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42-653: Scholarship and literary criticism of The High King have touched on numerous themes. These include meditations on masculinity, power, and maturation as well as broader analyses of American high fantasy . Reviews have been mixed, with some considering the work juvenile and others considering it excellent. While Alexander's experience in World War Two informs the Prydain series as a whole, some specific instances inspired events in The High King. One notable case

84-488: A compelling magic of its own". The School Library Journal called the novel, "one of the most iconic and influential works of middle-grade fiction from the 20th century", which "helped pave the way for countless fantasy adventures". The Book of Three and its successor, The Black Cauldron , were loosely adapted by Walt Disney Productions and released in 1985 as under the latter title. Gross receipts for The Black Cauldron did not match its production costs, commercially

126-451: A deep concern with moral issues; in other works, the conflict is a power struggle, with, for instance, wizards behaving irresponsibly whether they are "good" or "evil". Role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons with campaign settings like Dragonlance by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis and Forgotten Realms by Ed Greenwood are a common basis for many fantasy books and many other authors continue to contribute to

168-501: A guide, a dwarf called Doli . On their journey to Caer Dathyl, against Fflewddur and Doli's advice, Taran rescues an injured fledgling gwythaint, one of the great birds of prey that Arawn has enslaved. The gwythaint recovers quickly and escapes overnight, shortly followed by Hen Wen, who flees just before the Horned King's army spots them all. Fflewddur, Doli, and Gurgi stand to fight, while Taran and Eilonwy go ahead on Melyngar, with

210-567: A wandering bard by choice. The three search the ruins, then mourn Gwydion's presumed death, and decide to take up his task to warn Caer Dathyl. Rejoined by Gurgi, but pursued by the Cauldron-Born, the group is driven far east of their northward course, and ends up in the underground realm of the Fair Folk , who have rescued Hen Wen. The Fair Folk's King Eiddileg grudgingly agrees to let Taran have her back, re-equip their party, and provide

252-413: A world-threatening problem. In many novels the hero is an orphan or unusual sibling, and frequently portrayed with an extraordinary talent for magic or combat. They begin the story young, if not as an actual child, or are portrayed as being very weak and/or useless. The hero often begins as a childlike figure, but matures rapidly, experiencing a considerable gain in fighting/problem-solving abilities along

294-533: Is Alexander's involvement in Alsace-Lorraine under Alexander Patch directly inspiring an episode where Taran and the companions nearly freeze to death near Annuvin and fight in the snow. The action near Luneville , as well as the general icy and snowy conditions, caused Alexander great discomfort and served as direct inspiration for the episode. Taran and Gurgi return to Caer Dallben and are greeted by friends including Rhun (now King of Mona), Eilonwy, and

336-543: Is not considered to include the sword and sorcery genre. High fantasy has often been defined by its themes and messages. " Good versus evil " is a common one in high fantasy, and defining the character of evil is often an important theme in a work of high fantasy, such as The Lord of the Rings . The importance of the concept of good and evil can be regarded as the distinguishing mark between high fantasy and sword and sorcery. In many works of high fantasy, this conflict marks

378-704: Is repulsed at the cost of the lives of many, including Llonio and the High King Math, and the Cauldron-Born manage to force the Sons of Don into hiding in the mountains. Taran's army is tasked with harassing the Cauldron-Born on their return to Annuvin through the Red Fallows. Gwydion's forces will launch an amphibious invasion of Annuvin. As Taran and the folk of the Free Commots fight the Cauldron-Born, they suffer significant losses—Coll among them. The army

420-427: Is saved by a legion of Fair Folk and by the beasts of Prydain. Eilonwy and Gurgi have been abducted by Dorath and his raiders and Dorath threatens Eilonwy with sexual violence. Gurgi and Eilonwy are rescued by Medwyn's wolves. The Fair Folk in turn overcome the forces of Annuvin. Eilonwy and Gurgi reunite with Taran and his friends, who have been separated from the army. Back at Caer Dallben, King Pryderi attempts to slay

462-506: The Children's Literature Association Quarterly , Rona Glass contrasted it negatively with A Wrinkle in Time ' s depiction of gender relations. In her view, "Alexander has created a strong female of brave behavior [Eilonwy], scarcely a stereotype, but he allows Taran to treat her as if she were one... In such an otherwise excellent story, this is a great pity." According to Judith N. Mitchell,

