Release date: May 16, 2006 | Age Range: 8 and up | Series: The Chronicles of Prydain (Book 3) | Lexile Measure: 790L (What's this?)
The Newbery-winning fantasy series now available in gorgeous new paperback editions!
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.
The Black Cauldron was a Newbery Honor Book, and the final volume in the chronicles, The High King, crowned the series by winning the Newbery Medal for "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children."
Henry Holt is proud to present this classic series in a new, redesigned paperback format. The jackets feature stunning art by acclaimed fantasy artist David Wyatt, giving the books a fresh look for today's generation of young fantasy lovers. The companion book of short stories, The Foundling is also available in paperback at this time.
In their more than thirty years in print, the Chronicles of Prydain have become the standard of excellence in fantasy literature for children.
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"An exciting, highly imaginative, and sometimes profound fantasy of humor and heroism."
--The New York Times
"Character and dialogue is handled humorously and dextrously, which sets this classic-in-the-making apart from other folklore-based fantasies." --Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
From the Publisher
In the imaginary kingdom of Prydain, Princess Eilonwy must leave her friends to go to the Isle of Mona for training as a proper princess. Because Eilonwy has magical powers, she is sought by Achren, the most evil enchantress in the land. Shortly after her arrival on the Isle of Mona, something sinister and secret befalls her. Eilonwy's loyal friends--Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper; Flewddur, the bard; and Prince Rhun, her intended husband--realize her peril and set out on an exciting and terrifying mission to rescue her. They encounter great forces of enil as well as private--sometimes painful--revelations in the course of their journey.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Few writers have inspired as much affection and interest among readers young and old as Lloyd Alexander. At one point, however, it seemed unlikely that he would ever be a writer at all. His parents could not afford to send him to college. And so when a Philadelphia bank had an opening for a messenger boy, he went to work there. Finally, having saved some money, he quit and went to a local college. Dissatisfied with not having learned enough to be a writer he left at the end of one term. Adventure, he decided was the best way. The United States had already entered World War II. Convinced that here was a chance for real deeds of derring-do, he joined the army -- and was promptly shipped to Texas where he became, in disheartening succession an artilleryman, a cymbal player in the band, an organist in the post chapel, and a first-aid man. At last, he was assigned to a military intelligence center in Maryland. There he trained as a member of a combat team to be parachuted into France to work with the Resistance. "This, to my intense relief, did not happen," says Alexander. Instead, Alexander and his group sailed to Wales to finish their training. This ancient, rough-hewn country, with its castles, mountains, and its own beautiful language made a tremendous impression on him. But not until years later did he realize he had been given a glimpse of another enchanted kingdom. Alexander was sent to Alsace-Lorraine, the Rhineland, and southern Germany. When the war ended, he was assigned to a counterintelligence unit in Paris. Later he was discharged to attend the University of Paris. While a student he met a beautiful Parisian girl, Janine, and they soon married. Life abroad was fascinating, but eventually Alexander longed for home. The young couple went back to Drexel Hill, near Philadelphia, where Alexander wrote novel after novel which publishers unhesitatingly turned down. To earn his living, he worked as a cartoonist, advertising writer, layout artist, and associate editor for a small magazine. It took seven years of constant rejection before his first novel was at last published. During the next ten years, he wrote for adults. And then he began writing for young people.Doing historical research for Time Cat he discovered material on Welsh mythology. The result was The Book of Three and the other chronicles of Prydain, the imaginary kingdom being something like the enchanted land of Wales. In The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen Alexander explored yet another fantastic world. Evoking an atmosphere of ancient China, this unique multi-layered novel was critically acclaimed as one of his finest works. Trina Schart Hyman illustrated The Fortune-tellers as a Cameroonian folktale sparkling with vibrant images, keen insight and delicious wit. Most of the books have been written in the form of fantasy. But fantasy, Alexander believes, is merely one of many ways to express attitudes and feelings about real people, real human relationships and problems
This book was my favorite of all the Prydain chronicles. Partly because a lot of the focus was on Eilonwy, though she was absent most of the book,(she has always been my favorite character) but also because it had great moral questions, and we finally begin to see Taran turn into an adult as he realizes as much as he cares about Eilonwy, he must let things be. In this book, Dallben decides that Eilonwy must leave Caer Dallben because it is time for her to learn how to be a young lady. He sends her to the Isle of Mona, and allows Taran to go with her, at least for the journey. On the way Taran struggles with his feelings for Eilonwy and his annoyance at Rhun, Prince of Mona, who is a bumbling fool, at least on the outside. Through an interesting chain of events, Eilonwy is kidnapped, and Taran learns that she is betrothed to Rhun without even her knowledge. They all go on yet another epic adventure to save her, as Taran must come to terms with his conflicting emotions. Another amazing thing about this book was that I didn't hate the love story part. Usually I hate mush because it seems as if they put it there just to be mush, and it rarely has any overall effect on the story. This however, was completly different, and I was actually hoping they would end up together. So, this is an excellent book that any fantasy lover would adore, though it would make more sense if you had read the other two books first.
I have heard complaints that this book is boring, lacking in action. Obviously, some people fail to appreciate the DEEP EMOTIONAL TURMOIL Taran endures on his quest to rescue his beloved princess (the greatest heroine in ALL of fiction, thank you very much) so that she can marry a bumbling idiot in prince's clothing. Oh, wailings of misery! as Gurgi would say. This is the best book of the series, and my personal all-time favorite. A word to adults: don't cheat yourself out of Prydain because the series is "for kids". I'm 20, and can fully enjoy the dark drama of Tolkein as well as the next fantasy-lover. But don't pass up the mini-wheats just because they're frosted! These books are ageless; these characters are as real as your own best friends. In fact, the fifth and final novel is dedicated to "all the boys who might have been Taran, and the girls who will always be Eilonwy." Thank you, Mr. Alexander; I am one of the latter (this explains my lack of brevity!). READ THEM.
The continuing epic story of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper and his rag-tag motley crew of kings, princes, and furry ape-like creatures. This book in the Prydain Chronicles is, truth be told, far more usual than its predecessors. While the first two books in the series were fairly new and different adventure tales, this one falls back onto the standard rescue-the-princess-from-the-evil-enchantress mode. Eilonwy is in trouble, and we learn much more about her background and history than ever before. Added to the usual mix of characters for spice (the dwarf Doli fails to make an appearance in this tale and, I assume, leaves a gap) is another unwanted Prince. This time it's Prince Rhun, a good-hearted if completely incompetent young man. His betrothal to Taran's beloved Eilonwy does nothing to make our hero love him more, but the prince's sweet nature and good spirits eventually win everyone over. Also introduced by the cat loving Alexander (remember, this is the author of the interesting "Time Cat") is Llyan, an over-sized mountain cat that has taken quite a liking to bard Fflewddur Flan's harp playing. All in all, it's a pleasant mix of lovable characters. As you might be able to tell, this is not a good book to begin the series with. At this point, we know these people (and animals) fairly well and nothing they do will come as much surprise to anyone. It still amazes me to no end how prolific kings and princes are in this land. Though I understand that much of the point of these books is to show how little birthright counts when it comes to being good and strong. And it is quite a relief to see Taran doing something other than hot-headedly rushing into danger as he's done in the previous two books. Alexander's characters are growing, slowly but surely. It is with glee that I look forward towards reading yet another installment in this enjoyable series.
