Good and evil war in this coming-of-age middle-grade tale rife with allusion to Welsh legend.
Since The Book of Three was first published in 1964, young readers have been enthralled by the adventures of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper and his quest to become a hero. Taran is joined by an engaging cast of characters that includes Eilonwy, the strong-willed and sharp-tongued princess; Fflewddur Fflam, the hyperbole-prone bard; the ever-faithful Gurgi; and the curmudgeonly Doli―all of whom have become involved in an epic struggle between good and evil that shapes the fate of the legendary land of Prydain. Released over a period of five years, Lloyd Alexander’s beautifully written tales not only captured children’s imaginations but also garnered the highest critical praise.
Amazon Blurb
As I often say in these reviews, this was a childhood favorite of mine. It had magical swords, quests, warriors, battles — everything I loved. Best of all, it was clean. Not a speck of language, not a bit of gore. A healthy, wholesome theme of good triumphing over evil, with the character learning personal lessons of responsibility, duty, and discovering his place. Characters die and there is fighting, but it’s never described in any sort of intense detail. Frankly, the cover of the first book is the creepiest part. The Amazon blurb doesn’t tell you a whole lot about the actual plot. The Chronicles of Prydain follow the adventures of Taran as he grows from a boy into a man, going on quests and adventures to aid Prince Gwydion and his friends. As a child, it was an enjoyable read, and now I can see a whole new level of depth to it now that I recognize the allusions to features of Welsh myth, such as the three weavers or fates, the black cauldron, Arawn, Gwydion, and others.
If you’re familiar with Welsh myth, don’t worry about this series — it’s kept perfectly free from any sort of direct connections to paganism or some of the less-than-clean legends. For a middle-grade reader into epic fantasy, this series is perfect.
Has anyone else read it? Got thoughts you’d like to share? Leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you.
Hope you have a good week. See you next time, bye!
I read the first book and loved it, but never got into the rest of the series. Would you recommend it?
I absolutely would! It’s definitely meant for kids and isn’t exactly full of crazy action, but I really enjoyed its old-fashioned values, cleanness, and lighthearted message. Plus, I’m a bit of a nut for folklore. 😀
One of my absolute favorite book series!