The High King
- 285
- Pages
- about 5 h
- Reading time
- Newbery Medal
Affiliate link: buying through it supports BookRank at no extra cost to you.
Our view
“The High King” brings “The Chronicles of Prydain” to a moving close, asking its hero Taran to put the greater good before his own wishes. Some readers find it heartbreaking and satisfying at once and count it among the finest fantasy they know. Others came to it without the earlier volumes and followed it easily, while still others think it not the strongest of the series, with much of the outcome settled in advance.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
The High King (1968) is a children's fantasy novel by American author Lloyd Alexander. It concludes the Chronicles of Prydain series and won the Newbery Medal for children's literature. In the series, main character Taran matures from an impulsive and childish Assistant Pig-Keeper to a colleague and counselor of kings. Throughout this installment, Taran is required to sacrifice his desires for the greater good. This arc leads him to become High King of Prydain. The novel also draws on Lloyd Alexander's life experiences, particularly as a soldier in the Second World War.
Reading order · The Chronicles of Prydain
Full order & progress →
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.5 across 133 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 48% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Fantasy average of 8.0. That is how 8.2 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.5 | 19 | 14% |
| Hardcover | 8.4 | 114 | 86% |
Frequently asked
How long is The High King?
It has 285 pages — shorter than 95% of the ranked books in Fantasy.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Fantasy — with scores between 8.1 and 8.2, closest to this book.
