The Book of Three

By 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

• Language: English
• Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd
• Release date: Aug 8, 2018
• ISBN: 9781474960571

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.

Reviews for The Book of Three

[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.

[therebelprince · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In which Taran the assistant pig keeper sets out with a merry band of followers, to find a pig and thus save the world.

If the Amazon.com reviews are any indication, Lloyd Alexander's five-book series, The Chronicles of Prydain, has its detractors. They see it as a pale imitation of Lord of the Rings, complete with gollum-esque creature (who at least happens to be working for the good guys). They point out Alexander's expository dialogue, his rapid descriptions that leave little time for characters or sequences to make an impact, and the fact that - unlike the best children's fiction - his work is designed to appeal only to children and not to adults.

Well, I won't deny: all of those things are - to some extent - true. The obvious debt to Tolkien (and C.S. Lewis) is undeniable and occasionally uncanny. And Alexander is neither a literary giant nor a consummate non-literary storyteller on par with, say, J.K. Rowling.

Yet, I'm inclined to think the haters are being a bit unsporting about it all. The Book of Three, which opens the series, is a delightful little quest story. It's an easy, fast-paced read, which opens up an entire world of characters and species. The most delightful characters are the Princess Eilonwy, whose refusal to be relegated to the role of "female" is laudable, and the dwarf Doli, who wishes he could be invisible. Alexander's morals are in the right place for a book aimed squarely at children, but this is no bloodless Narnia. The injuries and horrors committed by the Horned King and his minions are all too real. It really raises the stakes, and if the book is about Taran learning there is more to the world than an idyllic life raising pigs, it succeeds.

There's also a great humanist skein running through the book. Medwyn, the protector of animals, eats only a vegetarian diet, while Taran is constantly forced to learn that there are many outlooks and ways of being in Prydain. And the dialogue is actually quite apt for each character. You know you're in safe hands when Gurgi - Prydain's equivalent of Gollum or, dare I say, Jar Jar Binks - is adorable rather than mawkish.

I do wish sometimes that Alexander would let each sequence breathe. I'm halfway through the second book, The Black Cauldron, and I feel like I've met an endless array of characters while drunk at a party, never able to get a firm grasp on them. But perhaps these are the limitations of a children's author when facing book length and the attention span of youngsters.

Either way, I'll give the thumbs-up to The Chronicles of Prydain so far. Even if it isn't always beautifully or densely written, it's intelligently written, and that makes all the difference.

[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?

[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.

