Book 5, The High King: The Chronicles of Prydain

Lloyd Alexander wrote a perfect series. From book one, he painted pictutes with words. Taran's adventures were equally precious (his relationship with Eilonwy) and entertaining to read about in this book. Bravo, Mr. Alexander!

Drynwyn is the most powerful weapon in Prydain. Now Taran, an assistant pig keeper during the medieval age must travel to Mount Dragon evil's strong hold. During a winter of danger Taran reaches Mount Dragon. He faces Arawn evil deathlord, and makes the most crucial desicion of his life.
This book wasn't a very good novel. It was a little violent and the names are confusing. Like the name Eilonwy is a diffucult name to say. This book is confusing unless you read the other books in the series. (The Prydain Chronicles) They don't descibe the setting of characters in the book. They just jump right into the story where it left off from the other book. This book is a little like The Hobbit, by J.R.R Tolkien. I like The Hobbit a lot better. The Hobbit was easier to follow and was very well written. I sugjest that you read the other books first. This wasn't one of his best written books. That is why I rated it like I did.

What a satisfying conclusion. For a few pages there, I thought I was going to be really upset at the ending. Alexander really made me care for the characters throughout the series. You can also tell a big difference between the characters at the beginning of the series and at the end. They've grown and matured and their world views have changed. All in all, a very good series.

Not only do the Chronicles of Prydain contain hilarious anecdotes, beautiful Celtic-based names and places, but they also contain life lessons of patience, truth, and love. There is even a bit of "real" mythology and lore in them, as many of the stories are based on Celtic tales. I started reading these books when I was 9, and for the past 8 years, have not lost my love for their enthrallingly beautiful tales!

The High King
By: Lloyd Alexander
Reviewed By: JGagnier
Period 1
Lloyd Alexander's The High King is a very good book. It is filled with action and adventure. The main characters name is Taran, and assistant pig keeper. He is asked to go on a quest with Prince Gwydion so the can defeat Arawan The Death Lord and regain the sword of legend Dyrnwyn.
I really enjoyed the book. Like most good books it keeps you in suspense and is hard to put down. I liked in particular the way the Princess and Taran had fallen in love and how she would irritate him.
My favorite part of the book is when the Princess had been captured and was rescued by wolves and bears. The then used these forced to attack Arawan's men, and delayed and weakened them. I like the idea of a girl taking charge and causing damage to enemies.

I was sceptical about reading this book the first time, but it turned out to be one of my favorites. It holds all the key elements for a good book. And is filled with action, adventure, and even some tragedy. Lloyd Alexander as made a great ending for the Cronicles of Prydain. I would recomend this book to anyone that like a book with adventure and some magic.

The swaord of Dyrnwyn, the most powerful weapon in the kingdom of Prydain, has fallen into the hands of Arawn-Death-Lord. Now Taran, Assistant Pig Keeper, and Prince Gwydion lead an army against the powerful lord. After a winter expedition filled with tons of danger, Taran's forces arrive at Mount Dragon, the Death Lord's Stronghold. There Taran is forced to make the most crucial decision of his life as he confronts the "evil" enchantress Achren and the diabolical Arawn... This book has a lot of action. Parts of the book are sad, and others execiting! If you loved this book you'll love to read the first ones. I loved this book so much that I read THREE TIMES! I recomend this book to anybody that loves action, adventure, and sorrow books! That my friend is YOU!

This book was an incredibly interesting book and a great pleasure to read. I give this book five stars for its strong storyline and detailed writing. It is sad but that only adds to the emotion and detail. The book is very intricate but at the same time fairly simple to understand. I would recommend this book to any fantasy loving reader but, the others in the series should be read first. If you love adventure read this book and enjoy learning about the land of Prydain in The High King.

The High King, like the four volumes leading up to it, is an entertaining read to say the least. Sadly, I was 17 before I discovered the chronicles of Prydain, so a lot of the magic and wonder was lost for me. Still, It never took more than two sittings to polish off any of them. So, for those of you thinking about a purchase, I will share the thoughts of an older reader.

For starters, this is probably the darkest of the series by far. There are some genuinely touching, although not totally unexpected, moments that draws you into a deeper connection with Taran and a couple other characters. Though Lloyd Alexander lacks the extensive descriptive capabilities of Tolkien, The High King does well to give a definitive image of who everyone has become throughout the course of their journeys. There are even a few decent battle scenes, something lacking in the previous installments.

Thankfully, the characters are as likable as ever, still providing a chuckle or two every once in a while. By this point, however, a sense of repetetiveness has more than taken hold. If you were annoyed by the running gags up to this point, then you will be doubly so with The High King. I suppose this is one of the things that declares this more a middle-school book than anything else.

