Home :: Books :: Teens  

Arts & Photography
Audio CDs
Audiocassettes
Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Investing
Children's Books
Christianity
Comics & Graphic Novels
Computers & Internet
Cooking, Food & Wine
Entertainment
Gay & Lesbian
Health, Mind & Body
History
Home & Garden
Horror
Literature & Fiction
Mystery & Thrillers
Nonfiction
Outdoors & Nature
Parenting & Families
Professional & Technical
Reference
Religion & Spirituality
Romance
Science
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Sports
Teens

Travel
Women's Fiction
The High King

The High King

List Price: $5.99
Your Price: $5.99
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 .. 9 10 11 12 >>

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "In Their Secret Hearts, Are They No Less Evil than Arawn?"
Review: "The High King" is the fifth and last book in the truly wonderful Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander, preceded by "The Book of Three", "The Black Cauldron", "The Castle of Llyr," and "Taran Wanderer", all of which are necessary reading if you want to fully understand and enjoy this last installment. "The High King" however has the added distinction of being the winner of the Newbery award, as well as being a good deal thicker than the previous books.

Throughout the last four books the allied forces of Prydain under leadership of Prince Gwydion and the enchanter Dallben have waged war against the evil Death-Lord Arawn, whilst the Assistant Pig-Keeper Taran has grown from man to boy. Now returning from his journey of self-discovery in "Taran Wanderer", he is eager to be home, especially since Princess Elionwy has returned from the Isles of Mona. Soon everyone is reunited in the cottages of Caer Dallben, which is a special treat if you've read the previous books as everyone is there: Gwydion, Fflewddur Fflam, Gurgi, Doli, Llyan, Kaw, Hen Wen, Glew, Rhun, Coll, Hen Wen - you name it and they're there. Predominantly among them is the conquered enchantress Achren - a shadowy figure who despises Arawn and has her own secret plans to have her vengeance.

But Arawn has struck sooner than the good guys intended, and the magical black sword Dyrnwyn has been stolen. Now Taran is swept up once more on an adventure that's way over his head. Guided by the mysterious prophesy of the oracular pig and devastated by a betrayal amongst the allied forces, Taran gathers together the people of the Free Commots and begins a dangerous journey through the mountains to reach Annuvin in time to help Gwydion's fleet. On the way we re-met every possible character we've ever met in Prydain - Magg, Gwystyl, Eiddileg, Smoit, Medwyn, Dorath, Melynlas, all the common folk from "Taran Wanderer", and of course Orddu, Orwen and Orgoch - Alexander hasn't missed a single one, and they all have important and meaningful parts to play.

Previously, the books have been told solely from Taran's point of view, but now for the first time we see events through the eyes of other characters - everyone from Elionwy to Dallben to Kaw gets a chance to be in the spotlight. "The High King" is an exhilarating read, as by this stage most readers will be deeply invested in these characters and the land of Prydain, and the author swings us continually back and forth from despair to hope and back again. The fortunes of the good guys are always up for grabs, and Alexander makes sure we know that the stakes are high and the cost of defeat is unthinkable.

As well as Alexander's wonderful sense of humour that is found throughout the series, there are (many) moments of great wisdom, poignancy and bitter-sweetness, not to mention romance, magic and mild horror. There are sacrifices, deaths of major characters, destruction of beautiful things and many a difficult decision to be made. Some of the issues are incredibly deep, and not at all what you'd expect to find in a children's book.

Every story is wrapped up satisfactorily, from Magg's escape in "The Castle of Llyr" to Taran's role to play in `The Book of Three' to the gwythaint fledgling that was saved in the first book. Very few endings to series leave you with a sense of completion, but I believe "The High King" is one of them, as well as having my highest recommendation in terms of a truly worthwhile and rewarding read - a perfect five stars.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Not that great
Review: I'm always fascinated by books and movies that are parts of larger series, and yet win major awards entirely on their own. A good recent example of this might be the third part of the "Lord of the Rings" films winning the Oscar. Similarly, the final book in Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles won the coveted Newbery Award. I pity the graduate film and literature students that discover these award winners without having seen/read their predecessors. Fortunately, "The High King" doesn't require too much backstory or catching up. If you are reading this book on its own you'll undoubtedly be annoyed by its continual references to characters or situations you're not personally familiar with. My advice is not to begin with this, the last in the series. Find "The Book of Three" and carry on from there. "The High King" is good, but it's best within context.

