41. Taran Wanderer

by Lloyd Alexander (272 pgs)

Rating: 4

Taran's love for the princes Eilonwy drives him to a quest to find his parents, desperately hoping that he discovers he is of noble birth. He and Gurgi set out first to the three weird sisters in the swamp and then off to the Free Commots. Along the way he learns a number of trades and discovers a number of things about himself. Loose ends are tied up and new avenues of plot open up.

Taran Wanderer is a true coming of age book. It is pure transition of Taran the boy to Taran the man. For all that, it is not guilty of the faults that most transition books have. It's not boring or disjointed and, despite the feelings of some, it's not the kind of book that would only appeal to young men. It is blatantly transitional, though, and really feels more like a prelude to the next book than a complete novel of it's own. Alexander took advantage of it to answer hanging questions and tie things from previous books more tightly together. On the one hand, it's obvious what he's doing, but on the other, it makes the world pop into focus as a 'real' place.

Recommended, particularly to young men, because it's interesting and compulsory if you've read the first three.