Perhaps the most annoying thing about this entire series is its similarities to another work of fiction set in a little place called middle earth. From the moment I opened The Book of Three, I dubbed this series "Lord of The Rings for Dummies" and indeed it constantly justifies this title. Though, I suppose that it would be better to replace Dummies with Kids, as that is probably what Alexander was angling for. Regardless, it still gets annoying, and at one point down right infuriating, of how muck like Lord of The Rings this series is. I would like to think that I would have been able to get past that weakness if I were in about the fifth grade, but at that time I had already read quite a bit of Tolkien's work, so I doubt it would have changed anything.

I find the end of this series comes much as any other ending of any truly good book/books: a rush of joy at having concluded a good story coupled with a great sadness like the loss of an old, dear friend. Indeed, The Chronicles of Prydain, The High King included, deserves a place somewhere between Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter on the shelf of anyone that loves fantasy or just a good read in general.

Lloyd Alexander won a Newbery Medal for this final book in his Prydian Chronicles. This modern fantasy book is one of my favorites and tackles the basic confrontation of good and evil. Strongly based on Celtic and Welsh mythology, Lloyd Alexander creates the kingdom of Prydia. Throughout the series, the assistan t pig-keeper, Taran, encounters the evil forces of Arawan, the Death Lord. Paralleling the story of King Arthur, Alexander's hero believes himself to be nothing but an insignificant farm hand until he rises to greatness at the climax of the novel.

The High King was descriptively written as it tells the quest of an Assistant Pig Keeper on his journey to save the most powerful weapon in all of Prydain from the clutches of the evil deathlord Arwan and his hordes of twisted warriors. The High King is truly a great book of good versus evil.

Today (June 11, 2005), I finished up reading the entire Prydain series and I can honestly say that The High King is the finest work of fiction ever written.

It is also the only novel to ever make me cry.

The journey, the loss of loved ones and treasures lost.

If you enjoy Lord Of The Rings, you will like this even more.

This was a meaningful book that was packed with adventure. Mr. Alexander is excellent at fleshing out characters. I regret that I read this book second, after Taran Wanderer. I think I would have enjoyed it even better if I read the Chronicles in order. (Why I did that, I'l never know.)

The book itself is really great, and the writing is so full! Lloyd Alexander does a wonderful job creating a fantasy that almost makes you feel like your a part of it. The ending IS a little sad- but still, it's fantastic.???

The High King is a wonderful book. A couple years ago I wanted a book with a mixture of action, drama, humor, fantasy, and rich characters. I found the Prydain Chronicles and got it! It was great! You've got to read it! Some might think at first it's not what they want, but boy, it draws you in!! If you've read the other Prydain Chronicles, you've got to read this one. It answers questions, but in a shocking, unexpected way. Lloyd Alexander is a great author, so try some of his other books too! I highly recommend this book to anyone! Read it to see why I'm so excited about it!

The adventures of Taran and friends ends with a war that splits Prydain apart. As the Cauldron-Born invade and conquer, Taran struggles to find a way to stop them. Taran is forced to unite friends and foes alike to drive out the evil forces once and for all.
It is masterfully crafted and a unique fit for an ending to the Prydain series. The book grabs you and doesn't let go until you have turned the last page. At the very end of this book, however, Taran makes a decision that will leave you in tears. Keep a box of tissue close at hand when you reach the final chapter. These were the best written books I have had the fortune of reading. Anyone with dreams of heroism should read the entire Prydian series.

I thought this was one of the best Prydian books. The Black Cauldren was really good too. There's a lot of action in "The high King" and it goes in depth more. (if you know what i mean.) But if you read this book before the rest of the series, you'll miss out on many important details and it'll ruin the the rest of the books and I recommend you read them all!

You will be sorely disappointed if you read this book before reading the first four Chronicles of Prydain. This allegedly children's series is actually a heart-rending tale of the tragedies and triumphs of the trip from teenager to adult. It is, I believe, one of the best stories ever written and a landmark in teenage literature. do yourself a favor--start with The Book of Three and read the other four books before you read The High King. If you do, Taran and his friends will remain with you for life.

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!

The Final book!

Having gone through the previous four books with hope and a sense of wonder that I hadn't had since the Percy Jackson Books, I am proud to say that The Chronicles of Prydain has taken its place among my all-time favorites, alongside the Percy Jackson series, and the His Dark Materials Trilogy.

The ending leaves me satisfied, in how their story ends.