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504-667: The Free Commots to the banner of the Sons of Don and Gwystyl rouses the Fair Folk. Gwydion himself heads to Caer Dathyl and sends messages to King Pryderi of the West Domains and other leaders to alert them of the war. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the heroes, Taran's crow Kaw reports to Medwyn , who begins organizing the animals to aid the resistance to the Death Lord. Eilonwy's tapestry of Hen Wen becomes Taran's banner of

546-562: The Internet Speculative Fiction Database High fantasy High fantasy , or epic fantasy , is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters , themes , or plot . High fantasy is usually set in an alternative, fictional ("secondary") world , rather than the "real" or "primary" world. This secondary world is usually internally consistent, but its rules differ from those of

588-477: The 1985 Disney animated feature The Black Cauldron . The series was inspired by Welsh mythology and by the castles, scenery, and language of Wales, which the author experienced during World War II army combat intelligence training. The planned title of the first book was originally The Battle of the Trees . The youth Taran lives at Caer Dallben with his guardians, the ancient enchanter Dallben and

630-467: The Forbidden Forest. After a long, fruitless chase, he is attacked by a host of horsemen galloping toward Caer Dallben, led by the Horned King himself. Taran manages to escape, but drops to the ground, wounded. He awakes to find his wound treated by Gwydion, the crown prince in Prydain's ruling House of Don , who has been travelling to Caer Dallben to consult Hen Wen. Gwydion, determined to find

672-458: The Horned King in pursuit. On the top of a hill, the Horned King attacks them, and breaks Taran's sword on the first blow. Taran seizes Dyrnwyn from Eilonwy, but lacks the "noble birth" needed to draw it. White flame burns his arm, and throws him to the ground. Just before losing consciousness, Taran sees another man in the trees and hears an unintelligible word. The Horned King's mask melts and he bursts into flame. When Taran awakens, he learns that

714-561: The House of Don. Eilonwy receives a ring made by the Fair Folk, Gurgi a wallet of food that cannot be depleted, Fflewddur a golden harp string that can never break, Doli the ability to turn invisible (which he unusually lacks). Taran—who in the course of his adventures has realized that Caer Dallben is where he most wants to be—asks only to return home. Gwydion accompanies him back to Caer Dallben, along with Eilonwy, Hen Wen, and Gurgi, who take up residence there as well. In 2012, The Book of Three

756-547: The Iron Crown of Annuvin for his own—and to join her in ruling Prydain together. When Gwydion refuses, he is imprisoned, but not in the same place as Taran. Princess Eilonwy , who was sent by her kinsmen as a young girl to learn enchantment from Achren, visits Taran's dungeon cell, and agrees to free first his companion, and then him. While travelling through a labyrinth of tunnels to join Gwydion and his horse Melyngar outside

798-566: The Rings —are regarded as archetypal works of high fantasy . The term "high fantasy" was coined by Lloyd Alexander in a 1971 essay, "High Fantasy and Heroic Romance", which was originally given at the New England Round Table of Children's Librarians in October 1969. Many high fantasy stories are told from the viewpoint of one main hero. Often, much of the plot revolves around their heritage or mysterious nature, along with

840-566: The Summer Country. Orddu, Orwen, and Orgoch bid Taran a final farewell. Taran turns down the invitation to the Summer Country, feeling he must help Prydain rebuild. Dallben then acclaims him as the prophesied High King of Prydain and Eilonwy renounces the Summer Country to marry Taran. They reign as High King and Queen. Critically, The High King has attracted diverse reactions. One contemporary review, by Houston L. Maples, noted that "the [novel's] bald appeal to juvenile risibilities is, in

882-510: The White Pig as they, Gurgi, and Coll collect the men and boys of the Free Commots in the army, including lucky Llonio. The Commots are raided by the forces of Annuvin and Annlaw Clay-Shaper is slain. Taran leads the army to Caer Dathyl and reunites with Gwydion and his other friends. When Pryderi arrives, he is initially met with rejoicing until he declares that he is aligned with Arawn. Pryderi's forces are supplemented by Cauldron-Born. His army

