Lloyd Alexander

The Castle of Llyr (The Chronicles of Prydain)

Wynter

As charming as ever! My only beef with this sequel is the fact that Eilowny is reduced to nothing more than a damsel in distress here. She is kidnapped by evil doers in the very beginning and our brave companions must go through all the adventures without her witticisms in order to rescue her. Humph, I much preferred her to be part of the action. But it was still a sweet, fun, charming tale as ever. I can't stay mad at Lloyd Alexander for too long. 

I must say that the strongest part of the series so far has been the characterization. The plot is wonderful, mind you, but the characters really stick with you. I love Fflewddur Fflam who occasionally refers to himself in third person, possesses a magical harp, and tends to overstate his own bravery which the aforementioned harp gives away. Gurgi is absolutely adorable, and nothing like I've ever encountered before. And Eilowny is a very clever, self-aware kind of princess, that has a mean streak of feminism written all over her.

Once in a while these books also contain great advise on bravery, growing up, responsibility, and hard decisions. If I had kids, I would definitely put this series on their shortlist.

Celeste Richardson

C.S. Lewis had a lot to say about children’s stories. He believed that “A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest.” And that “No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally – and often far more – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.” I agree with his sentiments, though I do also recognize that time and taste can effect a person’s experience with a story, as well. For instance, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I would have adored The Chronicles of Prydain around the age of 8 or so. There’s something wonderfully classic about it, and it would have ignited my imagination had it been one of the first fantasy series that I experienced. But reading it after 25 years of exposure to other fantasy series, especially those I’ve come across in the last 10 years or so, hasn’t delivered anything at all impactful.

The reason I still love Redwall and other series from my youth is just that; they were the stories of my youth. I have all of these memories of reading those books and being completely entranced and delighted by them. Because of this, rereading them delivers endorphin-laced nostalgia. But The Chronicles of Prydain doesn’t have that same history with me personally as a reader. I wish that it did. Some books are magical no matter how old you are when you encounter them for the first time. Sadly, that’s not the case for all stories for all readers, and that simply isn’t the case for me with this series, though I really wanted it to be.

There was nothing wrong with the story presented in The Castle of Llyr. We have here the presence of beloved characters from the first two installments, as well as the introduction of new characters who grow throughout the narrative. We have a dire quest with wild and unexpected detours along the way. There’s magic and battles and the triumphal of good. But everything felt so predictable and flat and, well, trite, for lack of a better word. It’s amazing that something this fast-paced and short can also feel as if it’s dragging, but that was my experience here. Again, I have absolutely no doubt that this would not have been the case in the slightest had I read this for the first time at 8 instead of 33, but here we are.

I think that The Castle of Llyr might be where I part ways with Taran and his friends. I haven’t decided this for certain yet, but it’s becoming more and more difficult to ignore how far outside I am of the target audience. Part of me does want to know how things end, so I might return to Prydain eventually, but I have no pressing need to continue on.

Daryl Houston

I read this to my kids and liked it just fine. Alexander's descriptions sometimes fall short (I suppose there are adjectives and nouns describing Glew, but I still just can't really picture him; I also can't really quite imagine Caer Colur), and I didn't love the resolution of the climax, but I suppose it's a stepping stone from a couple of good books to a couple more good books (the third and fifth books in the series won Newberry honors), so I'll forgive it. I really do like some of the characters (Flewddur, Eilonwy, Rhun, and Gurgi, whom I found irritating early in the series but who has really grown on me with his crashings and smashings), and I continue to enjoy the sort of clueless, exasperated interplay between Eilonwy and Taran and the successful running gag of the mere Assistant Pig-Keeper.

Megan McGuire

Luca Masters

Ryan LaFerney

renee badenoch

Rikki Doppler

Elizabeth Hagenlocher

Jenna T.

The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander, Book Three in The Chronicles of Prydain Princess Eilonwy hates to leave her friend Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper, and her beloved home, Caer Dallben. Why does she have to go to the Isle of Mona to train as a proper lady when she's already a princess? But Eilonwy soon faces much more than the ordeal of becoming a dignified young maiden, for she possesses magical powers sought by the evil enchantress Queen Achren. When Eilonwy is put under a deep spell, Taran and his companions set out on a dangerous quest to rescue her. Yet how can a lowly Assistant Pig-Keeper hope to stand against the most evil enchantress in all of Prydain?

The Chronicles of Prydain

The Castle of Llyr

Fraser Simons

L A-T

Libby G

Ana V. 

Chad Henderson

Ryan B Harvey

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. "From the Trade Paperback edition."

The Castle of Llyr (The Chronicles of Prydain)

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