By Lloyd Alexander
In my opinion, this is the best book of the series so far because, as the author promises, fantasy tells us much about our lives. This may be the most obvious bildungsroman that I have read, in which Taran becomes Taran Wanderer instead of Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper.
Taran sets off with the loyal Gurgi to find his identity and parentage. His first stop is the Marshes of Morva, where Orddu, Orwen, and Orgoch send him off to find the Mirror of Llunet and discover his parentage. His horse is stolen by a traveling band of Lord Goryon's men, but he wins her back by letting the proud lord claim he is too good to keep a pig-keeper's nag. He travels on to Lord Gast's Hall, where he meets up with his old friend Fflewddur. Gast claims to be extremely generous, but feeds him only a poor meal. Taran helps King Smoit settle a feud over a cow between Gast and Goryon, saving Smoit's life in the process. He suggests that a farmer, whose fields were destroyed by the feud, keep the prize cow. She always has twins, so when they are born, the farmer will give one twin to each Lord.
Llyan, Fflewddur's giant cat, finds a dying frog that happens to be their (formerly) dwarf friend Doli. The group defeats Morda, the wizard who has turned Doli into a frog with his newly discovered power to kill the previously invulnerable Fair Folk. Along the way, Taran discovers that this wizard also killed his beloved Princess Eilonwy's mother.
Taran duels with Dorath, the leader of a band of thieves and mercenaries, and loses his sword. The group meets a herdsman named Craddoc and stays with him at his rundown cottage high in the mountains. He claims to be Taran's long lost father, so Taran stays to help him ready the land and cottage for winter. Craddoc later falls down a rocky slope and dies, first revealing that he lied about Taran being his son.
Taran decides against seeking the mirror, instead determining to make his own way rather than find his identity in his lineage. He apprentices himself briefly to a blacksmith, weaver, and potter. None of these trades, however, is his calling. He defends a village against Dorath's band, with Gurgi riding a bull to help with the defense. Annlaw, the wise potter, advises Taran to seek the Mirror of Llunet to be able to see himself for who he truly is. He looks into the Mirror before it is destroyed by Dorath, whom he duels once again. In the end, his former sword breaks on the sword that he forged himself with the blacksmith.
Taran sets off with the loyal Gurgi to find his identity and parentage. His first stop is the Marshes of Morva, where Orddu, Orwen, and Orgoch send him off to find the Mirror of Llunet and discover his parentage. His horse is stolen by a traveling band of Lord Goryon's men, but he wins her back by letting the proud lord claim he is too good to keep a pig-keeper's nag. He travels on to Lord Gast's Hall, where he meets up with his old friend Fflewddur. Gast claims to be extremely generous, but feeds him only a poor meal. Taran helps King Smoit settle a feud over a cow between Gast and Goryon, saving Smoit's life in the process. He suggests that a farmer, whose fields were destroyed by the feud, keep the prize cow. She always has twins, so when they are born, the farmer will give one twin to each Lord.
Llyan, Fflewddur's giant cat, finds a dying frog that happens to be their (formerly) dwarf friend Doli. The group defeats Morda, the wizard who has turned Doli into a frog with his newly discovered power to kill the previously invulnerable Fair Folk. Along the way, Taran discovers that this wizard also killed his beloved Princess Eilonwy's mother.
Taran duels with Dorath, the leader of a band of thieves and mercenaries, and loses his sword. The group meets a herdsman named Craddoc and stays with him at his rundown cottage high in the mountains. He claims to be Taran's long lost father, so Taran stays to help him ready the land and cottage for winter. Craddoc later falls down a rocky slope and dies, first revealing that he lied about Taran being his son.
Taran decides against seeking the mirror, instead determining to make his own way rather than find his identity in his lineage. He apprentices himself briefly to a blacksmith, weaver, and potter. None of these trades, however, is his calling. He defends a village against Dorath's band, with Gurgi riding a bull to help with the defense. Annlaw, the wise potter, advises Taran to seek the Mirror of Llunet to be able to see himself for who he truly is. He looks into the Mirror before it is destroyed by Dorath, whom he duels once again. In the end, his former sword breaks on the sword that he forged himself with the blacksmith.
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