The Children of Llyr
core novel 1971 The Mabinogion Tetralogy
Record
| First published | 1971 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.16 (527 ratings, collected 2026-08-26) |
| Page count | 221 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780345023322 |
| Internal chronology | 3 |
Synopsis
The Children of Llyr is the second novel in Evangeline Walton's Mabinogion tetralogy, retelling the Second Branch of the Welsh Mabinogion. Ancient Britain and Ireland are governed by the offspring of the giant Llyr and Penarddun, chief among them the giant king Bran, his sister Branwen, their brother Manawyddan, and their volatile half-brothers Nissyen and Evnissyen. When Branwen is married to Matholuch, the king of Ireland, to seal an alliance between the two lands, Evnissyen's fury at not being consulted leads him to commit a calculated insult against the Irish king by mutilating his prized horses. Although Bran attempts to smooth over the offense with magical gifts, resentment festers on both sides, and Branwen soon finds herself mistreated in her husband's court.
Where it sits
- Universe: The Mabinogion Tetralogy
- Series: The Mabinogion Tetralogy core; position 2 of 4 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Evangeline Walton
Notes
- From the series record (The Mabinogion Tetralogy): A four-novel prose retelling of the medieval Welsh mythological cycle known as the Mabinogi, written out of internal-chronology order; the author's first volume (by writing date, 1936, reissued 1970) tells the latest story in-world.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings and are never conflated: a book's place in one says nothing about its place in the other.
- Publication order, within the series The Mabinogion Tetralogy: position 2 of 4: previous The Island of the Mighty (1970) · next The Song of Rhiannon (1972)
- Internal chronology, within The Mabinogion Tetralogy: position 3 of 4: previous The Song of Rhiannon (1972) · next The Island of the Mighty (1970)
Sources
- The Mabinogion Tetralogy bibliography (specialised series-tracking site)
- Evangeline Walton biographical entry (encyclopedic reference)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Children_of_Llyr
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