The Black Cauldron (Lloyd Alexander)

Author Biography

Lloyd Alexander (1924-2007) was the widely renowned author of numerous fantasy novels, most famously The Chronicles of Prydain. His honors include a 1966 Newbery Honor for The Black Cauldron and the 1969 Newbery Medal for The High King.

Published By: Holt, Reinhart and Winston

Year: 1965

ISBN: 0-8050-0992-2

Reading Level: Grades 7 and up

Reader’s Annotation:

A year after their adventures in The Book of Three, Taran and his friends join the lords of Prydain on a quest to destroy the Black Cauldron of Arawn. This quest proves darker than Taran ever expected and drags him headlong into new maturity.

Plot Summary:

Men have been disappearing throughout the land of Prydain, while the terrible undead warriors of Arawn the Death-Lord are appearing in greater numbers than ever. Arawn is clearly no longer just reanimating battlefield corpses, but committing murders to expand his army. At a council, Prydain’s kings and princes all agree that they must enter Annuvin, the Land of Death, to destroy the infamous Black Cauldron from which the zombies are “born.” With them on the quest comes Taran, the young Assistant Pig-Keeper of Caer Dallben, who is once again tired of his mundane chores and eager for glory. He scarcely enjoys the journey, though, as he makes a quick enemy of the arrogant young Prince Ellidyr.

The journey into Annuvin proves a shocking failure: the cauldron has vanished! But a hint to its whereabouts soon appears. Taran, his pride goaded by Ellidyr, sets out to find it himself, along with his ragtag trio of friends, Fflewddur Fflam, Gurgi and Princess Eilonwy. Their search leads them to the Marshes of Morva and into the home of three witches, who inform them that the cauldron can indeed be destroyed… but only at the cost of a life.

Critical Evaluation:

This second installment of Lloyd Alexander’s beloved Chronicles of Prydain (and namesake of the obscure 1985 Disney film, based both on this book and on its predecessor The Book of Three) is worthy of its Newbery Honor status. For starters, it’s a classic fantasy adventure, with a high-stakes quest, royalty, bards, “fair folk,” enchantresses, and magic both helpful and dangerous. But as in The Book of Three, just as important as the fantasy, if not more so, is its portrait of Taran’s coming-of-age journey.

Despite the lessons he learned in the first book, our young hero is still brash, quick-tempered, and all too eager for honor and glory. Over the course of this quest, he sees his own flaws magnified both in his rival Prince Ellidyr and later in a deadly enemy, forcing him to view himself, those two men, and the ambition they all share in a different light. He also learns just how dark and complex the struggle of good vs. evil can be, as blood is shed, allies prove treacherous, and victory can only come at a terrible cost. Once again his journey shows him the value of all things peaceful and ordinary.

Still, the darkness is never too dark for young readers. Much-needed comic relief is provided by Taran’s quirky trio of friends and by the three cheerfully amoral, darkly humorous witches Orddu, Orwen and Orgoch. The ever-feisty Eilonwy also provides a nice dose of girl power in a mostly male-dominated story. Lovers both of light fantasy and dark fantasy and of plot-driven and character-driven stories alike will find this book engrossing.

Curriculum Ties:

•Fantasy worlds

•Welsh mythology

Challenge Issues:

•Violence

•Disturbing imagery

•Adolescent death

•Suicide

Why This Book?

With its masterful balance between darkness and light and between fantasy-adventure and a bittersweet coming-of-age tale, The Black Cauldron is both a worthy addition to the Chronicles of Prydain and a classic in its own right.