Rating: 
Summary: An Eye Opener
Review: This book is one of the best books I have ever read. I liked this book a lot because it is a fantasy book and it is about an adventure. Those are my favorite kinds of books. I haven't really been reading that much because once I read this book I really didn't like and that discouraged me. After that I didn't really read much, until this book. It helped me realize that not all books are as boring as that one book I detested.
This book is about an assistant-pig-keeper named Taran who wanted to have an adventure but was always just kept inside the safe and watchful eye of Dallben. That all changed when Hen Wen, the pig he takes care of, ran off into the forest and Taran was forced to chase after the pig. He met Prince Gwydion and later Gurgi, all of whom are very important characters later on in the book and later on in the series. In the end he is the one who helps defeat the Horned King (the "bad guy" of the book). People who journeyed with him will come out much in all the later books like Doli, Fflewddur Flamm, and of course, Princess Eilonwy.
I liked this book a lot since it was kind of like the King Arthur books since there is fighting with swords and everything like that. If there were more of Prince Gwydion, though, I think the book would be much better since he is a supposedly real "cool" character. Mr. Lloyd Alexander should change that about all of the books in this series. Overall I really liked this novel.
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Story
Review: A review by Andrew
This was an excellent book I enjoyed it a lot. I think at the begging it was a lot like Zorro due to the fact that, one person does not know the art or the sword and one does. Then the one that knows the art begins to teach the other. There are some parts of this story that were familiar. I am not sure if those parts were so good that they were made in to a different story. It also could have been that they came from another story. I think that somebody that likes fiction should consider reading The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander. This was more like a fantasy type story, but that doesn't matter it was pretty well written and had parts of suspense and mystery.
Rating:
Summary: Clean fun for kids and adults
Review: I just shared this series with my 9 year old daughter, and we had a blast. I read these books when I was young, and re-read them throughout my teen years and into adulthood. Sometimes the messages seem a bit heavy-handed now, but that is part of what makes it so good for kids. The characters are engaging, the life lessons not too complicated, and the story moves nicely. As a parent, I appreciated having romance develop without having sex as a part of it. Good clean fun. My daughter is looking forward to re-reading them, and I believe the characters will be "friends" to guide her through adolescence, as they were to me.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: This book is very thrilling and exciting if you like the medievil sort of thing. Its about Taran An ASSITANT PIG KEEPER. Taran joins a quest with a PRINCE named Gwydion. The quest is to warn the city of Caer Dathyl that a heavily armed army from Annuvin(the evil place in this series) with a champion called the Horned King leading this great escapade. Taran and Gwydion encounter many sidetracks and make new friends to help them along the quest. GREAT BOOK OF THE BEGINNING OF A FANTASTIC SERIES.
Rating: 
Summary: Not just for kids!
Review: Even though this series is rated for children, I feel that it has much for adults, also. I first read this series when I was 11 and I have read them every year since (I am 25 now). Every time I read them, I discover something new about them. The flawed heros and heroines are charming in their realism. (After all, how many of us are anything like the tradional heros.) As well as each book containing a moral, which even though the books are fantasy, they still are relivant, but the stories have enough action and adventure to keep any riveted. I recommend them also to anyone who enjoys the Lord of the Rings. Definately a must have for any library.
Rating:
Summary: ...and this little Assistant Pig-Keeper
Review: Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain was my introduction to fantasy books, and it not only broadened my imagination and appreciation for mythology, but it also helped me through the awkward adolescent years as I watched Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper find his place in the world. I enjoyed Narnia and Middle-Earth, and while Prydain does not compare to the richly developed worlds of Lewis and Tolkien, Lloyd Alexander holds his own by giving the readers memorable characters. In the Book of Three, we not only meet clumsy yet stout-hearted Taran, but also his band of friends -- talkative Princess Eilonwy, devoted Gurgi, and imaginative Fflewdur, to name a few. What I like most about Alexander's characters is that they have their own faults and weaknesses, making them more real and more credible than other figures of fantasy. I think children will be able to relate to Taran, who in this book, is unknowingly thrust into heroism (yes, another archetypal hero). As eager as he is to rise to glory and be a man, he soon realizes that the way is not as easy as it seems. Taran makes mistakes. Okay, he makes A LOT of mistakes. But knowing that he was able to triumph despite of it can become a big inspiration to kids. And just when you think that you know what's going to happen, Alexander slightly veers away from the expected, leaving the reader with a strong dose of reality after the book is over. As the start of a highly-recommended series, The Book of Three is a delight to read -- you'll want to take this little Assistant Pig-Keeper all the way home.
Rating:
Summary: introduction to a fine fantasy series for middle readers
Review: I hadn't heard of these books when I was growing up, but I am now beginning to look at books of future interest to my son, and I would say that this is definitely a book and series that we will enjoy together in a few years. This book came out ten years after Tolkien's trilogy, and though it would be difficult to avoid all similarities to that archetypal work, there are some surprisingly similar elements -- but also some that are very imaginative and original (an oracular pig!). Taran is a pre-teen boy who is bored with his job and friends and village. He longs for adventure and, as he soon finds out, he should be careful what he wishes for! Looking for a runaway pig, Taran soon runs into danger, and must venture far from his home. Along the way he meets characters such as Eilonwy and Gwydion who will help him, and others he must fear. Sometimes Eilonwy's ubiquitous use of metaphors gets tiresome, and the volume would benefit from the inclusion of a map, but overall this is a highly readable story with an interesting cast of characters, good pacing, minimal violence, positive character development, teamwork and cooperation, adventure and lessons about the consequences of choice.
Rating:
Summary: The First Book in an Epic Saga
Review: The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander is one of the best books I have ever read. I read this book in October of 2001 because it looked like a fantasy book and I enjoy fantasy.
I recommend this book to all who enjoy fantasy . You might not like The Book of Three if you don't like books that contain things that are unrealistic or can't happen.
Once you start reading this book, you won't want to stop and, when you're finished with the book, you'll want to read the next four books.
This book deserves a definite five.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Series
Review: This is one of the books that I read over and over as a child. In this book we are introduced to Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper of Caer Dalben. Little does Taran know, as he is growing up on this quite little farm what his employer is, and the powerful company that he keeps, and how being an orphan who dreams of heroics is going to impact his life. Parents need not worry about this series: there is no sexual innuendo, there are no demonic rituals, and there is no pantheon of deities that are worshipped. There is minimal violence, and Mr. Alexander does not glorify conflict. When heroes die in this series, they are not put on a pedestal and then glossed over; they are mourned. Death is not emphasised much in this series, but he does treat it in a realistic fashion. Most of all, Mr. Alexander does not pack this series with action, but tells a story almost custom made to develope the literary qualities of the mind. This series is good for young and old alike.
Rating:
Summary: The Book of Three
Review: This book is about a boy named Taran and his friend, Coll, who live in Prydain. He wants to learn how to sword fight so his friend teaches him. His pig Henwin runs away and leads him into danger, and evil is prowling the land of Prydain. It's up to Taran to stop evil. The Book of Three is a fiction fantasy for grades 4 to 6. It is an adventurous and dramatic story. It's a book that makes you wonder what's going to happen next. This book is the first book of the Prydain sequel of 5 books. I like this book because it is adventurous and exciting. I would give this book 4 stars.
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