The Chronicles of Narnia books, ranked worst to best
By Ashley Hurst
All seven books in The Chronicles of Narnia series are amazing, but which are the best? Let’s dive in while Netflix readies its Narnia TV series.
Picture the scene: it’s 1950, and C.S. Lewis has just released the first book in his all-new fantasy series, The Chronicles of Narnia. I doubt anyone would have thought Narnia would go on to spawn six more books, touching the imagination of children and adults alike. Since publication, the Narnia books have grown to become one of the most beloved fantasy series of all time.
Narnia’s influence echoes throughout fantasy literature. The books themselves have gone on to be adapted as radio plays, comics and movies, while many an author has taken cues from Lewis’ world, from Lev Grossman with The Magicians to Philip Pullman with His Dark Materials to J.K. Rowling with Harry Potter.
Now, Netflix has purchased the rights to the books and plans to create a live-action TV series, in addition to movie projects. Unfortunately, things have been quiet since the adaptation was announced. Let’s hope it’s on the way!
In the meantime, let’s take a close look at the seven main books in the Chronicles of Narnia. To start, there’s a bit of a difference between their publication order and the chronology of the actual story. Here are all seven books arranged so you start at the beginning of the story and go through to the end:
- The Magician’s Nephew (1955)
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950, meaning it’s the first book published even though it takes place after The Magicians Nephew)
- The Horse and His Boy (1954)
- Prince Caspian (1951)
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)
- The Silver Chair (1953)
- The Last Battle (1956)
They’re all amazing, but some are definitely better than others. Let’s lay it out: