Rating: Summary: It is a must read book!!!! Review: There are many characters in this book I will tell you some of the main characters. Taran, an assistant pig keeper, and Dallban, Taran's guardian/leader throughout the book. The story starts in early Autumn. Taran is doing his chores when along comes a very important knight. This is not very good news. There are already many brave knights and loyal kings awaiting his company in Dallbans house. There is a very evil king out to get the the black cauldron. But if the cauldron falls into the wrong hands, then very bad things are ahead. In the middle of the book Taran ends up getting the cauldron, and never lets it go.In the end to wrap the whole story up Taran becomes a hero. I loved this book, and I encourage you to read it.
Rating: Summary: An Awesome Book Review: The Black Cauldron is a really fantastic book...it has all of the elements that make great fantasy what it is. Alaxander further develops his characters, as well as adding new ones-Adaon son of the Chief Bard Tailesin and Ellidyr Prince of Pen Llarcu are chief among them-and you are reintroduced to everyone from Taran to Doli. One of the best aspects of this book, I think, is that Taran never becomes the perfect hero that so many characters seem to be-he makes many mistakes, and whenever he does make one, a reproof (most often by Eilonwy) is quick in coming. I love the characters, particularly Adaon and Eilonwy, and the description is informative but not overwhelming. I also loved Orddu's description of Dallben that went totally against what he had been portrayed as-all in all, an extremely good and refreshing book.
Rating: Summary: I did not enjoy the story as much as the book of three Review: Imagine a mission to find something nearly impossible, accompanied by a girl, a hairy thing named Gurgi, and a harp player named Fflewdder Flam who over exaggerates. Well In the Black Cauldron it does have all of that in the book. Taran has to trade his broach to get a black crochin, but the witches said ok we will trade, but most of the stuff was too valuable. So Taran trades his brooch, for the Crochin. Then later in the story the jealous prince Ellidyr the son of Pen-Llarcau came and threw him in the river and took it. I did not enjoy the story as much as the first one. I did not like the beginning of it or the middle of it. I thought it was boring because they were always arguing. But I did like the part when Gurgi broke loose from his captors and flung himself toward the king.
Rating: Summary: Have you ever wondered about magic Review: Have you ever wondered about magic? A lot of people do wonder. In Prydain a lot of characters are supernatural. There are enchanters like Dallbon and enchantresses like Eilonwy. There are dark magic woods, magical objects like spellingsticks grass nets, wands and baubles. There is evil. Great evil like Achren. So Prydain is full of supernatural beings. Most of the supernatural beings use their power for good and to protect their family and their homes from people like Achren. I liked The Black Cauldron because it has a lot of adventure. Because I like to go on adventure because some adventures are highly dangerous like mountain climbing is dangerous. There are a lot of other dangerous adventures but there are to many to list. I also liked it because of Eilonwy -- she knows how to take care of herself -- she's strong magic and cool! The girl has all the moves. I think she could beat up Taran like Taran was a stick.
Rating: Summary: Dont judge a book by its cover! Review: The Black Cauldron, is one of my personally favorite books because I was trying to look for a book that had no magic like Harry Potter and all of his garbage about magic, well I found one!, The Black Cauldron is based on a Robin Hood type character who longs to be a hero, his name is Taran, the assistant-pig keeper who goes on a journey and faces many hardships with his friends, Eilonwy, Gurgi, Fflewddur Fflam(the bard), and Doli. These hardships include destroying the black cauldron. This story is mostly about loyalty and facing your fears.
Rating: Summary: The review of the Black Cauldren Review: The author of this book made the characters very realistic in that they all had real seaming feelings which made them different. I will tell about them one at a time. Taran thinks he is better than he really is in the beginning but as the story goes along he gets wiser. Taran is also my personal favorite character. Gurgi is a funny little thing in that he always talks like this "Taran save Gurgi from crashings and bashings" but he has a cool little wallet that is always filled with wafers. Princess Ellonway has some good sense but Taran hardly listens to her speak. Fflewedor is a bard with a magical harp that pops a string every time he makes a wrong decision. I really enjoyed the characters of the book and it's hard to see what's coming next with them. The book was really exiting because of the characters.
Rating: Summary: Great Book, My favorite of Lloyd Alexander Review: This is most definitely my favorite book out of all of Lloyd Alexander's. It begins with a council that decides what will be done about a cauldron that creates deathless warriors. A quest begins. There is a lot of sorrow, adventure, battle, and heroic deeds in The Black Cauldron. I reccomend it. Characters like Adaon and Ellidyr will keep you wondering and thinking about them the whole way through. There are a lot of heartbraking choices made. So get this book if you like adventure stories.
Rating: Summary: The adventures of Taran continue Review: This is probably the best known of the Chronicles of Prydain due to the Disney movie of the same name. In this book Taran, Eilonwy and their friends continue their adventures, as they seek the destruction of the Black Crochan, the magic cauldron that their enemy Arawn of Annuvin uses to create his immortal, mute, soldiers the Cauldron-Born. "The Black Cauldron" introduces the characters of Gwystyl (the gloomiest of the Fair Folk), the jolly King Smoit, Kaw the rascally crow, and Orrdu, Orwen and Orgoch, the three "witches" of the Marshes of Morva.
Rating: Summary: Iffy Review: Though this book had a very good strong point, it was kind of a let down. I do like Lloyd Alexander's writing and all, but I found this book a little more off than all his others that I have read. The first book, "The Book of Three", was good I'll admit, but it took a while to get into it. I think that Lloyd Alexander should have put a little more action in the both of them, but that obviously, is just my oppinion.
Rating: Summary: And the adventure continues... Review: Book 2 of the Prydain Chronicles, The Black Cauldron, returns us to the wonderful world of the unforgettable characters in The Book of Three. An uneasy peace has reigned, but with the Death Lord rising again, the adventurers are off, joined by new friends and foes - with either not always clear which is which (the wacky ladies of the Marshes of Morva and Ellidyr are real puzzlers). While each of these marvelous books can certainly stand alone and be judged individually, I like to think of them in their totality. The action and characters are briefly reintroduced in each work, but it's knowing where they came from that makes their present personalities and connections more meaningful, so I encourage reading them in order if possible. The Black Cauldron is darker and more conflicted than its predecessor, but how can it not be with the dreadful Cauldron-born, the unkillable walking dead warriors - I'm all grown up and they still give me delicious heebie-jeebies. It may sound strange to enjoy the shivers, but that's the wonder of Lloyd Alexander's storytelling - you feel pity for these seemingly one-dimensional horrors. Similarly, Taran and his friends have left their innocence in Book 1. Being a Hero is not only more difficult than he thought, but Taran is not sure he knows what it means to be one anymore. The also-matured Eilonwy, Fflewddur, and Gurgi continue to be the brave, loyal friends who liven up the story with wit, sweetness, and (often) better sense. Alexander mimics life so wisely, something I appreciate increasingly with each successive reading. Taran has to live with more difficult choices that no longer only affect those immediately around him. Not only is his newfound authority challenged, but people and situations are more ambiguous, no longer just good or bad, triumphant or defeated, joyful or sorrowful, but usually a combination of both. Death tinges these pages, not victoriously, but sadly - precisely because it is necessary. At the same time, the narrative is woven throughout with gentle humor. Nothing is absolute with Alexander, and the beauty of The Black Cauldron is how the conflict makes perfect sense.
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