43. The High King

by Lloyd Alexander (304 pgs)

Rating: 5

Immediately after returning from his quest of the previous book, Taran is drawn into a new set of disastrous events. A quest for a missing sword quickly escalates into a last ditch showdown with the major power of evil in Prydain. Everything comes to a head at once and the once Assistant Pig Keeper must now also be War Leader.

The High King is a remarkable book. As the climax to the Prydain Chronicles series, it is, what I'm tempted to call, a masterpiece of youth fiction. By the end of the book I found myself forgetting that these were simply characters in a work of fiction. In fact, I don't want to say too much about it, lest I give something away.

Recommended to everyone. It may be possible to read this as a stand alone but I think it would have less impact.