The Radical Child

The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This collection of short stories by Lloyd Alexander occurs in his land of Prydain, focusing on several events that occurred before the birth of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper.

“The Foundling” tells of how the three witches from the Marshes of Morva found Dallben when he was just a baby and adopted him, until he goes off on his own while receiving a book with wisdom as a gift, although it’s slightly unclear if it’s The Book of Three.

“The Stone” tells about an elderly couple, Maibon and Mondrona, with the former (the husband of the pair), receiving a stone from Doli that allows him to stop aging, although he regrets his decision since the artifact stops biological aging all around him.

“The True Enchanter” tells of how Princess Angharad’s mother Queen Regat of Llyr brought several suitors to her, intending her daughter to marry an enchanter, although against her mother’s wishes, she settles upon the least magical of them, Geraint, with whom she ultimately elopes.

“The Rascal Crow” tells about how King Arawn, Lord of the Land of Death, seeks to enslave the creatures of the forest, among them being the eponymous avian Kadwyr, who doubts the skill his and his fellow animals’ guardian Medwyn proclaims among them, although certain circumstances cause the crow to be more appreciative of his fellow beings.

“The Sword” provides backstory on the black blade that plays part in the primary Prydain series, Dyrnwyn, which becomes an inheritance of Rhitta, crowned King of Prydain, although he procrastinates in aiding a shephard named Amrys, claiming many lives along the way and erecting the subterranean Spiral Castle before he ultimately dies from his selfishness.

“The Smith, The Weaver, and The Harper” tells about how the hammer of Iscovan the Smith could work any metal, how the shuttle of Follin the Weaver could weave quickly, and how the harp of Menwy the Bard could play beautiful music, with Arawn the Lord of Death seeking these relics and disguising himself, with the first two craftsmen falling for his deception but the last seeing through his veil.

“Coll and His White Pig” tells of how Coll seeks to rescue his white pig Hen Wen from King Arawn of Annuvin, Lord of the Land of Death, due to the swine’s disposition as an oracular porcine, and meets Dallben, who allows him to partake in the wisdom of The Book of Three.

“The Truthful Harp” tells about how King Fflewddur Fflam aspires for recognition by the High Council of Bards, and while the Chief Bard initially fails him, he does give him his iconic harp whose strings break whenever he utters an aberration, with this quirk allowing him to grow in character.

Doesn’t quite fill all the holes in the Prydain series, particularly with regards to the enigmatic Taran, but definitely a good read, whether before or after the main series.



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The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The third entry of the late Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain series opens with Princess Eilonwy, Daughter of Angharad and Regat of the Royal House of Llyr, leaving Caer Dallben for the Isle of Mona for instruction on how to become proper royalty. The monarchs of the island, King Rhuddlum and Queen Teleria, have their son Prince Rhun be her escort, with Taran and her other companions ultimately joining in the voyage. The main inciting incident of the story comes when the royal palace’s Chief Steward Magg, who doubles as a war-leader, and Princess Eilonwy, vanishing without a trace.

On their quest for the missing princess, Taran and his companions encounter the solitary hut of a potion-maker named Glew, eventually finding what became of him, and have a hostile experience with the feline creature Llyan. As they seek Eilonwy, the companions find her bauble, ultimately termed the Golden Pelydryn, and spend a few chapters trapped in a cavern with a giant they eventually escape. A book that appears to be empty serves as an important artifact, and the third installment ends with several chapters occurring at the fortress Caer Colur with a prior adversary.

All in all, this was another good, quick, enjoyable Prydain story, even if it hinges upon the damsel-in-distress trope prevalent in medieval-set fantasy, although there are plenty of good twists, and in the final chapter the holes that were present before the disappearance of Magg and Eilonwy receive due explanation. Alexander followed the main text with an anecdote about how he loved cats and thus introduced a fantastical feline into the world of Prydain, and one could consider him an American children’s Tolkien, predating many more notable fantasy works ahead of his age.



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The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The inaugural entry of author Lloyd Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain opens with protagonist Taran yearning to make a sword, although his master, Coll, would rather he make horseshoes. Dallben, master of the farm where Taran lives, Caer Dallben, and nearly four centuries old, fears the Horned King, the champion of the dark lord of Annuvin, Arawn. Taran becomes an Assistant Pig-Keeper in charge of the oracular porcine Hen Wen, who runs away into the woods, beginning the young hero’s quest. Within the wilderness, Taran witnesses the Horned King, with Gwydion, Son of Don and war-leader of Prydain High King Math Son of Mathonwy, coming to his aid.

Hen Wen’s trail they follow, encountering the simian creature Gurgi, who regularly talks with close-knit words that rhyme, as well as avian gwythaints, which serve as Arawn’s spies and messengers, the Eyes of Annuvin. After an encounter with the Cauldron-Born, Taran is knocked unconscious and finds himself in a cell in the Spiral Castle, home of enchantress Achren. There he meets Princess Eilonwy, Daughter of Angharad, Daughter of Regat, ancestors to the Sea People, of the blood of Llyr Half-Speech, the Sea King, with Achren her aunt and instructor. Taran and Eilonwy escape, meeting the wandering bard Fflewddur Fflam, who accompanies them in their travels.

Wolves eventually attack the party, although they relent when Medwyn sees they are friends of Gwydion’s horse Melyngar, after which they go to a village where Gurgi, who received an injury from Cauldron-Born beforehand, recovers. Taran, Eilonwy, and Fflewddur make the Valley of Ystrad their next destination, braving mountains where a black lake attempts to ensnare then, and they find themselves in the court of the dwarven King Eiddileg of the Kingdom of Tylwyth Teg. Thence the dwarf guide Doli shows them the way to Caer Dathyl, culminating in a battle against the Horned King and his forces.

All in all, while The Book of Three isn’t a terribly-lengthy novel, it definitely packs a punch, given its tight, engaging action and occasionally dialogue and denouement, with an author’s note after the main text noting the story’s inspiration from Welsh mythology, similar to how J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series had its roots in Norse mythos. There are definitely similarities to Tolkien’s literary franchise, although in his time, one could definitely consider Lloyd Alexander the American equivalent of Middle-earth’s creator, and younger audiences in particular, for whom the author intended the Prydain series, will definitely find it an engaging read.

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