by Lloyd Alexander
The second book to The Prydain Chronicles picks up where The Book of Three left off. Once again it begins with Taran in Caer Dallben, and almost from the start the hints of adventure fill the air. This book draws Taran closer to the thresh-hold of manhood, and truly by the end of the book he has been tested much more than he was in the first book.
The Black Cauldron was a Newbery Award Honor Book, and it was even turned into a Disney movie that was loosely based on it, as well as a video game by Sierra based on the movie that is now out of print.
Like the first book, The Black Cauldron is filled with the companions struggling and fighting against the evil strategies of Arawn - Death Lord. Yet within the second book, this struggle seems darker, the evil more threatening, the cost the more demanding.
I have read this book (indeed, the series) many, many times over, yet with each reading I am struck with the importance that this story carries which goes beyond the mere story itself. There are great insights and wisdom for life within the trappings of this story which are sometimes spoken in the dialogue, other times woven into the plot.
Lloyd Alexander, in my opinion, has written one of the greatest fiction tales of all time with The Prydain Chronicles. They touch on so many elements of life, that they are truly a great tool for youth to read to not only enjoy, but to learn some timeless truths about life.
This story takes the Chronicles to another level, and you will agree that it well deserved the Newbery Award Honor Book title. The story of The Black Cauldron moves very well, and you will be sure to laugh and weep and, more than once, sit on the edge of your seat before the tale ends.
Review by David Staley