Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding! Exceptional! A Treasure Among Fantasy for kids!
Review: The Minute I Stepped Foot into Alexanders Imaginary world of prydain, I was entranced by the quaint little world he had created. Immediately I fell into complete understanding with the charecters. Taran who longs for Fame and Glory, but who in time learns the true meaning of a hero, Gurgi, who like a puppy wants only to please, and Fflewwdur Fflam whose tongue is constantly running away with him. Even at age 16 I find myself picking up the book and rereading it. Great job for Alexander
Rating:
Summary: The Best Book I've Ever Read
Review: This book has all the makings of a classic. Fun and exitment make this book wonderful, but the knowledge and wisdom it spreads makes it the best. No child should grow up without it our the rest of the Prydain Chronicles
Rating:
Summary: Possibly the greatest book I've ever read.
Review: This book is true literature, yet young and old will surely benifit from the wisdom that it holds within not even 300 pages.The charecters become special friends, they are not
like normal storybook charecters that die when you close the
book. You journey with Taran, Gurgi, Eilonwy, Adaon, and Fflewddur Fflam as they learn life lessons, and you learn some of your own. The companions set out to destroy the Black Crochan, a cauldron used to make evil zombies. Along
the way they conquer evil, meet new people, and Taran takes
a step into manhood. The Black Cauldron will always have a
dear place in my heart.
Rating:
Summary: Great! A must read book.
Review: Taran, Eilonwy, Gurgi, and Fluddur Fflam are back in another
enchanting fantasy in the land of Prydain as described in The Book of Three.The companions set out on a journey to destroy the Black Crochan,a cauldron used to make cauldron-
born zombies. Packed with action, wisdom, and courage, this
is an excellent read for Princesses of Llyr, bards, princes and Assistant Pig Keepers the same.
Rating:
Summary: The black cauldron is excellent!
Review: The black cauldron is a excellent book! I have read it many times over.. Along with the rest of the series. I encourage anyone who likes to read fantasy books like this to buy/check it out from your local library
Rating:
Summary: "The Huntsmen of Annuvin are Abroad..."
Review: "The Black Cauldron" is the second in Lloyd Alexander's five-part Prydain chronicles, and possibly the most well known. When discussing these books with other people, you'll usually get a blank look if you say "the Prydain books" or "The Book of Three", but if you mention "The Black Cauldron", you'll probably get a vague sense of recognition. It is a Newbery Honour book and was made into a Disney film, and as such is the most popular of all five books.
A few seasons since the events in "The Book of Three" have passed, and the old enchanter Dallben has called together a secret council to make war against the Death-Lord Arawn. Travelling to the small cottage are many great lords and warriors, including Prince Gwydion, a son of the House of Don, the wise and gentle bard Adaon, the proud warrior Morgant, and the arrogant Ellidyr. Together Gwydion and Dallben have hatched a daring plan to snatch Arawn's greatest weapon from his grasp - the terrible Black Cauldron that creates his undead warriors: the unkillable, zombie-like Cauldron-born.
All this is immensely exciting news for Taran, who still has lofty dreams of heroism and danger, and for the Princess/scullery maid Eilonwy and the odd creature Gurgi (who can best be described as a hairier, benevolent Gollum). Taran is delighted to find that he has a place in the mission, but less excited to find that it simply involves minding the horses. Travelling with Ellidyr and Adaon, who give him very different lessons about the meaning of honour and courage, Taran once more ends up on an unplanned-for adventure with his core group of friends: Elionwy, Gurgi and Fflewddur Fflam.
What follows is another wonderful story, with all the mystery, suspense, adventure, and intrigue that builds on the previous book and sets us up for the next one. All of the main characters are beautifully endearing, from the feisty Eilonwy, the loyal Gurgi, the grumpy Doli and the travelling king/bard Fflewddur who snaps a harp string every time he stretches the truth. But this is perhaps the only book when the secondary characters are more fascinating - Ellidyr, Morgant, Adaon, Gwystyl, and the strange sisters - Orgoch, Olwen and Orddu. None of these characters are who they seem to be, and blur the straightforward line between good and evil.
Alexander laces wonderful humour throughout his story, as well as subtle morals that are worthy of thought. The fact that Alexander has actually used the myths and legends of Wales means that there is a sense of resonance in the environment and history in the pages - especially in the tale of how Dallben gained his wisdom.
All of these books are utterly essential to a child's book shelf, and to a fantasy fan of any age, so make sure you pick up the following books "The Castle of Llyr", "Taran Wanderer" and "The High King". These are classics, and as such they will stay with you a long time after you've closed them.
Rating:
Summary: "You had me on..."
Review: Yes, I judged this book initially on its cover. I first read it in 7th grade...any book with an attractive young woman on it got my attention quickly.
It was a bit disorienting to enter this series on book 2 but it was still an amazingly fun ride!
I quickly acquired and read the entire chronicles and have recently (almost 25 years later) re-read most of it. It still holds my attention and tugs at my heart strings.
Rating:
Summary: AN EXTRAORDINARY READING
Review: Here's an audio version with double listening pleasure - an introduction read by Newbery Medal winning author Lloyd Alexander, and a splendid reading of Book 2 in the imaginative Prydain Chronicles by Royal Scottish Academy trained actor James Langton. What a voice! Scifi for young readers and listeners takes on new dimensions in this intricately plotted and finely executed tale focusing on the challenges faced by Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper in Caer Dallben. Warriors in Arawn's army seem to be an unbeatable foe - they increase in number daily and never die. Born in the Black Cauldron they appear to be invincible. Taran, accompanied by true friends, sets off for Arawn's home with hopes of destroying the Cauldron. - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: An Awesome Book
Review: The best known title of any of the books in the Prydain Chronicles (owing, probably, to that horrendous Disney movie from the 1980s). In this beautifully woven tale, we return once more to meet Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper of Caer Dallben. With his faithful crew in tow (Eilonwy, Gurgi, Fflewddur Fflam, Doli, etc.) as well as new companions, Taran sets off to find and destroy the legendary Black Cauldron.
Unlike the first book in this series, this story is beset by some small inconsistencies that hurt its storytelling. At the end of the first book, Taran's hot head had been cooled by actual battle. He understood what it meant to go to war, and was happy to return and stay at Caer Dallben once more. Unfortunately, Taran goes right back to square one in this newest adventure. Again he is the same rambunctious unthinking adolescent he was before. I'm not saying this is necessarily an inaccurate portrait of an adolescent. Just disappointing. It would be nice to see Taran growing a little wiser with each book. Still, there is much to love in this story. Taran finally meets a boy that rivals and beats him in quick thoughtless action. Flewddur the bard is still abandoning his kingdom to go fight and play the harp. Princess Eilonwy is just as feisty as ever. It's a wonder to think that even though this series was written at the same time as Britain's "White Mountains" chronicles, this particular group of books stands out for its far-sighted take on women and their abilities. Eilonwy may not be invited to the men's war councils, but she objects heartily to the fact. She fights as well as any (considering her circumstances) and is always of great help to others. It's funny, but you can't help wondering how Taran keeps ending up in the company of so many members of royalty (Eilonwy, Fflewddur, Gwydion, etc.). They seem to be as numerous as the leaves of spring. In the end, "The Black Cauldron" (why wasn't it named "The Black Crochan" as the book calls it?) is a worthy, if slightly less impressive, successor to "The Book of Three". Readers who decide to start the series with this book will have little difficulty catching up with the action at hand. It is an enjoyable story that deserves to be remembered in the hearts and minds of fantasy lovers everywhere.
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