Audiobook Series: The Chronicles of Prydain

The Chronicles of Prydain Audiobook is a pentalogy of children’s high fantasy Bildungsroman novels written by American author Lloyd Alexander.

Since The Book of Three was first published in 1964, young readers have been enthralled by the adventures of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper and his quest to become a hero. Taran is joined by an engaging cast of characters that includes Eilonwy, the strong-willed and sharp-tongued princess; Fflewddur Fflam, the hyperbole-prone bard; the ever-faithful Gurgi; and the curmudgeonly Doli – all of whom become involved in an epic struggle between good and evil that shapes the fate of the legendary land of Prydain.

The Prydain audiobooks are exactly the kind of fantasy books George R. R. Martin was subverting with A Song of Ice and Fire Audiobook – the PBS to his HBO. They turn on the classical virtues of loyalty, courage, and wisdom, and those values are ultimately rewarded. Good triumphs over evil. No one’s head is chopped off; no one is raped; no one is flayed.

The young adult genre contains a multitude of writerly sins, from one-dimensional characters to OMG prose that tries too hard for contemporary cultural relevance.

Many multi-part series, in particular, are like the Harry Potter books: chatty, repetitive, and discursive, churning through tons and tons of plot (and pages) to wring out a modest bit of meaning.

Now you can listen to all the stories in The Chronicles of Prydain Audiobook Free Download on my website with books in order: