Slips a bit from the first three.

books:

	• Taran Wanderer (The Chronicles of Prydain) Lloyd Alexander Henry Holt and Co. BYR Paperbacks, 2006 - 256 pages average customer review:based on 66 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Growing Up Is A Hard Journey

Of the five splendid books in the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander, my favorite is the fourth, TARAN WANDERER.

The previous three books: THE BOOK OF THREE, THE BLACK CAULDRON and THE CASTLE OF LLYR are superb fantasy for children. They share a common theme that nothing comes without work or sacrifice and show that glory is less fine than friendship. The final book, THE HIGH KING, picks up this theme again as the struggle between good and evil is played out to the end.

Just as its title is different TARAN WANDERER is different. Here our young hero, the orphan boy Taran, is growing from a boy to a man. Suddenly he is aware of the gap in rank between himself and his childhood friend Princess Eilonwy; suddenly he knows he loves her but can never marry her unless he has land or rank to offer in turn. So he leaves the only home he has known, the farm of the enchanter Dallben and sets out on a quest to discover the truth of his origins. Was he high-born or low?

This book is different. Always before when Taran set out with his friends to find some magical item, he would find the unexpected. While some chapters might be grim the quest was always lighthearted and the comrades always entertaining. Here Taran sets out not knowing what he is looking for and he finds the commonplace. The challenge that Taran faces is one that most adults are familiar with: one can search for Truth, but it is not always to be found. Disappointment is part of life and must be faced. Taran's search takes him from the magical marshes of Morva to the rude hut of a shepherd, from evil sorcerer's stronghold to the campfires of a bandit gang. He searches the length and breadth of Prydain and does not find his parents. He does discover the common people of Prydain, how they live and work and love and comes to the realization that nobility is not necessarily found in marble halls.

I have loved this book since I first read it more than forty years ago; I love it still. Great fantasy for all ages and all times. A real classic, as are all the books of Prydain. If you have not yet visited this magical kingdom loosely based on Welsh mythology, you have missed a real treat.

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Taran Wanderer

Taran has finally admitted his feeling for the Princess Eilonwy. The problem now is that he doesn't believe that his bloodlines are worthy of her. She is a princess after all, and he is but a lowly assistant pig keeper, a orphan that does not know where he really came from. So he sets of with the ever faithful Gurgi as his companion in a quest to find out who he is.

We are visited by several old friends from previous books in the series and introduced to a handful of new bad guys. I have to say the bad guys are getting better - or more badder? - as the series progresses and more and more inventive plans are needed to foil their plots.

Taran learns much about himself through his journey and learns some very important lessons along the way, with one of the most important being about who he really is. I loved the sorcerer, Morda. It seems all of man's faults are wrapped up quite nicely in one little package. Fflewddur returns with Llyan, such a wonderful friend that manages to save the day at least once. Kaw, the pesky crow shows us that help comes from the least likely places. And of course the faithful Gurgi, the best friend Taran could ever have is along for the ride.

I think this will have to be my favorite so far in the series. With just one more left, The High King, I can't wait to see how everything ends.

4/5

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Slips a bit from the first three.

Lloyd Alexander, Taran Wanderer (Henry Holt, 1967)

Alexander's fourth journey into the world of Prydain is a very different beast from its predecessors; the darker turn taken very slightly in The Castle of Llyr is sharpened here, and much more to the forefront. In this one, Taran, who has always wondered about his parentage, leaves Caer Dallben on a quest to find out who he truly is. Only Gurgi goes with him, though the two do meet up with an old friend or two eventually. Taran learns where he may be able to find the answers he seeks, and sets off to do so, but finds himself entangled in a number of complications along the way that teach him valuable lessons about the meaning of life, and his place in it. It's good stuff, as usual, though the book eventually takes on an episodic feel that none of the others has; get into a situation, learn a lesson, get into another situation, etc. There's no overlap, which is kind of odd, and made like the book less than those that came before it; still, if you've journeyed this far with Taran and Gurgi, you certainly shouldn't stop now. *** ½

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best of the series

This one stands apart from the other books in the series, as it has far less action and far more character development.

I read it something like 12 years ago and still remember most of the plot!

Lloyd Alexander at his best

In my opinion, this was the best book in the series by far. I liked how there were kind of different parts to the book - first starting with the three "hags", then moving on to Doli and his problem, and so on. It was almost like a storybook with different stories in it. I especially liked the part where he was staying at that guy's house.( I forget his name. It was Llonio, I beleive.) This book does not have a lot of action, but I like it because it gives us a chance to get to know Taran better.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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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