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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I've been wanting to read this series for a long time and I finally got to book 1 last year. Book 2, The Black Cauldron, is an epic fantasy tale of morality and sacrifice which I greatly enjoyed.
(I finally watched the Disney movie and was disappointed to find that it cherry picked the setting and a handful of characters, but 75% of the story and characters were missing and the rest was significantly changed. The spirit was there, but it would be lovely of someone adapted the whole series someday.)
(I finally watched the Disney movie and was disappointed to find that it cherry picked the setting and a handful of characters, but 75% of the story and characters were missing and the rest was significantly changed. The spirit was there, but it would be lovely of someone adapted the whole series someday.)
"It is strange," he said at last. "I had longed to enter the world of men. Now I see it filled with sorrow, with cruelty and treachery, with those who would destroy all around them."
I was enchanted by the first novel of the Prydain Chronicles series, and for exactly the opposite reasons I became enchanted and attached to this one. While the first novel was light in spirit, focused on introducing us to the main characters and helping us understand their personalities, happy and humurous at the bottom of its heart.
The Black Cauldron was dark and grim, impressively so for a middle-grade novel to an extent that I wondered how this was marketed towards children. This is one of the reasons I loved it, we have conciously softened many stories in children's literature, yet this novel was positively refreshing and something I feel I'd have appreciate as a child.
It doesn't shy away from teaching you lessons through pain that you experience right along with the characters that you've met in the first book. This emotional tension adds up, and while I may have foreseen one of the "major" event within this book, I was positively surprised as to the remaining events that I wasn't expecting, and that's way more than I could ask for from a middle-grade novel.
This series is making me have very high expectations for the books I will read after, since in this second novel I've found things that I've never encountered in novels before. It has everything I want in a story, even to some extent in prose.
It's a very refreshing look at quality middle-grade literature that even adults can enjoy, and while I know I won't find books of this calibre, I'm sure there are more middle-grade books that can make an adult feel many things that adult books can't.
It's been a long while since I haven't been disappointed by the ending of a book, and while Lloyd Alexander has a tendency to rushing the last few pages of his book, I don't really care at this point since the ending of this book for me was completely unexpected and impressive.
I felt connected to the events, to the characters, to the decisions they had to make or not make so much so that I wanted to scream in their name to solve any kind of conflict. At no point was I sure what each character would choose to do, and that by far has left a long-lasting impression for me.
I felt Gurgi was quite overlooked in this book however, he seemed more of an add-on here rather than a key character like in the first novel. So much so that many times I'd forget he was even there with the party of our characters. It was a shame he wasn't depicted more, but then again it wasn't something that took away the quality of the book from me, he could've been either completely excluded or more included.
"It is easy to judge evil umixed," said Gwydion, "But, alas, in most of us good and bad are closely woven as the threads on a loom."
I was enchanted by the first novel of the Prydain Chronicles series, and for exactly the opposite reasons I became enchanted and attached to this one. While the first novel was light in spirit, focused on introducing us to the main characters and helping us understand their personalities, happy and humurous at the bottom of its heart.
The Black Cauldron was dark and grim, impressively so for a middle-grade novel to an extent that I wondered how this was marketed towards children. This is one of the reasons I loved it, we have conciously softened many stories in children's literature, yet this novel was positively refreshing and something I feel I'd have appreciate as a child.
It doesn't shy away from teaching you lessons through pain that you experience right along with the characters that you've met in the first book. This emotional tension adds up, and while I may have foreseen one of the "major" event within this book, I was positively surprised as to the remaining events that I wasn't expecting, and that's way more than I could ask for from a middle-grade novel.
This series is making me have very high expectations for the books I will read after, since in this second novel I've found things that I've never encountered in novels before. It has everything I want in a story, even to some extent in prose.
It's a very refreshing look at quality middle-grade literature that even adults can enjoy, and while I know I won't find books of this calibre, I'm sure there are more middle-grade books that can make an adult feel many things that adult books can't.
