This book was great! The information was very useful and it was extremely well organized and easy to read! Anyone applying to colleges will certainly find many of the tips in this book to be both helpful and easy to follow.

The children of the first book (Peter, Susan, Edmond and Lucy) are back in Narnia. For them it has been just a couple of months, but for the inhabitants of that magic world has been hundreds of years. Now the telmarins rules, and the old narnians lived hiding. The true heir of the throne, prince Caspian, with and army of dwarves and talking animals, would have to fight... and readers, all ages, all over the world, would again be thrilled by this wonderful story of magic and reality.

this is one of the most beautiful books i have ever read. i stumbled opon it in the english youth section of the library in my city. (i'm an american living in the netherlands) and when i read it i was completely overwhelmed. it is a very dreamy and unique book- i have never read anything like it. i couldn't put it down- and all day while i was supposed to be busy, all i could think about was getting home so i could read it. i would highly reccomend it to anyone who loves dreamy stories and i'd read it again a thousand times if i had the chance. :)

First published as the third entry in the Narnia Chronicles, "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" offers one of the best extended metaphors in the entire series, as well as a wonderful storyline. Edmund and Lucy are joined by their cousin Eustace on an expedition with King Caspian on the good ship Dawn Treader, in search of Caspian's exiled ancestors. At their first stop, Lonely Island, they need to overcome the corruption of the local governor Gumpas and restore the Narnian rule. After weathering a storm, they retreat to Dragon Island for repairs, where the beastly Eustace is shown his true self by being turned into a dragon. Next is Deathwater Island, which shows the folly of greed as objects are turned to gold. On the Island of the Voices, the invisible Dufflepuds need to be freed from their enchantment. The Dark Island (where dreams come true) results in horrifying real nightmares. And the last Island (called by some "World's End") brings the adventurers to Aslan's table. After a multitude of wonderful adventures, the travellers finally arrive at the Very End of the World, where Aslan's own country is. It's a touching story, and when combined with memorable characters such as the gallant mouse Reepicheep, this has to be a strong contender for the best in the series.

As with all the Narnia Chronicles, on the level of children the story functions as a perfectly comprehensible and exciting fantasy adventure, but on an adult level it imparts powerful spiritual truths about Christianity by means of numerous recognizable Biblical allusions. "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" presents the beastly Eustace as a vivid portrait of a sinner as a helpless dragon that needs Christ to take off the scales of his old nature and dress him in the clothes of a new nature (p.115ff). Eustace' post-conversion confession that "I'm afraid I've been pretty beastly" is true in more ways than one. Aslan's table has eucharistic overtones. But the highlight of the book and one of the highlights of the series is the metaphorical journey of the Dawn Treader. By portraying time as a place, Lewis uses the geographical journey to the end of the world as a metaphor for a journey to the end of time, where water is "drinkable light" (p.248), and where the dawn of the day of Christ's kingdom awaits. Appropriately in keeping with the Biblical significance of the number seven as a number of fulness, it is after visiting six islands that the Very End of the World is reached.

This book also contains the key to the spiritual significance of the whole series: the role of Aslan. This becomes evident when Aslan says "This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there." About the real world, Aslan observes "There I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name." (p.270). This is an apparent inconsistency in the Narnia Chronicles, because none of the characters actually seem to know Christ in the real world - Eustace doesn't even know Adam and Eve ("The Silver Chair" p.40). Yet it is clear that Lewis wants our understanding of Aslan in the world of Narnia to lead to a growing knowledge of Christ in the real world.

Aslan is of course symbolic of Christ: "He is the great lion, the son of the Emperor-beyond-the-Sea, who saved me and saved Narnia."(p.118) As always, in all the upheavals and conflicts of Narnia, Aslan is the one constant, and it is his vital involvement that enables the children to complete their Narnian quest, just as it is Christ who inspires, comforts, guides, and saves in the real world. Narnia may exist only in Lewis imagination and ours, but these underlying truths about Christ ensure that a journey to Narnia is never without profit for the real world.

