The Mabinogion Tetralogy (The Prince of Annwn; The Children of Llyr; The Song of Rhiannon; The Island of the Mighty)

The Mabinogion is to Welsh mythology what the Iliad and the Odyssey are to Greek myth. These classic, thrilling stories of magic, betrayal, lost love and bitter retribution constitute a powerful work of the imagination, comparable to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Evangeline Walton's compelling rendition includes the tale of Bran the Blessed and his family's epic struggle for the throne; the encounter between Prince Pwyll and Arawn (God of Death) which Pwyll survives by agreeing to kill the one man that Death cannot fell. The Mabinogion is internationally recognised as the world's finest arc of Celtic mythology; Walton's retelling introduces an ancient world of gods and monsters, heroes, kings and quests, making accessible one of the greatest fantasy sagas of all time. In The Prince of Annwn the seeds of future tragedy are planted. Young Prince Pwyll meets Arawn, the God of Death, and survives the encounter with a heavy charge: to take on Arawn's guise and kill for him the one man even Death could not fell. The Children of Llyr chronicles the great family of Bran the Blessed, and their epic struggle for the throne. In The Song of Rhiannon, the struggle continues with Manawyddan and his son Pryderi, the rightful heir to the throne, against the force of an ancient curse. In The Island of the Mighty, the throne of the kingdom of Gwynedd is in peril when Gwydion, the headstrong heir, dares to provoke the legendary wrath of Lord Pryderi