Just coming out of The Book of Three, your imagination fired by the adventures of a certain Assistant Pig Keeper? Lloyd Alexander doesn't keep us waiting for the fun to continue - he jumps right into the action with The Black Cauldron, the second book in the young adult Prydain Chronicles, and it’s by no means the least of the chronicles. As a Newbery Award Honor Book, it’s indeed a very good book by itself as well as a wonderful next tale in the series.

The Black Cauldron follows The Book of Three, resuming with the next phase in the life of Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper. The stakes of the war on Prydain have grown more crucial as Arawn Death-Lord creates immortal troops, the Cauldron-Born, out of the Black Crochan. A council is called by Prince Gwydion to plan the capture of the Cauldron, but certain forces in Prydain are determined to halt it every step of the way…even from within the heroes’ own camp. The small band of friends that we have met before – Taran, Princess Eilonwy, Fflewddur Flam, and Gurgi – attempt a desperate search for the Cauldron, with results that are more devastating then they could ever imagine.

You’re free to read this book first (it’s a free country), and I think it’s the one book in the series that wouldn’t be too confusing to read first. However, because of the slower tempo, most kids would probably refer reading an exciting intro (like Book of Three) to get introduced to the series and then go into a more deep sequel. In any case, reading this is like reuniting with old and dear friends - perhaps a bit tentative at first, but then getting lost in the stories and the catching up and just the being of it all. That's part of the magic of the Prydain Chronicles - with each one you feel like getting to know a friend better, and The Black Cauldron especially typifies this, since we get to know Taran and his companions *much* better and much deeper than before.


Plot

Reading this book right after The Book of Three, the story might seem a bit thin compared with the previous book’s breakneck action. It isn’t that nothing happens in The Black Cauldron (the beginning kicks off with quite a blast), but there is more going on behind the scenes than on stage. Instead of point-blank events occurring frequently, the story is filled with contemplative, significant experiences, taking time to explore the minds and hearts of the characters.

While I love this type of story, it does mean that the pacing slips a bit. I was not particularly interested in the plot for a while, until Taran and Co. find the Cauldron and struggle to first regain it and then to keep it. The overall slowed action in this book is the main reason I wouldn’t recommend reading it first in the series. The first half of the book, which mostly deals with relationships – Taran and Gwydion, Taran and Adaon, Taran and Ellidyr, etc. – is vaguely amusing but not captivating in the least.

But in the middle of the book, when the witch-like Orddu, Orwen, and Orgoch appear, that’s when things get interesting! From then on, it’s do or die for our heroes and their cause. I wasn’t bored at all reading about Taran’s agonizing decision over the Crochan, or Ellidyr’s cruel pride and lust for honor; and the thrilling end makes up for the leisurely beginning. During the intrigues and injustices of the last quarter of the book, I clenched my teeth, shook my fists, and made all the signs of entrenched and emotional reading.


Characters

Taran has grown since we last saw him, both in body and in mind. Most of his boyish qualities – a reckless temper and a propensity to make heated decisions – remain; but he has become a little less impulsive since the last book. And now he has the ability to learn from his mistakes and to grow into the man he wants to become. The ability, mind you; he doesn’t always carries out these things, but he’s making good progress. I don’t flush over his senseless outbursts as often as I did in Book of Three, mostly because they’re less frequent and furious. And towards the end he shows the noble, valiant side in him that will eventually triumph at the end of the series.

Eilonwy, Fflewddur Flam, Gurgi, Prince Gwydion – all essentially the same in this book as in the last. Their characters have become a little deeper and more fleshed out, as they should be in a sequel, but they are still the same characters at heart. Each one is very vivid and likeable in their own way, with an endearing individuality in the way they talk and act (although some, like Eilonwy at times, can get on my nerves with their attitude).

Orddu, Orwen, and Orgoch – the three witches, remember – are priceless; they have so many personalities and moods. They alternate between being sweet, giggly, grumpy, creepy, menacing, authoritative, and sympathetic. These three characters make the whole book come to life when they show up. Two more characters and then I’m done: Ellidyr and Morgant. Prince Ellidyr is a proud but penniless aristocrat who loves to insult and trample people, especially Taran. King Morgant is a brave but shrewd ally to Prince Gwydion who plans on taking the Cauldron for himself. Both of these nobles have that dual personality that I love to see in characters; either mostly good with a drop of evil, or mostly evil with a drop of good. This is an awesome tribute to Alexander’s skill as a writer.


Storytelling

Reading this book, you could almost believe it was not created by a contemporary writer at all but by bards and storytellers of Ancient Wales, speaking in the night to spellbound listeners at a roaring bonfire. No really, you open the pages of The Black Cauldron and slip into this mythical realm with the incredibly smooth, rhythmic writing style. Lloyd Alexander chooses his words carefully and doesn’t waste them at all; the pithy but fairy talish style suits the story perfectly. A large part of the book is made up of conversations; and while the dialogue isn’t exactly realistic by modern standards, it’s intelligent and thought-provoking and somehow seems to fit the time the book is set in, Medieval Britain.

The writing style isn't the only magical part of the book. I love – I mean absolutely LOVE – the themes of The Black Cauldron. Early in the book, Taran is given Adaon’s brooch, which has mysterious powers to bestow wisdom of the wearer. For a few wonderful days, Taran enjoys the sensation of being wise, valuable, and admirable; with the help of the brooch, he makes decisions that help his friends and even save their lives. He becomes perceptive, discerning, with insights that he had never glimpsed before.

When he gives the brooch up, the acute loss of knowledge hurts him intensely, but he finds that the wisdom he had had was actually in his heart all along; the brooch simply allowed it to be expressed. As Eilonwy says, he didn’t really give up a thing when he gave up the brooch; he just gave away the magic wisdom, which anybody would have if they wore the brooch. He still has the ability to learn and know and think; and that comes from inside him, not from any magic or outside help. Your own capacity to feel and perceive the world around you, making decisions based on what you know, is what will truly affect your life, not any facts drilled into you by someone else. And Taran, by letting his own heart and mind govern his destiny instead of some magic force, finds that he can be as wise and caring without the brooch as with it; it’s simply a different kind of wisdom. It’s a real wisdom.

It only gets better after this theme in the middle of the book. The proud and ruthless Prince Ellidyr shows up seeking glory at the expense of others; he takes for himself the honor of capturing the Cauldron. Taran ruefully gives in to his taunts by admitting, “It is not fitting for a pig-boy to seek the same honor as a prince.” Now check this out! Eilonwy indignantly replies, “Don’t ever speak of yourself that way, Taran of Caer Dallben. No matter what has happened, you’re not a pig-boy; you’re an Assistant Pig-Keeper! That’s honor in itself! Not that they don’t mean the same thing, when you come right down to it, but one is proud and the other isn’t. Since you have a choice, take the proud one!” Taran responds after some thought, “I do not begrudge Ellidyr his prize. I too shall seek honor. But I shall seek it where I know it will be found.”

I’ll let that speak for itself.


Final thoughts

As a stand-alone book, The Black Cauldron is perhaps a four star book; together with the series, it’s five stars, no doubt about it. The entrancing second half of the book, the dynamic characters, and the deeply touching messages combine to make a wonderful novel that would be a pleasure to read any time. I was especially moved by the last pages of the book, in which one life was honored for what it used to be, and another for what it had become. Gwydion sums up the purpose of the book when he says, “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.”

The Prydain Chronicles

The Book of Three
The Black Cauldron
The Castle of Llyr
Taran Wanderer
The High King


Recommended: Yes

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