The Black Cauldron by Lloy Alexander - ADVISABLE

Alexander, Lloyd  The Black Cauldron: 50^th Anniversary Edition (Chronicles of Prydain, #2), 178 pgs.  Henry Holt and Company, 2015.  $25.99  Content: Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG.  

Taran and his friends are searching throughout Prydain for a dark and evil cauldron that is making Cauldron born soldiers.  Arawn is power hungry and has turned evil as he controls the Cauldron born.  Power tempts some of Taran's traveling companions and death finds others, leaving Taran to learn what it means to become a man.   

This is a great book in the Prydain series.  My only wish is that there was a character list at the beginning. Lloyd Alexander weaves a good adventure with memorable characters and important values.  There is laughter and sadness, and the violence is mild war violence.  Although the book is 50 years old, it is timeless.  

EL, MS – ADVISABLE.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.