Summary

• The Chronicles of Narnia series is kept alive by its intricate worldbuilding and beloved characters created by C.S. Lewis.
• Not all books in the series are ed equally, with some like The Horse and His Boy diverging from the main storyline.
• The Last Battle, the final book in the series, takes a dark turn with religious themes and an intense ending that differs from the character-driven narratives of Narnia.

The first book in The Chronicles of Narnia series was published in 1950, and since then, the children's fantasy series has never faded into obscurity. All of this is thanks to the intricate worldbuilding and vivid characters that the author, C.S. Lewis, created. Lewis was a longtime friend of another famed fantasy writer, J.R.R. Tolkien, but Lewis had a knack for developing stories that would capture the hearts and minds of children for generations to come. However, The Chronicles of Narnia series encomes seven books, and as time es, not all the stories are ed with equal reverence.

Lewis makes it easy to care deeply about the characters, even when they make mistakes.

Despite being one of the best fantasy starter series for kids, The Chronicles of Narnia doesn't shy away from serious and emotionally nuanced topics. However, it's important for children to be exposed to these subjects in safe environments, like a beloved book. The Narnia stories fulfill this purpose with great skill. Lewis makes it easy to care deeply about the characters, even when they make mistakes. Though there have been film adaptations of the first few books, none have done them justice, spurring audience excitement for the remake of the movies with Greta Gerwig at the helm.

7 The Horse And His Boy

The fifth book in the Narnia series diverges too far from the main thrust of the story.

Though The Horse and His Boy is the fifth book in the publication order of the Narnia series, chronologically, it takes place during the events of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. What makes The Horse and His Boy the weakest of the series is the fact that the story doesn't deal with the Pevensie family in the central plot. They serve more as background characters instead of protagonists. While this is the case in some of the other books as well, The Horse and His Boy takes place in Calormen for most of the story instead of Narnia.

After spending so many years focusing on the Pevensies and Caspian, it's jarring to suddenly be asked to learn about an entirely separate country and kingdom.

Like all of Lewis' works, The Horse and His Boy features religious themes and draws upon other legends of classic literature in its narrative conceits. However, even though the story is as well-crafted as the other Narnia tales, the book lacks the emotional ties the audience needs to feel towards the characters this far into the series. After spending so many years focusing on the Pevensies and Caspian, it's jarring to suddenly be asked to learn about an entirely separate country and kingdom. Shasta, the protagonist, grows on the reader, but he can't replace the beloved original characters.

6 The Last Battle

The final book in the Narnia series leaves the reader on a dark note.

Of all the Narnia books, The Last Battle is the darkest and most explicitly religious, and it's a strange note for the series to end on. Aslan faces some of his most difficult challenges, and the different worlds and their interconnections get convoluted as Lewis tries to link the real world to Narnia. It's clear that Lewis is trying to wrap up the series with a grand tale of good versus evil, but this is less interesting than the character-driven narratives that Narnia was known for. Additionally, Lewis brings together all the characters throughout the books.

It's nice to hear from the many individuals the reader comes to know and love throughout the stories. However, they don't appear until the latter half of the book. Most of The Last Battle focuses on Aslan's fight against a usurper in Narnia and the extreme lengths he goes to by the tale's end. For a children's book series, concluding the story by having all the characters die and ascend to the true Narnia, a metaphor for heaven, is an intense ending. While the book received acclaim at its release, it doesn't capture the spirit of most Narnia stories.

5 Prince Caspian

The switch from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to Prince Caspian propels the series forward.

Prince Caspian is a favorite in the series because Caspian turns out to be an instrumental character, and the book proves that there is still more for the Penvensies to achieve in Narnia.

reboot will prove difficult on many counts, as the Pevensie children are instrumental, but so is Prince Caspian. Ben Barnes was a compelling choice for Caspian, as he's an interesting character, even if the first book he appears in isn't his best. Prince Caspian is a favorite in the series because Caspian turns out to be an instrumental character, and the book proves that there is still more for the Penvensies to achieve in Narnia. Following a similar format to the first book, the story begins in England but soon sends its heroes to Narnia.

