Book Description

From the author of the sensational New York Times bestseller The Thief Lord comes a thrilling new adventure about magic and self-discovery.

Meggie lives a quiet life alone with her father, a bookbinder.But her father has a deep secret--he possesses an extraordinary magical power.One day a mysterious stranger arrives who seems linked to her father's past.Who is this sinister character and what does he want?Suddenly Meggie is involved in a breathless game of escape and intrigue as her father's life is put in danger.Will she be able to save him in time? ... Read more

Reviews (89)

One Girl, One Book, A Whole World of Adventure
I really liked this book! When I received Inkheart I thought, "Oh boy, this book is by Cornelia Funke, the author of The Thief Lord. From the minute I began to read this book I knew that Inkheart would be enjoyed by all who like fantasy, adventure and mystery.

The main character, Meggie, has always wanted her father to read aloud to her, but he never does. When Meggie finds out why, she gets dragged into a war to defeat the evil Capricorn (one of the characters that emerged off the pages of the last book her father read aloud). Will Meggie and her friends succeed in killing Capricorn or sending him back into the book?

I give this book a five star rating. It is well written and Cornelia Funke did a great job of capturing my attention and keeping me glued to the pages. I really love this book and highly recommend it to anyone who is at least 8 years old. I think my parents might like it too.

The Exact Opposite of Cliché
Just imagine it--if you had the ability to bring characters in books to life! The people you could meet, the things you could talk about...But think about the dark side of that power--what about the nasties, the evil ones, the shadows...?

"Inkheart" is a wonderful book, and a complex one, intelligent and challenging, with unclichéd characters and plot-twists, and a truly novel, double-sided premise: that Meggie's book-loving bookbinder father has the ability to draw characters out of books when he reads aloud--literally--and his gift has caused sorrow and tragedy to weigh over their lives. In less capable hands this could go very twee and icky, but Ms. Funke's incredible talent makes it work--the magic is believable, workable, with limits and rules. The villains are nasty, but interesting, multi-faceted. The good guys have their flaws, the bad guys have their human quirks. And the Italian towns and landscape are wonderfully-evoked. Really fine writing!

Plus she brings something else to the task--perhaps it's the fact that she's European, and not writing for publication in the American kids-lit pipeline, but there's a cosmpolitan richness to this book that's hard to describe, a sort of assumption that her readers are intelligent book-lovers, which I appreciate greatly.

I would nominate "Inkheart" as one of the best young reader's novels of 2003. What a wonderful creation!

The Book-Lovers Book
This is the story of Meggie, a girl who has been brought up on books,and loves them more than anything, except her father, whom she calls Mo.
She, like everyone, has often wondered what it would be like to live in a book world, but when a book world comes to her life, it isn't as nice as you might think.
Mo is called Silvertongue, because when he reads aloud, things come out of books.Sometimes the things are alive, and not very pleasant.
Capricorn, a villain from the book Inkheart came to life in our world when Meggie was just a baby, and Mo has been running from him ever since. He couldn't run forever, and when Capricorn catches him, only Meggie---who might also have the silvertongue curse---can save him, with the cooperation of the slightly bonkers author of Inkheart,Fenoglio.
Things end all right, but many bad things happen that can never be healed. That's what gives this book its beautiful realism.

The BEST Book I've ever read
This book was so good I could not put it down.I ended up getting in trouble because i was not doing my chores, i was reading instead. I read this book in about 1 week (but iam a very fast reader when i like a book alot). If you love the deep fanasty books like I do a really good series of books is the everworld series by K.A. Applegate. The everworld books took me a couple chapters to get everything straight but after that it was super!!

One of the best books I've read
Honestly, I'm a fan of reading, and have read many books of many genres. But this book was incredible! I literally could not put it down. The characters were interesting, the plot concept was amazing, the action was enthralling. I could not wait to see what happened next, and was deeply disappointed that the book had to end. The ending was very satisfying, however. I will definitely be reading Cornelia Funke's other books and hope they come close to this! ... Read more

Book Description

Narnia has been at peace since Peter, Susan, Lucy and Edmund helped rid the kingdom of the evil White Witch. But the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve have returned to their own world and a dark presence now rules this once harmonious land...

Wicked King Miraz has imposed a pernicious new order of persecution and imprisonment, but the King's nephew and rightful heir, young Prince Caspian, realizing the evil of his uncle's regime, vows to revive Narnia's glorious past. Fearing for his life, he is forced to flee and calls on the four children, the magic of the mighty lion Aslan, and an army of fauns, dwarfs and woodland spirits to help him in his seemingly impossible task.

This acclaimed BBC Radio dramatization perfectly captures C.S. Lewis' magical world as Aslan and his human friends take up the challenge to win back the freedom and happiness which is the essence of Narnia. ... Read more

Reviews (66)

The Journey of Life
Prince Caspian: The Chronicles of Narnia / By C.S. of Lewis/ Harper Collins

Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Luzy are suddenly pulled into Narnia from their own land of England by a distress call from the Prince Caspian. Now most of the talking Beasts and enchanted creatures who once lived there in peace have been killed or frightened into hiding.Only Caspian and the rulers of Old Narnia, with the help of the great Aslan, can liberate Narnia and make it safe for its rightful inhabitants.
Pirates of Earth's South Pacific passed through a link between Earth and the world of Narnia, ending up in Telmar, a land to the southwest of Narnia. They invaded and conquered Narnia, and their first king in Narnia was Caspian I, whose line continued unbroken through Caspian IX, father of Prince Caspian. The Telmarines are afraid of the Old Narnians, the Talking Animals, spirits, and other beings who have populated Narnia at least since the Golden Age of 1000 to 1028 when Lucy, Susan, Peter, and Edmund ruled as Queens and Kings of Narnia,
CLIVE STAPLES LEWIS was born in Belfast in 1898. He was Fellow and tutor in English Literature at Magdalen College, Oxford, and later was Professor of Medieval and Renaissance literature at Cambridge University, where he remained till his death in 1963.Clive Staples Lewis, the author of the book entertains people with his writing. The book was originally written for children but it is very well enjoyed by adults because C. S. Lewis has a lot to offer to readers.

The Journey of Life
Prince Caspian: The Chronicles of Narnia / By C.S. of Lewis/ Harper Collins

Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Luzy are suddenly pulled into Narnia from their own land of England by a distress call from the Prince Caspian. Now most of the talking Beasts and enchanted creatures who once lived there in peace have been killed or frightened into hiding.Only Caspian and the rulers of Old Narnia, with the help of the great Aslan, can liberate Narnia and make it safe for its rightful inhabitants.
Pirates of Earth's South Pacific passed through a link between Earth and the world of Narnia, ending up in Telmar, a land to the southwest of Narnia. They invaded and conquered Narnia, and their first king in Narnia was Caspian I, whose line continued unbroken through Caspian IX, father of Prince Caspian. The Telmarines are afraid of the Old Narnians, the Talking Animals, spirits, and other beings who have populated Narnia at least since the Golden Age of 1000 to 1028 when Lucy, Susan, Peter, and Edmund ruled as Queens and Kings of Narnia,
Clive Staples Lewis was born in Belfast in 1898. He was Fellow and tutor in English Literature at Magdalen College, Oxford, and later was Professor of Medieval and Renaissance literature at Cambridge University, where he remained till his death in 1963.Clive Staples Lewis, the author of the book entertains people with his writing. The book was originally written for children but it is very well enjoyed by adults because C. S. Lewis has a lot to offer to readers.

Great Return to Narnia
I have only seen the movie Prince Caspian. I am reading the book right now. I am on Chapter 2 right now. It is a great book. I like it when the children go back to Narnia.

Narnia, Telmar, Wild and Tame
Prince Caspian, the second Narnian Chronicle to be written and the fourth chronologically, is a slightly longer, more subtle book than its prequel "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", but a book I enjoyed just as much.

