C.S Lewis
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
If you have never heard of Narnia than you are in for a fantastic treat. It is a magical land that is the perfect place for adventures where the animals talk and rule and other magical creatures such as centaurs and witches reside. In this first story in the series The Chronicles of Narnia, Susan, Peter, Lucy and Edmund stumble upon a wardrobe in the home they are living in with Professor Digory Kirk that takes them to the mystical and magical land or Narnia.
Once the children arrive in the snowy palace of this new world, you can almost feel the chill in the air with the all too vivid description of the surroundings the children find themselves in. Lucy, the first sibling to stumble into Narnia, meets a seemingly sweet faun by the name of Mr. Tumnus who invites her to his home from afternoon tea. He admits to her that he intended to hand her over to the White Witch, but after he got to know her sweet disposition, decided to against it and lead her back to the wardrobe. The next one to stumble upon the secret door to Narnia was Edmund. This brother had bad feelings towards his brothers and sisters and felt that he was always treated unfairly; like an outcast. His experience in Narnia was much more dangerous than Lucy’s as he met up with the White Witch and made a deal with her to get back at his siblings which he later regrets deeply.
Once all of the children arrive in Narnia together there is quite a mess to deal with and who steps into help them but the regal king of Narnia, a huge lion with a heart of gold and courage running through his veins. King Aslan, who just happens to talk, must save the land of Narnia from the evil grip of the White Witch who has ruled the land for 100 years, keeping it in a suspended winter animation. In order to take back Narnia and restore it to its once glorious state, he needs the help of the children who are most glad to be of service. That is, all of them except for Edmund who is on the side of the White Witch.
The ending holds the biggest surprise of all but I won’t reveal it here…you will have to read the book to find out! This is a wonderful story for fantasy lovers everywhere and even those who are not fans of that genre love this story. There are positive messages attached such as the fact that the love of family is greater than anything in the world and should be cherished. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is about triumph over evil and the power and strength of true friendship.
Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia
The magical land of Narnia welcomes you back to a world where the animals talk and a raging battle is on the threshold. In this second installment of The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian is readying to fight for his crown and employs the help of Lucy, Susan, Peter and Edmund to help him overthrow the false king who is trying to dethrone him. It all begins with the children being transported to Narnia from a train station in England to an island in Narnia. The call of Susan’s summoning horn has been heard and off they go to the happy and thriving land they left behind. It has been just a year since the kids have been to Narnia, but the time in Narnia works differently than in the real world and 100 years has passed there. When they arrive at the castle in which they helped rule the last time they were there, nothing seems the same.
The children are very surprised to learn that there is trouble brewing in the land they left in such a peaceful state. However, this magic land is now under the thumb of Wicked King Miraz, Prince Caspian’s evil uncle. The Wicked King had managed to kill his brother in order to usurp the crown and force Prince Caspian out of the picture. Now the children, the faun army, the spirits of the woodland and King Aslan must help the true heir to the throne, Prince Caspian, retake Narnia and return it to its previous splendor. As it stands now, Wicked King Miraz has imposed new orders in the land and at the core of these new decrees are persecution, cruelty and imprisonment.
If you loved The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe then Prince Caspian is sure to bring you a great amount of enjoyment. As in the first book, the second in the Chronicle of Narnia series is full of adventure and spirit. This story is a more straightforward story than the first and takes you deeper into the world of magical politics, showing that even life in a beautiful place created by magic can have problems with rulers and government. This is also a story of deep meaning and symbolism. From people and government, to nature and all it entails, Lewis seeks to make his readers consider many deep things on a level they can understand.