The Book of Three
Taran is an assistant pig-keeper in the land of Prydain, a country drawn from Welsh myth, and he longs for a more glorious destiny than shoveling straw for an oracular pig named Hen Wen. When the Horned King, a terrifying warlord serving the death-lord Arawn, threatens the realm, Hen Wen vanishes and Taran sets off after her. The journey pulls him into the company of an unlikely band: the boastful prince Fflewddur Fflam, the spirited Princess Eilonwy, and the hairy, tail-wagging Gurgi, who desperately wants to be brave. Along the way Taran discovers that heroism is less about sword skill than about loyalty, kindness, and the courage to act when no one is watching. Lloyd Alexander's opening volume in the Chronicles of Prydain is a warm, wry origin for a young hero who still has much to learn.
Themes & atmosphere
What you might want to know about The Book of Three
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
First in the Chronicles of Prydain. Taran is the assistant pig keeper at Caer Dallben. When his oracular pig Hen Wen runs off in fear of the Horned King, Taran sets out after her and into the larger war over Prydain.
Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain has five books: The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Llyr, Taran Wanderer, and The High King. The series is complete.
Yes. Disney's 1985 The Black Cauldron film draws on the first two Prydain books, primarily The Black Cauldron. The film famously underperformed at the box office, and Lloyd Alexander reportedly disliked the adaptation.
The Book of Three was written by Lloyd Alexander, published in 1964 by Holt & Company, Henry.
The Book of Three is 217 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Book of Three takes most readers 3 to 5 hours to finish.
The Book of Three is a standalone novel by Lloyd Alexander, not part of a series.
The Book of Three is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.