Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander

This book is the fourth in The Chronicles of Prydain, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Taran hopes to marry Princess Eilonwy one day, so he sets out to discover information about the parents he never knew. His travels take him back to the three witches at the Marshes of Morva, and they tell him that the Mirror of Llunet might be able to reveal the information he seeks. He encounters an evil wizard, Morda, and a vicious marauder, Dorath, along the way, and he must fight for his life. Taran becomes discouraged with things he discovers, so he decides to apprentice with a blacksmith, a weaver, and a potter. They teach him their crafts, but they teach him much more about life.

This book has an interesting variety of characters. The antagonists and friendly folk Taran meets create different opportunities for Taran to learn. In the end, Taran learns that we are more than the blood in our veins. He returns to Caer Dallben a new, more knowledgeable, man.

You must read the books in the series in order, so use the search box in the top-left corner of the screen to find them. The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, and The Castle of Llyr are the first three books.