[alana_leigh_6 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Whenever I'm at my parents' home, surrounded by the books of my childhood, I will inevitably pick one up and read. (Especially when I'm supposed to be doing things like reading serious book club books or writing business school application essays.) This time, I selected the first of Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles: The Book of Three. If you haven't read Lloyd Alexander at all, then I feel terribly sorry for your sad and empty childhood.The basic plot should seem quite familiar: a peaceful land threatened by evil and the people who must band together to save it. It's the telling of the story that really makes it unique, though.The Prydain Chronicles consist of five books with an epic fantasy storyline, heavily modeled upon Welsh lore. The first book in the series is The Book of Three, where we are introduced to our key players and get our first taste of the threat to Prydain. The dark lord Arawn is mustering forces in his kingdom of Annuvin, led by his champion the Horned King. For years the Sons of Don, who rule Prydain, have kept Arawn in check, but nevertheless, Arawn appears to be making movements to start a war.Taran is a young man, hungry for adventure and excitement, though he spends his days working on the farm of Caer Dallben. Of course, it isn't quite a normal farm -- among the animals is Hen Wen (an oracular pig of great fame and importance, though Taran has seen no evidence of her powers) and the owner of the farm is Dallben (a scholar and wizard who is over three hundred years old). Still, Taran wishes to learn swordplay and fight like his hero, Prince Gwydion. When he longs for a title and destiny, Coll (a middle aged farmer that is clearly more than he appears to be) names Taran "Assistant Pig Keeper." So when a disturbance causes the animals to flee and Hen Wen to escape, Taran feels responsible and so he runs after her. Almost immediately, Taran discovers that the animals fled because the Horned King is near and Taran becomes injured. He wakes up to find his hero, Prince Gwydion, caring for his injury. Gwydion had been traveling to learn something from Hen Wen, and so he joins Taran in his search for the pig.As they search, we meet several important characters along the way. Gurgi, a half-animal/half-human creature, tells them that he saw Hen Wen being pursued by the Horned King. After being captured by some of Arawn's fearsome Cauldron-Born (soulless warriors created from the dead), they meet the evil enchantress Queen Achren, who offers Gwydion the chance to join her and with her help, rule Prydain and overthrow Arawn. When he refuses, she throws him and Taran into separate dungeon cells. Taran then meets Princess Eilonwy, a young enchantress of the House of Llyr who is supposed to be learning from her Aunt Achren (though Eilonwy is not convinced that they're related). Eilonwy helps Taran escape and also manages to free "his companion in the other cell," though once they escape and the castle has somehow collapsed, killing everyone still inside (which we later learn is due to Eilonwy's removing a particular sword of power from the castle as they fled), it's discovered that the man Eilonwy rescued from the other cell is not Gwydion. He is Fflewddur Fflam, a king who has given up his kingdom to be an unofficial bard, though he owes his talent to his magic harp, whose strings snap when Fflewddeur bends the truth -- which is quite often. Believing that Gwydion must be dead, Taran takes it upon himself to travel to Caer Dathyl to warn the House of Don, but he is not alone, as Gurgi, Eilonwy and Fflewddur (not to mention Gwydion's very wise horse Melyngar) insist on accompanying him. After a chance meeting with Medwyn, a healer who protects animals, and an encounter with the Fair Folk adds a dwarf named Doli (who cannot turn invisible, unlike the rest of his family, to his intense irritation) to their party, they ultimately must fight and stand against the Horned King.Not to worry -- we're just at the beginning of the story, so all ends well (Hen Wen is found! Gwydion isn't dead! The Horned King is defeated!), but it's clear that there is real danger afoot that will enter into future books. I challenge you to try and not fall in love with Taran, a very real young man with a good heart who gets the adventure he wants, yet still comes to understand the importance of home and peace. He learns and matures through lots of errors, but is also capable of making the right decision in the face of pressure. He ultimately prevails in this first challenge with the help of his traveling companions. As with all Lloyd Alexander novels, the best part is the sense of comedy and whimsy. Eilonwy talks a great deal and is quick to take Taran down a few notches whenever he's too uptight. As a princess with red-gold hair, it's not hard to understand why this redhead always loved her, but she is a charming and outspoken girl, an excellent role model for young ladies, as she never shies away from a fight and always speaks her mind. Fflewddeur is charming as he repeatedly exaggerates, causing harp strings to snap. And Gurgi, well... Gurgi is a bit annoying, but he means well, so the reader, like Taran, ultimately decides that Gurgi isn't so bad.As a kid, I loved these books. They're notable in my past as being responsible for my first (and only) request for an extension on a paper. In sixth grade, I asked for a single day extension on a book report, which was granted, as I was writing about the whole series and not just one book. I rather wish I still had that paper, as I'd be curious to read my initial impressions. I'm sure it touched on my elementary understanding of Welsh mythology, but I seem to remember a lot of summarizing of the books... kind of similar to this. Hm.So if you know a young reader aged 10-12 and they're not quite ready for Tolkien or other, similar fantasy novels, you might point them in Alexander's direction. A bit of a warning for the kiddies, though: there's frequent violence and people do get hurt. Also a word of warning to parents: if you buy the first book, you might as well just buy the whole series for your kid, as s/he will certainly want to keep reading about Taran, Eilonwy, and their friends. When they've finished those, you can then start buying the rest of Alexander's oeuvre. He wrote many gems (my favorite series being, of course, the Vesper Holly books) and frequently played with mythology. He's a funny and charming writer and whether the reader is young or old, I think everyone can find something compelling and delightful about this series.

[fred_mouse · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I made my first attempt at reading this book sometime during my primary school years, got about a chapter and a half through, gave up in disgust. Rediscovering it in my high school years, and remembering other books that I had initially not been able to finish, but had liked in the end, I decided to give it another go. Bah. Same problem. Given that it had won a Newberry Medal, and that a number of people had recommended it, I gave it another try.Grrr. One of the least sympathetic main characters I've come across in a childrens/YA novel. The kid is inconsistent, selfish, and poorly characterised. It is impossible to tell what age he is, and his reactions to events are so chaotic that the only justification for what he does would appear to be the movement of the plot in the correct direction. This problem with characterisation is not quite so bad with the others, but they are also less detailed, so it is harder to tell. The 'beast' Gurgi is all about food, with a side order of loyalty. The bard is all about learning that others will respect you for who you are, if only you stop and let them know. The female character, who may or may not be a princess, depending on which section of the story you are reading at the time seems to oscillate between being the sulky helpless character who doesn't want the help that she obviously needs, and a perfectly capable person whos abilities are being ignored. Even allowing for the age group that the book is presumably aimed at, this characterisation was unacceptable.I'm not so sure about the plot, either. It may be that this book was a leader in its genre, and that there have been many derivative knock-offs which have influenced my expectations, but none of the surprises were particularly surprising, and the sequence of the plot seemed very regular - each chapter about the same length, the same build up. Or maybe it just felt like that because after the first 1/3 of the book I was just finishing it through sheer bloody mindedness - I'd made the effort, and damned if I were ever going to do it again.In general, when I read something written for children that I have this negative a reaction to, I put it down to being mainly due to me not being the target demographic - like the Lemony Snickett's 'Unfortunate Events' series, where I read one, and have sworn never to read another, because of the sheer awfulness of the writing and the plot. Here though, I have the evidence of my younger self that tells me that this is not the case - the approximately 11 year old me didn't manage to finish it, and had the sense to declare this and give up.And to suggest that this problem may be common to the author, rather than specific to the book, I also remember having a copy of 'The Black Cauldron', which I never read, and at that age I didn't care particularly much about reading series in sequence. 2/10

