Peace reigns in Caer Dallben, where Taran works as Assistant Pig-Keeper, but evil threatens the rest of Prydain. The diabolical Arawn's army grows every day, and his terrible warriors never die. They are born in the Black Cauldron from the stolen bodies of slain soldiers. If evil is to be defeated, the cauldron must be destroyed. Taran volunteers to travel to Arawn's stronghold and assist in the destruction of the dreaded cauldron. With his faithful friends reassembled, Taran marches off to face great danger with a courageous heart.
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"The sequel to The Book of Three provides an opportunity to revisit Taran and his friends as they continue their fight against the Horned King's boss, Arawn, by obtaining the Black Cauldron of the title. There is a new journey, new characters, and new challenges to face. A good follow-up. "
— Marissa (4 out of 5 stars)
" Way better than the movie! This is the best of fairytales and has to be read following the sequence.. "
— Tamela, 2/20/2014" I loved this entire series, and Black Cauldron was perhaps the creepiest of the bunch. Definite must-read! "
— Hpboy13, 2/9/2014" of all I had read, I would recommend an autobiographical book Alexander wrote called "The Gawgon and the Boy" and the 5 books that comprise "The Chronicles of Prydain" (which includes the Black Cauldron) The last one, "The High King" received the Newberry Award. He put his heart and soul into this series, his sense of what it means to be human and what it means to be good. Worth reading as a series, especially for children. Some of the others are more predictable and harder to enjoy. I would also recommend the Westmark Trilogy: Westmark, The Kestrel, and the Beggar Queen. They are good preteen fantasies. "
— Jane, 2/2/2014" Pleasant enough, but nothing terribly special. I'm surprised the series hasn't been made into as many serials and plays and movies as the Narnia books, it's certainly as amusing and significantly less preachy. Still a little preachy, though. But you know, enjoyable. "
— Meave, 1/11/2014" My review for the first part of the series still pretty much stands, except this is a bit more nuanced of the two, so imagine an added half a star. The main characters (Taran and Eilonwy) are a bit more alive now, and we make some really interesting new acquaintances -- three creepy sisters who guard the cauldron and a wannabe hero, Ellidyr. Poor, infuriating Ellidyr. His story really tucked at my heart-strings. "
— Raisu, 12/27/2013" I liked this one better than the first. Taran is a little wiser than he was and there was more depth to the story. "
— Kiersten, 12/17/2013" Excellent depth of character represented here. I came to simultaneously love and hate some of the characters. "
— Paul, 12/11/2013" fantasy,classic "
— Caleb, 12/9/2013" I first read this book thirty years ago and have now 'stolen' my son's copy to reread. It's nice to see it hasn't lost any of it's charm. "
— Jodie, 12/5/2013" Fun on audio. We then watched a Disney movie about it and decided the book was WAY better--go figure. "
— Rebecca, 11/12/2013" I liked this book a lot more than the first one of the series. It was a fun read. There was humor, mystery, ,action and sorrow. Hopefully the rest of the books in the series are just as good. "
— Em, 10/17/2013" Just finished The Black Calderon wonderful balance of themes. Faith, friendship, courage, self worth and the balance of good and evil. Above all I think the lessons of discernment are done will. "
— Bill, 9/21/2013" Having a fun time rereading this series with Joey, I'm surprised how much of the story I've forgotten! "
— Natalie, 9/14/2013" One of the best fantasy series ever written. Period. "
— Audrey, 8/17/2013" my childhood .. one more lovely addiction to faraway places, heroes, and conquering evil all the while winning your love's heart and learning ten different crafts to become a true king "
— Debra, 6/1/2013" Another ok adventure. These books are so short, and the adventures try to be so epic that the story and character development can feel rushed at times. Enjoyable enough to keep reading the series though. "
— Bri, 11/15/2012" ...fantasy series continued... "
— CAO, 11/7/2012" Love it! Those three ladies are beautiful!!! (yes, I'm talking about the witches...) "
— Cecilia, 10/12/2012" a lot better than he book of three.big improvement. a lot better explaining then the first book. this time the problom was that the author did not explain charecters, not deatails. so i am not so entheseastic about the third book "
— Ethan, 6/26/2012" Although I think I like the first book a bit better, this was a fully enjoyable second book to the series. Glad to have all the main characters back again, including my favorite, Gurgi. "
— Shauna, 5/31/2012" Each of the characters is still too over-the-top to make this series as enjoyable as an adult as I would like, but it's still exciting. "
— Magda, 10/4/2011" This is my favorite of The Chronicles of Prydain. I would recommend reading the book before watching the cartoon. BUT if you like the movie already, believe me, it does not give the book justice and you are totally missing out on an amazing book and series! "
— Shay, 6/11/2011" When i was a young child with both an attention deficit and reading problem this book opened my love of reading.. "
— Cameron, 6/4/2011" Again, good stuff. Light for adults, but fun reading. "
— Spencer, 5/31/2011" Just found this series. Wow! I love it. I'm going to use the whole series in a literature class for 7th and 8th graders. The characters are amazing and they grow and learn. I love this series. "
— Susan, 5/12/2011" Amazing book, well written with entertaining characters and a fantastic plot. "
— Zach, 4/20/2011" I really liked all the characters, the strong contrast between good and evil, and the compassion for character's such as Mordant and Ellydir, one who chose evil in the end and one who redeemed himself and discovered life's purpose: "This is my body which I give for you." "
— Dana, 4/19/2011" I can't wait for these to be my boys' favorite books! You can't miss the Lord of the Rings similarities - but, it is still definitely its own thing. "
— Kati, 4/19/2011" I would definitely categorize this book as Adolescent Literature, or as my professor puts it: YA for Young Adolescents. Still, the book was a lot better than I thought it would be. "
— Sarah, 4/2/2011" The ending was exceptional, but I got bogged down in the middle, so that's why I gave it a three. The recording with James Langton and his Welsh accent was outstanding. "
— Etta, 3/20/2011" 2nd of the Chronicles of Prydain series. <br/>And very good the series is, too. Can't wait for the next one. <br/> "
— Sho, 3/19/2011" Very enjoyable! Nothing too complex about it, but that's the beauty of Lloyd Alexander. He somehow maintains a great story without making it long and arduous as often happens in fantasy books. The characters are fantastic! I can't wait till Tillie get a little older so we can read these with her! "
— Morag, 3/4/2011" one of my favorite series "
— Jan, 3/4/2011" One of my favorite books as a kid. A very well done audio book. "
— Dan, 3/1/2011" Chronicles of Prydain is strongly recommended. clear-cut characters, straightforward fantasy, however the characters are easily likable, the books are funny, and they read breezily. "
— Paroxysmcleave, 2/17/2011Lloyd Alexander (1924–2007) was the author of more than forty books for children and adults, including the beloved children’s fantasy series, the Chronicles of Prydain, one of the most widely read series in the history of fantasy and the inspiration for the animated Disney film The Black Cauldron. His books have won numerous awards, including the Newbery Medal, the Newbery Honor, and the National Book Award for Juvenile Literature.
James Langton, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, trained as an actor at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and later as a musician at the Guildhall School in London. He has worked in radio, film, and television, also appearing in theater in England and on Broadway. He is also a professional musician who led the internationally renowned Pasadena Roof Orchestra from 1996 to 2002.