Waiting at a station for a train to school Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are whisked back to Narnia, hundreds, maybe thousands of years after they had originally been the kings and queens. Their castle Cair Paravel is in ruins, the animals are mute and the land is filled with Telmarines, a cynical people who don't believe in the great lion Aslan or any of the great happenings of Narnia's past. Narnia is ruled by Miraz, a usurper to the throne. The real king, Prince Caspian, has fled. With the help of the old Narnians in hiding, Caspian musters an army to fight Miraz and take the throne that's rightfully his. Can he succeed? Will the children be able to help. Will Aslan return?

It's an exciting book, taking you far and wide among Narnia and its creatures. We hear a lot about the dwarves in this book, and of the community of talking animals. We also hear of Narnia's surrounding lands, and of it's constellations. Reepicheep, the feisty talking mouse, appears for the first time in the series. Other characters who appear that are worth a mention include the Greek god Bacchus (I love Lewis' description of him), the bumbling Bulgy Bears, the wise and faithful badger Trufflehunter, a frightening werewolf and many a talking tree. This book also sets things up nicely for "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", the next and one of the most exciting books in the series.

Author C.S Lewis was a sincere christian, and his beliefs shine through in all his work. Prince Caspian is no exception. Here, Lewis seems to deal with the issue of faith and belief. In the age Prince Caspian is set in, Aslan isn't visible, just as God isn't visible to us. There are a lot of people who won't believe in what they can't see (like the Telmarines) but even among them there are some who hear about the truth and are excited by what they hear (like Caspian). You can see the same thing when Aslan appears to Lucy and asks her to follow him, yet no one else can see him until they believe what she has to say. Another theme I noticed is that of how people respond to hearing about their savior. The Narnians respond in many ways, just as people respond in many ways on hearing of God's word. Some are cynical (like the Telmarines), some are faithful (like Trufflehunter), some are doubting and need to see some evidence (like Trumpkin), and some refuse to believe until the bitter end (like the mean dwarf Nikabrik).

All of the Chronicles of Narnia are written for children, but I think some children might struggle through this, particularly during the war chapters. Peter dictates a letter in chapter 13 which is a bit verbose for kids, I thought. There's a bit of intrigue that might goover their head too. When I was a kid and I read this, I brushed over those bits, but I appreciate them a lot more now.

Prince Caspian is fourth in the "reading order", but the only book you really need to read before this one is "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe". If you enjoyed that book, you'll probably enjoy this too.

Prince Caspian, one of the best books around!!!!!
This book was great. It had lots of action and adventure. If you're that kid who loves action and adventure this book is definitely for you. This book is about a boy who has an evil uncle who rules the kingdom. His uncle hates him even though he doesn't show it. He only lets Prince Caspian live because he doesn't have a son to rule when he dies so Prince Caspian will after the relative dies. The evil uncle's wife has a baby and the King now has someone to rule after him so he goes to kill him. He recieves the news and leaves. Later he meets the things that use to be in Narnia. The King leads a war party to kill Prince Caspian. Prince Caspian forms an army and fights agianst the Telamarines even tough he is one too. ... Read more

Book Description

Approx. 15 hours
12 cassettes
Performed by the author and a full cast

The Amber Spyglass brings the intrigue of The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife to a heart-stopping end, marking the final volume of His Dark Materials as the most powerful of the trilogy.

Along with the return of Lyra and other familiar characters from the first two books come a host of new characters:the Mulefa, mysterious wheeled creatures with the power to see Dust; Gallivespian Lord Roke, a hand-high spymaster to Lord Asriel; and Metatron, a fierce and mighty angel.So too come startling revelations: the painful price Lyra must pay to walk through the land of the dead, the haunting power of Dr. Malone's amber spyglass, and the names of who will live—and who will die—for love.And all the while, war rages with the Kingdom of Heaven, a brutal battle that—in its shocking outcome—will uncover the secret of Dust.

Philip Pullman deftly brings the cliffhangers and mysteries of His Dark Materials to an earth-shattering conclusion and confirms his fantasy trilogy as an undoubted and enduring classic.
... Read more

Reviews (695)

Well worth the wait; and the $57 too
After reading Northern Lights (known in the USA as The Golden Compass) in 1995, and The Subtle Knife in 1997 (both on the days they came out), and after 3 rather abrupt letters to the author himself, I have been breathlessly awaiting the arrival of book 3, and it has lived up to speculation. I cried so many times throughout this book, and was up till 5am reading it. Never have I read a better series than His Dark Materials, and I doubt I ever will. I love the mulefa, I love the wheel-pods, I love everything about this book, as I loved everything about the earlier two. Philip Pullman is a creative genious, and Amber Spyglass is, in my opinion, the most magnificent book of all time. As I live in the UK, I paid $57 to get this book from the USA, and it was well worth all those hours of work I had to do in order to raise the money. In book three, Philip Pullman combines all the spectacular events of the previous books, and his writing skill is as amazing as ever. Perhaps some will find this book blasphemous, I don't know - all I know is that this book surely deserves to go down as the greatest book in history, far superior to the childish-humour of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books. In book three, Lyra and Will come together once more, and with the magnificence of Philip Pullman's writing, and the wonderful plot, this book will make you long to kill Philip Pullman, when you discover there shall be no more of Lyra's adventures. Book one was amazing, Book two left me awestruck, and Book three made me realise just how good Philip Pullman can be. This is the author at his best - nothing can compare with the sheer magnitude of Amber Spyglass, and I hope beyond hope, that Philip Pullman will continue to enlighten this world with books as good as Amber Spyglass. I feel unable to read anything else now, knowing that nothing could compare with the book I finished at 5am this morning. Every part of this book is superb, and though I wanted to kill Philip Pullman after the ending, I longed to kill him more after what he named the title of Chapter 19, and then he put it at the front of the book, where we'd read it too :-) As someone once said, Philip Pullman should be chained to his keyboard for another book, and I can only wait in wonder, to see what this amazing author will create next. As Philip Pullman once said, "We don't need lists of rights and wrongs, tables of do's and don'ts. We need books, time, and silence. Thou shalt not is soon forgotten, but Once upon a time lasts forever." And in my bookshelf, Lyra's story will live forever too, until the time comes when I feel able to re-read this masterpiece, and maybe then, there shall be less tears than the first time, though I doubt it very much. Sophie Anne Stott - Founder of the Philip Pullman fan club - Oxford

A Book that Makes You Think--- Hard
After reading "The Golden Compass" and "The Subtle Knife," I was left dangling from a cliff wondering how Pullman could possibly manage to pull the pieces of the plot together into a coherent ending. After waiting for nearly two years, reading "The Amber Spyglass" was especially rewarding. Richly written, Pullman's novel gracefully weaves the strands of plot together into an exciting, thought-provoking masterpiece. His ideas regarding religion and the deceptiveness of the Church were particularly intriguing to me; the thought of God as a Great Deceiver thrills me, because no writer I have ever read has ever written such an idea in such a popular franchise before. I also loved his idea of the Fallen Angels being on the side of right and goodness rather than being demonic underlings. The concept of Dust, or Dark Matter, being the basis of all spiritual existence is thrilling, and his ideas regarding the psyche of the maternal mind are interesting. However, the most dramatic portion of the novel would have to be the dramatic closing chapters. They are so well-written, and the characters have been so highly developed and embraced by my heart, that the tragic end actually drove me to tears during the entire final five chapters. I truly hope, as do many, that Pullman will relent and add a fourth installment to this groundbreaking series; the open ending is just too much to handle, and leaves me hungering for more. A truly well-written novel not only entertains you, but challenges your pre-formed conceptions and beliefs. Pullman's novel accomplishes this in spades, and deserves to be studied intensely.

soppy and nonsensical
I'm sorry to say that Pullman's main achievement in this last book is to create yet another soppy paean to adolescence. I was really disappointed in the weakness of the plot and characters. Through most of the book, Pullman is crudely trying to jerk the reader's emotions around... Oh, the sadness! Oh, the joy! Oh, the tragedy! It's all surprisingly amateur, simplistic, and it doesn't work. At least not for an adult reader. But I couldn't like this kind of sci-fi hackery even when I was an adolescent myself. Oh Asimov, Tolkien, where are thou???

