The Book of Three

By Lloyd Alexander

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 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 to a new generation of young readers. Jackets have been handsomely redesigned while retaining the original art of Caldecott Medal-winning artist Evaline Ness. Each retypeset volume now includes a pronunciation guide prepared by Lloyd Alexander. A companion book of short stories, The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain, is also available in hardcover for the first time in twenty years.

In their more than thirty years in print, the Chronicles of Prydain have become the standard of excellence in fantasy literature for children. This title has Common Core connections.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: May 16, 2006
• ISBN: 9781429961943

Lloyd Alexander

Lloyd 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.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

The Assistant Pig-Keeper

Taran wanted to make a sword; but Coll, charged with the practical side of his education, decided on horseshoes. And so it had been horseshoes all morning long. Taran’s arms ached, soot blackened his face. At last he dropped the hammer and turned to Coll, who was watching him critically.

Why? Taran cried. Why must it be horseshoes? As if we had any horses!

Coll was stout and round and his great bald head glowed bright pink. Lucky for the horses, was all he said, glancing at Taran’s handiwork.

I could do better at making a sword, Taran protested. I know I could. And before Coll could answer, he snatched the tongs, flung a strip of red-hot iron to the anvil, and began hammering away as fast as he could.

Wait, wait! cried Coll, that is not the way to go after it!

Heedless of Coll, unable even to hear him above the din, Taran pounded harder than ever. Sparks sprayed the air. But the more he pounded, the more the metal twisted and buckled, until, finally, the iron sprang from the tongs and fell to the ground. Taran stared in dismay. With the tongs, he picked up the bent iron and examined it.

Not quite the blade for a hero, Coll remarked.

It’s ruined, Taran glumly agreed. It looks like a sick snake, he added ruefully.

As I tried telling you, said Coll, you had it all wrong. You must hold the tongs—so. When you strike, the strength must flow from your shoulder and your wrist be loose. You can hear it when you do it right. There is a kind of music in it. Besides, he added, this is not the metal for weapons.

Coll returned the crooked, half-formed blade to the furnace, where it lost its shape entirely.

I wish I might have my own sword, Taran sighed, and you would teach me sword-fighting.

Wisht! cried Coll. Why should you want to know that? We have no battles at Caer Dallben.

We have no horses, either, objected Taran, but we’re making horseshoes.

Get on with you, said Coll, unmoved. That is for practice.

And so would this be, Taran urged. Come, teach me the sword-fighting. You must know the art.

Coll’s shining head glowed even brighter. A trace of a smile appeared on his face, as though he were savoring something pleasant. True, he said quietly, I have held a sword once or twice in my day.

Teach me now, pleaded Taran. He seized a poker and brandished it, slashing at the air and dancing back and forth over the hard-packed earthen floor. See, he called, I know most of it already.

Hold your hand, chuckled Coll. If you were to come against me like that, with all your posing and bouncing, I should have you chopped into bits by this time. He hesitated a moment. Look you, he said quickly, at least you should know there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it.

He picked up another poker. Here now, he ordered, with a sooty wink, stand like a man.

Taran brought up his poker. While Coll shouted instructions, they set to parrying and thrusting, with much banging, clanking, and commotion. For a moment Taran was sure he had the better of Coll, but the old man spun away with amazing lightness of foot. Now it was Taran who strove desperately to ward off Coll’s blows.

Abruptly, Coll stopped. So did Taran, his poker poised in mid-air. In the doorway of the forge stood the tall, bent figure of Dallben.

Dallben, master of Caer Dallben, was three hundred and seventy-nine years old. His beard covered so much of his face he seemed always to be peering over a gray cloud. On the little farm, while Taran and Coll saw to the plowing, sowing, weeding, reaping, and all the other tasks of husbandry, Dallben undertook the meditating, an occupation so exhausting he could accomplish it only by lying down and closing his eyes. He meditated an hour and a half following breakfast and again later in the day. The clatter from the forge had roused him from his morning meditation; his robe hung askew over his bony knees.

Stop that nonsense directly, said Dallben. I am surprised at you, he added, frowning at Coll. There is serious work to be done.

It wasn’t Coll, Taran interrupted. It was I who asked to learn swordplay.

"I did not say I was surprised at you, remarked Dallben. But perhaps I am, after all. I think you had best come with me."

Taran followed the ancient man out of the forge, across the chicken run, and into the white, thatched cottage. There, in Dallben’s chamber, moldering tomes overflowed the sagging shelves and spilled onto the floor amid heaps of iron cook-pots, studded belts, harps with or without strings, and other oddments.

Taran took his place on the wooden bench, as he always did when Dallben was in a mood for giving lessons or reprimands.

