the chronicles of prydain the book of three

Joining Taran on his adventures are his loyal group of lovable companions, whose interactions are one of the most enjoyable parts of the series:Įilonwy: An enchantress and princess who talks constantly in similes and serves as a romantic interest for Taran.

Over the course of the novels, Taran grows from a callow, stubborn youth into a genuinely wise and noble young man, and in the end, learns the hard way what it truly means to be a hero. Taran is an ambitious, headstrong youth who initially leaps at any call to adventure and believes himself capable of great things, but in truth he often finds that leading a heroic life of adventure is not all as romantic and exciting as he would have thought. A boy seemingly in his early teens who was orphaned as an infant, Taran is thrust into the conflicts between the Sons of Don and Arawn as they struggle for the rulership of Prydain. Years have passed and the Sons of Don have maintained peace, but there are those who fear that the people have grown too reliant on their new rulers, the lesser lords constantly feud with each other for foolish and petty reasons, and Arawn is still lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.Įnter the protagonist, Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper to the oracular pig Hen Wen. The once fair land fell into decay and surely would have fallen under Arawn's power had not the mighty and heroic Sons of Don arrived in Prydain and united its people in an alliance against Arawn's forces. Arawn, the local Evil Overlord, would have none of that, and using his cunning and trickery he stole away those wonderous treasures and secrets and locked them away in his fortress, Annuvin, where they would serve no one. Long ago, the land of Prydain was a rich, and prosperous land, renowned for its craftsmen who knew many great secrets about shaping metal and firing clay.

The novels feature a series of epic adventures in a land of High Fantasy, but place more emphasis on the protagonist's growing maturity and his journey into manhood. Based (very) loosely on the Mabinogion and taking place in the fantasy world of Prydain, which bears no small resemblance to Wales. The Chronicles of Prydain is a five-book series of fantasy novels by the late American author Lloyd Alexander.

'Every living thing deserves respect, be it humble or proud, ugly or beautiful.'

The chronicles of prydain the book of three