Lloyd Alexander

Taran is desperate for adventure. Being a lowly Assistant Pig-Keeper just isn't exciting. That is, until the magical pig, Hen Wen, disappears and Taran embarks on a death-defying quest to save her from the evil Horned King. His perilous adventures bring Taran many new friends: an irritable dwarf, an impulsive bard, a strange hairy beast and the hot-headed Princess Eilonwy. Together, they face many dangers, from the deathless Cauldron-Born warriors, dragons, witches and the terrifying Horned King himself. Taran learns much about his identity, but the mysterious Book of Three is yet to reveal his true destiny. "Lloyd Alexander is the true High King of fantasy." - Garth Nix

The Book of Three

Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper to a famous oracular sow, sets out on a hazardous mission to save Prydain from the forces of evil.

Wynter

It's been a while since a fantasy novel charmed me so much. This book offered me exactly what I was looking for when starting the likes of Roger Zelazny or Piers Anthony. Fortunately Alexander didn't disappoint me as the aforementioned authors did.

Rachel Kanyid

So much fun! Can't wait to read the rest. I loved the movie growing up and this was even better.

Celeste Richardson

My husband loved this series as a kid, but it’s one that I somehow missed. The Chronicles of Prydain is a classic of children’s fiction, and was turned into a lesser known Disney film, The Black Cauldron. I always liked the movie, but this was my first time trying the book series. I can’t say that I loved it, but I can see the appeal. This first book was penned in 1964 so, while not exactly a classic in terms of age yet, it’s riding the line. It felt a bit dated, but that also emphasized the classic fantasy vibe, which made it pleasantly cozy.
“We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself.”
The writing in The Book of Three made me equate it with a junior version of The Wheel of Time. What I’ve read of it, anyway. This is especially true in the characterizations of Taran, our young male protagonist, and Eilonwy, his even younger female counterpart. Their interactions and personality traits reminded me so much of the core group in WoT. However, there was definitely character development, especially in Taran, and this growth made them both less annoying as the plot progressed. I was also reminded of The Lord of the Rings in multiple ways. Gurgi felt like a sweeter, cuter take on Gollum, Gwydion gave me strong Aragorn vibes, and the Horned King and his army of the dead seemed at least partly inspired by LotR, as well. My favorite elements of this book were the wild Welsh names and Gurgi’s fun little rhyming words. He grew on me a lot, partially thanks to my memory of him in the cartoon.
“Nothing we do is ever done entirely alone. There is a part of us in everyone else…”
While this book wasn’t an instant hit for me, I did like it enough to continue on with the series. If you’re a huge fan of classic fantasy, I feel like this would be a wonderful series to share with your child in hopes of setting them on the same path. If I had found this series when I was 9 or 10, I have no doubt I would have loved it as much as Chris did.

Cecilia Allam

Chad Henderson

This is one of my favorite books of all time. This is the book I credit for launching me into fantasy reading. Really fun story and a great series of books.

Munchings and Crunchings!

Ryan B Harvey

The start of my favorite series as a kid, and still a great read. Follow the unexpected adventures of Assistant Pig-Keeper Taran as he helps save the world.

Daryl Houston

Read this aloud to my family on the recommendation of a coworker. We liked it. It's a nice little story with a good sense of humor. We're eager to start the next in the series (The Black Cauldron), which reminds me of the video game it inspired that I played as a kid.

Michael Hessling

It was OK. It felt so derivative. Is that because it was or because I discovered it so late?

The Book of Three

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