Customer Reviews: Read 122 more reviews...
 My favorite children's book September 30, 2008
I read this book for the first time when I was in the fifth grade. Since then I have read and re-read it time and again over the years (I am now 40) and the book still has a strong appeal to me- I read it again earlier this year and was struck by how profound the book is. Lloyd Alexander was a very rare author who wrote with a high level of integrity and it is easy to see that the Prydain Series was one dear to his heart. I had the opportunity to meet him several years ago and enjoyed the brief visit I had with him. I told him that in appearance, he reminded me of how Fflewddur Flam appeared in my imagination.:-) This book comes highly recommended from me. In this book you will find action, adventure, and drama; and I think perhaps you will even come to better know yourself.
 My Poor Tender Head! May 27, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The High King, like the four volumes leading up to it, is an entertaining read to say the least. Sadly, I was 17 before I discovered the chronicles of Prydain, so a lot of the magic and wonder was lost for me. Still, It never took more than two sittings to polish off any of them. So, for those of you thinking about a purchase, I will share the thoughts of an older reader.
For starters, this is probably the darkest of the series by far. There are some genuinely touching, although not totally unexpected, moments that draws you into a deeper connection with Taran and a couple other characters. Though Lloyd Alexander lacks the extensive descriptive capabilities of Tolkien, The High King does well to give a definitive image of who everyone has become throughout the course of their journeys. There are even a few decent battle scenes, something lacking in the previous installments.
Thankfully, the characters are as likable as ever, still providing a chuckle or two every once in a while. By this point, however, a sense of repetetiveness has more than taken hold. If you were annoyed by the running gags up to this point, then you will be doubly so with The High King. I suppose this is one of the things that declares this more a middle-school book than anything else.
Perhaps the most annoying thing about this entire series is its similarities to another work of fiction set in a little place called middle earth. From the moment I opened The Book of Three, I dubbed this series "Lord of The Rings for Dummies" and indeed it constantly justifies this title. Though, I suppose that it would be better to replace Dummies with Kids, as that is probably what Alexander was angling for. Regardless, it still gets annoying, and at one point down right infuriating, of how muck like Lord of The Rings this series is. I would like to think that I would have been able to get past that weakness if I were in about the fifth grade, but at that time I had already read quite a bit of Tolkien's work, so I doubt it would have changed anything.
I find the end of this series comes much as any other ending of any truly good book/books: a rush of joy at having concluded a good story coupled with a great sadness like the loss of an old, dear friend. Indeed, The Chronicles of Prydain, The High King included, deserves a place somewhere between Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter on the shelf of anyone that loves fantasy or just a good read in general.
Create Your Own Review March 27, 2008
Jamin P. review of The High King by Lloyd Alexander, March 19, 2008
The book I read, The High King, was great. The time, setting and plot all fit together quite nicely. The story takes place in Medieval Times but it is a fantasy world. Taran, an assistant-pig-keeper, is now a great warrior and he is the leader of an army of horsemen against Arawn-Death-Lord. There is a catch though Arawn has stolen the sword of Dyrawyn- the most powerful weapon in the kingdom of Prydain. Taran and is companions have set out to claim the sword back for the diabolical Arawn. They have to go to Arawn's lair, which is at the top of Mount Dragon. After many bloody battles they are able to retrieve the sword for Arawns Lair. At the end they end of the book some of Taran's companions go to the Summer Country, while some stayed on the now peaceful and prosperous land of Prydain.
Not Free SF Reader September 3, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Pig boy gets over it, the sword, the girl, the knowledge and the administration job.
Taran finally gets organised as far as the princess is concerned, but, as these things goes, is rudely interrupted by the goings on caused by your usual dark lord of the underworld.
A fantasy hero has to deal with that first, befor eany nuptials, as well as all the nicking off of the supernatural types and a decision for the woman of the piece.
The Perfect Fantasy August 5, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
It is NOT my intent to be inflammatory or insulting with this review. However, as humans, we live and die by comparing and contrasting, so I can't help it if I do so. Please don't shoot the messenger because I rate Alexander's series according to personal standards.
Second, I am not merely reviewing The High King here; this is the best place to review the entire Chronicles of Prydain, and so I shall.
I have also heard a little rumor recently that Alexander's books have been recommended in reference to Harry Potter, and I have nothing against Harry Potter other than it is a lukewarm, morally tepid tale in which the characters, magic and plot are only occasionally consistent; however, the likeness between Harry and Taran are, in short, the difference between heroism by circumstance and heroism by choice.
Now to the review and to more (unintentional) offense: The Chronicles of Prydain slightly resemble (especially in the first part, The Book of Three) The Lord of the Rings because they are both drawn from the same Welsh roots. The Chronicles of Prydain are better, hands down, no questions asked. I have always regarded Tolkien as the untouchable master of Fantasy, until now. Here is why Alexander tops the unbeatable:
1.His characters are closer, more human, and more real. They are all easily accessible. They are all ingeniously well-defined. I am not as well-read as I should be, but I have never read a more likeable, fleshed-out and consistent, large cast of characters. His genius shines through.
2.Where Tolkien is mythology, Alexander is what mythologies are made of. The Chronicles of Prydain cut right to the core of the greatest human stories and their humanity--their sacrifice. The individual acts of sacrifice in each of the books are heartrending, and somehow, almost in an act of divinely-inspired propitiation, heart-mending. Frodo's act of sacrifice at the end of Return of the King pales in comparison to the multitude of sacrificial acts that culminate with Taran's decision at the end of The High King. It is awe-ful.
3.The female characters are superb. Eilonwy is a likeable, strong and strong-willed female who is consistently Eilonwy, the perfect foil to Taran, and perfectly balanced. Alexander did not make her a shrew, a feminist, or anything overboard to the point of ruining the character, the story or the consistency. She is wonderfully written and no less a hero than Taran, though the spotlight is not always on her. Alexander was truly ahead of his time in making a female hero so real, so approachable, so likeable, and truly heroic.
4.The plot is seamless. Books one through five fit together as in a panoramic puzzle, with each thing building on the other. Granted, Tolkien wrote in the style of the medieval, and he did so without flaw, but with Alexander, every scene serves the plot. There is not one wasted word, and few unanswered questions, if any.
5.The plot is character-driven. Unlike Harry Potter, where the deus-ex-machina is unbelievably heavy, the plot in the Chronicles of Prydain is character-driven, and hinges on the characters making the right decision without regard to their personal desires. I have only seen one other author in whose books this trait is so pronounced (see Nicole of Prie Mer: Book One of the Latter Annals of Lystra, to start) and so perfectly wielded. However, it makes for the most satisfying plot resolution possible.
6.The characters are hopefully complex and dynamic. I have never read of so many characters that are redeemable--and indeed, we see many of them redeemed. I can only hope to look on life with the optimism that Alexander must have had. His characters, even many of his bad ones, are so lovingly handled, I must hope that my Author chooses to deal with me so mercifully. The Mercy offered in these books goes beyond the pity offered to Gollum and into the redemptive work of One who can transform lives. It is extremely powerful, and the same reason so many of the minor characters are beautifully real and dance off of the pages.
I could go on and on, and fortunately for you, I won't. I am so lucky to have found these books. I hope many receptive hearts will continue to find them for several generations. May Alexander rest peacefully, and I hope that somehow, somewhere, he knows that his Taliesin is smiling.
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