Book Review: “The Horse and His Boy”

Book thirteen of my 2019 Reading Challenge.

C.S. Lewis’s The Horse and His Boy

The third book in the Chronicles of Narnia was one written after the original, more well known books with the Pevensie children as was the first, The Magician’s Nephew.

The Horse and His Boy follows new characters Shasta and Avaris and Narnian horses Bree and Hwin. Shasta is given an opportunity to escape the live of a slave in Calormen when Bree reveals himself a talking horse, which was unheard of in Calormen but well known in the land of Narnia. Shasta’s journey takes him across great lands to Narnia and along the way, under stressful circumstances, he meets Avaris and her talking horse Hwin.

The group of four continue the journey to Narnia together only to face the largest challenge in the capital of Calormen when they are separated. Here we meet two of the Pevensie children, Queen Susan and King Edmund who are facing a challenge themselves. With this cross of both new and older, more familiar characters, it makes the story more interesting for a reader that has read the books earlier in the series or seen the movies.

The plot takes another turn and Shasta must become something he never thought imaginable in his old life, a hero. His heroism saves not only his own life, but the life of many, both Narnian and not. The story ends with happiness as all usually do and we gain a bit more knowledge about the history of Narnia.

Overall I liked this book because of the crossover and continuation of the characters that are familiar to me and the introduction of new characters. The new characters had great development which I always enjoy in a book. Characters that grow while you’re reading make them more relatable and it makes you want to continue the journey with them.

As I’ve said, I recommend the Chronicles of Narnia series to anyone that enjoys getting lost in another world.

Stay tuned for my next review: Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis, book four in the Chronicles of Narnia.