All Taran knows is his life as a farm boy. He yearns to be a hero, like his idol, Prince Gwydion, but few opportunities for glory occur inside a horseshoe forge or a pig pen. Dreaming of great deeds, Taran imagines a hero’s life as a state of continuous daring, gallantry, and splendor. As the novel progresses, he learns that there’s a lot more to heroism than rippling banners, gleaming swords, and cheering crowds. Much of that life is, instead, thankless and tragic.

Taran learns that things are not always what they appear, including heroes. He stumbles onto Gwydion while the prince is tracking the Horned King. Expecting glowing robes and gleaming swords, Taran finds a disheveled man wearing rough clothes. Gwydion is working undercover, and says that not every hero looks like one.

At the beginning of their journey, Taran has a lot to learn. They set off in search of the oracular pig Hen Wen, but Taran knows little of overland treks, his senses and reflexes untrained, and he makes foolish mistakes. He stumbles, walks loudly near the enemy, gets knocked down by

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