Title: The Last Battle
Author: C.S. Lewis
Series: The Chronicles of Narnia, 7/7
Genre: Adventure, Allegorical, Classics, Fantasy, Middle Grade, YA
Publisher: Harper Collins 
Release Date: September 4th, 1956

Note: This post reviews the seventh and final book of The Chronicles of Narnia series. You may like to read the first six books in the series, The Magician’s Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and The Silver Chair before reading this review. 

For seven weeks, I will be reviewing The Chronicles of Narnia, a classic in my opinion. I’ve lost track of how many times I have read these books. Hopefully my reviews will give you a glimpse of why I love these books so much, and maybe even convince you to read them if you haven’t already.

In this final book, Eustace and Jill return to Narnia in yet another time of great need. When a false Aslan deceives the people of Narnia for selfish gain, the king of Narnia is denounced and exiled by his own people. Eustace and Jill do whatever they can to expose this charade for what it actually is – not Aslan the lion, but a misguided donkey dressed up as a lion.

In The Last Battle, we join these characters on the final adventure of all, as they face a great war and ultimately say goodbye to the old Narnia and enter into the new Narnia – a better version in every way. This is a beautiful, yet melancholy, ending to this fantastic series, and one of my favorites!

   

Reads and Roses is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Title: The Silver Chair
Author: C.S. Lewis
Series: The Chronicles of Narnia, 6/7
Genre: Adventure, Allegorical, Classics, Fantasy, Middle Grade, YA
Publisher: Harper Collins 
Release Date: January 1st, 1953

Note: This post reviews the sixth book of The Chronicles of Narnia series. You may like to read the first five books in the series, The Magician’s Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader before reading this review. 

For seven weeks, I will be reviewing The Chronicles of Narnia, a classic in my opinion. I’ve lost track of how many times I have read these books. Hopefully my reviews will give you a glimpse of why I love these books so much, and maybe even convince you to read them if you haven’t already.

Eustace returns to Narnia for a second time in The Silver Chair, bringing his friend Jill with him. When they arrive, they are charged by Aslan himself with an important quest: to rescue the rightful prince of Narnia. Eustace and Jill are given instructions from Aslan that will lead them to the prince – but their quest proves much more difficult than they could have imagined.

With the help of Puddleglum, a marsh wiggle, they set off on the adventure of a lifetime, facing human-eating giants, an evil enchantress, a mad prince, and an underworld kingdom of darkness. The future of Narnia, and its true prince, depends on our three, unprepared heroes.

Part of what makes this book so fun is the time spent underground. Not only are you in the fantasy world of Narnia, but you go even deeper (literally) by experiencing the underworld!

   

Reads and Roses is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Title: Prince Caspian
Author: C.S. Lewis
Series: The Chronicles of Narnia, 4/7
Genre: Adventure, Allegorical, Classics, Fantasy, Middle Grade, YA
Publisher: Harper Collins 
Release Date: October 15th, 1951

Note: This post reviews the fourth book of The Chronicles of Narnia series. You may like to read the first three books in the series, The Magician’s Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and The Horse and His Boy before reading this review. 

For seven weeks, I will be reviewing The Chronicles of Narnia, a classic in my opinion. I’ve lost track of how many times I have read these books. Hopefully my reviews will give you a glimpse of why I love these books so much, and maybe even convince you to read them if you haven’t already.

Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy – the children from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe who became kings and queens of Narnia – are suddenly summoned back to Narnia in a time of great need.

Prince Caspian – the rightful king of Narnia – must flee for his life when his uncle, the usurper, has a child of his own. It is up to the four Pevensie siblings to help the young prince take back his throne and restore Narnia to its former glory. But Caspian’s uncle will not give up the throne without a fight to the death.

I love getting to return to Narnia in this book, only to find that it has changed over hundreds of years since The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. There are new elements mixed in with the old.

   
Reads and Roses is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Title: The Horse and His Boy
Author: C.S. Lewis
Series: The Chronicles of Narnia, 3/7
Genre: Adventure, Allegorical, Classics, Fantasy, Middle Grade, YA
Publisher: Harper Collins 
Release Date: September 6th, 1954

Note: This post reviews the third book of The Chronicles of Narnia series. You may like to read the first two books in the series, The Magician’s Nephew and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, before reading this review. 

For seven weeks, I will be reviewing The Chronicles of Narnia, a classic in my opinion. I’ve lost track of how many times I have read these books. Hopefully my reviews will give you a glimpse of why I love these books so much, and maybe even convince you to read them if you haven’t already.

