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25th out of 269 books
—
156 voters
The Black Cauldron (The Chronicles of Prydain #2)
Peace reigns in Caer Dallben, where Taran works as Assistant Pig-Keeper, but evil threatens the rest of Prydain. The diabolical Arawn’s army grows every day, and his terrible warriors never die. They are born in the Black Cauldron from the stolen bodies of slain soldiers. If evil is to be defeated, the cauldron must be destroyed. Taran volunteers to travel to Arawn’s stron...more
Paperback, 240 pages
Published
April 12th 1990
by Yearling
(first published 1965)
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Old Shit I'm Revisiting: The Prequel: Part 2
Aw this is more like it. As I said I was a bit disappointed reading The Book Of Three this is more like The Prydain I remember. There are still flaws, writing at times can be a bit flat, and the exposition a bit heavy. But the moral universe of the characters has grown nicely adding shades of grey to what was starkly black and white before, there's room for some apt and surprisingly lovely metaphor (The broach that causes everything to look different i...more
Aw this is more like it. As I said I was a bit disappointed reading The Book Of Three this is more like The Prydain I remember. There are still flaws, writing at times can be a bit flat, and the exposition a bit heavy. But the moral universe of the characters has grown nicely adding shades of grey to what was starkly black and white before, there's room for some apt and surprisingly lovely metaphor (The broach that causes everything to look different i...more
Jun 16, 2008
X
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fantasy fans, especially kids and young adults
Recommended to X by:
Q
Yet another fast moving, easy reading book. I wish I had read it sooner, as I was confused in the beginning trying to remember who all the characters were. However, after the first chapter or two it was quite good. A few parts were disturbingly LOTR reminiscent, but not enough to make it a cheap rip-off. Most of the characters were good and the mythological influences were nice. I'll think I won't wait so long to read the rest of the series.
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Apr 02, 2007
Scott
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
decent people
The first book in the Prydain series didn't exactly impress me. I was afraid the whole lot of them would be stories where this motley crew of adventurers makes one mistake after another because they're silly and self-righteous but somehow manages to magically win in the end.
The Black Cauldron changed my mind. While the characters didn't get too much smarter, they matured quite a bit. Their bumbling isn't quite as tiresome, and they seem to learn a lot quicker and think less about themselves. So...more
The Black Cauldron changed my mind. While the characters didn't get too much smarter, they matured quite a bit. Their bumbling isn't quite as tiresome, and they seem to learn a lot quicker and think less about themselves. So...more
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Lloyd Alexander's publishing history is impressive: the "Chronicles of Prydain," of which The Black Cauldron is the second, was a five-book series written in five years. In theory each stands alone, though it certainly helps to bring a little pre-established investment in the characters to the later books.
The Black Cauldron is probably the most straightforward "quest" story of the lot. We learn about the titular cauldron and what it does (make deathless warriors for the evil Lord Arwan) in the f...more
The Black Cauldron is probably the most straightforward "quest" story of the lot. We learn about the titular cauldron and what it does (make deathless warriors for the evil Lord Arwan) in the f...more
Single review for the Chronicles of Prydain, as they are similar in style and quality and could have been produced as a single large volume of five sub-books.
