If I were to try to explain the pacing of "The Black Cauldron," it would be a slow start that unexpectedly and exponentially improves as the narrative progresses. Seriously, the beginning is frustrating with obvious foreshadowing being super obvious. BUT! by the end there are so many twists and turns, you have no idea which side of the River Tevvyn you're on, both figuratively and literally.

More importantly, the second volume of The Chronicles of Prydain introduces the three witches of the Marshes of Morva, perhaps my favorite characters of this series. Neither good nor evil, Orddu, Orwen, and Orgoch were an enchanting trio for me to read a child. Things are not always what they seems, and certainly not omnipotent witches chillin' in a marsh.

Ultimately, the best part of this book is the denunciation of pride. This was always my least favorite of the seven deadly sins, because it is the most destructive in that it creeps up in "good" and "bad" people alike. Armies and magical creatures aside, this is the true struggle for the novel's protagonists.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this one.