The Horse and His Boy is a special book in the series because it is the only one that takes place in Narnia only, without any children traveling from our world. Separated from his family as a child, Shasta grows up as little more than a slave. His world turns upside down one day when he meets a talking horse – a Narnian horse. They escape together, in hopes of making a better life for themselves.

It is not long before they team up with another talking horse and rider, Aravis. The four of them embark on a great adventure together, encountering their fair share of struggles along the way. By the time they make it to Narnia, none of them are the same – especially Shasta, who finally learns the truth of who he really is.

I love this book, and how it doesn’t involve children from our world. It’s all about Narnia, Archenland, and Calormen. The worldbuilding is fantastic!

   
Reads and Roses is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Title: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Author: C.S. Lewis
Series: The Chronicles of Narnia, 2/7
Genre: Adventure, Allegorical, Classics, Fantasy, Middle Grade, YA
Publisher: Harper Collins 
Release Date: October 16th, 1950

Note: This post reviews the second book of The Chronicles of Narnia series. You may like to read the first book in the series, The Magician’s Nephew, before reading this review. 

For seven weeks, I will be reviewing The Chronicles of Narnia, a classic in my opinion. I’ve lost track of how many times I have read these books. Hopefully my reviews will give you a glimpse of why I love these books so much, and maybe even convince you to read them if you haven’t already.

A normal game of hide-and-seek becomes so much more when Lucy Pevensie takes refuge in a wardrobe and finds herself in another world… Narnia. Here, it is eternal winter, a curse of the White Witch, who is none other than the Empress Jadis. When Lucy returns to England and tells her three siblings – Peter, Susan, and Edmund – what happened, they do not believe her. It isn’t until the four of them later enter the wardrobe as a last resort that they realize Lucy was right – and all four of them enter Narnia together.

They quickly learn that this world is not safe for them. Because of an ancient prophecy, the White Witch has been waiting for four children who are destined to become kings and queens of Narnia. But she will never let that happen. She manages to deceive Edmund, poisoning him with her words and magic, leading him to betray his brother and sisters. There is only one who is powerful enough to undo the damage Edmund has done – Aslan. And the price is greater than anyone could have ever imagined.

This book is highly allegorical. I recommend this book for anyone, but particularly for those who practice Christianity as it will likely resonate with their faith.

   

Reads and Roses is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Title: The Magician’s Nephew
Author: C.S. Lewis
Series: The Chronicles of Narnia, 1/7
Genre: Adventure, Allegorical, Classics, Fantasy, Middle Grade, YA
Publisher: Harper Collins 
Release Date: May 2nd, 1955

If you are new to this series, I would recommend reading the books in this order (which is also the order in which I will review the series):
1. The Magician’s Nephew
2. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
3. The Horse and His Boy
4. Prince Caspian
5. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
6. The Silver Chair
7. The Last Battle

For the next seven weeks, I will be reviewing The Chronicles of Narnia, a classic in my opinion. I’ve lost track of how many times I have read these books. Hopefully my reviews will give you a glimpse of why I love these books so much, and maybe even convince you to read them if you haven’t already.

During a London day of indoor exploration, Digory and Polly stumble upon a magician’s workshop. Digory is shocked to learn that his own Uncle Andrew is that magician. Uncle Andrew persuades Polly to try on ring – a magic ring of course. Immediately after trying on the ring, Polly vanishes. (This is the one of those times you can tell that C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were good friends.) Digory, having no other option but to try to save his friend, puts on a ring of his own and follows Polly into the unknown. They arrive in the Wood Between the Worlds.

With small pools as their doors to other worlds, they cross into Charn. There, the unthinkable happens – they awaken Jadis, a powerful, cruel Empress who follows them back to London. Jadis wreaks havoc on this unfamiliar world, and it is clear to Digory and Polly that she cannot stay there. Using the rings once again, they travel back to the Wood Between the Worlds, and into a seemingly empty world. Empty, that is, until Aslan the lion begins to bring it to life, creating the world of Narnia.

The Magician’s Nephew might just be my favorite book of the series. (You are probably going to hear me say that more than once as I review these books.) Not only does the idea of magic-ring traveling appeal to me, but I love the character Jadis. She appears in the next book as the White Witch, but we get to know her so much better in this book. The Magician’s Nephew is hands down the book to begin with.