Rating: 
Summary: Grew up on these books!
Review: My dad bought me these books when I was young, and I read them throughout my childhood. Even as an adult, I re-read from time to time (part nostalgia, part loving of the story and the characters). I think these books are as good as The Lord of the Rings on many levels. If I had children, they would be the top of the list of books I would have them read. Great fantasy, great strong male and female characters, and lots of action, magic, and frights! Not to be missed!!
Rating:
Summary: Tolkien, Lewis, and yes, Alexander!
Review: The Book of Three is the wonderful beginning to my favorite fantasy series. There absolutely isn't a flaw in the entire Prydain series, and there is nothing more entertaining than reading them.The Book of Three is the beginning of the story of Taran and his wonderful companions. Here, Taran is a very naive and young Assistant Pig Keeper. He is in charge of keeping Hen Wen, the oracular pig, but Hen Wen sences the danger of the Horned King near and breaks away from Taran. Taran, wanting to ammend his error, begins his quest after her, and that quest leads him to his group of life-long friends and companions (Eilonwy, Fflewdur, Doli, Gurgi, and others). The quest also puts him in great danger from the Horned King, and Taran learns a lot about life and particularly, heroism along the way. Really, I can't say enough about the brilliance of this book and this series. Alexander does what any great writer should; he entertains with an outstanding story, he creates interesting, three-dimensional characters, and the relationships and events these characters experience bring the characters and the reader to a much greater understanding about life. These are wonderful books which anyone can enjoy and learn from.
Rating:
Summary: The Best In Young Adult Fantasy
Review: I've read A LOT of sci-fi and fantasy over the years and The Prydain Chronicles is still one of my favorite series. It has everything a sci-fi fantasy fan is looking for: it has an epic scale, a beautiful setting that has many ties to welsh myth and characters that really grow as the saga progresses. I loved each of the books and have re-read them several times. I owuld even venture to say I liked these book seven more than sertain other books dealing with hobbits and rings. Blasphemy I know but it's true.
Rating: 
Summary: my reveiw
Review: The Book Of Three is an enchanting and inspiring tale for kids ages 9-13. Taran an assistant pig keeper dreams of being a hero then his pig runs away. A simple job like finding turns into saving his entire country Pydain. Taran to his biggest adventure ever. Along the way Taran picks some interesting friends, like Gurgi, Fflewddur, Eilonwy and Gwydion (Taran's role model). The Future of Prydain rests on them.
Rating: 
Summary: well paced plot, memorable characters
Review: I have been reading a number of young adult fantasy novels for research. I was not drawn into this one immediately, but after the first chapter the action of the story got moving and it was enjoyable. I especially liked the characters with the exception of one. Being female, I was not that amused by what I felt was kind of a stereotype - a "prattling", dim witted young female character that seemed to constantly annoy the protagonist. The back cover message promised romance, humor and adventure but I don't think romance was developed (no biggie)at all. It did have humor and adventure though. Overall, the book was good, a clean, uncomplicated storyline with well developed, diverse characters and descriptive settings.
Rating:
Summary: Very good adventure story; very comparable to Tolkien
Review: I must say I am another person who sees many simalarities in this book and in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. I read these books first and then Tolkien's and then I realized how much influence there is in Alexander's books. But then again, what work of fiction these days isn't influenced by Tolkien? This book was really fun and adventurous with great characters. If you liked Tolkien you'll also like these books and notice the fun similarities: the unexperienced yet eager young hero (Frodo/Taran), the mentoring wizard (Gandalf/Dallben), the very heroic and brave prince/king who lives a little on the wild side and always seems to be fighting and getting dirty (Aragorn/Gwydion), the strange half-evil creature that follows everyone around (Gollum/Gurgi), the dark lord who is trying to take over the land with his strange evil servants (Sauron/Arawn), the evil thing created by the dark lord to help him gain power that the hero must get rid of (the ring/the black cauldron), the other not-quite-as-evil-but-still-pretty-bad person that we must take care of in an earlier book so we can focus on the main bad guy later; they live in a tower away from the main bad guy's place (Saruman/Achren), very evil servants of the dark lord that aren't alive anymore but still aren't really dead; they carry out the orders of the dark lord and are hunting the hero (the Nazgul, the cauldron-born), also the plot how the remaining kings of the land must all band together to fight a war against the growing power of the dark lord, and etc. etc. etc. I could carry on for days. In other words, if you liked Tolkien, you'll like Alexander. The only thing Alexander has that Tolkien doesn't have is a feminine hero and also love interest, who is cute and charming no matter how annoying she may get at times. Enjoy! The other books of the Prydain series are just as enchanting.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely enchanting book of adventure you never forget!!
Review: First off, I am a very picky reader and have had trouble finding one of those books you fall in love with and feel like you travel to that land or world. Prydain is like my enchanted magical land I can escape to when I feel like it. The feisty princess Eilonwy was my favorite character. She's wonderful in the Castle of Llyr. Taran is jealous! Well, all i have to say is don't disregard this book and not read it. Buy it!!! It's simply wonderful!!! The best book ever(especially if you enjoyed Narnia and Harry Potter)! I wish this series could last forever but sadly it is only five books.
