Arawn also corrupts a race of birds into the Gwythaints, monstrous airborne agents. Known as the Death-Lord, Arawn's warriors include the 'Cauldron-Born' (undead soldiers reanimated by the magical Black Cauldron), the fearsome war commander called the Horned King, and the bloodthirsty Huntsmen of Annuvin (who in death transfer their power to their surviving comrades). Taking the Iron Crown, Arawn became master of the fortress of Annuvin, the Land of the Dead. The evil Queen Achren was overthrown by her consort and student in magic, Arawn. The first two novels of The Chronicles of Prydain were loosely adapted into the 1985 Disney film The Black Cauldron and led to a video game of the same name produced by Sierra Entertainment. New illustrations for the 1973 anthology were done by Margot Zemach.

The cover art for the novels and the interior art for the short story picture books was done by Evaline Ness. The books were accompanied by an illustrated short story book in 1965 and another in 1967, followed by The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain, a collection of six short stories published in 1973. Along with various fights against forces of evil, the novels focus on Taran's journey of maturity, growing from a hot-tempered, impulsive boy to a knowledgeable and insightful adult. The heroes frequently work alongside the Fair Folk (a society of elves and similar beings) and the warriors known as the Sons of Don. Throughout the stories, Taran's major companions are the enchantress Princess Eilonwy, the bard Fflewddur Fflam (a minor king who has left his kingdom), the wild beast-man Gurgi, and the dwarf Doli. While attempting to care for the sow, Taran stumbles into a series of adventures wherein he helps protect his country of Prydain from different threats, chief among them the evil Arawn, whose forces include an undead army known as the Cauldron-Born. The Chronicles of Prydain series follows the protagonist Taran, a youth living on a farm who dreams of being a great hero but instead is made 'Assistant Pig-Keeper' in the first book, entrusted with protecting Hen Wen, a white ' oracular pig' magically empowered with clairvoyance. The setting is based on Wales and inhabited by creatures and characters inspired by Welsh mythology and folklore. The five novels take place in Prydain, a fictional country ruled by a High King who oversees several minor kingdoms. The second book earned a 1966 Newbery Honor and the final novel won the 1969 Newbery Medal.

The series includes: The Book of Three (1964), The Black Cauldron (1965), The Castle of Llyr (1966), Taran Wanderer (1967), and The High King (1968). The Chronicles of Prydain is a pentalogy of children's high fantasy Bildungsroman novels written by American author Lloyd Alexander and published by Henry Holt and Company. Print ( hardcover and paperback), audiobook, e-book

The chronicles of prydain