Riveted.....and then sooooo disappointed!!!!
The first two books of this series were wonderfully written, fast paced marvels that held me riveted by the hour - I couldn't put them down. The characters were intriguing, genuine, and well rendered. I was facinated with the plot that never let up for a minute. So when I picked up the last book to the trilogy I expected nothing less than to be amazed.
How sorely I was dissappointed - there is only one way to sum up the ending of this trilogy - horrible! I felt SO CHEATED!!! As many other reviewers have stated - there were so many loose ends that a good portion of the storyline was rendered pointless - what a shame! I can accept that not every story has a happy ending - that is what makes life bittersweet - but I felt that readers, myself included, deserved a better crafted ending than we were "served" - This ending makes you long for even one more chapter that would truely and artfully conclude this trilogy so it could become a true masterpiece.
- Hey, my final thought - it is never too late to for a revised edition!!!!!

GOOD-but terribly SAD
Ok, this was a GREAT book, but I happened to find one MAJOR flaw in it. The ending. Not that it did not make sense, only that, it sucked. It was terribly sad, and I found myself bawling for ten minutes staight, and any time afterwards when I thought about the ending. To this day, I still cry terribly when I think about what happened, and I wish so badly that it had turned out differently for Will and Lyra. I know i'm getting a little too emotional, but this book was good, but very very very very very terribly sad, and WILL make you cry. ... Read more

Book Description

When James Henry Trotter accidentally drops some magic crystals by the old peach tree, strange things start to happen. The peach at the top of the tree begins to grow, and before long it's as big as a house. Then James discovers a secret entranceway into the fruit, and when he crawls inside, he meets a bunch of marvelous oversized friends -- Old-Green-Grasshopper, Centipede, Ladybug, Miss Spider, and more.

After years of feeling like an outsider in the house of his despicable Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker, James has finally found a place where he belongs. With a snip of the stem, the peach starts rolling away, and the exciting adventure begins!

Reviews (122)

James and the Giant Peach
This book is about a kid name James who lived with his parents. After James` parents died , James had no choice than to go live with his aunts, Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge. His aunts treated James like a slave. They were so cruel to poor little James.James lived a miserable life until one day magic happend. there was this tiny peach growing big and wide and James one day found a hole to go inside the peach and so he did.James went in and met all these wierd creatures. There was a centepide, an old green grass hopper,a spider,a ladybug,an Earthworm and a silk worm. All of the creatures were so huge.
I think that this book James and the Giant Peach is a great book. I really enjoyed reading this book because its funny it makes you laugh and its really cool because you can go around the world and see the oceans.I recommend this book for three reasons,First, because its really interesting and really curious. Second, because you will enjoy reading about someones life. Third, because you will see how nice friends can help each other out.

One of my favorites since the fourth grade.
This book has been one of my favorite books the third or fourth grade, I don't exactly remember which one, I just know that I've really liked it for a long time. I'm getting out of the seventh grade in a month and a half and I've read this book at least five times; each time I read it I enjoy it as if I was reading it for the first time and it never gets old or monotnous. This is a book that I would read to my children as a bed time story; it's really a book the whole family can enjoy. I love how original this book is and how it captures your immangination, regardless of what your age is. I love how different the characters' personalities are and how much they fit them. I especially love Centipede's rudeness and songs, and Aunt Sponges' vainness. Lane Smith's wild illustrations are great; they're much better than the boring realistic illustrations. "James and the Giant Peach" is definitly a keeper. Roald Dahl is, in my opinion, the best children's book writer of all time. If you enjoy this book, I guarantee that you'll love Dahl's "Matilda" and Dahl's "Witches".

James and the Giant Peach
When I read James and the Giant peach for the first time I loved it! it was adventurous and exciting! I loved how the writer made the creatures so interesting. Also she made the aunts look evil as was explainedin the book. I just wanted to reach in the book and yell at them! The book was kind-off mythical when james got to the cloud men. I could read that book over and over again and I would never get bored!

My Favorite book!
This book was great and full of adventure. I loved every moment of it(in other words... I don't have a favorite part). I would actually sit down and read this book over and over again. Normally, I won't even finish an entire book, but this one is worth taking time to read the whole thing. I enjoy the vivid imagination that Roald Dahl used in writing this book. He is a very tanlented writer. I only wish that there would have been a sequal.
Taylor McDowell

Generally good, but not without problems.
JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH is easy to read, catches the reader's attention, and takes the reader to a fantasy land. It has everything necessary to be a children's classic.

However, it is not without problems. In the book, James' two wicked aunts are killed as the peach flattens them and rolls over their lifeless bodies. Throughout the rest of the book the characters laugh and make up songs about their deaths. I know that in many fairy tales the wicked witch or stepmother dies, but I feel this book devalues life to the point that I would feel uncomfortable letting my young daughter read it. By the time she is old enough for me to feel comfortable with her reading the book, the book's plot will be too childish for her. ... Read more

Book Description

Armed only with a frying pan and her common sense, Tiffany Aching, a young witch-to-be, is all that stands between the monsters of Fairyland and the warm, green Chalk country that is her home. Forced into Fairyland to seek her kidnapped brother, Tiffany allies herself with the Chalk’s local Nac Mac Feegle -- aka the Wee Free Men -- a clan of sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men who are as fierce as they are funny. Together, they battle through an eerie and ever-shifting landscape, fighting brutal flying fairies, dream-spinning dromes, and grimhounds -- black dogs with eyes of fire and teeth of razors -- before ultimately confronting the Queen of the Elves, absolute ruler of a world in which reality intertwines with nightmare. And in the final showdown, Tiffany must face her cruel power alone...

In a riveting narrative equal parts suspense and humor, Carnegie Medalist Terry Pratchett returns to his internationally popular Discworld with a breath-taking tale certain to leave fans, new and old, enthralled.

Reviews (35)

The Terrror of Having Your Dreams Come True...
"The Wee Free Men" is Terry Pratchett's second foray into Discworld-for-Young-Adults coming a year and a half after "The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents" and six months after his last 'regular' Discworld book, "Night Watch". It revisits ground from "Lords and Ladies" and "Carpe Jugulum", which is fine, because with usual Pratchett flair, he tosses in enough wry satire, strange humor and generally good storytelling that you don't always notice when he goes back to some of his older material.

While the Nac Mac Feegle (the Wee Free Men last seen in "Carpe Jugulum"), little woad-tattooed Pictsies, do feature in a large chunk of the book, the heroine is Tiffany, a nine-year-old witch's granddaughter and budding witch herself who must be the singularly most sensible (but still likeable) character I've ever read in a book directed at an audience less than 18 years old. She struggles to cope with the death of a grandmother who, even though she died more than a year ago, has still had a huge impact on her life. She also struggles with making sense of the world - both as a young girl and as a human being, and she struggles with the Queen of the Elves/Fairies (last seen in "Lords and Ladies") in what becomes a metaphor for maturity and clarity in a large, scary world. Pratchett's moral is that just because you're not yet officially an adult, it doesn't mean that you can't understand the world any less well. This is a theme he's played with before, but it's always appropriate no matter how many times he brings it out.

