The Chronicles of Narnia books, ranked worst to best

6. The Horse and His Boy

The Horse and His Boy looks at the world of Narnia from a different angle, and although it has many good qualities, I don’t think it has enough of the the magic and intrigue the series is known for.

The Horse and his Boy is kind of side-story/sequel to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, with a brand new protagonist we hadn’t met before. It chronicles the adventures of Shasta, a boy who was kidnapped and enslaved by Calormenes; and Bree, a talking horse from Narnia who was also captured. The two aim to escape the noble Calormene family after Bree tells Shasta of how cruel they are. They decide to ride north across the border and seek safety in Narnia.

Things don’t go smoothly. Shasta is mistaken for Prince Corin and forced to accompany a group of Narnians to attend a forced wedding between Queen Susan and Rabadash, something the Narnians plot to stop. He soon escapes, but when he does, a battle commences between Archenland and Calormen.

By the end, it turns out that Shasta is, in fact, the elder brother of Corin, making him the long lost prince of Archenland (shocker).

Don’t get me wrong, there are some parts of this book I enjoy, like the scene where Shasta is lost in the fog. We also meet two likable characters in Aravis and his talking horse Hwin. And even though the Pevensie children only show up for cameos, we do get some perspective on their rulership of Narnia, something we don’t see enough of elsewhere in the series.

Overall, I think The Horse and his Boy tries so hard to be political and serious that it loses the essence of what makes Narnia such a magical read in the first place. Still, I can appreciate it for the sort of experimental entry it is. It’s definitely not a bad book, but it’s far from the best.