The Chronicles of Prydain are children's books. Some children's books hold up well when read by an adult, but these are definitely for kids and do not carry any added depth. The adventures are amusing but flat. You might smile at Eilonwy's sass and moxie and Fflewdur Fflam's tall tales. But you're probably also going to cringe at Taran's e...more
The Chronicles of Prydain are children's books. Some children's books hold up well when read by an adult, but these are definitely for kids and do not carry any added depth. The adventures are amusing but flat. You might smile at Eilonwy's sass and moxie and Fflewdur Fflam's tall tales. But you're probably also going to cringe at Taran's e...more
Arawn is again threatening Prydain. He has a black cauldron, which reanimates corpses as deathless soldiers. Gwydion has determined that the cauldron must be destroyed. He gathers together an eclectic group to attempt the feat. Included, of course, is Taran, along with several of his companions from his last adventures. Excluded is Eilonwy, but the stubborn, tom-boyish princess is not to be denied. Taran and a few others are soon separated from Gwydion and the bulk of the company and must pursue...more
Loved this book, though it's aimed for children it is a good read for all ages! Perhaps it can even remind of us things we have forgotten because they are not widely seen in our everyday lives anymore. Lloyd Alexander has talent, and it is clearly shown in this book. I'd say it's better than the first in the series. You're introduced to all the same characters from the first, which is good because they are a kind of fellowship that works well for the story, it starts out under a threat like the...more
Michelle Kwait
Adventure
(SPOILER ALERT)
Summary:
The Black Cauldron follows the journey of Taran, assistant pig-keeper, and his assorted companions through the fictional realm of Prydain. The Black Cauldron of the title is in posession of Arawan of Annuvin, who plans to use the cauldron to create souless, immortal warriors to place him firmly in power. The companions set out to steal the caldron from Arawan, only to find someone else beat them to it. The group attempts to head home, but are pursued...more
Adventure
(SPOILER ALERT)
Summary:
The Black Cauldron follows the journey of Taran, assistant pig-keeper, and his assorted companions through the fictional realm of Prydain. The Black Cauldron of the title is in posession of Arawan of Annuvin, who plans to use the cauldron to create souless, immortal warriors to place him firmly in power. The companions set out to steal the caldron from Arawan, only to find someone else beat them to it. The group attempts to head home, but are pursued...more
Lloyd Alexander's cast of quirky characters returned in full form for this second Prydain adventure. Faced with the enemy of his own pride, among other foes, Taran goes through some rather striking character development; his friends provide support, tonguelashing and comic relief.
The humor and Taran's character progression really make the book. Though a lot of the quirky personalities run dangerously close to gimmickry, the tale is short and fast-moving enough that it doesn't matter. I never qui...more
The humor and Taran's character progression really make the book. Though a lot of the quirky personalities run dangerously close to gimmickry, the tale is short and fast-moving enough that it doesn't matter. I never qui...more
The Black Cauldron is the second book in Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain series, and it is by far better than the first book The Book of Three. The Book of Three focuses on the fact that the protagonist is an Assistant Pig-Keeper for an oracular pig. Do I care about assistant pig-keepers? Do I care about oracular pigs? No. So I didn't care much about the events and characters in the first book.
The Black Cauldron mercifully had little to do with pigs, and more to do with character develo...more
The Black Cauldron mercifully had little to do with pigs, and more to do with character develo...more
Lloyd Alexander never ceases to amaze me!!
This installment of the Prydain Chronicles is, I think, the best...although I've only read this one and the first one. (thank you Ivy for adding it to my ever-growing stack of library books!!)
The surprising twist with Ellidyr at the end is brilliant, not to mention rather tear-inducing (okay, I really didn't cry...I ALMOST did, which is a huge improvement for me!!! :)).
Also, Eilonwy proves to be more and more like me each day...it's kind of creepy...at t...more
This installment of the Prydain Chronicles is, I think, the best...although I've only read this one and the first one. (thank you Ivy for adding it to my ever-growing stack of library books!!)
The surprising twist with Ellidyr at the end is brilliant, not to mention rather tear-inducing (okay, I really didn't cry...I ALMOST did, which is a huge improvement for me!!! :)).
Also, Eilonwy proves to be more and more like me each day...it's kind of creepy...at t...more
This is the second book in the Prydain series for Lloyd Alexander. In this book Taran goes on a journey to try and get the evil cauldron that is being used to bring back the dead. As they are separated into groups with different assignments, Taran finds himself with Elliyr, a royal with a bad attitude and Adaon, a bard and dreamer. Even though Eilonway and Gurgi were not invited on this dangerous trip, they find Taran and go with the group to try and destroy the cauldron. Along the way, Adaon is...more
The evil Lord Arawn is creating mindless, undieing cauldron-born. The familiar companions from The Book of Three join forces with the greatest lords of the land with a plan to steal the cauldron and destroy it. Plans like this never seem to go well, and this one seems to be foiled from the very beginning. We are intruduced to a handful of new characters, I'm not sure if they will continue throughout the rest of the series or not.
I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series. Alexander h...more
I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series. Alexander h...more
Great book. This is a fantasy with a human element in the hero that is rare. Taran, a lowly "Assistant Pig-Keeper," is humble, though often hot-headed. To this hero honor matters, but integrity rules. His decisions are always selfless and courageous, though often youthfully unwise. His companions and superiors are often the more wise and honorable, yet Taran's leadership takes them where they must go. The self sacrifice and humility he shows makes him a great hero for young people, most of whom...more
Jan 30, 2010
Venla Tuominen
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fantasy lovers, those interested in Irish mythology
Recommended to Venla by:
My mom
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Book 2 of the Chronicles of Prydain series, which I sort of worshipped as a kid. I really wish that my copy of the book features the cover pictured with this review, as it seems to ignore Taran completely and just features Eilonwy doing something badass, which is pretty cool.