As a huge Discworld fan, I really enjoyed this book - possibly even more than "The Amazing Maurice...", although it's probably not at quite the same level of literary excellence as his previous work. Fans of Pratchett in general will undoubtedly appreciate his jabs at academia, fairy tales and the Harry Potter series (which future books about Tiffany may someday parody more explicitly). For fans of Discworld, not only are Tiffany and the Nac Mac Feegle two of his more interesting creations (which is saying something), but the cameo by Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg at the end is delightful. Missing, though, is the obligatory cameo by Death - possibly for the first time ever in a Discworld book.

Anyway, I recommend this book to anyone regardless of age or knowledge of Discworld. As with "The Amazing Maurice..." the Discworld cosmology is relatively light, so if you're not familiar with the Disc, it won't get in the way of enjoying the book. If you are, though, his subtle touches and revisitations throughout the book make it a more integrated work than his last foray into Discworld-Young-Adult. Either way, though, it's a great book.

Through another Looking Glass
Pratchett has created Tiffany in Dreamland - a Discworld version of the girl on a quest. Could this turn out to become a new timeless classic like Alice in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass? Why ever not. Alice's adventures have infiltrated everyday English culture and language with their images and proverbial sayings. So might the Nac Mac Feegle, the Wee Free Men, enrich our mind's eye and add to our vocabulary with expressions like "Crivens "! Whatever its long-term influence, this wonderful story is highly entertaining for everybody. Its expressive ironic humour as well as its underlying wisdom reach far beyond the Discworld fans.

Tiffany Aching, the heroine of the story, inquisitive and mature for her nine years, views herself as an apprentice witch. She has the tools: a cast-iron frying pan, a piece of string, an unusual book of recipes, and, above all, the memory of her very special granny. To rescue her brother, Tiffany has to enter a fairyland, full of strange and dangerous creatures, all controlled by an evil "Quin". Fortunately, she has inherited "first sights and second thoughts" - a powerful combination for a budding witch. These are essential talents for her to distinguish between reality and dreams: "to see what is really there" and what is imagination created within a dream. "Follow your dream", Miss Tick's advice to Tiffany, builds up to a real challenge when Tiffany, after fighting wild animals and dream-creating dromes finally confronts the Queen. She has to peel off layer after layer of their dreams to escape from being taken over by them, then use her own dreaming power to find a way back to her own reality.

Tiffany's quest wouldn't have a chance at being successful - and would be a lot less funny -without the Nac Mac Feegle. What a hilarious bunch of little guys in kilts (only one girl and the ageing kelda) they are: full of mischief, fighting spirit and a wonderful version of Scottish. Wouldn't you like those around to do the chores around the house! But you would need some witching power - otherwise they would go back to their nasty tricks, like stealing eggs or making the sheep disappear. Their language and vivid expressions are a treat in themselves. Turning up in a black suit with a bow tie, one of them explains sheepishly: "The dream wouldnae let us in unless we wuz properly dressed..."

Pratchett has created a real gem of a Discworld story here - fast moving, imaginative and highly entertaining for young and old. It would not be Pratchett if he did not find a way to weave in some educational messages and real-life round-world wisdoms. [Friederike Knabe, Ottawa Canada]

It's as much a Fairy-tale as anything...
...but can easily be called a Discworld novel, a children's book, or both, because it happens in Discworld and has a young protagonist solving the problems that adults fail to notice.

Tiffany Aching is the second-youngest in a long line of Aching shepherds and farmers who have "the land in their bones" because they've been there so long and are as much a part of the land, called The Chalk (or the Wold, by the old) because of what lies inches below the dense grass that has survived centuries of sheep.

The first youngest Aching person is her little brother Wentworth, a perpetually sticky child who's turned potty-training into a form of extortion. Maybe it's his stickyness, or some sense of cosmic justice, but fairytales - real faerie-tales with the Queen and pixies and things made out of dreams in keeping with faerie-lore traditions from outside Discworld - are out to get him.

The suprising thing is that Tiffany, who thinks he's sticky and noisy and useless, is out to get him back, with the aid of a big iron frying pan and some very small blue people with kilts and swords. The little blue men are rebels against anyone and everything, and call themselves the Wee Free Men. They know the rules of fairytales that Tiffany has been pondering, the way to get Wentworth back, and how to give anything and everything a good fierce kicking.

If you're a fan of Discworld, you'll enjoy this book because it explores folklore the way "Lords and Ladies" and "Hogfather" do and magic/spirituality the way just about anything with the Lancre Coven or the Unseen University staff does. If you like fairytales and folklore, you'll enjoy this book because it explores what happens when the tales and the people they're told to interact directly. If you like children's books that regard children as intelligent beings trying to make sense out of the world and doing a fairly good job of it, you'll like this book.

Absolutely loved it!
This is the story of Tiffany Aching, a 9-year-old farmers' daughter, living in a green, hilly, full-of-sheep countryside named the Chalk (DW). One day when she's walking by the river with her capricious baby brother Wentworth, she's attacked by Jenny Green-Teeth, a monster with long teeth and eyes as wide as eight-inch soup plates. Nightmares are invading the land.

Not long after, Wentworth is kidnapped by the Queen of FairyLand. Following the advice of Miss Tick, a witch she met at the village fair, and her talking toad, and with the help of the Nac Mac Feegles, the blue-skinned little pictsies with the strong Scottish accent, she arms herself with a frying pan and her Granny's book on Diseases of the Sheep, and sets off in searched of her brother.

Beside being extremely funny and packed with action, The Wee Free Men is also a really sweet book, full of Tiffany's fond memories of Granny Aching, who was a famous shepherd of the Chalk, and a kind of witch in her own way. It's a story both for adults and children, telling you to look at the World around you, and teaching you, in a light way, the respect of Nature or other moral values. This might well be my favourite Discworld book, I absolutely loved it!

Kudos For Tiffany Aching
The walls of the worlds are coming together and monster will soon walk the land. But the event is happening in a region without a witch. One witch journeys to teach a possible hopeful to hold things together while she goes for more serious help. But nine-year-old Tiffany Aching is made of better stuff than suspected.

Right from the start Tiffany shows her promise as she manages to befriend the nastiest elves around and even gets them to help with her chores. But then Tiffany's brother goes missing so she and the Mac Nac Feegle (the six-inch, blue tattooed Pictsies of Scottish relation) set off to hunt him down and steal him back.

The story is fast moving, well told and an absolute must for fans of Granny Weatherwax. This is the first book of Tiffany and the Mac Nac Feegle and I hope there will be plenty more. The Scottish allusions and brogues are done to a T. The "logic" of Pratchett's Diskworld and magic system never waver. Very well done. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

delightful read for all ages
this adventure book is a wonderful read for everyone! i read it when i was a young teenager, and fell in love wih it! now i have read it again and still enjoy it. the sequal to the castle in the attic, this book was filled with more adventure and suspense. recomended for anyone that enjoys fantasy and adventure!

Welcome Home to the Castle
It has been around 2 years since we read The Castle in the Attic which was one of the best adventures my son and I shared together. I was previously unaware that there was a sequel to this engaging book. After reading the first couple pages my son's came to rapt attention. "I remember this now," he said excitedly. He began remembering the charecters and adventures of the first story. Almost immediately we were captivated by this next adventure - familiar, but new. It was like coming home to the castle. Each chapter of Battle For the Castle brings a new depth of feeling and connection with the charecters - and, yes,each chapter opens to greater surprise and suspense. My son said feelingly, "I love this book." Even on Saturday morning when his favorite activity is to watch cartoons on TV, begged, instead, to hear "one more chapter!"

