The Chronicles of Narnia books, ranked worst to best

3. The Silver Chair

Published in 1953, The Silver Chair is a wonderful tale of adventure, heroism and wit. Chronologically, this is the penultimate Narnia adventure.

The Silver Chair contains a few of my favorite characters. The Lady of the Green Kirtle, aka the Queen of the Underland, is one of the more memorable villains in the series, known mostly for her ability to transform into a green serpent. Then we’ve got Puddleglum, the pessimistic-yet-funny Marsh-Wiggle. It wouldn’t be a Narnia book without some kids, and The Silver Chair sees Eustace Scrubb return from Voyage of the Dawn Treader, along with his friend Jill Pole.

I really like Aslan’s role in The Silver Chair. When Eustance and Jill enter Narnia — after running away from bullies at school — the omnipotent lion gives them four cryptic signs to look out for in order to save the long-lost Prince Rillian and return him to his father, Caspian. It sets up the quest brilliantly. It’s different from what we usually get from Aslan; this time he sets up a quest rather than just ending it.

After meeting the Lady of the Green Kirtle, accompanied by her silent black knight, the trio are encouraged to feast with the Gentle Giants at Harfang. I love the time we spend with the giants; it feels both whimsical and magical, exactly how Narnia should be.

After following (and occasionally missing) Aslan’s signs, Eustace and Jill slip into the Underland where they find Rillian, who demands to be strapped to a silver chair for fear of turning into a serpent and killing everyone at night. He soon realizes that he is the lost prince of Narnia, and they all have to fight the Lady of the Green Kirtle in order to escape the Underland and return him to his father. Each character goes through an interesting arc, even the villain.

Sadly, The Silver Chair was never made it to the screen, although it’s gone in and out of development over the years. Could Netflix finally make it happen?