Also, I will repeat a warning I made in my review of The Book of Three: The Walt Disney Corporation, in a well-intended but disasterous move, decided to make an animated movie called The Black Cauldron several years ago. Th...more
Also, I will repeat a warning I made in my review of The Book of Three: The Walt Disney Corporation, in a well-intended but disasterous move, decided to make an animated movie called The Black Cauldron several years ago. Th...more
Granted, The Black Cauldron is quite a short book, but I still think it says something that I read it in two days, with a lot of other stuff going on in my life. Honestly, I can't even put my finger on what it is that makes me give it four stars instead of five... the absence of some intangible something. Nonetheless, a great book.
The Book of Three was fun but took awhile to get going, and only moved out of normal kid adventure now and then, but the second book goes into grander, more epic, and...more
The Book of Three was fun but took awhile to get going, and only moved out of normal kid adventure now and then, but the second book goes into grander, more epic, and...more
This was a really great, short, little fantasy adventure. When compared to other fantasy books, it feels very small. The journey isn't very long and doesn't go through too much. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. That's just what it is. The story is of an Assistant Pig-Keeper named Taran and his friends who join a company of kings and warriors who set off to find and destroy The Black Cauldron. The Horned King, Arawn, is using it to breed deathless soldiers. The way the cauldron works is, you pu...more
So much better than the first book! I can see why it got a Newbery Honor. True, I could tell by Chapter 2 who would die, who couldn't be trusted, and who would redeem himself before the end, but I don't think that detracted from the story too much. I felt that Taran did a lot of growing in this one. I didn't like that it was his magical brooch helping him do it, but he was able to retain what the brooch taught him after it was out of his possession. Eilonwy and Gurgi weren't nearly as obnoxious,...more
In which Taran sets out to put an end to an army of undead grotesques, and can't seem to avoid a heck of a lot of familiar faces.
Picking up where The Book of Three left of, the second novel in the Chronicles of Prydain series is overall a better experience. Alexander's prose still sometimes seems to skip through entire sequences at breathtaking speed, and characters are prone to overtly state elements of the author's mission statement, but - as I said in my review of the first book - that is onl...more
Picking up where The Book of Three left of, the second novel in the Chronicles of Prydain series is overall a better experience. Alexander's prose still sometimes seems to skip through entire sequences at breathtaking speed, and characters are prone to overtly state elements of the author's mission statement, but - as I said in my review of the first book - that is onl...more
My favorite movie when I was a kid was one I'd never seen. It was a Disney story I collected in a sticker book which followed the adventures of a pig herder, a princess, a hairy little man, a terrible bard and their oracular pig in their fight against the horned king. To suggest this left a profound mark upon me may have been a little of an understatement - the undead lord's rumbling of "I presume, my boy, you are the keeper of this oracular pig" still makes me grin. And so when wandering about...more
Apr 08, 2013
Krystal Hickam
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Teens, Young Adults, Fantasy lovers, Sci-Fi lovers, Mythology lovers
This is the second book in the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander, and a fitting sequel. Once again, we are graced with Taran, Gurgi, Princess Eilonwy, Fflewddur Fflam, and Doli. In this book, Taran along with Prince Gwyndion and numerous other Kings and Princes, venture off to take Arawn's Black Cauldron so they can destroy it. Unfortunate events happen, naturally, and we are stuck on a journey with four of the five main heroes.
This journey holds more sorrow than the first book. Many lives...more
This journey holds more sorrow than the first book. Many lives...more
I liked The Black Cauldron better than I liked The Book of Three. The characters we knew grew a bit, but not so much that they were unrecognizable. As irritating as Taran can be, too much change wouldn't quite be believable. The Black Cauldron also introduced a number of new characters, as quirky as the last batch. I particularly liked Orddu, Orwen and Orgoch -- they might be my favorite characters of the series (I'm writing this review after having finished the Chronicles). They were multi-face...more
This second book in The Chronicles of Prydain is an excellent continuation of the series. The stakes are higher as the good guys plan to confront the evil Death-Lord Arawn himself and steal the Black Cauldron before he can use it for his wicked purposes, and the writing reflects the increased threat and danger, but is still somehow really fun to read. I love how the core characters are already progressing. Taran, Eilonwy, Fflewddur and Gurgi are being treated with more depth and history, and the...more
AN ANCIENT IRON MENACE STALKS PRYDAIN!