A great sequel to A Castle in the Attic
In this book, it has been two years since William first went with Sir Simon to save his kingdom. William is turning twelve and has to jump a train to prove that he is a man. He fails while his best friend, Jason, suceeds. Mrs. Phillips gives William the Janus tokens back. William thinks that this would be a great chance to get some training in, so he and Jason shrink themselves to start training.
Soon, they go to visit Sir Simon. Unfortunately, there is another danger in the land. Rats that eat everything living or not. William is left in control of the castle while Sir Simon goes to a tournament.
With Sir Simon gone, can William gather enough courage to save the castle and defeat the killer rats?

TOKENS OF APPRECIATION
William (who received THE CASTLE IN THE ATTIC) is now approaching his 12th birthday, but dreading the townkids' dangerous rite of passage called Jumping the Trains. Although skilled in tumbling and gymnastics, he feels outclassed by Jason, his best friend, who is both taller and more athletic (on a bike). He secretly mourns the fact that he is shorter, fearing that his stature will predestin him to failure in the world.

Then William receives a special gift from Mrs. Phillips, his former nanny now living back in England. Although she had promised to destroy the statue of the evil wizard, Alastor, she changed her mind about disposing of the special Token. This coin depicting two-headed Janus possesses dramatic magical powers. Wiilliam confides the secret of his neglected castle in the attic to Jason, who is eager to make the trek through space and time to reach the medieval world, but not without some modern conveniences: two bikes, a flashlite and;
binoculars.

Their return is timely, for Sir Simon's realm is threatened by a floating horror; a skeleton ship inhabited by fierce rats. Accompanied by young Tolliver, who learns to ride a bike, and 12-year-old Gudrin, the boys undertake to rid the land of the nauseating rodent meance. But how much can one trust a fool--a court jester named Deegan? Is it wise of Sir Simon to depart for a tournament despite the ominous warning signs,
leaving the castle in such youthful hands? This sequel is light and fast-paced. One wonders if Winthrop will consider a third one, before the boys are too old for such fantasy games. Even if she does not, heed crypic messages, trust in feminine clairvoyance and don't forget to treasure your old toys!

Teen's review
This book was wonderful. In the book William proves that although he may be looked down upon he can still do great things. Also no one believes another character. This book has alot of action but it also sends messages about how the smallest or seemingly unsignifigant people can be great. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (97)

This is probably my favorite of all the Time Trilogy books!
After reading A Wrinkle In Time and A Wind In the Door, (both of which are also fantastic) I had to read this one. I was blown away reading this! This IS a complicated book-many times while I was reading I turned back to some of the other parts to understand a bit better. But that was the delightful and interesting part about it! I loved the whole "mad dog" name thing and the way each of the people Charles visited were connected, and yet very different.

I disagree with people who talk about how it's bad that Meg is only a pregnant housewife and Calvin is a famous scientist. It says in the later books about Poly (Meg's oldest daughter) that Meg works with mathematics, numbers and all that.

I reccomend this to L'Engle or fantasy fans, especially those who've read the first Time Trilogy books. But if you can't handle complicated plots, numerous characters and different settings, wait a few more years to read this so that you can fully appreciate this book!

A Suspenseful Fantasy of Time Travel
A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle combines the threats of nuclear war in today's society with the more complicated science of time travel. Mad Dog Branzillo, a South American Dictator, frightens the whole world with possibilities of dropping a nuclear bomb on America. It is up to Charles Wallace, a 15-year-old genius, his sister, Meg, and a mysterious rune to save the world from destruction. Charles' mission is to travel back in time with a unicorn named Gaudior to alter the past. In order to do this incredibly difficult and dangerous task, he must venture inside of people's souls to live with them and change the course of their lives so that Mad Dog Branzillo will not be born as a nemesis. Guided by this almighty rune, calling on all heaven with its power, and kything, or sending messages through the mind, with Meg, he fights to triumph over evil and to seek peace.

This book delighted me because of the great mystery of the time travel. I would recommend this book to anyone else who enjoys time travel and good fiction. I would not suggest this book to a person who does not enjoy fantasy or other books of the sort. A Swiftly Tilting Planet is fun to read and I would suggest that everybody read it and the others in the series.

My absolute favorite
Out of the Time Quarter, this is my favorite, although I still haven't read Many Waters, yet.

In A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Charles Wallace must go through time and "inhabit" the bodies of various men, might-have-beens, to somehow alter the course of the present and prevent nuclear war.

I loved the concept on how everything is connected and how each of the people Charles Wallace inhabitted through each time period were all interrelated. The story ties each person in to the next, crossing thousands of years and showing how one decision from each person can change the future of the world.

It was fascinating to go back in time and experience what it was like during the Salem witch trials, the civil war, the early 20th century. It was like I was going through someone's attic and finding all this history or like I was going on an archeological dig, finding out about the past centuries.

I felt like I was actually with Charles Wallace, as if I was actually Meg, Charles's sister, watching him travel through time to save the planet. After reading A Wrinkle in Time, and then this one, I must say that there is a marked improvement in Madeline L'Engle's writing and this book captures you and takes you away to the world of the Murray's to the point that you lose all track of time in the real world.

Buy or borrow this book! But make it the book! NOT the tape!
(...)

Madeleine L'Engle is a FABULOUS author, and this is my favorite of her stories, and one of my favorite stories of all time. However (ignoring gender for a moment), I am reminded of a famous Clint Eastwood movie line:

"A man's gotta know his limitations."

Madeleine L'Engle is a fabulous and highly skilled AUTHOR. The audio edition of A Swiftly Tilting Planet shows that narration is NOT her strong suit. Do yourself a favor. Definitely GET this book, but get it in the PRINTED format and READ it rather than listen to the author's narration.

It goes without saying that my 5-star rating is for the book and not the tape.

"A Swiftly Tilting Planet" (printed) is NOT to be missed. Read "A Wrinkle in Time" and "A Wind in the Door" first.

A Little Disappointing
A Wrinkle in Time was one of my favorite books ever, so I read the sequals with much anticipation. This book was a little disappointing mainly because Meg and Charles Wallace are not featured that often. Most of the book revolves around a historical family, one side bad and one good, and the attempt to go back in time and change the outcome of events in order to prevent war in the present. The time travelling aspect is interesting, and the talking unicorn is very lovable, but I just did not find these historical characters very interesting. Also did not care for the idea that one family line can be inherently bad. Still an enjoyable read, and L'engle has many heartfelt quotations, and Meg's family is still as loving and inspirational. I was also disappointed that Meg has lost her spunkiness. But I guess that is just part of growing up, and she is growing up into a beautiful woman, just like her mother. ... Read more

Book Description

Taran dreams of adventure, but nothing exciting ever happens to an Assistant Pig-Keeper--until his pig runs away.A chase through the woods leads Taran far from home and into great danger, for evil prowls the land of Prydain.With a collection of strange and wonderful friends whom he meets on his journey, Taran finds himself fighting so that good may triumph over evil--and so that his beloved home will not fall to a diabolical fiend. ... Read more

Reviews (181)

Just the beginning....
Like all great fantasy series, the Prydain Chronicles will resonate with you for a long while after you put them down. The Book of Three begins the legendary adventure of Taran, Eilonwy, Fflewddur Flam, Gurgi, Doli, and Gwydion. The heroes are witty, warm, and wise; the villains are frightening, chilling, and insidious. You will laugh and shudder by turns as Taran faces the Death Lord's minions on his search for the cute and prophetic pig, Hen Wen.

Lloyd Alexander's writing is first-rate and grand, like listening to a superb storyteller. His paints a vivid landscape peopled with truly unique characters. There is some argument about similarities with Tolkien, Star Wars, C.S. Lewis' Narnia, etc. Actually, you can take any epic about the battle of good and evil and point fingers, but isn't a good story worth another excellent retelling? This is one those rare treasures you read as a child, and rediscover as an adult again and again.

