Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander

Taran finds himself at lose ends after his adventures have sent him back to Caer Dallben.  He is determined to find out exactly who he is and sets off with faithful Gurgi to find out.

To the marshes to speak with the thinly disguised fates who send them on a mad dash away from their lair.  A shepard, a smith, a weaver, and a potter all show Taran things about himself and even though he fights it at times he is gaining self-knowledge.

Greater character development and better written than The Book of Three, this is my favorite of the series.  Even better, as an adult I can still appreciate the storyline and the only pet peeve is the disregard of horse care but there are few authors that put that chore into their tales.

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

Taran dreams of adventure, battles, and glory.  What he finds is hunger, terror, and worry. Despite all of this he pushes through, always trying to do the right thing. 

Searching for Hen Wen, an oracle pig, he partners up with a prince, a king turned bard, Gurgi, a wolf type creature, and the required young lady.

A mixture of fantasy and magic with just enough of a familiar feel to make it all flow. 

There are a couple of places where things just happen and the story jumps around a bit but overall the story is good and Taran is likeable. 

The Illyrian Adventure by Lloyd Alexander

Vesper Holly sees what she wants to do and off she goes.  Pity her guardian, whom she calls Brinnie, who must tag along as the bumbling sidekick. 

A young female Indian Jones type Vesper keeps things rolling along until the end.  Often funny, quick paced, and a great book for the reader that is looking for adventure without to much depth.  I would recommend for the fourth to sixth grade set of readers.