The Companions, as the author frequently calls them, are summoned by Prince Gwydion and the venerable wizard, Dallben, to undertake a perilous quest: to march into the stronghold of the evil Lord of Annuvin, to remove and destroy the black cauldron of heavy iron, which Arawn uses to spawn a vicious breed of Middle World Undead. We are pleased to meet again our old friends from THE BOOK OF THREE: Taran, the Assistant Pig Keeper, who longs to be considered a...more
The Companions, as the author frequently calls them, are summoned by Prince Gwydion and the venerable wizard, Dallben, to undertake a perilous quest: to march into the stronghold of the evil Lord of Annuvin, to remove and destroy the black cauldron of heavy iron, which Arawn uses to spawn a vicious breed of Middle World Undead. We are pleased to meet again our old friends from THE BOOK OF THREE: Taran, the Assistant Pig Keeper, who longs to be considered a...more
One of the best books in this series, as our heroes join the mission to steal the magic cauldron the the Dark King uses to create his zombie soldiers.
They find the Cauldron, get separated from the main army and have to deal with witches, a treacherous swamp and the forces of evil.
Great fantasy adventure novel, full of strong characters and a clever sense of humor.
They find the Cauldron, get separated from the main army and have to deal with witches, a treacherous swamp and the forces of evil.
Great fantasy adventure novel, full of strong characters and a clever sense of humor.
Like the first book, my review is split on this one--3 stars for me, 5 for my boys, so an average of 4. One thing is sure, this book is better than the movie version. Disney took a lot of liberties, and in many ways, spoiled it. I enjoyed this one better than the first book in the series. It starts to branch out a bit into more original territory--although the parallel between the cauldron and the one ring is a bit obvious. I liked the witches--that part is rather entertaining. I saw the ending...more
Oh, James Langton, you silver-tongued devil. Your audiobook recordings are so unbelievably good, so lively and full of unique characters, I could listen to you read for days (and I have).
'The Black Cauldron' is the second book in the Prydain chronicles - a classic quest, full of Princes and crones, evil undead and courageous warriors. We begin in Caer Dallben, where Taran works as Assistant Pig-Keeper, dreaming of greatness and glory.
If you are lucky enough to have the audio version of this bo...more
'The Black Cauldron' is the second book in the Prydain chronicles - a classic quest, full of Princes and crones, evil undead and courageous warriors. We begin in Caer Dallben, where Taran works as Assistant Pig-Keeper, dreaming of greatness and glory.
If you are lucky enough to have the audio version of this bo...more
As a whole, this book is actually quite well written. The storyline of the first half of the book was not very happening, but the second half was much better, faster-paced and there was at least one twist in the plot.
In the first half of the book, there was a lot of travelling involving Taran, Eilonwy, Gurgi, Fflewddur and Doli. Not much action as the book dealt more with their emotional journey – how they matured through their experiences. In fact, Taran was advised (more than necessary) on how...more
In the first half of the book, there was a lot of travelling involving Taran, Eilonwy, Gurgi, Fflewddur and Doli. Not much action as the book dealt more with their emotional journey – how they matured through their experiences. In fact, Taran was advised (more than necessary) on how...more
This has always been my favorite of the series. It has such danger & humor & the various hero's journeys deepen as the story continues. Here we meet Gwystyl & Kaw & the tragic figures of King Morgant & Ellidyr & Islimach.
When I read this book as a little girl, I was quite taken with the character of Adaon, the son of Taliesin. I hated Ellidyr, the last son of a poor family who has nothing but his sword, his horse & his prideful rage to carry him through. As an adult I...more
When I read this book as a little girl, I was quite taken with the character of Adaon, the son of Taliesin. I hated Ellidyr, the last son of a poor family who has nothing but his sword, his horse & his prideful rage to carry him through. As an adult I...more
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Lloyd Chudley Alexander (January 30, 1924 - May 17, 2007) was an influential American author of more than forty books, mostly fantasy novels for children and adolescents, as well as several adult books. His most famous contribution to the field of children's literature is the fantasy series The Chronicles of Prydain. The concluding book of the series, The High King, was awarded the Newbery Medal i...more
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“Child, child, do you not see? For each of us comes a time when we must be more than what we are.”
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