Why? Besides the lovely writing, the characters aren't simple bystanders or perfect people caught up in the action. They make choices (and mistakes), face consequences, and struggle through personal challenges. It's reality in an unreal setting. In this first book, Taran, in a rush to grow up, leaves his post as Assistant Pig-keeper to become a Hero. Everyone who has ever been an adolescent can relate to wanting to break away. Finding yourself is the hard part, and one aspect of the series is about this universal phase.

But it isn't all Serious and about Learning A Lesson. There is cheeky humor, poked at our valiant, though sometimes too earnest Taran. Things can't go according to the great Hero Plan with Eilonwy cutting him down to size, Doli scoffing at the young 'uns, and Gurgi wanting "munchings and crunchings" all the time. This is one of those books that you will feel ends too soon. Be sure to have the next one close at hand, because The Book of Three is just the beginning once you have tasted Alexander's magic.

Brilliant fantasy
I have often jokingly told people to read this before reading JRR Tolkein because it's "Hobbit"-lite. But my jest is with all affection. "The Book of Three" is the first of five books (not including the 6th of short stories) involving the fantasy world of Prydain. Lloyd Alexander borrows heavily from Gaelic and Welsh mythology to create the tale of Taran, Assistant Pig-keeper for the enchanter Dallben. In this book we are introduced to Taran, a boy on the cusp of manhood eager to take part in the adventures of the world. Dark forces under the direction of Awran, the Death-Lord threaten the lives of all in Prydain, and none is more feared that the gruesom "Horned King". After leaping "headfirst into a thorn bush" young Taran finds himself face to face with this dreaded champion of darkness who has come from Annuvuin in search of Hen-wen, the oracular pig under Taran's charge. I won't spoil any more of the story except to say that this book introduces many of the characters that appear later on in the rest of the series: the stubborn and lovely Princess Eilonwy, the king-who-wants-to-be-a-bard Fflewder Flam, the cantankerous Doli of the fairfolk, Coll- the warrior turned farmer, and more. Lloyd Alexander's fantasy tale, in my opinion, rivals that of Tolkein as a richly crafted work with wonderful images and a deep understanding and appreciation for the thoughts and feelings of a young man like Taran. The text is easy to read, and the story flows smoothly along. Each book can stand alone, but together create a magnificant epic tapestry. The names of the characters are a little hard to get used to, but not impossible. This is the kind of book you can read out loud at bed-time to young childern. The plot is engaging enough for the little ones and deep enough for adults to appreciate. I recommend this book to just about anyone, and especially for children who are old enough to be reading completely on their own and have reached that point where they are "into" adventures. The best thing about this book (and the series) is that what little violence there is is not glorified, there is no gratuitous sex, and there are morals espoused without sounding preachy. And its the kind of story that girls and boys can enjoy and its perfect for pre-teens and early teens. As the books progress, young teens can "grow" along with Taran, and understand some of his angst. All around, a most excellent novel, and only the begining of a fantastic story...

It's Gurgi that sold me, with his crunchings and munchings
Never have I read a series of books that has commanded as much of my attention or affection as Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles. I was a fan before I even read the books, having been told about them by my older brother whose third grade teacher would read them to her class every day after lunch. At the mention of Gurgi's name, and hearing the phrase "crunchings and munchings," I HAD to read this book, and soon thereafter swiped a copy from an aunt.

And the book itself didn't disappoint! Taran leaves the safety of his home to find his runaway pig, only to encounter his hero, Prince Gwydion, and the most terrible warlord in all the land, the Horned King. After he and Gwydion are captured by the evil queen Achren, Taran is joined by the Princess Eilonwy, bard Fflewddur Fflam, and simple-minded creature Gurgi on a quest to warn Gwydion's people of the Horned King's threat.

The excitement continues all the way to the end, Taran becoming older and wiser with each new experience he faces and person he meets. Entertaining for all ages, and a perfect introduction to the land of Prydain. I can't recommend this highly enough.

A quality start to a classic series
Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles are one of the key series in children's fantasy literature, walking the fine line between being accessible to young readers and being appealing and engaging enough for adults to enjoy.

The five wonderful books in this series feature an interesting cast of reoccurring characters, all centering on Taran, a pig keeper destined for great things. Others, including a stereotypical spoiled princess, a crazed Gollum-like creature, and a hapless bard, take part in a series of increasingly epic adventures.

Because Alexander drew his stories from ancient myths and legends, the themes and situations always feel familiar. These will feel like stories you've read many times before, but never in a tiresome way. They're "comfortable." And that's a welcome trait, especially when so many books try so hard to be different.

This first volume if five, "The Book of Three," is probably the weakest of the series (though it is by no means bad, or even average). Taran seems to get caught up in his adventure rather too easily, and initially, before we become comfortable with the characters, some of them are a little grating. Gurgi is almost a downright annoyance.

But then the story really kicks into gear and develops into a nice adventure tale, setting the stage for the better Prydain books to come later. What "The Book of Three" does best is put in place the pieces of the great big puzzle that is put together throughout the next four books.

And who couldn't love the delightful early stages of Taran and Eilonwy's relationship? Delightful and funny is every way. Children will relate to the characters and the way they pick on each other, while adults will smile knowingly as Alexander winks and nods.

The writing is direct and lively throughout, and the pacing absolutely perfect. Just when one suspects a lull in the action is looming, Alexander races us forward and advances the adventure some more. Things are always progressing, always pushing forward, offering a tale that one is hard-pressed to put down.

One of the great joys of this series is the steady progression from pure children's fantasy to more adult themes and a grimmer, more mournful tone, allowing the reader to grow along with the characters. The first book does not well reflect the last. What begins as a light fantasy becomes very serious. And that is a good thing.

"The Book of Three" and the rest of the Prydain Chronicles are recommended reading for anyone who enjoys fantasy, especially classic children's fantasy.

this book is a literary bomb
Ok, just because the Lord of the Rings is the definitive fantasy novel DOES NOT mean that all of the fantasy books have to be just like Lord of the Rings. Theoretically, Lloyd Alexander took a great book, changed a few names, a few words, cut out 1,000 pages, and called it The Book of Three, which he, then, made x amount of dollars in.
here i will compare Alexanders "dark pond" or gloomy, or whatever it was, with Tolkiens entrance to Moria scene-
now come on, how pathetic can you get, and I know both came from mythology, but if your writing with a line of mythology ITS OK to stray from the myths once and a while! though having not read mythology, i do not know the roots of this particular article in question, but do know that Alexander could have done something to interest us, and to keep us from wanting to pick up The Felloship ... Read more

Book Description

It all started with a birthday present that Omri didn't want--a small plastic Indian that was no use to him at all.But an old wooden cupboard and a special key brought his unusual toy to life, and strange and wonderful things began to happen.

As Omri struggles to balance his real life in England with the characters of the Wild West of 18th century America, his incredible adventures are a fantasy beyond his wildest imagination. ... Read more

Reviews (73)

