“It is strange,' he said at last. 'I had longed to enter the world of men. Now I see it filled with sorrow, with cruelty and treachery, with those who would destroy all around them.' 'Yet, enter it you must,' Gwydion answered, 'for it is a destiny laid on each of us. True, you have seen these things. But there are equal parts of love and joy.”

American author

Lloyd Alexander was an American author of children’s and young adult fantasy fiction. He lived from 1924 to 2007 and wrote over a long career that spanned seven decades. He is best known for The Chronicles of Prydain, a five-book high fantasy series. His work includes more than 40 books, with 48 written across his career, and it was translated into 20 languages. The final volume of The Chronicles of Prydain, The High King, won the 1969 Newbery Medal. He also received U.S. National Book Awards in 1971 and 1982.