the turned into a side quest as Tamar (the main character) gets totally side tracked by other events in the story and completely forgets about his quest for about 200 pages.

Well I got that over with. I hope you have enough sense not to read this book or fall for the false hook on the back of it.

Pig boy has status envy and the horn.


So, not thinking he can do a princess he goes off instead, and has some magical animal stuff happen again, this time, in the form of a cow. The useful crow also happens along.

A bit of training is also had by said pig boy in the art of magical weapon wielding. Magic potions, friend saving and wizard waxing are also to be found here.

This book is probably my favorite of all the Prydain Chronicles . . . It's maybe not as intense as some of the others are, but I love how Taran travels around and meets so many interesting characters and learns to view life differently by seeing how they live and view their own lives. It's just a very fascinating journey, one that I'd like to take again and again. A Journey that I'd like to share with my friends and family. . . And someday, my own children.

Taran Wanderer, is the third book of the Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. So far this is the best one of the series. The first two book were great, but this is even better. The main character, a boy named Taran, is looking for the truth and he learns that the truth can play with you. It's a very unusual book, you won't find many like this.

Taran Wanderer is an amazing fantasy adventure book. It's got magic, enchantment, a few funny parts, and suspense. It has a grumpy dwarf named Doli. Doli is the kind of person who always turns up at the exact right moment. Taran is an adventurous boy who tries to gather wisdom and friends wherever he can find them. He goes on several quests. My favorite part is chapter eight, when Taran meets the magician, Morda. It's scary and has an unusual ending.

I read this book in less than a week. It just took me captive! I don't want to give away the plot, because I don't want to spoil it. You should read it for yourself. I can't wait to read the next book in the series, The High King.

Ben (age 10)

This was a good book. But the begining was not very good. It was basicly about going from kingdom to kingdom. The main charcter is Taran. He is a very interesting charcter. He starts on a quest to find his parantage. And he goes through mountains, castles, swamps and even caves. The biggest conflict comes into place when he meets Dorath. Dorath is a meen charcter who is part of a group of "hired swords". He treis to convince Taran to hire them but he doesnt so he becomes a enemy of Taran. He challenges Taran for his sword and a few other items that dont matter. But he wins and take sthe sword for his own. Taran has a grudge on him until he fights him again and defeats him by breaking his sword. Taran also faces a wizard who turned his freinfd Dolly in to a frog. Taran defeats the wizard and he turns Dolly back into a dwarf.

Taran Wanderer was not given the Newbery Award like it's successor The High King; nor was it awarded a Newbery Honor medal such as it's predecessor The Black Cauldron. However, Taran Wanderer is the most complete book in the Chronicles of Prydain. Lloyd Alexander deftly tells the tale of Taran's quest to find his parentage in hopes of being decendant from noble blood. Gurgi, Taran's faithful sidekick journeys with him through far off parts of Prydain. Along the way, old friends and faces reappear such as Fflewwder Fflamm the bard/king, Doli of the fair folk, Kaw his hijinxing bird, Llyan the giant cat who Fflewwder now rides as his mount and King Smoit whose army rescued Taran and his companions at the end of The Black Cauldron. Taran's journey to find himself takes him to a number of different trades such as metallurgy, weaving, farming and pottery. He also meets his fair share of adventure and enchantment along the way. At 254 pages Taran Wanderer is the longest book in the series but it reads the fastest because there is so much action and uncertainty in what Taran will finally find out about himself. The Chronicles of Prydain still stand as some of the greatest fantasy stories ever written and Taran Wanderer is the BEST book in the Chronicles of Prydain. Highest Recommendation.