| The Castle Of Llyr |
Article Index for The Castle |
Website Links For Castle |
Information AboutThe Castle Of Llyr |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT THE CASTLE OF LLYR | |
| prydain novels | |
| 1966 novels | |
| american novels | |
| novels by lloyd alexander | |
|
The Castle of Llyr is the third volume in the children's Fantasy Chronicles Of Prydain series. Taran continues his adventures and encounters new friends and old enemies. The book is mostly lighthearted although the final scenes add depth and substance to Taran's character. PLOT At the novel's beginning, Dallben has already decided that Princess Eilonwy , as one of the few descendents of Llyr, must be sent to distant relatives on the Isle of Mona to train to become a proper lady. Taran, the Assistant Pig Keeper, and Gurgi are sent to escort her to Mona. They get there via ship "captained" by the incompetent, but good-hearted Prince Rhun. Taran is not quite certain about his feelings towards Eilonwy and feels out of place, believing it is better that he leaves her with people of her status. While in the stables, he bumps into his old friend Fflewddur Fflam , who has abandoned being a king in favor of being a bard once more. He was originally kept in the palace, but when the Steward of Mona, Magg, discovered that Fflewdur wasn't a real bard, Fflewddur was forced to stay in the stables. While Eilonwy suffers through lessons of proper conduct, Taran goes to the shoemaker, who turns out to be none other than Prince Gwydion of Don. Gwydion tells Taran that Eilonwy is grave danger, very likely from the evil sorceress Achren, previously thought dead. Gwydion tells Taran that Eilonwy must be closely watched - the girl has a knack for getting into trouble and this would be most unhelpful. Soon after, Taran and Gwydion trail Magg and see him conducting peculiar business on the coast of Mona. While there was no love lost for Magg before, the two cease trusting him at all. This is only reinforced when Magg kidnaps Eilonwy. Immediately a search party is sent out, Prince Rhun in command. However, King Rhuddlum knows that his son is unfit for command and tells Taran that while Rhun is in charge in name, Taran is in charge in fact. The search party sets out, its numbers including Rhun, Gurgi, Fflewddur and Taran. They soon find Eilonwy's bauble, which gives off light. During the search of Mona for Eilonwy, Rhun separates from the group, causing Taran extreme worry. However, the next day, he, Gurgi and Fflewddur find Rhun in a house filled with notes about potions made by a man named Glew. Apparently Glew experimented with these potions on a cat named Llyan. Just as they are discovering these things, Llyan returns to the house and traps the Companions there: Llyan larger than most horses and much more aggressive. The party only manages to escape when Fflewddur's harp turns out to calm down the cat. The party manages to escape the house, but enters a dark cave. They become lost, and it is there that they find Glew. Glew also took his own potions and is now tremendous - however now he can't get out of the cave. He traps the Companions inside a "room" in the cave, then asks them to please help him in a potion by being an ingredient therein. Despite his large stature, Glew is truly pathetic and wallows in self-pity: he tells of an empty book that he bought that was supposedly filled with enchantments. The party manages to escape, partially thanks to the help of Eilonwy's bauble. They bump into Llyan once more before finally reaching the coast of Mona. There, they meet Gwydion again, and much is clarified. The "empty book" Glew found was actually a book of the House of Llyr's most powerful enchantments, and Eilonwy's bauble - formally known as the Golden Pelydryn - gives off light so that the spells can be seen. Eilonwy herself is being held captive on Caer Colur, an island and the former home of the House of Llyr. The Companions head out to the island in the middle of the night, and upon disembarking, Gwydion hides the book and the bauble. The Companions immediately determine in which tower of the castle Eilonwy is being held. Taran climbs to her room, only to find that she has no memory of him due to Achren's sorcery. The Companions are all brought before Achren herself. Rhun inadvertedly makes mention of the fact that the Companions know where the book and the bauble are, and Achren demands them. Knowing that it causes Taran agony to see Eilonwy not recognize him, she tries to cut a deal with him: if Taran gives Achren what she wants, he may be with Eilonwy. At this point, Gwydion tells her where the book and the Golden Pelydryn are, shocking his friends. However, when Eilonwy takes hold of her ancestral heirlooms, she uses the Pelydryn to obliterate the spells in the book. Achren's last bid for power is finished, and Magg has double-crossed her by beginning to flood the island. The Companions barely escape, Achren in tow. She attempts suicide, but Gwydion foils her. Eilonwy has little memory of the incident, and all is recounted for her. The end of the book strongly implies that Eilonwy reciprocates Taran's feelings to her. TRIVIA This is the only book in the Chronicles of Prydain where the Fair Folk do not appear. However, the crow Kaw, who was trained by the Fair Folk and is capable of some speech, does play a part. |
|
|