It’s ironic that the very last book in the series should be the best one. I enjoy reading endings, but I’m always sorry when it’s over. I want the story to keep going on and on – but only my imagination continues the tale.

The High King by Lloyd Alexander is the fifth and final book in the Prydain Chronicles, a Welsh fantasy series for young adults. This book is the longest of the set and is perhaps the most well known, since it received the Newberry Medal. It’s also a regrettably good book, making it a lot harder to reach the final page and close the covers.

In The High King, we resume where Taran Wanderer left off – our young hero is coming home from his journeys to Dallben and Coll, his two guardians and mentors, and Hen Wen, the oracle pig that Taran takes care of. A host of other friends greet him; Princess Eilonwy, fiery but faithful; Gurgi, Taran’s monkey-like traveling companion; and Prince Gwydion, a wise Qui-Gon Jinn type figure who turns out to be the crucial character in the pages ahead. It quickly becomes obvious that this adventure will be far more dangerous and noble than any they have ever known, as Arawn Death-Lord conquers and destroys the Kingdom of Prydain. His deathless troops are an invincible enemy, but the war becomes impossible to win when Dyrnwyn, the ancient sword, is taken by Arawn. Taran’s courage and every other quality in him is tested, perhaps to the death, in the struggle of good against evil.

This book is set in the alluring backdrop of Medieval Britain. It captures the flavorful spirit of high adventure and courage that the previous books showed a glimpse of but did not carry to completion. Here all the threads of events from the past adventures come together into a tapestry, quite literally, as you’ll find when you reach the end of the book. And we can step back and see the whole picture, complete and satisfying, but saddening nevertheless. I don’t want it to end!

If you haven’t read the previous books (The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Llyr, and Taran Wandere), you will probably be confused by plunging immediately into the story with The High King. But it is possible to read this book by itself; so if you’re willing to wrestle the enemies of confusion, you can go ahead and read The High King first.


Plot

Simply glancing over the plot description, it's pretty easy to spot the elemental and universal aspects of The High King's story. Good against evil; right against wrong; the brave but mortal heroes against the evil but seemingly invincible villains. Can it get any better? Heavens, no. I love all the twists and turns that make The High King a roller-coaster adventure. It has a fantastical, imaginative flavor that adds a heavy dose of fantasy to history. History, you say? You may be surprised to know that this book is closely linked with Welsh mythology. Gwydion, Dyrnwyn, and Arawn are names that frequently appear in Medieval myths from that area, and Prydain itself was the mythical name for England. And parts of the story itself are similar to stories from Welsh legend.

The first time I read The High King, I held my breath through many scenes in the book, impatient to find out what happens; and additional readings do not dull the excitement of the plot. Of course, even the first time I through, I knew who Taran was; he just HAD to be, well, who he really was! Why else would the book be called, well, um, in case you don’t know what happens, I won’t give anything else away.


Characterization

This book does an excellent job of characterization. The people that gallop through the story live and breathe with realness and richness. These characters have not only grown since we last saw them, they are still growing as we watch them survive and struggle. Taran is the most obvious example of this. From a reckless, easily-angered teenager, he has developed into an even-headed, discerning leader who still has plenty of courage. He finds that manhood and responsibility is not everything he had thought it would be. Reluctantly but bravely he accepts the mantle of commandership, and begins to make choices that affect not just himself, but others as well. All the raw, rough qualities of goodness and valor that were present in him throughout the previous books are brought to maturity in The High King, and Taran unconsciously becomes the noble, wise hero that he always wanted to be.

Eilonwy also has changed. I miss the flighty, giddy princess of yonder years, but I’m glad to meet the new queenly young woman that we discover in The High King. Not that Eilonwy is docile and quiet yet; she still has a spice of temper that flares up; but she has learned the proper time and place for defiance. Now she’s enchanting and has lost the annoying pettiness of her girlhood.

The non-teenaged characters go through less violent changes. Gwydion remains his valiant, honorable self; Dallben and Coll are still the steadfast allies they have always been; the zany bard Fflewddur Flam is as scatterbrained and likeable as ever; and the other supporting characters – the thunderous King Smoit, “good old Doli” the dwarf, and majestic High King Math – hold constant their distinctive and endearing personalities.


Storytelling

Lloyd Alexander has an unusual and appealing way with words, and nowhere is it more evident than The High King. It feels so much like this book is being read and performed and sung by a master storyteller, so vivid is the legend-like writing style. It reminded me somehow of the Grimm Brothers’ stories in the way the words are put together into ideas and actions. The sentences and phrasing are somewhat concise, with a rather archaic mood from the turn of phrases Alexander uses. The writing has a very different feel from the modern, “realistic” style (such as “He glanced around the room, wondering what to do”). It approaches the story from an omniscient, almost mythical view, as though it was a fable centuries old; and if you let yourself forget the conventions of writing that you’re used to, you will find The High King’s style extremely satisfying.

You’ll also find this type of writing is perfect to read aloud. Most children probably won’t be ready for this book on their own until fifth or sixth grade, since some of the words are hard to figure out when reading silently; but kids from preschool up will love the thrills and escapades of Taran and his friends when you read The High King aloud together. This is one of those books that will delight you whether you’re a child reading it for the first time or an adult rediscovering it; it’s just written so well that you can enjoy it at any age.

As this book progresses, we see through Taran's life a number of subtle and beautiful themes exemplified, the most prominent of which is entering adult life and leaving behind his immature ideas and actions. I know rite-of-passage books are common and familiar, but The High King shows this process in a touchingly characteristic way: Taran matures without it specifically saying so, through the situations and conversations that he makes the right choices in.

Other idealistic delusions that Taran holds vanish throughout the story; war is not a glorious crusade, but a bloody battlefield; leadership is not a glorious distinction, but a grave responsibility. And the bittersweet ending, in which Taran must give up his dreams of glory and tribute for the realities of his place in life, is the culmination of his maturity, shaking off the last trace of childhood. I get a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye every time I read that scene, because I can see Taran in myself.

And then of course there’s the fundamental theme of position – is an Assistant Pig-Keeper less honorable than a High King? You have to experience the worthiness of the former in order to comprehend the humility of the latter. It’s only when Taran lets go of his idea that rank equals worth that he discovers his true self.


Final thoughts

If I could somehow recommend this book to every literate person on earth, I would. That, however, is logistically impossible, so I’ll content myself with recommending The High King to all who read this article. I encourage you by all means to check this book out, or better yet, get the whole series out. I’d suggest the big hardback that has all of them in it; it’s titled simple The Prydain Chronicles. You’ll find like I did that it’s both wonderful and heartbreaking to finish the adventure.

The Prydain Chronicles

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


Recommended: Yes