This book is a magical return to childhood fantasies
One of the best read aloud books ever, Indian in the Cupboard takes us on a magical journey to childhood where fantasies seem real. A young boy is in charge of a tiny, feisty indian whom he keeps in a special cupboard with a key that only he holds. He learns the excitement, value and caretaking responsibility of another human being. The imagination and detail draw the reader right into the story. As a school teacher and mother, I have experienced an emotional bonding with my students and son through this book. My son, 9 at the time, put his hands over his face and said, "Mom, this is my favorite book in the whole world." I felt a surge of joy as I watched my son become hooked on reading. One student unknowingly gave Lynne Reid Banks a wonderful compliment when I attempted to show the class a sketch of a picture in the book..."No! Don't show us the pictures!", and quickly covered his face. The descriptions and story-line of this book make it a DON'T MISS for your child's growing up years! RaNae Palme

probably my favorite kid's book ever
Mrs. Bedwell read this book out loud to my third grade class, and years later as I finish up grad school it still holds a special place in my heart.
The adventure begins when Omri discovers that a magical cupboard given to him on his birthday brings to life plastic toys. When he animates Little Bear, a plastic indian that lived about the time of the French Indian War, Omri's perspective on life changes.
What's special about this book is the how resectfully and seriously it takes the it's young characters and their conflicts. Omri and his friend Patrick discover that Little Bear is no toy, he is a real human being with actual life experiences. He has killed people, eats and sleeps, and remembers his own life and culture. As the two boys deal with the reality of keeping a real person concealed from others, they realize that they can't trifle with others' lives. It is this realization, and Omri's ultimate decision regarding Little Bear that make this a lovely coming of age story. Omri and Patrick learn to repect others and their beliefs.
Although Little Bear, the Native American toy brought to life is called an Indian, this book, I feel, is not chracterized by racism or stereotypes. Little Bear is not a western move redman, he's a real human being with a real human personality, and portrayed respectfully and realistically (as much as he can be, considering the plot).
This book is a definite must read for any kid, or kid at heart, who wonders what would happen if toys came to life.
"The Indian in the Cupboard" is one of four books, thought this one is the best. The final book, in which readers learn what makes the cuboard magical in the first place, detracts from the magic amd mystery of the first three books.

Review of the Audiobook - Educators Beware
I recently purchased the audiobook of The Indian in the Cupboard for use in my classroom. I work with students who struggle with their reading and reading along with an audiobook increases student comprehension of the material. I was disappointed to discover that the author (Lynne Reid Banks) changed parts of the audio version. At first, I only noticed a few changes, such as trousers for leggings. Then I discovered that she completely changed parts of the text by doing adding descriptions and by changing Little Bear's name to Little Bull. I'm not sure why the author felt it necessary to make these changes, but it makes it difficult for students to follow along in the book when the audiobook does not follow the text word for word. If you plan to use the audiobook in an educational setting, be aware of these changes.

On the plus side, Lynne Reid Banks has a very pleasant reading voice. It is enjoyable to listen to her.

The Indian In the Cupboard a review by Curtiss
Have you ever wished your toys would come to life? In the novel Indian

In The Cupboard the author Lynne Reid Banks tells us about a little boy

named Omri and his mysterious cupboard he got for his birthday. Omri then

places an Indian doll into the cupboard.

It is Omri's birthday and he gets an antique cupboard that can bring toys

to life. One of my favorite parts of the story is when Boone gets shot by one

of Little Bear's arrows when Omri, Little Bear, and Boone are watching a

movie about the old western times. In the movie the cowboys and Indians

are shooting back and forth until Little Bear gets frustrated and shoots an

arrow and it hits Boone.

Another one of my favorite parts in the book is when Omri and Little

bear and Boone are in the school . Little Bear and Boone are in a pouch

and Omri's friend has the pouch. Then Omri's friend is getting ready to

show a student Little bear and Boone. Omri and his friend then get into a fight.

If you want to see what happens to Little Bear and Omri, I would invite and encourage you to read Indian In The Cupboard.

The indian in the cupboard
My book I reviewed was the Indian in the cupboard. I liked this book a lot. Its about a young boy named Omri who has a poor family. For his birthday he gets a wooden cupboard for his birthday and finds a magical key to lock it. Omri finds out that the little key and the cupboard turn plastic to life. He puts a little indian in and over night it turns real. The little indian and Omri become friends, but Omri has trouble hiding him from his family and from friends. The setting takes place mostly at Omris house and school. The theme is friendship. I liked the story and i incourage others to read it. ... Read more

Book Description

Peace reigns in Caer Dallben, where Taran works as Assistant Pig-Keeper, but evil threatens the rest of Prydain.The diabolical Arawn's army grows every day, and his terrible warriors never die.They are born in the Black Cauldron from the stolen bodies of slain soldiers.If evil is to be defeated, the cauldron must be destroyed.Taran volunteers to travel to Arawn's stronghold and assist in the destruction of the dreaded cauldron.With his faithful friends reassembled, Taran marches off to facegreat danger with a courageous heart. ... Read more

Reviews (84)

Hi pot? It's kettle. You're black.
The best known title of any of the books in the Prydain Chronicles (owing, probably, to that horrendous Disney movie from the 1980s). In this beautifully woven tale, we return once more to meet Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper of Caer Dallben. With his faithful crew in tow (Eilonwy, Gurgi, Fflewddur Fflam, Doli, etc.) as well as new companions, Taran sets off to find and destroy the legendary Black Cauldron.

Unlike the first book in this series, this story is beset by some small inconsistencies that hurt its storytelling. At the end of the first book, Taran's hot head had been cooled by actual battle. He understood what it meant to go to war, and was happy to return and stay at Caer Dallben once more. Unfortunately, Taran goes right back to square one in this newest adventure. Again he is the same rambunctious unthinking adolescent he was before. I'm not saying this is necessarily an inaccurate portrait of an adolescent. Just disappointing. It would be nice to see Taran growing a little wiser with each book.

Still, there is much to love in this story. Taran finally meets a boy that rivals and beats him in quick thoughtless action. Flewddur the bard is still abandoning his kingdom to go fight and play the harp. Princess Eilonwy is just as feisty as ever. It's a wonder to think that even though this series was written at the same time as Britain's "White Mountains" chronicles, this particular group of books stands out for its far-sighted take on women and their abilities. Eilonwy may not be invited to the men's war councils, but she objects heartily to the fact. She fights as well as any (considering her circumstances) and is always of great help to others. It's funny, but you can't help wondering how Taran keeps ending up in the company of so many members of royalty (Eilonwy, Fflewddur, Gwydion, etc.). They seem to be as numerous as the leaves of spring.

In the end, "The Black Cauldron" (why wasn't it named "The Black Crochan" as the book calls it?) is a worthy, if slightly less impressive, successor to "The Book of Three". Readers who decide to start the series with this book will have little difficulty catching up with the action at hand. It is an enjoyable story that deserves to be remembered in the hearts and minds of fantasy lovers everywhere.

Facing fate(s) in the Marshes of Morva
This is one of the best of Alexander's Prydain series--definitely an improvement over _The Book of Three_, which was pretty good itself. Once again, Taran has to make tough choices between seeking fame as a hero or just trying to get the job done. His quest for the Black Cauldron, which can be used to reanimate the bodies of slain warriors to create an army of invulnerable zombies and thus must be destroyed if the power of Arawn Death-Lord (i.e., Sauron) is to be broken, takes him and his companions to the Marshes of Morva for a rendezvous with Alexander's offbeat version of the three Fates, one of whom, Orgoch, has some disturbing culinary tastes. As so often happens in Alexander, Taran can win the Cauldron only by giving up his most precious possession. Will he make the sacrifice? And what will he choose? Read this exciting, moving, and thought-provoking adventure to find out.

The movie can't be compared to this masterpiece
After getting a taste of adventure in "The Book of Three," Taran once again has an appetite for going out and doing heroic things. And the timing couldn't be better, for his childhood hero Prince Gwydion has invited him to help in stealing a bewitched cauldron from Arawn Death-Lord.

Along with the feisty Princess Eilonwy, impetuous bard Fflewddur, simple-minded Gurgi, and gruff dwarf Doli, Taran is joined by two new and very opposite characters: Adaon and Ellidyr. Both have very different ideas about honor, and Taran is forever changed by what he learns from them.

Rounding out the cast of new characters are the delightful enchantresses Orddu, Orwen and Orgoch, as well as the melancholy Gwystyl and proud King Morgant. There's more to all of them than meets the eye.

Taran's quest teaches him more about honor, goodness, sacrifice and loyalty than he ever bargained for. Next to "The High King," I consider this to be the most powerful book in all the Prydain Chronicles.

Young fantasy has never been better
Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles are one of the key series in children's fantasy literature, walking a fine line: They are both accessible to young readers and appealing and engaging enough for adults to enjoy.