After reading the very first line, "There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it," I realized that I had made a huge mistake beginning "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" half an hour before bedtime. More exciting and adventure-packed than the two preceeding books (in the original ordering, of course), "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "Prince Caspian", it is hard to put down.

The main characters that readers will recognize are King Caspian, Edmund, Lucy, and Reepicheep. Sadly, Peter and Susan have since become too old to reenter Narnia; but the story does amazingly well even without them. Here, Eustace, who will reappear in "The Silver Chair", is introduced for the first time. They are an interesting bunch, all providing something essential to the story, especially Reepicheep (whose character and personal history are developed further) and Eustace (who experiences a wonderful kind of redemption).

The Dawn Treader is a ship King Caspian built in order to fulfil an oath made on his coronation day to find the seven lords and friends of his father that his uncle Miraz had sent to explore the Eastern Seas. Every two chapters or so, the Dawn Treader stops at an island, where its crew and passengers have a small adventure-within-the-larger-adventure, discover the fate of each of the seven lords, and learn good moral lessons. For instance, one island, called the Dark Island, is a place where dreams come true. It may sound wonderful, until you realize that the dreams that come true are not the pleasant daydreams, but the nightmares. After the last island, the passengers even reach, or very nearly reach, the End of the World.

Though I compared this book to Homer's "Odyssey" in the title of this review, I must add that it can also be likened to John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress". This voyage is not guided by fate and devoid of reason, but is blessed by Aslan (who symbolizes Jesus) and is full of meaning and purpose. It does not merely represent the passage through life, but the passage through life _as a Christian_. That may be why one reviewer complained that this novel is overly preachy. Yet we readers are human, after all, and in need of being preached to now and then. Another thing that may surprise readers is the chivalry with which Lucy, the only girl on the ship, is treated by the men. Though it not "politically correct," as Eustace himself points out at the beginning, it has a certain rightness to it.

Remembering how the March girls in Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" played at being good in imitation of the character Christian in "The Pilgrim's Progress", only to realize that their game was really a way of life, I can say that it would be wonderful if children today could apply the allegories in "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" in the same way. Parents, take note: it is easier to ask a child, "What would Edmund tell you about forgiving someone who has done wrong, like Eustace?" than to launch into a weary sermon about forgiveness that they may not remember anyway. There are more archetypes in this book, and in all stories about Narnia, than C.S. Lewis himself must have realized: and children can only benefit from knowing them as they grow up.

The very BEST of the regin of Caspian X (King of Narnia, etc.)'s regin as King. A very detialed account of the voyage of the Dawn Treader, the ship that upon are Caspian, Lucy, Edmud, and somewhat revolting cousin, Eustence Scrubb.

First written as the third CHRONICLE OF NARNIA, I believe it is better read as the fifth, because of the timewise order. But the account can be read anyway wished, and the reader will still get much out of it. But I'm getting ahead of myself, so I shall slow my pace and begin where it is proper to begin--at the begining.

In PRINCE CASPIAN (Book #4 new order, Book #2 old order) a false king holds Narnia's throne, and while he held it, he sent seven Narnian Lords looking for land beyond the eastern Lone Islands. To the false king Miraz's intent, none of them returned.

When the true king, Caspian X, took the throne, he took an oath to set out for a year and a day to find the seven lords and bring them back to their homeland of Narnia if they are alive, or, upon finding them dead, avenging them if possibble. And this story is that story, of the voyage to find the Seven Lost Lords of Narnia, during whitch the crew encounter dragons, water that can turn anything to pure gold, merpeople, magicians, and the whole assortment of magical creatures out there in the utter east, where they not only search for the Lords, but also for Aslan's country because "where the water grows sweet, that is the utter east."

The first book in the famous allegorical Chronicles of Narnia fantasy series for children. Four English school children (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) visit an old Professor to avoid the air raids in London during World War II. They discover an "entrance" to a world of fantasy through a wardrobe. It is a world that will change them forever. They assist the golden lion Aslan to defeat the White Witch who has cursed Narnia with eternal winter: the classic conflict of good vs. evil. This is the first in the Chronicles to be published. However, "The Magician's Nephew" relates events that take place before the events in this book and many, including the publisher, suggest that individuals read that book first. I disagree. I think the series flows much better when read in the order of their publication. As one reads the series, particularly with the last volume, one become more attuned to the spiritual aspects of the tales. And in responce to muchadoaboutlisa from Australia (of May 6, 1999), as we can tell from the last volume, Narnia does exist.

In C.S. Lewis's book The Lion , the Witch, and the Wardrobe; siblings Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter start the story out by playing hide-and-go-seek in their Uncle Andrew's house.They are staying with their uncle because of the difficult times and war in England. The youngest child,Lucy decides to hide in a old magical wardrobe. This is no ordinary wardrobe. It takes Lucy to a the magical world of Narnia. She comes back noticing that no time has past and brings her brothers and sisters along with her to this other world. From here the adventure has just begun. Here they meet talking beasts,giants, and have to battle the evil White Witch and learn to find that one of their own family members betrays them. They do this all with the help of the protector of Narnia and loin named Aslan.
This book is a great adventure and is a real page turner. It goes beyond a fairy-tale with a much more deeper meaning. The symbolism is fantastic in this book. I really liked it and people of all ages can appreciate it.

This novel is a great book to read, especially for children who love fairy tales. Every once in a while I love to glance back at this book and read it for fun. This is my opinion about this book.
The book is about four children from England who are going to a wise grown-up's house to spend the summer at. During the time, they discover a magical wardrobe in the house that leads to a huge country called Narnia, in which they become Kings and Queens. The names of the children are Peter (the oldest), Susan (the 2nd oldest), Edmund (the third oldest), and Lucy (the youngest). One day it is raining outside and they decide to go explore through the house since they can't go outside. When they're exploring they decide to play hide-and-go-seek since the house is huge. Lucy, hides in a wardrobe and discovers there are fur coats that lead to the country Narnia. As she goes in, she discovers there is a center lightpost, where she meets a faun and goes off with him to eat. She was there for hours, then finally, (I don't want to give the secret of the fuan) she decides to go back to the house. When she gets back, she told the others about it and they did not believe her. She was in the country for hours, but then she found out that it had only been a few seconds. Narnia time is different from real time.
Next game, Edmund goes into the center lightpost and a witch on a sledge comes by. She offers him food and to tell the others to come (This witch is evil for real but lies to Edmund to get him to bring the others. I don't think I should tell why though, ruins story). When Edmund comes back, he lies to the others about the country and Lucy gets upset.
Later in the story, they all go in and find it. They find out that they have to save Narnia from the witch's evil spell (It's always Winter), so they meet a great lion named Aslan. Aslan helps him to kill the witch and the spell breaks. Then they become Kings and Queens of Narnia.
That is a brief description about this novel. I would love to write more but the maximum words are 1,000. I highly recommend this book for anyone, even adults. If you ever get the chance, go ahead and read.

To C.S. Lewis:
You are the greatest author I have ever known of. Thank you for making this book. I wish I could meet you someday.

Kellen Kornegay

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis is a wonderful beginning to The Chronicles of Narnia. Two children, Digory and Polly, are given a great gift by Digory's uncle. He gives them rings which give them the power to travel to different worlds and travel home again. They travel to many different worlds and have many different adventures. I one of the worlds they find an evil queenwho follows them back home. Polly and Digory take the the queen to a different world where they meet a kion called Aslan and many different talking animals. Digory takes a silver apple back home to his dying mother. When Digory gives the apple to his mother and she is miraculously cured. Digory plants the apple core and magic rings in his backyard. You will have to read the rest of this magical adventure to find out where the magic appears next. This book is one of the most wonderful and magical books I have ever read. Lewis's imagination really keeps the books alive. It makes you feel you are sharing the adventures right along with the characters. I would recommend this book to anybody because it is so fascinating. This adventure-fantasy is for people of all ages. It makes you want to keep on reading to find out what happens to the characters. There is a lot of suspense and it is very absorbing. I love the way it leads into the next book of The Chronicles. It makes you want to read all the other books that follow.

Though this book was originally written for small children, I began reading the entire Narnia series at the age of 12. A teacher recommended that I read The Magicians Nephew first because it shows how Narnia was created and explains how Jadis the Queen comes to the peaceful land. The story begins with a friendship being formed between two children, Polly and Digory. Digory has been staying with his Aunt and Uncle because of his ill mother who needs to be taken care of. Being completely bored, he climbs over his wall on day and meets the girl who lives next door. Digory tells Polly how his Uncle is a crazy magician. They decided to crawl through some raftors that connect Polly and Digory's houses. Unfortunatley, they stumble into the secret labratory of Digory's uncle. He traps them and, before they can do anything, gives them rings ( green for going and yellow for coming back )and sends them off into a different world. Finding themselves surrounded by pools, they decide to jump into one to see what would happen. But by doing that, they awaken Jadis the Queen, who they accidentaly bring back with them to London. She immediatley goes off and runs a muck downtown. Trying to get her back to her own world, they put on their rings. But, once again, luck was not with them. They had accidentaley brought with them a cabby with his horse and the Magician. Once they are in the world with all of the pools, they go into the wrong pool; a.k.a. Narnia. They then wittness the creation of Narnia where animals can talk. It is a beautiful story that I stayed up half the night finishing. I just wish that more people can read this book. The creation of Narnia is very much like the scene in the Bible where God creates the world and all of it's creatures. Yes, this is a childrens book, but I truly believe that anyone who reads it will immediatley love it.

A lot of people argue about whether The Magician's Nephew is book one or book six in the Narnia series. Either way, (I read it second-after The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and have now reread it after finishing the series) it is an excellent book. It is the genesis of all the adventures in Narnia; and is a masterpiece! A little boy named Digory and his friend Polly are sent to a place between the worlds by Digory's mad-scientist/magician uncle Andrew. From there they awaken an ancient evil, witness the death of one world and the birth of another. In telling the story, C.S. Lewis writes with both wit and skill. His grasp on human nature is both insightful and entertaining. This book serves as a parable for our own creation and fall. It is a book I recommend to people of all ages.

As a fan of the Chronicles of Narnia, I was (just a bit) disappointed to find this book, in which Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole go on a quest through Narnia to find Prince Rillian (Prince Caspian's son) the most formulaic. Pole and Scrubb are nipped from their alternative school (which Lewis doesn't let go by without a good ribbing) by Aslan, who sends them forth on a mission to find the prince. It has the usual quest form of the Narnian chronicles, two children from our world, helping the Narnians with an important mission, Aslan's vital intervention and a nod to a deadly sin, this one is Sloth.

I thought the most compelling part of the book was the beginning when Jill meets Aslan in his land beyond the sea. Having read of this region of the Narnian world in Voyage of the Dawn Treader, it was rewarding to get a further view of it.

I eagerly read this book to the end, but I didn't find myself provoked by it as I had been the other Narnian chronicles. Don't skip it if you want to read them all, choose The Horse and His Boy and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe if you're only going to read a few.

In this book, we meet new characters and reunite with the old ones. Jill Pole and Eustace Scrubb open a usually locked door and find themselves being blown into... Narnia. Aslan has a task for the children: they must rescue Prince Rilian, King Caspian's only son from the evil witch. So they embark on a perilous journey through the Wild Waste Lands of the North with their marshwiggle guide, Puddlegum. I particularly enjoyed the part where they befriend the giants. This is a must-read to all Narnia lovers.

This, the sixth installment of the Chronicles of Narnia series (though it was published fourth), is quite a bit different than previous books in the series. This novel follows the adventures of Eustace (from the Voyage of the Dawn Treader) and Jill, a new girl, as they try to free the prince Rilian (Caspian's son) from the clutches of an evil enchantress. Last time Eustace was in Narnia, Caspian was a young man, but now he is old and decrepit, and mourns the loss of his son. There is much more action in the plot of this book, and many more adventures than in previous books in the series. There are many new types of creatures introduced (the Marsh-wiggles and Underworlders, for example) and several new characters.

Like the other novels in this series, the Silver Chair is very well-written and enjoyable. It is accessible for children as well as adults, and can provide entertainment to people of any age. Christian references run rampant here, especially with Aslan as a Christ figure (he uses his blood to perform healing and rejuvenation). Besides being a sort of Christian allegory, this book also comments on the school system, and points out the absurdity of 'modern' private schools who don't even teach their students that they are sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. The Chronicles of Narnia are timeless classics, both for their literary and narrative value and for the just plain good values they teach.

The book The Last Battle, a book by C. S. Lewis, is the last book in the 7 book series in the chronicles of Narnia. This fantasy book again goes into the amazing land of Narnia, inhabited by talking beasts, tree spirits called Dryads, centaurs, and just about any other mythical or true creature you could imagine. In this story we again follow Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole as they venture into Narnia when King Tirian magically appears at a sort of reunion party for all the "friends" of Narnia. (You can read about all of them in the other books in the series.) Scrubb, Pole, and Tirian fight to save Narnia along with the great lion, and king of Narnia, Aslan. But can they, with the help of some talking beast and other creatures, save Narnia from destruction before the Calormen of the desert nation to the south take over? This is a book that everyone young and old can enjoy! This story is so vivid you can almost see the story happening, and hear the English accents of the characters as if it was happening right in front of you. Read this book and take your very own adventure into Narnia! I recommend reading the all of the books in the series, it makes it easier to understand, but you can also just read this book.

I read through the entire Narnia series a long time ago, with the exception of "The Last Battle" - I now see I was missing a large part of the story.

Where do I begin? The book goes beyond comprehension, and brings a new light to allegorical fantasy. I think it especially good that C.S. Lewis injected allegory into children's literature, a thing that seems seldom done these days. This story is a delightful layout of the Book of Revelation in Narnian terms, with the final battle (meaning the end of Narnia as we have known it), and the renewal and creation of a brand new world, without pain or suffering: the heaven of Narnia.

No family or home should be without these great books. While their influence is obviously Christian, secular sections of society can also enjoy them since the author never talks about God or Christ directly, but uses imaginary creatures and words to replicate them into the world he created. With wonderful pros C.S. Lewis has communicated his feelings perfectly to the reader, both Christian and non.

Overall I would definitely rate "The Last Battle" as one of the best in the Narnia series. It still amazes me that these books are 50 years old and so timeless - here, here to C.S. Lewis!

"The Last Battle" is the seventh and final entry in C.S. Lewis' beloved and enduring Narnia Chronicles, and certainly is best read after first completing the other six books in the series. Narnia is faced with an apocalyptic crisis, as a false Aslan sets up rule in Narnia. The false Aslan is in fact a mere [] (Puzzle) dressed in a Lion's skin, and the real mastermind is the crafty ape who acts as his "mouthpiece" (Shift). But the faithful Narnians immediately realize something is not right: why does this Aslan not speak to them directly, why is his rule harsh, and why does he advocate an alliance with the Calormenes, the followers of Tash? As Eustace and Jill enter Narnia to assist the legitimate Narnian king Tirian in the battle against the false Aslan, the deception is slowly exposed. First posing as Aslan, the enemies of Narnia then speak about "Tashlan", and eventually about their true master "Tash". "There was no nonsense about `Tashlan' now" (p.160). The conflict between the friends and enemies of Narnia reaches a decisive battle, after which the faithful Narnians find themselves in the "true" Narnia - a home of eternal blessedness.

As with all the Narnia Chronicles, on the level of children the story functions as a perfectly comprehensible and exciting fantasy adventure, but on an adult level it imparts powerful spiritual truths about Christianity by means of numerous recognizable Biblical allusions. "The Last Battle" obviously represents the final conflicts leading up to the end of the world and the return of Christ, complete with signs predicting his coming. Appropriately it features an antichrist that "apes" the real Christ with its terrible result - "he had never dreamed that one of the results of an ape's setting up a false Aslan would be to stop people believing in the real one." (p.92). Behind the antichrist is the very real power of the devil: "People shouldn't call for demons unless they really mean what they say." (p.104) "The true Tash, whom they called on without knowledge or belief, has now come among us, and will avenge himself." (p.203) Complete with apocalyptic imagery of the sun going blood red (p.196), there is a final battle which ushers in eternal life, painted by Lewis in vivid colours. The suggestion of a kind of limited universalism as Aslan accepts the unbeliever Emeth's service to the false god Tash as service rendered to him (p.205) is particularly puzzling, but is a minor weakness. So too is the perplexion notion that "Susan ... is no longer a friend of Narnia" (p.169). The concept of Narnia as the "Shadowlands" in contrast to the true Narnia is more Platonic than Biblical, but still has some merit. But there are many memorable insights, such as the reference to Christ's birth: "a stable once had something inside it that was bigger than our whole world" (p.177).

But it is especially the delighful picture of the blessed afterlife that brings the Narnian Chronicles to a fitting and final climax. As King Tirian observes Jill in the afterlife: "It was Jill: but not Jill as he had last seen her, with her face all dirt and tears and an old drill dress half slipping off one shoulder. Now she looked cool and fresh, as fresh as if she had just come from bathing." (p167) The blessedness of eternal life is far greater than the best that this world offers: "If you had once eaten that fruit, all the nicest things in this world would taste like medicines after it. But I can't describe it. You can't find out what it is like unless you can get to that country and taste it for yourself." (p.172) As the unicorn Jewel says: "I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now." (p.213) Here the Narnian faithful are reunited with the memorable true Narnians from all the preceding Chronicles. But the center of this beautiful world is Aslan himself: "There stood his heart's desire, huge and real, the golden Lion, Aslan himself..." (p.183) The final paragraph marks a fitting and final end to the Narnian Chronicles: "And as He spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this the end of all stories, and we can most truly say that they all live happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the coer and the title page: now at last they wre beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before." (p228) What more can be said?

As always, in all the upheavals and conflicts of Narnia, Aslan is the one constant, and it is his vital involvement that enables the children to complete their Narnian quest, just as it is Christ who inspires, comforts, guides, and saves in the real world. Narnia may exist only in Lewis imagination and ours, but these underlying truths about Christ ensure that a journey to Narnia is never without profit for the real world. Those who believe these very real spiritual truths about Jesus Christ know that like Narnia, the real world will also draw to an end and usher in the age of eternal life for true believers. "All worlds draw to an end, except Aslan's own country" (p.111) and those who know Him will indeed live forever.

Having read the full Chronicles of Narnia series I found the 3rd installation, The Horse and His Boy, to be my favorite of all. The book contains most of the classic characters of the series as well as many new and interesting ones. The setting of this story is primarily in places outside of the traditional Narnia, but this makes the story more enjoyable and gives the reader a better sense of the world it takes place in. While in other books the allegory of Christianity is more apparent, it is a major part of this book as well. I would not doubt if the excitement of this book were due to the fact that it is a retelling of an age-old story.
While it is a book in a series meant for children, The Horse and His Boy can be read on a higher level if you understand the references to Christianity. Even if you do not, the book is still quite enjoyable. An exhilarating plot, in addition to magical characters, makes you want to never put it down. The Horse and His Boy is in my mind the finest of the Narnia books, even if it is not a major part of the overall chronicle. You will not find a better book about talking horses and a runaway slave/prince.