I fully understand, said Dallben, settling himself behind his table, in the use of weapons, as in everything else, there is a certain skill. But wiser heads than yours will determine when you should learn it.

I’m sorry, Taran began, I should not have …

I am not angry, Dallben said, raising a hand. Only a little sad. Time flies quickly; things always happen sooner than one expects. And yet, he murmured, almost to himself, it troubles me. I fear the Horned King may have some part in this.

The Horned King? asked Taran.

We shall speak of him later, said Dallben. He drew a ponderous, leather-bound volume toward him, The Book of Three, from which he occasionally read to Taran and which, the boy believed, held in its pages everything anyone could possibly want to know.

As I have explained to you before, Dallben went on, —and you have very likely forgotten—Prydain is a land of many cantrevs—of small kingdoms—and many kings. And, of course, their war-leaders who command the warriors.

But there is the High King above them all, said Taran, Math Son of Mathonwy. His war-leader is the mightiest hero in Prydain. You told me of him. Prince Gwydion! Yes, Taran went on eagerly, I know …

"There are other things you do not know, Dallben said, for the obvious reason that I have not told you. For the moment I am less concerned with the realms of the living than with the Land of the Dead, with Annuvin."

Taran shuddered at the word. Even Dallben had spoken it in a whisper.

And with King Arawn, Lord of Annuvin, Dallben said. Know this, he continued quickly, Annuvin is more than a land of death. It is a treasure-house, not only of gold and jewels but of all things of advantage to men. Long ago, the race of men owned these treasures. By craft and deceit, Arawn stole them, one by one, for his own evil uses. Some few of the treasures have been wrested from him though most lie hidden deep in Annuvin, where Arawn guards them jealously.

But Arawn did not become ruler of Prydain, Taran said.

You may be thankful he did not, said Dallben. He would have ruled had it not been for the Children of Don, the sons of the Lady Don and her consort Belin, King of the Sun. Long ago they voyaged to Prydain from the Summer Country and found the land rich and fair, though the race of men had little for themselves. The Sons of Don built their stronghold at Caer Dathyl, far north in the Eagle Mountains. From there, they helped regain at least a portion of what Arawn had stolen, and stood as guardians against the lurking threat of Annuvin.

I hate to think what would have happened if the Sons of Don hadn’t come, Taran said. It was a good destiny that brought them.

I am not always sure, said Dallben, with a wry smile. "The men of Prydain came to rely on the strength of the House of Don as a child clings to its mother. They do so even today. Math, the High King, is descended from the House of Don. So is Prince Gwydion. But that is all by the way. Prydain has been at peace—as much as men can be peaceful—until now.

What you do not know, Dallben said, is this: it has reached my ears that a new and mighty war lord has risen, as powerful as Gwydion; some say more powerful. But he is a man of evil for whom death is a black joy. He sports with death as you might sport with a dog.

Who is he? cried Taran.

Dallben shook his head. No man knows his name, nor has any man seen his face. He wears an antlered mask, and for this reason he is called the Horned King. His purposes I do not know. I suspect the hand of Arawn, but in what manner I cannot tell. I tell you now for your own protection, Dallben added. From what I saw this morning, your head is full of nonsense about feats of arms. Whatever notions you may have, I advise you to forget them immediately. There is unknown danger abroad. You are barely on the threshold of manhood, and I have a certain responsibility to see that you reach it, preferably with a whole skin. So, you are not to leave Caer Dallben under any circumstances, not even past the orchard, and certainly not into the forest—not for the time being.

For the time being! Taran burst out. I think it will always be for the time being, and it will be vegetables and horseshoes all my life!

Tut, said Dallben, there are worse things. Do you set yourself to be a glorious hero? Do you believe it is all flashing swords and galloping about on horses? As for being glorious …

What of Prince Gwydion? cried Taran. Yes! I wish I might be like him!

I fear, Dallben said, that is entirely out of the question.

But why? Taran sprang to his feet. I know if I had the chance …

Why? Dallben interrupted. In some cases, he said, "we learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself. This is one of those cases. I could tell you why, but at the moment it would only be more confusing. If you grow up with any kind of sense—which you sometimes make me doubt—you will very likely reach your own conclusions.

They will probably be wrong, he added. However, since they will be yours, you will feel a little more satisfied with them.

Taran sank back and sat, gloomy and silent, on the bench. Dallben had already begun meditating again. His chin gradually came to rest on his collarbone; his beard floated around his ears like a fog bank; and he began snoring peacefully.