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924-410: The army of Cauldron-Born and enters Arawn's fortress. Arawn and Taran fight, with Arawn shapeshifting throughout. In the chaos, Magg attempts to seize the throne of Annuvin and dies. Achren also attacks Arawn and, as she dies, exposes Arawn to Taran's fatal strike with Dyrnwyn. Upon the victory over Arawn, Dallben, Gurgi, and the surviving Sons of Don (including Eilonwy and Fflewdur) prepare to leave for

966-492: The attack on Gwydion. Distressed, Dallben and Coll ask Hen Wen the white pig to divine what they must do. Hen Wen delivers a cryptic prophecy and her oracular letter sticks shatter as she is revealing it, rendering her functionally mute. Determined, Gwydion, Coll, Gurgi. and Taran head directly to King Smoit's lands while Rhun, Fflewdur, Glew and Eilonwy depart to communicate with Rhun's fleet. The groups plan to reunite at Caer Cadarn. When Gwydion, Taran, Gurgi, and Coll arrive at

1008-404: The castle, Taran and Eilonwy steal weapons from a tomb. As they emerge into the woods, Spiral Castle collapses; they later learn that this is because the weapon Eilonwy has taken is the legendary sword Dyrnwyn . Eilonwy has misunderstood Taran's request to free his companion, for the man waiting outside is not Gwydion, but another former prisoner of the castle: Fflewddur Fflam , a king by birth but

1050-435: The castle, they are captured by Magg . Magg has seized control of Smoit's dominion and declared his allegiance to Annuvin. The companions are imprisoned with Smoit in a larder and begin to plot. Meanwhile, Eilonwy, Glew, Rhun, and Fflewdur discover the situation and plan a rescue. This is aided by Gwystyl , who has left his waystation by Annuvin to report on Arawn's movements to the Fair Folk. With magical items from Gwystyl and

1092-406: The cover of night, Smoit's realm is liberated and he is restored to his throne. Unfortunately, Magg has escaped and Rhun has sacrificed his life for his friends. Taran and the remaining companions regroup and mourn. Gwydion decides to rally the people of Prydain to war. He orders Smoit and Fflewdur to raise armies in their lands and among their allies while Taran, Coll, Gurgi, and Eilonwy go to bring

1134-472: The enchanter Dallben and is struck down. The Fair Folk leave Taran's group at the gates of Annuvin. In the midst of a snowstorm that threatens to kill the companions, Fflewdur sacrifices his magical harp to start a life saving fire. As it burns, the harp sings beautifully. The group rejoins the Free Commots forces and commences the assault on Annuvin. Taran is saved from a fall by the gwythaint that he had saved earlier and discovers Dyrnwyn. With it, he destroys

1176-484: The end of High King ; Taran's comfort as an Assistant Pig-Keeper reflects the maturity needed for the novel's vision of a leader. Kath Filmer-Davies compares the sober tone to C. S. Lewis 's The Last Battle and notes that Alexander "shows that battles, while often necessary, can mean the death of a friend; and victory can often have a sour taste, even when 'good' wins over evil." In her view, this reflects Alexander's "humanist and universal" values. Lloyd Alexander at

1218-479: The end, rather too calculated, and inconsistent with the eloquence and grandeur of the best episodes." Another, by Marjorie D. Hamlin, called the book "imaginative literature at its finest." Robert Ostermann, writing in The National Observer , said that Alexander's "kingdom and annals of Prydain are so complete, so compelling, that the reader leaves them for the last time with genuine regret." Also at

1260-444: The fact that the Prydain saga, with its constant anachronism, its slack repetitive action, its cast of two-dimensional figures and failure to compel serious belief, is not a satisfying epic; not, I believe, a front-rank work. The High King , however, is probably the best of the five books." Academically, The High King has garnered some attention. An example of this is the attention paid to Eilonwy and Taran's relationship. Writing for

1302-560: The farmer and retired soldier Coll . Taran is dissatisfied with his life, and longs to become a great hero like the High Prince Gwydion. Due to the threat posed by a warlord known as the Horned King , servant of the evil Arawn Death-Lord of Annuvin , Taran is forbidden from leaving the farm and charged with the care of Hen Wen , the oracular white pig. When Hen Wen inexplicably panics and escapes, Taran follows her into

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1344-509: The former giant (now returned to a dimunitive size) Glew. Eilonwy presents Taran with an embroidery of Hen Wen, and the two are about to discuss their relationship. Suddenly, Fflewdur Fflam arrives bearing a wounded Gwydion. The bard is shocked that Taran is safely arrived at the farm, as Gwydion had been wounded rescuing Taran, with the magical sword Dyrnwyn being lost in the endeavor. Achren, the former sorceress and queen of Prydain, interrupts and explains that Arawn can shapeshift and therefore led

1386-403: The forward facing ethos of American literature . He observes that "without ties or ancestry, and with a wife who renounces her own heritage, he [Taran] becomes King of Prydain and leads it into a new, unmagical age... Taran and Eilonwy stand together at the end of the story... ready to move together into a soberer world." Similarly, Cath Filmer-Davies writes that Taran becomes fully individuated by

1428-478: The heavy-use of lessons. Margery Fisher in Growing Point , criticized the novel for being too derivative of Tolkien , Garner , Masefield , and T. H. White and that, "perhaps with only one of these models or influences, it would be better". The Times Literary Supplement called the novel "a very fine fantasy-adventure", admitting that the book does not compare to the works of Tolkien, but has "quite

1470-573: The man who destroyed the Horned King was Gwydion, who had been with Achren at another stronghold when Spiral Castle fell. After withstanding Achren's torture, he learned to understand the hearts of all creatures, and was able to communicate first with the gwythaint, and then with Hen Wen after finding them in the forest. From the oracular pig he learned how to destroy the Horned King, by saying his secret name. Recognizing his nobility, Eilonwy gives Dyrnwyn to him, while Taran and his companions are to receive treasures from Caer Dathyl in recognition of service to

1512-476: The novel argues for leadership that is "able to grieve with all who grieve; to be a symbol of striving, yet of never coming to terms with evil; always rallying those who look to him for inspiration, always consoling those who look to him for strength." In her reading, this is in line with the Arthurian tradition, particularly as adapted by T. H. White . Brian Attebery considers the end of the novel resonant with

1554-605: The pig, takes Taran along with him. Guided by Gurgi , a hairy humanoid living in the forest, they reach the Horned King's camp, and learn that his target will be Caer Dathyl , the home castle of the House of Don. Gwydion determines to warn the royal court, but the group is attacked by Arawn's undead Cauldron-Born soldiers, who capture Gwydion and Taran, and take them to Queen Achren in Spiral Castle . The sorceress asks Gwydion to help her to overthrow Arawn—her former apprentice and consort who usurped her throne and claimed

1596-488: The primary world. By contrast, low fantasy is characterized by being set on Earth, the primary or real world, or a rational and familiar fictional world with the inclusion of magical elements. The romances of William Morris , such as The Well at the World's End , set in an imaginary medieval world, are sometimes regarded as the first examples of high fantasy. The works of J. R. R. Tolkien —especially The Lord of

1638-568: The settings. The Book of Three The Book of Three (1964) is a high fantasy novel by American writer Lloyd Alexander , the first of five volumes in The Chronicles of Prydain . The series follows the adventures of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper, a youth raised by Dallben the enchanter, as he nears manhood while helping to resist the forces of Arawn Death-Lord . The book provided many elements of plot for

1680-521: The time of publication, Kirkus Reviews said: "The last may be the best--movement toward an ultimate confrontation between the forces of life and the forces of death give this final Prydain adventure a stronger frame and tighter weave than the preceding four." In a retrospective essay about the Newbery Medal -winning books from 1966 to 1975, children's author John Rowe Townsend wrote, "Yet when every allowance has been made, one faces, reluctantly,

1722-452: The way. The progress of the story leads to the character's learning the nature of the unknown forces against them, that they constitute a force with great power and malevolence. The villains in such stories are usually completely evil and unrelatable. "High fantasy" often serves as a broad term to include a number of different flavors of the fantasy genre, including epic fantasy , mythic fantasy, dark fantasy , and wuxia . It typically

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1764-444: Was ranked number 18 among all-time best children's novels in a survey published by School Library Journal , a monthly with primarily U.S. audience. Ruth Hill Viguers of The Horn Book Magazine said the book would "wear well, and that children will be eager for other stories in which Taran may yet learn the meaning of heroism". The Junior Bookshelf criticized the supporting characters, the contrived and excessive use of humor, and

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