All 7 Narnia books, ranked worst to best

2) The Silver Chair

I feel the need to reiterate here that this is a very biased list of the Narnia books. I somehow feel that very few people would rate The Silver Chair as highly as I do; however, I remain absolutely convinced that this is where it belongs.

Deviating from the adventure storyline, The Silver Chair is a straight-up quest story. We saw elements of that kind of story in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but The Silver Chair doesn’t pretend to be whimsical or frivolous. Of course it does feel adventurous, because we are back in Narnia, but at its heart it is about our characters solving a mystery and seeking out answers amongst the desolate northern lands, an area hitherto unseen in the Narnia books.

Following on from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader where he (spoiler!) becomes a much better, nicer person, our core protagonist in this book is Eustace. He is aided this time by his friend Jill Pole, who becomes wrapped up in Eustace’s mission after trying to hide from bullies. Answering Caspian’s call for aid, Eustace sets off to protect Narnia once more, and find what has become of Caspian’s missing son.

This book is fast paced and really does feel like a quest at every turn; being in a whole new part of Narnia makes you realize just how vast this world is, and how much there is yet to discover. Jill and Eustace together make a very strong duo, and Jill herself is a breath of fresh air as she is a character who is unafraid to show when she is scared or distressed, although she’s never framed as being weak for doing so.

The ever-present Narnia themes of love and loyalty are at the heart of this book. Possibly one of the reasons I love it so much is because I do feel it is vastly underrated in many peoples’ minds. It has all the things that makes us love Narnia books, led by two relatively new characters. For those reasons it sits in solid second place for me.

1) The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

However much people may agree or disagree with my ranking of the other books, I feel that this one is widely agreed upon to deserve the top spot. It is simply wrong to call any book other than The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe the number one Narnia novel.

The first Narnia book which Lewis wrote, this is the gateway many people take into reading the books (which I do understand, yet I will reiterate my previous point that I feel you should start with The Magician’s Nephew). It has a clear and engaging plot, led by four siblings who feel so real it is as though they jump off the page. And not only that, but they are surrounded by a fascinating ensemble of supporting characters. I mean, what other books can make you feel so strongly about the whereabouts of two beavers who are very imaginatively named Mr. and Mrs. Beaver?!

This book is a very clear Biblical allegory (Aslan sacrificing himself at the Stone Table to save everyone then coming back to life afterwards, for example) and yet it is perfectly possible to enjoy and love the story and themes even if you aren’t religious. The magic is woven in almost effortlessly, and the world feels so real. When the snow begins to melt and summer begins to arrive for the first time in over a century, you as the reader feel that jubilation which the Narnians feel too.

With every page pushing the story along at a pace which keeps you glued to the book while never seeming overwhelming, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is Lewis’ Narnia at its finest: adventure, magic and family. You feel like you’re receiving a hug while reading it.

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