Rating:
Summary: One of a kind
Review: "Book of Three" kicks off the classic Prydain Chronicles, a five book cycle (six, if you include "Foundling") of stories set in Prydain, "where evil is never distant." Though Prydain and many of the elements in it resemble Welsh legends, the story is entirely Alexander's. Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper at Caer Dallben, is bored stiff by his duties -- caring for the oracular pig Hen Wen. Though both the crabby enchanter Dallben and the gentle ex-warrior Coll tell Taran that he shouldn't complain, he wants to be a hero. Taran inadvertantly ends up in an adventure when he chases Hen Wen into the woods - only to be chased by a masked, horned man on horseback. Taran is rescued by Gwydion, Prince of Don, who agrees to bring the overeager young man with him to another city to warn them about the Horned King, who is a servant of Arawn Deathlord. But the undead Cauldron-born capture Taran and Gwydion and bring them to Spiral Castle, the home of the enchantress Achren. Achren imprisons Taran; but he is set free by her "niece," a flaky-seeming but very sharp girl named Eilonwy. With Gwydion presumed dead, Taran must set out to warn his allies about the growing threat of the Horned King. Going with him is Eilonwy, a pleasant bard-king who frequently stretches the truth, the twiggy and ever-loyal Gurgi, a crabby dwarf, and a very special sword... There are virtually no epic adventures for kids; "Harry Potter" definitely isn't, nor are books by Alan Garner, Diana Wynne-Jones, John Bellairs, Vivian Vande Velde, and so forth. But the Prydain Chronicles definitely are. Even though the action focuses primarily on Taran and his friends, the repercussions and events in them stretch all across Prydain, and Alexander never lets you forget it. And Gwydion's presence gives the feeling that rather than being the pivot of the conflict between good and evil, Taran is one of many cogs in a larger machine. I first read this book when I was about ten years old, having reread "Lord of the Rings" many times and wanting something in the same vein, but not a ripoff. Alexander writes in a bit of a "ye olde" style in places, but he knows the value of varying his style. Scenes of Taran begging Coll to teach him sword-fighting are written very differently from dramatic scenes of Taran searching through the debris of Spiral Castle. Dialogue is alternately dramatic and comedic -- Eilonwy and Fflewddur Fflam add humor, with Fflewddur's frequent fibs causing his harp strings to break and Eilonwy puncturing Taran's ego when he gets a little too pompous. Yet we have sinister stuff as well: The Horned King is outstandingly sinister, as are the silent, unkillable Cauldron-Born. Arawn Deathlord (the Sauron of this series) is pretty absent, but you see the first hints of his menace here. Taran is an entirely human hero -- he longs for adventure but doesn't know what it's really like, takes himself too seriously, botches situations, misjudges others, and has to learn from his mistakes. Eilonwy is a great counterpart, who keeps us from getting bored with Taran and by providing witty commentary on the proceedings. Gurgi initially seems sinister, but shows beginning signs of his steadfast loyalty. Doli is a pleasant curmudgeon with a heart of gold, and the ditzy but steadfast Fflewddur Fflam, whose harp strings snap when he stretches the truth. Mythology fans will enjoy the way that Alexander uses Welsh mythos (though he informs us that Prydain is NOT Wales). Gwydion Prince of Don, Arawn and Annuvin, the Horned King, and the sword Dyrnwyn are some of the elements that I've seen in old legends. But as Tolkien did, Alexander doesn't simply cut-and-paste these elements: he changes them for his own story, and makes them his own. This book is not quite the same as its sequels -- it has a "younger" feel to it. But it's still an amazing read, and a good start to a classic series.
Rating:
Summary: A Superb Tale for All Ages
Review: In this, Alexander's first book of the Prydain Chronicles, the author weaves from simple beginnings a truly spectacular tale fit for all ages. The basis is the challenges of growing up, believing you are prepared for the world, and finding out to your surprise that the world is ready for you instead! That is the framework for a wonderful tale draped in magic, evil versus good, and the hope every young man holds out for himself, that in someone special's eyes he can appear to be a hero. The book is a must-have, one that parents will want to share with their children and their children's children. Get the new hard-bound editions of the entire series; ... they're a steal! Plus you get the original cover artwork from Evelyn Ness, which is so superior to the "Hollywood" art on the paperbacks.
Rating:
Summary: I had forgotten how good these books were.
Review: I had not read this series in close to fifteen years, and had forgotten many of the details of it. It was nice to be re-acquainted with Taran, and Hen Wen and Gurgi and Eilonwy and all the rest. But I had also forgotten how seamless the story was. It just flowed together with a smoothness that I nearly envy as an author a-borning and which any reader could appreciate.
The story itself I enjoyed immensely, and found it a wonder that as many times as I read this as a child that I had forgotten so much of it. Most important of all, I found that I enjoyed it as much as an adult as I did when I was a child. This was especially enheartening, as much of the entertainments I had as a child I have outgrown. I have re-found a treasure.
|