Prince Caspian has a bittersweet ending, as Peter and Susan are losing their ability to see the magic of Narnia and can't return after their adventure is over. While the first book sees the Pevensies fight against the White Witch and discover their destiny to rule Narnia, Prince Caspian begins with them already believing in their powers and their importance in Narnia. In some ways, Prince Caspian is only a continuation of the initial story, and its ultimate purpose in the series is to introduce Caspian so he can have his epic adventure in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

4 The Magician’s Nephew

A lore-heavy but well-crafted journey into Narnia's beginnings.

For reboot to avoid the harsh realities of the series, her films might begin with the story from The Magician's Nephew instead of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. This is because the story takes place first chronologically in the story's canon, even though it's the second to last installment of Narnia. For readers who enjoy the legends and lore of Narnia above all, The Magician's Nephew is a well-loved exploration of Narnia's history. The lamppost, the White Witch, and the human rulers of Narnia are all elements that the book explains in detail.

Additionally, Lewis proved himself to be an early adopter of the multiverse plotline, as The Magician's Nephew delves into the fact that Narnia and Earth are two of many worlds interconnected through space and time. There are two new characters, young children, who are part of Narnia's origins, but since they're the framing device to tackle the more complicated parts of the universe's history, it's easy to get lost in their journey. Much of Narnia's beginnings can be directly compared to the creation stories of Christianity in the Bible, as is often the case in the Narnia books.

3 The Silver Chair

Narnia's fourth book demonstrated that Lewis still had plenty of ideas left for the universe.

The Silver Chair follows Eustuce, who was introduced in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and his friend Jill as they return to Narnia, but there are still some familiar faces along the way. Though little time es in the human world between books, decades, and sometimes thousands of years in Narnia, making it difficult for Lewis to retain the same characters across all the stories. However, The Silver Chair finds its footing and is a strong installment of the Narnia universe because it's a return to form for Lewis and is reminiscent of the first book.

It's the first book chronologically since the Pevensies were introduced that they're barely featured, and this was a delicate shift to make.

Even though the reader has spent lots of time in Narnia and is familiar with its creatures and magic, The Silver Chair still finds new and exciting elements to introduce. It's the first book chronologically since the Pevensies were introduced that they're barely featured, and this was a delicate shift to make. However, The Silver Chair was the perfect story to make this change, as it maintains its ties to Caspian, even though he's now an aging king. The weakest part of the tale is the antagonist, The Lady of Green Kirtle, who isn't as terrifying as the White Witch.

2 The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader

Prince Caspian is the protagonist of the best adventure of the series.

Even though Caspian is introduced in the book that shares his name, his true adventure takes place in Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which is one of the best children's adventure books ever written. The only reason Voyage of the Dawn Treader is second to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is that it is less concerned with the larger lore and forward momentum of the world of Narnia and is purely about Caspian's voyage and journey to find himself. However, sometimes, in these side quests, the heart of the series can get lost.

Thankfully, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader avoids this pitfall by successfully transitioning from the first half of The Chronicles of Narnia into the second. Edmund and Lucy are still present, and they go on Caspian's globetrotting voyage with him. Additionally, Eustace, who becomes a larger character in The Silver Chair, s the cast of characters. Eustace's development and journey to becoming a hero mirror Caspian's swashbuckling adventure, and it's impossible not to be swept away by the new lands outside Narnia that the characters explore.

1 The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe

Since it's the book that started it all, there would be no Narnia without The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

The best part of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is that the magic and wonder of Narnia is at its height.

Even for readers who haven't tackled the entire Chronicles of Narnia series, they're familiar with the first book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. As the first installment of the series, the book must introduce readers to the world of Narnia, the fantasy system, and the characters that would propel the story forward until the conclusion. The best part of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is that the magic and wonder of Narnia is at its height. The Pevensie children are learning about Narnia alongside the audience, making every element of the story fresh and thrilling.

If there's any pitfall that the book faces, it's that it tells such a satisfying story that readers might not continue on to the following books. However, this is also a strength, as each of the children goes through nuanced development and faces a litany of moral dilemmas throughout the plot. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is as much a coming-of-age tale as it is a fantastical adventure. This is what makes it so accessible for young audiences who are looking to immerse themselves in an otherworldly quest.