Although chronologically the third book in the Chronicles of Narnia, "The Horse and His Boy" was actually fifth in the original order of publication. But not that this really matters, because perhaps more so than with any of the other Narnia stories, this is an independent story. Peter and Susan are now High King and Queen of Narnia, but their role is more in the background. The hero is a young boy Shasta, who discovers that he is not the real son of the Calormene fisherman Arsheesh, and so decides to flee north to Narnia with a talking Narnian horse called Bree. He meets up with a runaway girl, Aravis, and her talking horse Hwin. On their way north, the foursome meet with perilous adventures, and in the Calormene capital city Tashbaan, they uncover an evil plot over against Narnia. After a perilous journey to Narnia, not only do they warn Narnia of the impending attack, but Shastah discovers his real father. It's a compelling story that many regard as one of the best in the series.

As with all the Narnia Chronicles, on the level of children the story functions as a perfectly comprehensible and exciting fantasy adventure, but on an adult level it imparts powerful spiritual truths about Christianity by means of numerous recognizable Biblical allusions. By means of Shastah's adventures, "The Horse and the Boy" marvellously shows how by the providence of God, Christ is behind all the events of our life, even hurt and pain, working for good (p.175), as Shastah comes to realize when he says "It wasn't luck at all really, it was Him!" (p.180). But the talking horse Bree also has things to learn, and in his case it is pride and self-conceit that must be abandoned.

As always, in all the upheavals and conflicts of Narnia, Aslan is the one constant, and it is his vital involvement that enables the children to complete their Narnian quest, just as it is Christ who inspires, comforts, guides, and saves in the real world. Narnia may exist only in Lewis imagination and ours, but these underlying truths about Christ ensure that a journey to Narnia is never without profit for the real world.

You probably already know that C.S. Lewis wrote seven "Chronicles of Narnia"; while it's hard(and really not necessary)to choose a "best" in the series, this may be it. "The Horse and his Boy"(wonderful title)is a rollicking, breathlessly fast-paced adventure, with each character-both villains and heroes-completely believable and multi-faceted-especially Bree, the talking war-horse. And if you're new to C.S. Lewis' work, rest assured his fantasies are as far from "cute" as you can get; his protagonists always have quite a lot of tough adventures they have to endure, sometimes in the form of violent battles(though they never got too violent for an 11 year old at her first reading). Wonderful language, incredible imagination, characters who become friends-what more could you want? I defy any reader to be disappointed.

All of the stories in C.S. Lewis' excellent Chronicles of Narnia series are told in distinctly different ways. Prince Caspian could justifiably be said to be like an epic poem told in prose. It shares many qualities with other epics; most notably its beginning coming in the middle of the action. Prince Caspian, like other epics, contains a climactic battle. However, Prince Caspian (like all great epics) is not simply a book about battles. The great themes of Prince Caspian are those of awakenings, renewal and restoration.

As the book opens, the Pevensie children (Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy) are suddenly called back to the magical land of Narnia from a British rail station. They return to find that the land of Narnia is suffering from the oppression of the evil Telmarine King Miraz who rules with an iron fist. The king's nephew, (and son of the murdered rightful king) Caspian, has discovered the truth about Narnia and has fled the palace in fear of his life. In his flight, Caspian encounters some "old Narnians" who used to live freely before the Telmarines came to rule Narnia. Under the Telmarines, the old Narnians have been facing extermination. After initial mistrust, the old Narnians agree to stand with Caspian in an attempt to reclaim his rightful throne from his uncle and to save those that are left of the old Narnians from certain death. A struggle then ensues.