The spring scent of apple blossom drifted through the open window. Beyond Dallben’s chamber, Taran glimpsed the pale green fringe of forest. The fields, ready to cultivate, would soon turn golden with summer. The Book of Three lay closed on the table. Taran had never been allowed to read the volume for himself; now he was sure it held more than Dallben chose to tell him. In the sun-filled room, with Dallben still meditating and showing no sign of stopping, Taran rose and moved through the shimmering beams. From the forest came the monotonous tick of a beetle.

His hands reached for the cover. Taran gasped in pain and snatched them away. They smarted as if each of his fingers had been stung by hornets. He jumped back, stumbled against the bench, and dropped to the floor, where he put his fingers woefully into his mouth.

Dallben’s eyes blinked open. He peered at Taran and yawned slowly. You had better see Coll about a lotion for those hands, he advised. Otherwise, I shouldn’t be surprised if they blistered.

Fingers smarting, the shamefaced Taran hurried from the cottage and found Coll near the vegetable garden.

"You have been at The Book of Three," Coll said. That is not hard to guess. Now you know better. Well, that is one of the three foundations of learning: see much, study much, suffer much. He led Taran to the stable where medicines for the livestock were kept, and poured a concoction over Taran’s fingers.

What is the use of studying much when I’m to see nothing at all? Taran retorted. I think there is a destiny laid on me that I am not to know anything interesting, or do anything interesting. I’m certainly not to be anything. I’m not anything even at Caer Dallben!

Very well, said Coll, if that is all that troubles you, I shall make you something. From this moment, you are Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper. You shall help me take care of Hen Wen: see her trough is full, carry her water, and give her a good scrubbing every other day.

That’s what I do now, Taran said bitterly.

All the better, said Coll, "for it makes things that much easier. If you want to be something with a name attached to it, I can’t think of anything closer to hand. And it is not every lad who can be assistant keeper to an oracular pig. Indeed, she is the only oracular pig in Prydain, and the most

Reviews for The Book of Three

[shanaqui_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Read this on the train today. It's fun and a quick read. It's nothing especially new, in all the fantasy I've read. Even the relatively light-hearted tone and the characterisations aren't precisely new. It's shallow, really -- by which I mean that I didn't really feel strongly drawn to the characters, or caught up in their danger. It did make me giggle, though and Eilonwy is a really fun character. I kind of wished Gwydion had been more fleshed out, too, because he's normally the kind of character I'd be drawn to, I think. I liked Gurgi's inclusion and development, too. The writing itself isn't that great -- noticed a lot of pitfalls that I long learned to avoid myself. Still, all this might improve as the series goes on.

In summary, not great in depth, but fun to read.

[arkrayder · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book. First time reading a Lloyd Alexander book. I did find that there seemed to be always something happening to the characters and that the story seemed to jog a long at a fairly fast pace to the detriment of character building. Part of me really wished that the author had tried to build a world behind the story in the same vain as Tolkien. Having said that, there was a lot of similarities between The Lord of the Rings and The Book of Three in my opinion. All in all a good read.

[bohemima · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A superior fantasy for children, which is equally enjoyable for adults. A fairly gripping plot laced with plenty of humor, and engaging characters keep the reader entertained but not over-taxed. The story is a mix of Welsh mythology and Alexander's imagination. Highly recommended, especially for the tween set.

[mentormom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a nice coming of age book particularly for young boys. The Book of Three can't really compare to Tolkien's masterful writing, but it is a nice alternative in the same vein for kids who are too young for the intensive Lord of the Rings series. The story wraps up a bit too quickly and easily, but it works for the intended audience.There are many great themes for discussion including: understanding what a leader does, appreciating the talents of others, the characteristi...more This is a nice coming of age book particularly for young boys. The Book of Three can't really compare to Tolkien's masterful writing, but it is a nice alternative in the same vein for kids who are too young for the intensive Lord of the Rings series. The story wraps up a bit too quickly and easily, but it works for the intended audience.There are many great themes for discussion including: understanding what a leader does, appreciating the talents of others, the characteristics of a hero, decision making and choosing between the goods, pride vs. humility, sense of mission and duty, not judging others, commitment to virtue and goodness, kindness, and personal vision.

[bostonian71 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Still a classic, even if Taran's a bit younger and foolish than I remember (Eilonwy has more than enough wits for both of them). The mix of action and humor keeps this from being too slow or too serious, and I do like how Taran matures a bit, even if he seems to forget it all by the next book.

[quaintlittlehead · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have a strangely poignant memory of going to the library as a child. While I busied myself with Winnie-the-Pooh, my mom looked in vain for a copy of "The Black Cauldron." I don't recall her ever finding the book, and as this inexplicably seems to be one of Disney's least respected of its animated features, I never saw the movie version until I was an adult, and am only now reading "The Chronicles of Prydain" after finally finding a set of copies.So the first thing I have to say about "The Book of Three" is that I had very high expectations. I loved the Disney movie, and I loved what I perceived as the slightly similar "Dark is Rising" sequence by Susan Cooper, both as a teenager and as an adult, whereas I am still not finished reading the "Harry Potter" books, and am still just not seeing why everybody raves about them so much. Maybe if you're a kid, Harry Potter is better, I tell myself. I thus went into "The Book of Three" hoping to find something like Susan Cooper, but afraid I'd find something like J. K. Rowling and be horribly let down.I am pleased to say that while Lloyd Alexander falls between the two extremes, he is in my opinion much closer to the Susan Cooper end. From the second page, I felt that I was reading descriptions of simple everyday events that had a much larger meaning, a foreshadowing of things to come. Alexander has a tendency to introduce a lot of characters at once but not to spend a great deal of time describing them, and a lot of this story has an almost stereotypical "questing" feel about it. Yet this is made up for by the fact that the author develops characters by their reactions to what happens to them rather than by telling you how they are. There is a fantastic C. S. Lewis quality to his writing, whereby you hear important morals every once in a while, but they are told in such a unique way that they don't feel cliché; in fact, you're not sure you really understand what they mean, or whether the characters do, either. Taran and Eilonwy are at times insufferable in their simplicity and youth, but the flashes of maturity they display throughout the novel feel real and authentic, all the more so because of the naïveté with which they are so frequently contrasted. The story in the end feels a bit like "Star Wars: A New Hope." If you're experiencing it for the first time now, you have an idea of the immensity of what is to come next, and you can tell it is a sort of prologue leading up to something great, but in and of itself it contains just enough adventure and wisdom to be a satisfying stand-alone story.I also can't get over the interweaving between the book's world and the world in which it was written. Imagine an American, in the 1960s, offering the flower children of the time a chance to escape back into a chivalrous mythical kingdom. There must have been a bit of Taran in the author for such an adventure to have come to fruition, as there is in anyone who still cares enough about heroes to desire to read this book. Yet there is a bit of those flower children in Eilonwy, a feminist awkwardly suited for her royal station far before Merida was ever a gleam in an animator's eye. This blend of worldviews masterfully highlights how much humanity has held in common throughout time, in spite of being published in an era when our differences seemed to explode into prominence. For that reason, it is hard to leave the book and return to our own little homes. Reading it makes us so much bigger.

[kassilem · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I think I should have read this book when I was younger. I feel I missed my chance because now the writing is too juvenile for me. I couldn't really stand Eilonwy either, the way she always degraded Taran. Taran was a spoiled young brat. The rest of the character's weren't too bad. But definitely meant for young fantasy readers. It doesn't help that i pictured the animated characters from the movie based off of this series the whole time I was reading it. It's a series, but I won't be continuing.

[Alexis Ali Parkhurst · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lovely story from my childhood that is still a joy to read.

[Emanuele Bertolani · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The first entry in the Chronicles of Prydain strikes more than a chord in the reader's heart with its lively cast of characters pitched against an ominous evil. Although the conclusion of the story might feel a bit anticlimatic, young readers are likely to appreciate the story arc and ask for more.

[majesdane-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Hands down one of my most favorite series of all time. I read the books in fifth grade and it ruined medieval fantasy for me forever -- because nothing ever seemed to be as good.

[jackalope1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

excellent read, I highly recommend it, suspenseful.

[sammelsurium-831072 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Inoffensive Tolkienesque children's lit. The main character seems designed specifically for young boys to project themselves onto, and functions well on that level. However, older readers could find the characters and setting unremarkable and simplistic.

[usuallee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have loved these books since I discovered them at age 10. I'll probably always re-read them every 5 or 10 years.

[jamestomasino · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I wanted to read this since it was the inspiration for much of the original dungeons and dragons. I see now that it's mostly in the world building, and that being pulled from Welsh mythology leaves little credit to the book itself.

There are some funny moments but ultimately the dialog felt forced and overly formal, the plot moved more due to accident and coincidence than the efforts of the characters, and the characters themselves felt flat. It's a product of it's time, I suppose.

[lynnmpk · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Taran was obnoxious and never truly learned from his mistakes. He said plenty of times that he was wrong and he would do better, and then next thing you know he's ignoring everyone else and insisting that they all do something stupid. This happened over and over again and it got tiresome.

[treebeard_404 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have not read this book in literally decades. Yet there were scenes and lines of dialogue that I just knew were coming up, even after all that time. Truly, that is a testament to Alexander's writing skill. (See notes on The Black Cauldron for a bit of irony, though.)

