Taran is a lowly assistant pig-keeper who dreams of adventure. When the terrible Horned King travels through his part of the land, his one and only charge, the pig Hen Wen, runs away. Taran journeys after the poor critter, meeting several new friends along the way, as he tries his best to protect the land of Prydain.
This is one of the earliest books that I recall ever reading. The stories sit far back on the edge of my memories like a faint dream. Rereading this book was a real pleasure. However, a lot of the magic of my youth was unfortunately not rekindled as I had always hoped it would be. The writing was a bit clunky, and the characters a bit tougher to cling to than I remember them being.
With that said, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the rest of the series. I know I had not finished it when I was younger.
Reading Level: A
Story: 4
It is a great story of good vs. evil, although everything seems to fall too perfectly into place for the heroes, too coincidentally. I would like to have seen more intentional effort of the characters to drive the story.
Characters: 4
They're fun characters, although it takes a bit to get used to their language and interactions with each other.
Style: 4
The writing is clunky, but the style fits the fantasy genre that it represents.
Cover: 3
The newer books have a decent cover, but looking back at the older covers makes me cringe.
Presentation: 3
Nothing special. The series really needs a grand hardcover version, maybe with all five books in one!
Epicness: 4
It's a great fantasy adventure.
Final Score: 3.67
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