Taran Wanderer The Chronicles of Prydain, Book 4 By Lloyd Alexander With Eilonwy learning to be a princess on the Isle of Mona, Taran is desperate to discover his parentage, hoping to be born of royalty. Dallben gives him permission to seek his parents, and Taran sets out with Gurgi by his side. Taran’s quest …
Category: Book Reviews
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Aug 06
Book Review: The Castle of Llyr
The Castle of Llyr The Chronicles of Prydain, Book 3 By Lloyd Alexander Princess Eilonwy is sent to the Isle of Mona to learn to be a lady, and Taran and Gurgi accompany her on the voyage. Shortly after their arrival, Taran is warned that Eilonwy’s life is in danger. Failing to protect her from …
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Aug 05
Book Review: The Black Cauldron
The Black Cauldron The Chronicles of Prydain, Book 2 By Lloyd Alexander Prince Gwydion calls a council of war at Caer Dallben and Taran is invited. To prevent Arawn, lord of Annuvin, from creating more of his deathless Cauldron-Born, Gwydion proposes an expedition to Annuvin to steal Arawn’s cauldron. While Gwydion, Coll, and Fflewddur Fflam …
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Aug 04
Book Review: The Book of Three
The Book of Three The Chronicles of Prydain, Book 1 By Lloyd Alexander Set in the fictional land of Prydain, The Book of Three follows the adventures of Taran, an Assistant Pig-Keeper, as he seeks to find his lost sow, the oracular pig Hen Wen. Frightened by the dreaded Horned King, Hen Wen escaped her …
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Aug 03
The Mabinogion and The Chronicles of Prydain
Most fantasy books draw upon myths and legends in some way or another, even if only in their use of such fantastical creatures as dragons and elves. Lloyd Alexander’s The Chronicles of Prydain is one such series, based on the Welsh legends in The Mabinogion. While the plots of his Chronicles are original, Alexander draws …
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Aug 02
Book Review: The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain
The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain By Lloyd Alexander The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain is a collection of short stories set in the world of The Chronicles of Prydain. First published in 1973, five years after the last book in the Chronicles, this collection of short stories is set before the events …
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Jul 24
Book Review: The King of Elfland’s Daughter
The King of Elfland’s Daughter By Lord Dunsany In the kingdom of Erl, the citizens appear before the king and ask for a magic lord to rule over them, thinking that magic will make Erl known throughout the world. Though the king knows they will come to regret their decision, he agrees to send his …
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Jun 21
Into Darkness: A Life-Long Trekkie’s Review
A couple of nights ago, I finally got around to watching Star Trek Into Darkness. As you may be able to tell from the lateness of my viewing experience, I was not much of a fan of Star Trek (2009) so I had mixed feelings about seeing Into Darkness. WARNING: The rest of this review …
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Jun 06
Book Review: The Tolkien Reader
The Tolkien Reader By J.R.R. Tolkien Published in 1966, The Tolkien Reader is a collection of shorter works by the father of modern fantasy, The Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien. I was about ten years old when I bought my copy at a local used book store, the same store where I bought …
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May 31
Book Review: Ranger’s Apprentice: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja
The Emperor of Nihon-Ja Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 10 By John Flanagan The friends’ adventures take them to the farthest reaches of the world in the tenth novel in the Ranger’s Apprentice series. While in Nihon-Ja learning new swordfighting techniques, Horace and George find themselves on the wrong side of a government coup. Choosing to remain …
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