It is in the middle of this struggle that the Pevensies are called back to Narnia, where they once ruled as Kings and Queens. They encounter Caspian's loyal friend Trumpkin the dwarf. Trumpkin relates Caspian's story to them. The children agree to help Caspian. Together, the dwarf and the children set off to come to Caspian's aid.

It is on this journey that the Pevensies and Trumpkin learn the old lesson that "The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps." (Proverbs 16:9) Forced to take a different route back to Caspian's camp than the one Trumpkin took from it, the children and the dwarf become confused and lost. They strive to the utmost limits of their human strength and find that it is not enough. It is in the darkest hour of this struggle that Lucy thinks she sees something on the horizon...a Lion.

What follows is a test of Faith for all involved. Lucy, being the youngest of the children and possessing the most "child-like" faith, overcomes her doubts. She is then visited by the Great Lion Himself, Aslan (Lewis' allegorical representation of Jesus). In one of my favorite scenes in all of the Narnia books, Aslan and Lucy discuss the lack of faith shown by the others and what must be done:

"Now child," said Aslan, when they had left the trees behind them, "I will wait here. Go and wake the others and tell them to follow. If they will not, then you at least must follow me alone."

This piece of dialogue is one of the reasons why Lewis is one of my favorite authors. In the span of three sentences in a children's book, Lewis captures the essence of Christ's universal call to be His disciples. Another amazing thing about Lewis (and another reason why he's a favorite author of mine)...is that the book grows progressively more spellbinding and instructive from that point in the story on. Prince Caspian is, like many of Lewis' books, a whole education crammed into a tiny little package--all told in a warm and humorous way. I encourage you to get a copy today. Then read it. There is a lot to be learned from this book.

Originally published as the second entry in the Narnia Chronicles, chronologically 'Prince Caspian' is published in modern editions as the fourth in the series. It is not the most exciting in the series, but it's still an enthralling story. Through Doctor Cornelius, who has true Narnian blood, Prince Caspian discovers that he is the rightful heir to the throne and that his uncle King Miraz is a usurper. When Miraz fathers his own son, Caspian's life is endangered and he is forced to flee. Summoned by a magic horn blown in this time of peril, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy re-enter Narnia. Only with their help and the ever-present guidance of mighty Aslan does Caspian have any hope of saving Narnia from persecution and oppression under Miraz, and restoring it to the kingdom of peace it should be. The climax involves a thrilling and decisive duel.

As with all the Narnia Chronicles, on the level of children the story functions as a perfectly comprehensible and exciting fantasy adventure, but on an adult level it imparts powerful spiritual truths about Christianity by means of numerous recognizable Biblical allusions. Lewis intended 'Prince Caspian' especially to portray the restoration of true religion after corruption. But it also portrays spiritual warfare, showing the importance of our sufficiency being in Christ and not in ourselves. As Aslan says: 'If you had felt yourself sufficient, it would have been a proof that you were not.' (p220) It further demonstrates the folly of atheism and importance of living by faith and not by sight, since God's invisible nature does not mean he does not exist (p.150). The notion of Aslan's perceived increase in size has profound spiritual implications about increasing one's respect and awe of Christ: 'But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.' (p148) Such important moral lessons about the role of faith in Christ are typical of Lewis' style in the Narnia series...

Prince Caspian is the second book in the very entertaining series, "The Chronicles of Narnia." It is about 4 children (2 brothers and 2 sisters) who revisit Narnia, another world inhabited by talking animals, after being gone for one year. But one year in our time could be a thousand years in Narnian time, or no time at all. In this case,they were gone for thousands of Narnian years. When they return,they find that the land that they ruled as Kings and Queens in the previous book, has been taken over by humans, called Telmarines, that do not like talking animals. This exciting story tells of the children's efforts to regain power of Narnia. After reading "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe," "Prince Caspian" keeps you wondering what happened to Narnia and what is going to happen to Narnia.Once you start reading this series,you can't stop! A wonderful experience to read these books! I highly recommend that you do!