The Chronicles of Prydain reading order

A plan for the whole series

6 volumes, 1,310 pages, about 25 hours. At 45 min a day that is about 5 weeks.

• From volume 2 on, the number of ratings falls most before volume 3, “The Castle of Llyr” (by 33%). Plan your break after volume 2, before the series plans it for you.

Stages

2 stages, with 1 short book from outside the series between them. You finish around December 9, 2026, 9 days later than in one go.

1. 1
   Stage 18 h11 daysby November 9, 2026

   • 1. The Book of Three1964 · 217 pages · 4 h
   • 2. The Black Cauldron1965 · 224 pages · 4 h
2. BreakMaus · Art Spiegelman · 295 pp. · score 9.05 h, by November 18, 2026. A short book from another shelf, so you come back to the series hungry.
3. 2
   Stage 216 habout 3 weeksby December 9, 2026

   • 3. The Castle of Llyr1966 · 206 pages · 4 h
   • 4. Taran Wanderer1967 · 256 pages · 5 h
   • 5. The High King1968 · 285 pages · 5 h
   • 6. The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain1973 · 122 pages · 2 h
4. The end of the series

   December 9, 2026

We count 1.1 min per page, the pace of an average novel reader. Faster? Move the slider.

Does the series hold up

Shape of the series: even. Volume scores differ by at most 0.3 points. You get the same level from the first page to the last.

Best volume: The High King (8.2, 133 ratings). Weakest: The Castle of Llyr (7.9). From volume 2 on, the biggest drop in the number of ratings is between volume 2 and 3: 33%. The series is complete; you can read it start to finish with no waiting. The last volume (8.2) scores close to the series average or above it.