In which Taran sets out to put an end to an army of undead grotesques, and can't seem to avoid a heck of a lot of familiar faces.

Picking up where The Book of Three left of, the second novel in the Chronicles of Prydain series is overall a better experience. Alexander's prose still sometimes seems to skip through entire sequences at breathtaking speed, and characters are prone to overtly state elements of the author's mission statement, but - as I said in my review of the first book - that is only because the Chronicles are that rare type of children's fiction meant only for children, and not older readers too.

The world of Prydain is further expanded here, and all the characters are back. Taran gets a greater emotional journey here, although most of the other characters are given short shrift in favour of (admittedly interesting) new ones. In some cases that's quite sad - Eilonwy deserves more than to be an outspoken follower, and there's more to the bard's tale that can surely be examined. Others, however, seem like they could become quite one-note if they mysteriously appear on every journey just to provide another voice. We'll see. I remain optimistic about this series because, once you except the obvious limitations of Alexander's prose, it's a captivating and easy-to-read novel. My favourite element of the first book remains: Alexander is a staunchly moral writer, and the lessons Taran and his gang learn are always important and honest. Yet, he's refreshingly mature. The fates of numerous heroes and villains are often truly tragic or horrific. This is a novel about going from the innocence of childhood into the dark complexities of the real world - and the fact that it creates a world which is genuinely real is a treat.

As a sequel it more than lives up to the first novel, and overall The Black Cauldron is a success. I look forward to finding out what happens next to Taran, Eilonwy, Gurgi, and the gang. ( )

I found that, while I remembered much of The Book of Three while listening to it for the first time in decades, I remembered next to nothing of The Black Cauldron. So I got to enjoy it in a different manner. ( )

I really liked the witches but I found the characters and their interactions more annoying this time around. ( )

A better read. Much more fun. ( )

A quick but enjoyable read...Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper has learned a few more things about life and is on his way to becoming the man he wants to become.... ( )