Last month Lloyd Alexander passed away at the age of 83. So I went back and read The Prydain Chronicles for the first time in over twenty years. My Grandma, an elementary school librarian, was always giving me these fantastic books to read, starting with The Hobbit when I was ten. But I think her favorites were Alexander's tales of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper. Rereading them as an adult I'm pleased to say they retain their magic, unlike some of the books I read back then (excuse me I have to sneeze, ah-ah-shannara!) They have a real sense of humour to go with the typical heroic quest themes of this type of fantasy.
Some of the unforgettable characters you'll meet are Fflewddur Fflam, the wannabe bard with the lie-detecting harp. The photo of Alexander above is pretty much how I imagine Fflewddur.
Gurgi, a vaguely-described creature of epic loyalty and appetite, if not brains. I think he is a sort of hominid, maybe an unknown variant of australopithecine.
Then there's Doli, the grumpy old dwarf who discovers that turning invisible is not all it's cracked up to be.
And of course, Taran and Eilonwy, the assistant pig-keeper and the girl he loves.
Disney made an animated movie of The Black Cauldron but I've never seen it. I don't think it's available on DVD, actually- it didn't do too well, possibly because it was rated PG rather than G. Funny how that makes a difference.