So it is a ripoff of Lord of the Rings stuffed with Welsh names with lots of "y"'s- it's still a nice book. :)

Taran the honourable Pig-Keeper, faithful (former?) Princess Eilonwy, and Gurgi the Gollum-like creature accompany a gathering of mighty, noble kings and their handpicked troops in a quest to destroy the infamous Black Cauldron that the evil king Arawen uses to birth armies from the departed. "Fair Folk," a solid and grumbling dwarf, a gift from an old man to a younger one about to embark on a journey, a tall gray-eyed swordfighter and healer who longs to return to his betrothed and carries a special brooch, a little glass thing that lights up, and a gift of invisibility, all play a part. Catch all the LOTR references yet? ;) Okay, okay "imitation is the highest form of praise" or whatever. This book still has several wise insights and lessons.

Taran butts heads with the proud, conniving young wandering nobleman Ellydir. He struggles with fighting back, but learns to keep his temper and live in peace as far as it depends on him (Romans 12:8). "Wisdom, truth, and love" are precious gifts to be prized. Harp strings that snap when they hear lies ensure honesty in a bard. An unassuming, bumbling friendly they meet on the way turns out to bring a timely help. You can't always trust those who profess friendship, as the kings learn. Taran must sacrifice something dear to him for the good of all the land, when they meet the 3 enchantresses who posses the Cauldron. And an unlikely hero makes the ultimate sacrifice to save them all.

So all in all, this was a nice little adventurous fairytale, with good morals as well.

"It is a bold plan, but with bold companions it can succeed."

"Its powers? Like all weapons, only those held by him who weilds it."

"Indeed, the more we find to love, the more we add to the measure of our hearts."

"Keep a bold heart. Your courage will be tested enough."

"Is there not glory enough in living the days given to us?"

"You should know there is adventure in simply being among those we love and the things we love, and beauty too."

"You chose to be a hero not through enchantment but through your own manhood. And since you have chosen, for good or ill, you must take the risks of a man. You may win or you may lose. Time will decide."

One word...phenomenal! I need to own this book.

I liked this one even more than the first one. Once I finally got the opportunity to dive in, I couldn't put it down. This was very character-driven. Centered mostly around Adaon, a gentle and wise man with no hidden agenda or plots of personal gain whatsoever (who was one of my favorites), Ellidyr, the prideful and arrogant prince, AKA Prince Patchcloak. (I laughed so hard at that) and Taran. These characters were so well crafted that they became real. I was totally engrossed in their world.

Aside from trying to find the black cauldron, destroy it and save the world, this journey is about self-worth, the price of pride and what honor and glory really are. There were quite a few quotes that were highly profound and deserved to be slapped on a mug, pillowcase, t-shirt, and mouse pad and sold all around the world.

I could keep going, but I highly recommend you to read this. Start with the Book of Three. It will give you a better idea of some of the character's backstories.

P.S- If you liked the Disney film, you'll LOVE this

The Black Cauldron was the first movie I can recall looking forward to. I'm not sure how I heard about it, but once I was aware, I begged my parents to let me see it. Once they gave in I looked forward to it all week and invited my best friend along. I remember one of the chief attractions being the skeletal army and being slightly disappointed that there wasn't much undead mayhem, but was otherwise ecstatic. I have never re-watched it. I treasure the memory, but realize that it probably wasn't a great movie and that I'd lose a bit of that pleasant memory by subjecting it to adult scrutiny. I thought reading the book would allow me to enjoy my nostalgia without corrupting the memory.

Wow! The movie was a significant departure from the book.Some of the core characters are there, Taran, Eilonwy, Gurgi, and my favorite oracular pig. The Horned king, the principle villain of the movie, doesn't even make an appearance in the book, though his minions are out and about. The inspiring (but saccharine) self-sacrifice the destroys the cauldron in the movie is in the novel but is grittier and much less Disney.

I did see that the author, Lloyd Alexander, said the movie did not resemble the book.

I liked the book. Some of the characters seem custom made for a Disney movie, but the work well in print too. The sacrifice of a life to destroy the cauldron is a central fixture in both the film and the book, but the two are of very different character. The movie looks at the sacrifice from a Christlike perspective.It is G rated and Disneyfied and the cute and lovable Gurgi even gets a resurrection. The novel does far better with Ellidyr who never fully reforms from being a genuine asshole and whose sacrifice contains as much 'fuck you,' as it does love for the world.

While I enjoyed the first book in this series, I think part of my enjoyment was due to finally diving into such a classic series that had eluded me for so many years. I did enjoy that first book, [b:The Book of Three|24780|The Book of Three (The Chronicles of Prydain, #1)|Lloyd Alexander|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405184012s/24780.jpg|1149593], but it did seem to meander a little too much for my taste. This time around, I felt the plot was much tighter and focused on just a handful of characters, allowing me to get to know them much better.

I also liked how Taran, the main character, grew through the novel. He is still an assistant pig-keeper but he really grows into his leadership role this time around as evidenced by the high impact moral decisions he must make. Not all of the good guys turn out to be so good and the concepts of honor and leadership are paramount. The scenes with the three enchantresses are especially fun to read as they mix humor with danger.

Looking forward to the next one, [b:The Castle of Llyr|24779|The Castle of Llyr (The Chronicles of Prydain #3)|Lloyd Alexander|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405714238s/24779.jpg|3007213].

I like this second adventure through the land of Prydain even more than its predecessor, perhaps because it has more twists and turns (some easy to predict, others not) and a greater focus on characterization over plot. But there's the same sense of humor, and the same love of traditional Welsh folklore informing the narrative.

First published in the decade after The Lord of the Rings, this series clearly owes that one a debt, but it comes early enough in the line of Tolkien's successors that his vision of a fantasy world had not yet calcified into the tropes that later writers must struggle to avoid. As a result Prydain still feels fresh even a half-century on.