[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.

[nogdog_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A fun read, but a bit too simplistic and formulaic. (To be fair, though, some of those formulas may have been originated by this series.) For some reason I got really annoyed by the author using "cried" all the time in dialogue attributions, e.g: "'What are you doing!' he cried."

[hobbitprincess · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Several of my LT friends have read this YA series, so I thought I'd join in, since I have them. This is the first book. It's quite good, a fantasy based loosely on Welsh legends. I'm struck with similarities between this and LOTR, but perhaps this is because both authors draw somewhat from similar sources. As is proper for a YA book, the action moves quickly. Taran the Assistant Pig Keeper embarks on an unexpected, heroic journey. This book ends nicely, but you can tell that there are more stories to come.

[meditationesmartini · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Lloyd Alexander's Prydain saga is one of those post-/sub-Tolkien fantasy series that thrills you as a nerdy child and then you don't revisit it for twenty years because of a queasy feeling that it will turn out banal and embarrassing like childhood things have a way of doing. But Lloyd's not, like, Terry Brooks, right? The Welsh-inflected milieu and ensemble cast of Prydain had a certain Silver Age charm? (They won a Newbery award, come on!) Anyway, I have embarked upon a five-volume journey back through the mists to reevaluate Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper and colleagues. And so far so good--the world is sketched broad with room later to dig deeper; the villains are credibly menacing and the skinofteeth contingency of our escapes feels convincing; every chapter ends with a cliffhanger. Taran pisses me off the way you're supposed to identify with him all Gary Stu-like but then he's all bossy and dyspeptic and reinscribing the patriarchy telling everyone how he's going to lose patience with their wacky antics like an eight-year-old nerd who doesn't get why the other characters keep teasing him because he says things like "I disagree with your premise". And as for the others, said antics have a swiper-quit-swiping, here-we-go-again TV quality ("GUR-gi!") that reminds you how low the expectations the grup world places on children for comprehending sophisticated narrative and ultimately how the poor kids get encouraged to be kind of lame and it serves the machine blah blah blah. But yeah, okay, this is a sturdy if somewhat plain and occasionally unfortunate framework upon which for a mythos to rise and mature.

[jarvenpa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love Lloyd Alexander, particularly this series. Read it to our children back in the day. We still make references to the story. Not to be missed.

[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.

[antiquary_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

First book of the Prydain cycle based loosely on Welsh myth. Sometimes a bit childish but even that can be fun, with Gwergi and his munchings and crunchings. Not (to my mind) as good as the second and third books (Black Cauldron and Castle of Llyr) but a fair beginning.

[kellyilebode · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this series from the day I first read it in the fifth grade. Now, my children are reading it and seem to like it also. (Ok maybe not as much as I did, but we live in different times.)The story development is wonderful and definitely preps you for the other four books.

[t1bclasslibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I first read this in fifth grade and loved it, and re-reading this for my classroom library I see why. This is the first of a series that play heavily on Welsh legends. Taran learns that being a hero isn't all it's cracked up to be, and adventure doesn't play out in reality the way it does in tales.

[sunnysd_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Reading this as a child, I remember being enthralled. Like many things seen through a veil of years, it appeared much rosier before I drew back the curtain. Still, catching up again with Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper of Caer Dalben was an enjoyable adventure. Over too soon, and with fewer details than I recalled, but still enjoyable.

[dustandshadow · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I never read this book or this series growing up. The Disney movie 'The Black Cauldron' was always something that I enjoyed and a girl I met freshman year of college told me that if I liked 'The Chronicles of Narnia' that I would like this. I did like it. It took me a little while to get into it, mainly because the writing just didn't catch me. However, I really love the story and the characters!

[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.

[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.