It's been a long while since I haven't been disappointed by the ending of a book, and while Lloyd Alexander has a tendency to rushing the last few pages of his book, I don't really care at this point since the ending of this book for me was completely unexpected and impressive.
I felt connected to the events, to the characters, to the decisions they had to make or not make so much so that I wanted to scream in their name to solve any kind of conflict. At no point was I sure what each character would choose to do, and that by far has left a long-lasting impression for me.
I felt Gurgi was quite overlooked in this book however, he seemed more of an add-on here rather than a key character like in the first novel. So much so that many times I'd forget he was even there with the party of our characters. It was a shame he wasn't depicted more, but then again it wasn't something that took away the quality of the book from me, he could've been either completely excluded or more included.
"It is easy to judge evil umixed," said Gwydion, "But, alas, in most of us good and bad are closely woven as the threads on a loom."
i do love this one. ellidyr is such a bastard character but it’s so good however his arc seems a little rushed. also if i have to read “colls bald head shined with pride” “his bald head glowed with pleasure” again (i know i will) i may lose it. what does this MEAN?????? also gwystyl is a cheeky king
adventurous
tense
This is such a huge improvement over the Book of Three. The characters stop bumbling around and make well-reasoned decisions or confident mistakes that lead them to learn from the error of their ways. They make friends and enemies, have exciting adventures and must make moral choices and grow. It's great high fantasy for kids. This book is nothing like the Disney movie of the same name - they basically kept the character names and title and changed everything about the story. The book is much more complex and much more enjoyable!
There is more honor in a field well plowed than in a field steeped in blood.
A nice sequel to the adventures of Taran and his friends. I hope the mystery behind the witches will be revealed later on.
Taran the Pig Keeper is on another adventure--- and sets off on a mission with a gang of warriors, friends, Kings and randoms to track down the Black Cauldron (to destroy and stop cauldron born from being created).....on his journey he loses friends, finds friends, gets a brooch, makes some decisions, protects his friends.....all with honor.
I have to say these are fun, but quite dry--- nothing like modern YA, but it is good to read these and re-remember the story and pick up details I missed as a kid. I don't think I read the next in the series, but I will continue to find out what happens to Gurgi and Taran.
Read if you enjoy fantasy from your childhood.
Popsugar 2020: A book published in the 2oth century
I have to say these are fun, but quite dry--- nothing like modern YA, but it is good to read these and re-remember the story and pick up details I missed as a kid. I don't think I read the next in the series, but I will continue to find out what happens to Gurgi and Taran.
Read if you enjoy fantasy from your childhood.
Popsugar 2020: A book published in the 2oth century
Better, a solid three stars.
I think the only problems I'm having with the books is how much they remind me of Lord of the Rings and how one-dimensional the characters and and the setting of the book are. I mean, I'd like a book or a story that has some good chapters of filler, ya know? But you really don't get that... you really don't get any filler at all. Everything just moves from point A to point B.
Also, the villains seemed to get killed off awfully fast. Like, one minute they show up and the next minute they're gone. :/ I know it's a kids book, but Voldemort and co lingered around a hell of a lot loner than everyone I've read that has been a threat in these books.
Still, I'm enjoying it. I'm hoping the next book is filler with undertones of plot changes.
I think the only problems I'm having with the books is how much they remind me of Lord of the Rings and how one-dimensional the characters and and the setting of the book are. I mean, I'd like a book or a story that has some good chapters of filler, ya know? But you really don't get that... you really don't get any filler at all. Everything just moves from point A to point B.
Also, the villains seemed to get killed off awfully fast. Like, one minute they show up and the next minute they're gone. :/ I know it's a kids book, but Voldemort and co lingered around a hell of a lot loner than everyone I've read that has been a threat in these books.
Still, I'm enjoying it. I'm hoping the next book is filler with undertones of plot changes.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes