Written by Lloyd Alexander
SUMMARY:
The John Newbery Medal-winning finale of the five-part ‘Chronicles of Prydain’ was originally published in 1968. This 304-page Bantam Doubleday Dell paperback reprint was released in April 1990. Returning home from Taran Wanderer’s two-year sojourn, Taran & Gurgi happily reunite with Eilonwy, Dalben, Rhun, and Coll, among others.
Fflewddur Fflam’s grim arrival reveals that Arawn’s minions have unexpectedly mugged a wounded Gwydion of his mystical blade, Dyrnwyn. Suddenly, Arawn Death-Lord’s endgame to conquer Prydain has commenced. Hen Wen’s last prophecy enigmatically foretells of how Dyrnwyn must be reclaimed.
Having reached manhood, timeless lessons Taran has taken to heart in recent years come into play. First, he must recruit all possible help the Companions can find from across Prydain. Even more daunting for Taran is that he then must lead one of Gwydion’s armies into Annuvin (Arawn’s feared Land of the Dead) for a final and likely suicidal battle to the death. Old friends and foes alike resurface, as Gwydion, Taran, and their scattered Companions (Eilonwy, Gurgi, Fflewddur, Coll, Rhun, Doli, etc.) all are forced to make life-altering decisions. Among them is who must leave the realm of Prydain forever, and who shall fatefully remain behind to an uncertain fate. As The Book of Three ultimately reveals, Prydain’s murky future will be at last be forged.
REVIEW:
Even if its poignant finish is construed as a necessary cop-out, The High King deserves recognition as among the best children’s adventure stories of all time. In a wonderful sense, author Lloyd Alexander satisfyingly offers pre-teens their own equivalent of Lord of the Rings or even a timeless fantasy-adventure akin to King Arthur and His Round Table’s final stand. Memorable supporting characters from earlier Prydain volumes return to make indelible appearances helping complete the Companions’ epic last journey. Nearly all the loose story threads are resolved, as Alexander ensures he has indeed saved the best adventure for last. If any Chronicle of Prydain ever sees an epic big screen adaptation, let it be this one.
Note: 1973’s The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain is a collection of eight fable-like short stories that resolves some of the ‘mysteries’ left over from the saga.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
Alexander provides a thoughtful ‘Author’s Note.’
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 10 Stars
