The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper to a famous oracular sow, sets out on a hazardous mission to save Prydain from the forces of evil.

I could definitely see myself liking this as a kid when I was in my Susan Cooper / David Eddings era but it is very, very derivative. The protagonist kind of sucks too? He's hard to root for.

It's like Lord of the Rings and the last unicorn but written in an easier to understand voice (like Harry Potter).

Overall it was really good. I loved the adventure. It's like a kids intro to high fantasy.

Book summary: Simple pig keeper chases after his magic pig and meets a variety of characters. There are castles and an undead bad guy. There's also an eccentric Gollum like creature.

I read this as a child, so while I recall enjoying the book, I have basically no memory for the characters or plot.

Read this to Penelope in the womb and finished it off when she came out. We'll read it again when she's old enough to understand. It's a great starter fantasy series.