The Black Cauldron

Better than the Book of Three but also just awful. The WAR BAND leaves behind Eilonwy and Gurgi because they will be useless. Eilonwy and Gurgi disagree and come along on the adventure and then have no purpose for the whole book. No joke, I forgot Gurgi existed for several chapters because the narrator forgot about him too—Gurgi said nothing and did nothing for chapters at a time.

But then I suppose really this book is all about Taran. Reading this as a kid I liked Taran, but coming back through this I wish he'd just shut up and let the adults talk. He receives a magic item from a dying man that lets him do magic things but in the least literarily-interesting way imaginable, and then sells it, even though he promise the man he'd give it to the dying man's wife. After a move like that it's kinda hard to respect him as a character.

I get that like the fate of the world is at stake if he doesn't sell the magic item, but at least let him pretend to give a shit about this promise, especially when the end of the book is all about Taran and HOW HE ALWAYS KEEPS HIS PROMISES NO MATTER WHAT.

After revisiting two of these books, I don't feel the need to read the third.