[smith.erin71 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a wonderful high fantasy adventure for middle grade children. The story is short but engaging and the characters are funny as well as earnest.

[dhmontgomery-265379 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a fantastic series, but "The Book of Three" is definitely the weakest of the series. Its plot is relatively uninspiring, its ending sort of disappointing, and ultimately it doesn't real inspire. But it's a fast read, still relatively unenjoyable, and it introduces the world and the main characters that the subsequent four books in the series will use to much greater effect.

[sweetkokoro-61371 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Now had I read this as a child it would have been an instant favorite. Up until now I have only ever been familiar with the Disney movie The Black Cauldron and have always loved it, so it was a little daunting going into this book, but I kept my mind open to know there would be major differences, and I pleasantly walked away enjoying the original version of the tale.

While the story is a pretty simple quest, I do like that it was centered around a little pig having abilities like an oracle, that's just too cute and I'm glad it was actually part of the story. Taran was your typical young boy who just wanted to be a hero and then finally got his chance and slowly learned its not as easy as it seems. It was nice seeing him grow through the story as he learns he isn't some prophecy child, or begotten son of a king or anything like that, and while he isn't the one who "saved" the day he still did his part in the journey and it was still just as important.

I loved Elionwy so much in this, she was a character I was surprised Disney hadn't changed to much. Her snazzy attitude and matter-of-fact way of talking was always funny and her interactions with Taran where adorable. To my ultimate surprise there was a whole slew of other characters not included in the Disney version and I loved them, and the purpose in the story really helped flesh it out and make it twice as entertaining.

The story is really simple and easy to follow along with as well as the writing. It has Tolkien vibes but for kids. The only thing I would say would be difficult as a child to read would be the names of some of the characters but the book provides a pronunciation guide.

What was really nice is this book has an end point so theoretically you could stop here, (but why do that when you know there is more.) But if I was child I would be happy that I got a full story out this book so it definitely gets points for that, it would have been a sure fire way to keep me coming back if i had read this when I was younger.

The Book of Three is a quick and engaging tale that is loads of fun and down right adorable.

[aarondesk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Short read. A little cheesy, and some deux ex machina. But some great messages. Characters are interesting.

[bintarab-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The whole Chronicles of Prydain series is well-written, imaginative, and was my introduction as a kid to a lifetime love of fantasy fiction. These books tackle large philosophical issues like bullying, the nature of heroism, social responsibility, altruism, and good vs. evil.

Appropriate for middle-schoolers or even 5th and 6th graders.

[billiebook · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sometimes re-reading an old favorite doesn't lead to bitter disappointment. There's a reason Lloyd Alexander has inspired generations of kids and writers. If you haven't re-read these books in a while, why not do so now?

[renbedell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fun fantasy book set in a traditional fantasy world and scenario. This book is just fun, entertaining, and plain-old enjoyable. It has a great message about what it means to be a hero and that sometimes it is not as exciting or enjoyable as you would hoped it would be. Characters are great and memorable. Has an ending and could be read as a stand alone.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This first in the series introduces Taran who wants to be a hero but discovers that heroism is more than adventure and fame. With the help of friends along the way and some needed experience, Taran finds that being a hero isn't necessarily what he really wants.

[adamwolf_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm not completely sold on this. I was turned off by the Gollum knockoff who kept talking about munchings and crunchings, but 10 year old me probably would have really loved this book.

[rakerman_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well-written, clever and amusing, a novel written in 1964 that has a modern tone and outlook built on a solid core of traditional fantasy. A delightful read.

[matke-261098 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A superior fantasy for children, which is equally enjoyable for adults. A fairly gripping plot laced with plenty of humor, and engaging characters keep the reader entertained but not over-taxed. The story is a mix of Welsh mythology and Alexander's imagination. Highly recommended, especially for the tween set.

[markbarnes_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book as a child, having been introduced to the series through the Disney film. It combines memorable characters with excellent humour and a relentless plot — all based in a mythical landscape that's deeply reminiscent of Wales. What's not to like?

[danielalgara · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I started to read this book and became incredibly upset at the poor prose and up-front exposition. In the first few pages we get a few lame similes to help along an old man setting up a world for the rest of the story. Yawn. There is no effort by the author to allow these things to come out naturally through a carefully constructed narrative. Maybe I'll give it another try someday but there are a lot of books out there. I'd have to be desperate for a fantasy read though.

[breony-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Similar to the hobbit, following the heroes journey in narrative writing, becoming self empowered. Faith in the good. series follows a boys transformation from pig keeper to king.