[yona-414000 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pretty close to a four. Definitely above the round up point. This might be a bit young for some of the people I talk to here but it's a good story and I like it. There are more challenges to the characters than the conflict in the story itself and all the characters very enjoyable. Taran's character is very well developed. There's not an overwhelming adventure here but with the hindsight of having now read the second book this was a very good introduction to the characters and the main conflict that will continue.

[helver_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So I've read this one twice now. The most recent reading was finished today - 6/13/2013. The first time was probably 30 years ago. I also must admit that I've seen the Disney Movie (The Black Cauldron) that was based on all three books of the Chronicles of Pyrdain. All in all, I have enjoyed, and continue to enjoy, these books.This is classic fantasy - youngster leaves home in search of fame and fortune. Runs into a series of oddities and forms an adventuring party that meshes and comes together when the game is on the line. Learns a little about his own limitations and a little more about his companions' capabilities. Returns home to find that home isn't quite like he remembered it. It's good, but different - like your home after you come back from your first semester in college.I really enjoyed the characters of Gurgi and Doli - a good amount of comic relief along with some serious good-natured companions. Of course, I can hear Gurgi's voice from the movie speaking... and his crunching and munching and whinings and pinings seem sillier with the hearings and endearings... (see what I did there?)

[mossjon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was published the same year I was, born that is. How did I miss this delightful tale and only stumble upon it in my mid-40s?

Taran is a precocious bored boy with visions of heroes sword-fighting in his head. He dreams of leaving the small farm where he takes care of a prophetic pig named Hen Wen and lives with Coll and Dallben.

Something frightens the bees, the chickens and the pig so much that they all escape the farm and disappear into the surrounding forest. Taran is sent to find the pig and return her home. Predictably, he gets lost in the forest following the pig and spies a band of men lead by the terrifying Horned King. Taran barely escapes and flees into the brush, eventually finding Gwydion, a prince and one of the heroes he daydreams about.

The danger and adventure are non-stop until the end of the book. Along the way, Taran makes mistakes but learns from them and demonstrates he has the talent to be an inspiring and wise leader. He meets several companions and legendary folk who aid him on his quest to reach Caer Dathyl to warn the Sons of Don about the Horned King and his army.

A fast fun read.

[sriemann_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another one of my favorite fantasy series that I read growing up and would still feel fine sharing with a classroom audience. A bonus is that after reading Black Cauldron, there's an animated movie for it. (granted, I don't know how good the movie was compared to the book, but sometimes it's nice to have a movie incentive for reluctant readers).

[tntexas_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The kids and I enjoyed this book. Serious and adventurous with a touch of comedy - a perfect combination.

[ceridwynr · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I loved these as a kid, but he writes outlines of myth not story. And I had to work not to be offended at how much he steals (and how badly it's been warped) from the Mabinogion.

[jasmyn9 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A group of us on the LibraryThing 75 challenge thread are reading the Chronicles Prydain this year. We started in January with the first book, The Book of Three. The first book in the Chronicles of Prydain didn't hold up to the second, The Black Cauldron, which I read many times when I was younger, it was a favorite. Perhaps these many reads of the sequel are what lead to me not quite enjoying it as much as I would have. We are introduced to quite a cast of characters. Our main being Taran, the assistant pig keeper, and his pig, Hen Wen (I love that name, I wonder if it means anything). Taran meets up with an odd assortment of companions in the form of the annoying (at least to him) girl Eilonwy, and the bard, Fflewddur. They find themselves rushing to beat the bad guy, The Horned King, to the castle so they can warn the good guys about the attack. The story is enjoyable and easy to follow, but occasionally moved a little too fast for me. I could tell the author was trying to convey a feeling, but he moved on before it had sunk in. Overall I'm glad I read this book, and look forward to reading the sequel, The Black Cauldron, again next month.3.5/5

[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.

[bduke_15 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

When I was in the fourth grade, my teacher forced me to read this series because she wanted me to try different genres. I was so angry that I had to read something as stupid as fantasy, when all I really wanted to do was re-read the Little House books. However, I ended up loving this series and have thought on it with fondness all these years. I thought I would re-read it to see if it was as good as I thought when I was in fourth grade. While I enjoyed it this time, it was hard not to compare it to The Lord of the Rings because there are really so many similarities, and it was left wanting in that comparison. So I guess you could call it The Lord of the Rings -lite. My fourth grade self would have given it 5 stars... my adult self gives it a 3 because I liked it but I didn't love it. I love the characters, and love the fact that there is a pronounciaton guide at the back of the book for their names. Kind of wish I would have discovered that sooner. There was excitement and adventure, good guys and evil guys, an interesting world, and growth in characters. I highly recommend this series to upper elementary/lower middle school students.