The five wonderful books in this series feature an interesting cast of characters. Most of the action centers on Taran, a pig keeper destined for great things. Others, including a stereotypical spoiled princess, a crazed Gollum-like creature, and a hapless bard, take part in a series of increasingly epic adventures.

"The Black Cauldron" is probably the best known of the series (in part due to Disney's unfortunate film of the book). In this volume, Taran and friends return, this time to face a terrible evil that can spread lifeless hordes across the land. Old faces return, new bad guys appear, and the world of Prydain is further expanded in this classic addition to a classic series.

Because Alexander draws his stories from ancient myth and legend, the themes and situations always feel familiar, like stories you've read many times before - but never in a tiresome way. They're "comfortable." And that's a welcome trait, especially when so many books try so hard to be different.

The writing is direct and lively throughout (though darker in tone that the first book), and the pacing absolutely perfect. Just when one suspects a lull in the action is looming, Alexander surges us forward and advances the story some more. Things are always pushing forward, offering a tale that one is hard-pressed to put down.

One of the great joys of this series is the steady progression from pure children's fantasy to more adult themes and a grimmer, more mournful tone, allowing the reader to grow along with the characters. The first book does not well reflect the last. What begins as a light fantasy becomes very serious. That is a good thing and is very much on display here.

"The Black Cauldron" is hailed as a classic of young fantasy for a reason. It and the rest of the Prydain Chronicles are recommended reading for anyone who enjoys fantasy, especially classic children's fantasy.

Excellente!
Except the fact that was pretty slow at times, I still loved it! ... Read more

Book Description

Read by the author and a full cast
8 hours 55 minutes, 8 CDs

The universe has broken wide, and Lyra's friend lies dead.Desperate for answers and set on revenge, Lyra bursts into a new world in pursuit of his killer.Instead, she finds Will, just twelve years old and already a murderer himself.He's on a quest as fierce as Lyra's, and together they strike out into this sunlit otherworld.

On this journey marked by danger, Will and Lyra forge ahead.But with every step and each new horror, they move closer to the greatest threat of all—and the shattering truth of their own destiny.

In this stunning sequel to The Golden Compas, Philip Pullman continues His Dark Materials trilogy and confirms it as an undoubted and enduring classic.

AWARDS AND HONORS
ALA Best Books for Young Adults
Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
Horn Book Fanfare Honor Book
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Blue Ribbon Book
Book Links Best Book of the Year
Parents' Choice Gold Book Award
American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists" ... Read more

Reviews (522)

Extraordinarily good fantasy writing . . .
Many trilogies suffer from having a weak middle volume, but that certainly isn't the case here. Where THE GOLDEN COMPASS told the adventures of young Lyra Belacqua, at the beginning of this volume we meet Will Parry, a boy of our own world with his own quest. The two connect in Ci'gazze, a third world adjoining their own universes, a place haunted by Specters and mobs of vicious children, torn asunder by Lord Asriel's bridge-building. But we also find out what Asriel is really up to: He wants to reopen the war between Mankind and God, to liberate Man from the Authority. And Lyra's nemesis, Mrs. Coulter, is aligned with the Church on the other side. We find out what Dust is in our terms, and why it (and the Specters) are attracted to adults but not to children. And we meet both Dr. Mary Malone, physicist and specialist in "dark matter," and John Parry, explorer and shaman in the world of Ci'gazze. The strong characterization and narrative vigor of the story are remarkable and you'd better have Volume Three ready to hand when you finish this one.

His Dark Materials Book Number 2
The Subtle Knife is the sequel to The Golden Compass. It is about a boy named Will, and a girl named Lyra who go on a wild adventure. Will finds an opening to a different world and goes through, all the while looking for his lost father. He meets Lyra, a scrawny little girl who is looking for Dust particles. Together, they loose Lyra's alethiometer, or truth teller, gain the subtle knife, Will looses two fingers, Will finds his father, but something terrible happens to him shortly there after. If you want to find out exactly what the subtle knife is and how this story ends, you will have to read the book for yourself. By the way, the trilogy is The Amber Spyglass so I suggest that you start at the beginning so that you get the full picture. I would definitely recommend this novel for many reasons. First of all, it has very good descriptions, and many times when I was reading it I could just see myself in the book. Second of all, the characters were very well developed. Sometimes I could even tell what they were going to say before they said it. Third of all, the plot was very elaborate. The book was a bit confusing at first, but once you got into it, it was really easy to understand. And fourth of all, it wasn't one of those books where the first half was boring and then it got exciting. This book was exciting from the very first chapter.

More gripping.
This is the second book of His Dark Materials (after Northern Lights, or The Golden Compass in the US, and before The Amber Spyglass).

Will Parry is a twelve-year-old boy living in Oxford with his mother, who's suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, and his cat Moxie. His father, an arctic explorer, has gone missing almost since the boy was born.

Will's mother has been facing more and more crises of late, and strangers have been harrassing her repeatedly, asking questions about her husband, about the letters he sent her twelve years ago. Will decides to send her to his old piano teacher's house to keep her safe, but when these men come back and search their home, Will accidently kills one of them. Not wanting to call the police because they would put his mother into hospital, he takes his father's letters from their hiding place in the sewing machine, and flees.

But walking on the side of the road, he sees a cat much like Moxie suddenly disappear. Examining the patch of grass more closely, he discovers a window, resolves to cross it, and finds himself in Cittàgazze, a sun-drenched, palm-treed city on the sea shore, in another world.

The city looks as if everyone just left in a hurry though, and when Will is looking for food in the recently abandoned cafés, he stumbles onto a lost young girl, Lyra. Although shocked to see a human without a daemon, and after asking her alethiometer for advice, she knows she can trust Will, and they finally decide to help each other.

The rest of the book describes how they travel back and forth between worlds, Will searching for his father, Lyra gathering information about Dust, both making new allies as well as meeting new enemies, facing new, more deadly dangers.

I liked The Subtle Knife more than Northern Lights (US title: The Golden Compass), was more gripped by it as a whole. I particularly enjoyed the connections between Lyra's and Will's (our) Oxford, when Lyra discovers what is similar, and what is not, to the place where she grew up. There's still a rather mystic edge to the story which I don't quite get, but I guess everything will clear up in the last chapter.

Good middle book
The Subtle Knife is a good middle book of a trilogy and in some ways a good 'link' book-not quite as good as the first in that you lose some of the novelty.Though Pullman makes enough changes for it to be still quite fresh;New Worlds,new good/bad guys etc while still having our mainstay links through the book in Lyra,Mrs Coulter,Asriel,Byrnison.It's a compulsive read-I read this very quickly as I did the first.Again,good fun and an easy read.Better than the Harry P books (for me) and,very readable for an adult.I do think that when reviewing childrens books that the reviewers should put their age down as I think it's no good a kid reading my thoughts on it to help them decide (I'm 40 yrs old)-and likewise no point in an adult using a ten year old to help himself decide if to get the books.I wish when I was a kid though,that at school,they made you read books like this rather than shakespeare etc.I would say,if you're an adult with kids,buy it,read it,and lend it to them!

Great Book! Great Series!
The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman Is amazing. It is and interesting fantasy novel that has tons of action.This book includes Magic, Battles, Science, And Friendship. This also a great series. The reason i would choose this book over the amber spyglass is because the amber spyglass had so much action and things going on that it got tiring. Also it was very long. The Subltle Knife is about two children, Will and Lyra, That embark on a fantastic journey that takes them through many worlds. They meets outragous enimies and allies such as angels, witchs, talking war bears, and small bug-like Gallivispian Spies. This book was great and is a must read! I Would Give It 5 STARS! ***** it is also a great series. I think it is destined to become the next Harry Potter. ... Read more