Taran dreams of adventure, but nothing exciting ever happens to an Assistant Pig-Keeper--until his pig runs away. A chase through the woods leads Taran far from home and into great danger, for evil prowls the land of Prydain. With a collection of strange and wonderful friends whom he meets on his journey, Taran finds himself fighting so that good may triumph over evil--and so that his beloved home will not fall to a diabolical fiend.
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"I read this book when my kids were little. I had seen the Disney movie, "The Black Cauldron," which was actually pretty bad. My twins were in kindergarten or so, and they had a "book club" at school where they could order books. I ordered this one for me. I wanted to know the first story. As I red about Taran and Eilonwy, and their adventures with Fflewddur, Gurgi, Gwidion, etc., I got into the story. I remember thinking I should have a yellow highlighter because now and then a pearl of wisdom would appear that would make a good "thought for the day" or something. I followed the story through all 5 books - The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Llyr, Taran Wanderer, and The High King. I would recommend them to young and old, and have the old paper backs to lend to my friends."
— Diane (4 out of 5 stars)
" This book was action packed and full of adventure. Would make a great read aloud. (First book of a series) "
— Ashton, 2/20/2014" Despite an overly simplistic writing style (even for a children's book), a rocky beginning, and containing quite a few cliches of the fantasy genre, "The Book of Three" turned out to be very entertaining, mainly due to the characters and quite a bit of humor that Alexander injected into his narrative. I would have eaten this up as a kid, and wish that I'd experienced it as a ten-year-old rather than as an adult who is attempting to fill in the gaps of his fantasy literature knowledge. "
— J.R., 2/3/2014" This was one of my FAVORITE books as a girl. In fifth or sixth grade my older sister Denise recommended I read The Chronicles of Prydain, which I did and LOVED. I was determined to grow up and have a little boy whom I would name Taran, after the series' protagonist. I now have a lovely three-year-old little GIRL named Taryn Denise, namesake of the two heroes of my childhood. "
— Kate, 1/27/2014" I loved this book! It was one of my first fantasy novels. I would add this to a library. "
— Vanessa, 1/17/2014" Fairly entertaining, particularly in audiobook form. But then, any book featuring an oracular pig has to be good. "
— Alexis, 1/11/2014" Read these back in grade 6-7. Loved these books! Reminds me of Lord of the Rings but the easy to read version. "
— Karly, 1/8/2014" I loved this series when I was younger. It is a clean book full of adventure. I re-read it as I introduced it to my son who's in 5th grade. "
— Peggy, 1/5/2014" This series of books (as a whole) are my favorite fantasy books and fantasy is my favorite genre! "
— Sarah, 12/26/2013" I read this as a child, so while I recall enjoying the book, I have basically no memory for the characters or plot. "
— Ash, 12/25/2013" I could not put this down! Luckily, bought the GuildAmericaBooks version and therefore have the whole Prydain series and some other stories from Prydain all in one book! "
— Amanda, 11/20/2013" Taran and Eilonwy are great YA protagonists and the support characters play their roles well. The plot flows well and the characters show growth along the way. I'd love to see this story brought to the big screen (or even a TV miniseries) again - preferably live action w/ CG as necessary. "
— Tracey, 11/11/2013" I remember reading this as a kid and enjoying it, I'm curious what its like to read it as an adult ( much older kid). OK, not as fascinating as an adult. "
— Steve, 10/17/2013" This is a middle grade fantasy, and as such, it was thoroughly enjoyable. My only complaint is that one of the characters is a very obvious spinoff of Gollum from Lord of the Rings. That was just annoying. "
— Lori, 6/27/2013" I read the entire series when I was a kid (the library at Louis Riel junior high school had my name on the sign-out card for these books more than any other kid in the school) and now my son and I are reading them. Love them, but really hated the one disney film made (The Black Cauldron). "
— Karmic, 4/28/2013" This book is a little slow but necessary in order to understand the four books that follow. "
— Heather, 3/2/2013" Re-reading the series along with my son and loving it as much as I did the first dozen times I read it. "
— Dashka, 2/24/2013" Some good moments, some "teasers" of philosophical themes, but overall a little too predictable. My son (9) enjoyed it. He wants to continue reading the series. "
— Gunnar, 8/2/2012" Alexander combines here the mundane, the humorous, the menacing, the fantastical and the folk in a way that seems simple but has a sly wit and power to it. "
— Wm, 7/17/2012" Re-reading this series on a whim after 35 years, I find it goes by faster but hasn't lost any of its essential quality: charming, lively, and with beloved characters. "
— Benjamin, 6/13/2012" One of my first real 'books' I read as a child. Will definitely read these to my child, as well as the Lord of the Rings books... "
— Derek, 5/31/2012" This feels like every other underdog middle ages adventure I've read or heard. It is not unique and does not keep a great deal of attention. "
— Kristin, 11/22/2011" After reading Book 1, your kids will want to read the whole series. It touches on just about every genre, and will appeal to many readers. The book is a pretty easy read--I would say 4th grade reading level--but even adults will enjoy it. "
— Gen, 11/4/2011" It's like Tolkien for kids. "
— Jess, 10/1/2011" My favorite series of all time. They are cute, clean, quick, and I love the characters. Don't expect anything deep or unexpected, just sit back and enjoy the ride. "
— Sandi, 7/12/2011" Please. Everybody should read this series. I cannot give it enough good points. Taran is a flawed, engaging, well-developed character. His cast of friends/acquaintances (over the course of the books) are well-developed. I could say tons more, but in essence - please read! "
— momokaachan, 5/12/2011" It's a very great exciting book, "
— Thomas, 4/24/2011" It was a very good book, I cannot wait to see how the next book ends. "
— Darren, 4/23/2011" This type of fantasy book isn't really my type, but I heard the books get better as they go, so I'm willing to keep reading this series. "
— Chelsea, 3/29/2011" The first book of the Chronicles of Prydain. Apparently if you liked Narnia, you'd like this. So far so good. (although I think it's more like a cross between the Sword in the Stone and The Hobbit.) <br/> <br/>(having read it)I definitely like it, and have the 2nd volume ready to read. <br/> "
— Sho, 3/26/2011" It's been a while since I've read this, but I remember liking it a lot "
— Jadie, 3/24/2011Lloyd 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.