When we last saw our heroes, Taran and Gurgi were finally returning to Caer Dallben after more than a year of Taran "finding himself" in the classic sense of the term. At last they are coming home, and to their delight everyone has turned out for their arrival. Unfortunately the joy is not for long. Prince Gwydion has been grievously hurt on his way to the party and his sword of Dyrnwyn has been stolen. Needless to say, this is very bad news. Soon the armies of Arawn-Death-Lord are marching and the time for an end to his reign is at hand. With Taran now a wiser steadier fellow, our band of ragamuffin heroes sets off once more towards adventures, traps, and triumphs. Old friends are met, new friends are found, and many good stout-hearted people die. Still, through it all our heroes never give up and the book is a stirring testament to the will of the average joe. By the end of the book Taran must face his greatest decision yet. And, as author Lloyd Alexander points out, "whether the ending is happy, heartbreaking, or both, readers must decide for themselves".

Out of all the Prydain books, this is the one that bears the most similarity to the aforementioned "Lord of the Rings". This is based on a variety of different factors. The types of battles waged. The evil lord's landscaping. The idea that the bad guy has gotten an object of particular power and can now wield it for evil. Even the ending is similar (though Taran makes a surprise decision that is the direct opposite of Frodo's own surprise decision). Don't feel that this book is a weak knock off of Tolkien's (admittedly) better written baby though. Alexander's at the top of his game here, posing as many philosophical queries as he does political jabs. The presentation of a former good guy who believes peace can only come by joining up with bad guys... heck we're talking WWII political theory here. On top of that Taran is at his wisest in this book. He's poised and confident without being cocky. There's the odd inclusion of a terribly annoying fellow named Glew in this book who serves only to create important plot points and a form of weak comic relief, but fortunately he is the sole flaw of the book. I was greatly relieved too. After the meanderings of Alexander's far weaker, "Taran Wanderer", I was worried that, "The High King" might bog down into dreary who-am-I? type speechifying. Fortunately Eilonwy is present and accounted for in this novel. She fights and gets captured, but at least she's a gutsy ball of gung-ho goodness. As the sole female of the novel she's a welcome relief to everyone's serious even toned conversations. Once again, Eilonwy saves the novel.

"The High King" is far longer than its predecessors, but that's fitting since it's the last in the series. Alexander keeps the action constant and upbeat. I doubt you'll find any serious objections to it. It is sad to say goodbye to the characters we've all grown to know so well in the books. I've always had a serious crush on Fflewddur Fflam so I think I'll miss him most of all. Fortunately there's always "The Foundling" and "Coll and His White Pig" to read for fun. They're not officially part of the Prydain canon but they belong squarely in that world. Consider checking them out if you fall into Lloyd Alexander withdrawal. "The High King" is rightfully considered the strongest book in its series. I recommend it with nary a reservation in sight.


Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fantastic Finish to a Breathtaking Series...
Review: The High King wraps up the Chronicles of Prydain in grand style. We join our friend Taran back in Caer Dallben after his long journey of self-discovery. Here he is reunited with Lord Gwydion and begins the grandest quest of them all, to regain the Gwydion's lost sword of enchantment, Drynwyn. Drynwyn has fallen into the hands of Arawn Death-Lord who plans to conquer all of Prydain with his stolen weapon. Taran is sent back to the Commots to rally troops where he encounters many old friends such as Annlaw Clay-Maker, Llonio, Heyvvd the blacksmith and the young shepherd. At Caer Dathyl, Gwydion and the allies are betrayed by one of their own. The comrades then split their army, as Gwydion and his men ride to Annuvin to attack Arawn Death-Lord to try to regain Drynwyn; Taran and his hoard serve to delay the deathless Cauldron-Born from returning to Annuvin before Gwydion can regain the sword. Needless to say, there are multiple story lines including Taran's love for Eilonwy as well as the battle for Prydain. The High King wraps up the series neatly but not as one would guess, nevertheless it is a near flawless finish to a flawless series. Highest Recommendation

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Bittersweet ending to an epic series
Review: I read this book as a kid before I had read any of the previous books in the series. Standing alone, it is an excellent read. But after reading the previous books which establish the relationships between the characters, and then re-reading this one, I found it extremely moving and one of the best fantasy series I've ever read. A must-read for all Eddings, Tolkien, and Brooks fans. Some of these books have been made into animated movies by Disney (The Black Cauldron was the first animated movie Disney made that required a PG rating) but like some others have expressed here, I would love to see this series made into live-action films. Peter Jackson, do you have any plans after making King Kong?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I'm waiting for this to become a movie...
Review: Others have summed up how good this book, and indeed, the whole Chronicles of Pyrdain series is -- I heartily agree. What I would like to see is the series translated into film. It would be marvelous -- kind of like a combination of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings!


<< 1 .. 9 10 11 12 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates