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The Chronicles of Narnia (Chronological Order) #4–6
Prince Caspian / The Voyage of the Dawn Treader / The Silver Chair
The Chronicles of Narnia continue with books 4, 5, & 6. Book 4: Prince Caspian Book 5: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Book 6: The Silver Chair
650 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2007
11 people are currently reading
710 people want to read
About the author
C.S. Lewis
1,032 books47.9k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Clive Staples Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954. He was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and been transformed into three major motion pictures.
Lewis was married to poet Joy Davidman.
W.H. Lewis was his elder brother]
Clive Staples Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954. He was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and been transformed into three major motion pictures.
Lewis was married to poet Joy Davidman.
W.H. Lewis was his elder brother]
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 14, 2020
Prince Caspian - 4 stars
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - 4.5 stars
The Silver Chair - 4 stars
These are all really good books but out of these I liked The Voyage of the Dawn Treader the best. The world of Narnia is simply amazing and I think everyone should read about this world but I do not recommend the last two books in the series though.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - 4.5 stars
The Silver Chair - 4 stars
These are all really good books but out of these I liked The Voyage of the Dawn Treader the best. The world of Narnia is simply amazing and I think everyone should read about this world but I do not recommend the last two books in the series though.
January 21, 2025
It was a good book!!
December 28, 2024
Fabulous. Voyage of dawn treader is either the best or second best in the whole series for me..rivaled by The Horse and His Boy. Dawn treader, being a tough act to follow, set the standards high for The Silver Chair, and it did not disappoint. Although the first 3/4 of the book was slightly slow and for some reason less captivating, CS Lewis (per usual) came in at the end with some BEAUTIFUL allusions to the Christian life and sovereignty of the Lord. The tender beauty of the conclusion of Silver Chair is entirely attributed to our Lord who inspired such writing for Lewis. None of his books have failed to bring me to worship God and long for His Kingdom. Now on to the finale!
July 6, 2025
🦁✨ “Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia.” ✨⏳
4 out of 5 Wardrobes
Best for: Dreamers, nostalgia-seekers, and those who know childhood magic never truly leaves.
Skip if: You want intersectional heroes or perfectly modern values, or you need your fantasy completely free from allegory.
There are books that open doors, and books that teach you to walk through them. The Chronicles of Narnia does both: first with the reckless hope of a child, then with the melancholy wisdom of someone who knows the door won’t stay open forever. Seven slim volumes: sometimes uneven, occasionally breathtaking, always haunted by longing and faith. The real magic isn’t just in fauns, lampposts, or talking beasts, but in the ache of return—how you can never quite go home the same. Narnia isn’t for everyone. But for the ones who see themselves in outcasts and dreamers, it will always have a place in the back of the wardrobe.
Note: The best reading order is publication order for emotional resonance and reveal of Narnian lore:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Horse and His Boy
The Magician’s Nephew
The Last Battle
Book-By-Book Reviews (All Seven Main Books)
1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Score: 4.5/5 Turkish Delights
This is the open door, and it still creaks with possibility. Simple prose and clear lines between good and evil make it feel almost mythic, but it’s the feeling—the cold, the hope, the relief of spring—that lingers. The Pevensie siblings are the beating heart: flawed, loyal, not yet heroes but learning to be. Yes, the allegory can get heavy-handed, and Susan’s arc gets short shrift, but the wonder is real.
2. Prince Caspian
Score: 3.5/5 Talking Mice
Narnia’s glory has faded, and the Pevensies stumble through a land that barely remembers them. This book leans into dislocation and the pain of lost home, asking what happens after you’re a hero. The action is sometimes rushed, and Caspian himself is more plot device than person, but the sense of change, and the courage to fight for something already lost, make this a quietly powerful entry.
3. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Score: 5/5 Dawn Treaders
If you only read one Narnia, make it this one. Gone are the wars—here, adventure is the point. Each island is a parable, but the moralizing rarely outweighs the sheer strangeness and delight. Eustace’s arc is one of the best in children’s lit: a portrait of transformation, regret, and acceptance. The ending’s ache (goodbyes, growing up, letting go) hits hardest of all.
4. The Silver Chair
Score: 4/5 Marshwiggles
Narnia through the eyes of outsiders: Jill and Eustace aren’t destined, they’re desperate. The tone is more somber—there’s anxiety, self-doubt, and pain, but also real endurance. Puddleglum the Marshwiggle is a scene-stealer, and the story’s message (believe in the light, even underground) lands for anyone who’s felt out of place.
5. The Horse and His Boy
Score: 3.5/5 Talking Horses
The “side story” that’s secretly a heart. Set during the events of Wardrobe, it leaves the Pevensies behind for a refugee’s tale: desert escapes, mistaken identity, and the ache of belonging. There’s power in its outsider perspective—Shasta and Aravis’s journey is about making your own family. But, be aware: the Calormen culture is a product of its time and brings uncomfortable baggage.
6. The Magician’s Nephew
Score: 4/5 Rings of Power
Origin stories are rarely this strange or bittersweet. This is world-creation, temptation, grief, and first mistakes. Digory and Polly’s choices echo all through Narnia’s history; Charn is one of fantasy’s eeriest settings. The magic here is darker and older than anywhere else in the series.
7. The Last Battle
Score: 3/5 Endings
Bleak, wild, and uncompromising. This finale splits readers—its apocalyptic tone and finality can feel abrupt and even alienating, especially for young readers. The deeper themes: what happens when a world ends, and how do you face loss with faith? Sometimes harsh, but never lacking in vision.
Bookend’s Lens: Narnia’s Legacy for Today’s Readers
Narnia is both escape and mirror: it gives us worlds where goodness matters and kindness is courage, but it also reveals the limits of its own era. Representation is narrow—girls, boys, outsiders all have roles, but not always with modern complexity. The series doesn’t belong to a single faith or tradition: read as queer allegory, as a meditation on grief, as a found-family epic, or simply as childhood dreamwork. Its magic is rooted in longing—for adventure, for belonging, for the hope that you could matter somewhere, somehow.
You don’t have to agree with every message to love these stories. If you’ve ever felt “othered,” or needed proof that the ordinary could be extraordinary, there’s a bit of Narnia in you already. And maybe—just maybe—you’ll find your own lamp-post in the dark.
Closing Emotional Beat
Some stories you outgrow; some grow with you. Narnia will always be both.
4 out of 5 Wardrobes
Best for: Dreamers, nostalgia-seekers, and those who know childhood magic never truly leaves.
Skip if: You want intersectional heroes or perfectly modern values, or you need your fantasy completely free from allegory.
There are books that open doors, and books that teach you to walk through them. The Chronicles of Narnia does both: first with the reckless hope of a child, then with the melancholy wisdom of someone who knows the door won’t stay open forever. Seven slim volumes: sometimes uneven, occasionally breathtaking, always haunted by longing and faith. The real magic isn’t just in fauns, lampposts, or talking beasts, but in the ache of return—how you can never quite go home the same. Narnia isn’t for everyone. But for the ones who see themselves in outcasts and dreamers, it will always have a place in the back of the wardrobe.
Note: The best reading order is publication order for emotional resonance and reveal of Narnian lore:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Horse and His Boy
The Magician’s Nephew
The Last Battle
Book-By-Book Reviews (All Seven Main Books)
1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Score: 4.5/5 Turkish Delights
This is the open door, and it still creaks with possibility. Simple prose and clear lines between good and evil make it feel almost mythic, but it’s the feeling—the cold, the hope, the relief of spring—that lingers. The Pevensie siblings are the beating heart: flawed, loyal, not yet heroes but learning to be. Yes, the allegory can get heavy-handed, and Susan’s arc gets short shrift, but the wonder is real.
“Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight.”Strengths: Atmosphere, world-building, archetypal characters, found family. Weaknesses: Simplicity of conflict, dated gender roles. Tags: #PortalMagic #SiblingLoyalty #Redemption
2. Prince Caspian
Score: 3.5/5 Talking Mice
Narnia’s glory has faded, and the Pevensies stumble through a land that barely remembers them. This book leans into dislocation and the pain of lost home, asking what happens after you’re a hero. The action is sometimes rushed, and Caspian himself is more plot device than person, but the sense of change, and the courage to fight for something already lost, make this a quietly powerful entry.
“Things never happen the same way twice.”Strengths: Melancholy mood, the thrill of rediscovery, Reepicheep. Weaknesses: Pacing, underdeveloped secondary characters. Tags: #LostGlory #FindingFaith #TalkingAnimals
3. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Score: 5/5 Dawn Treaders
If you only read one Narnia, make it this one. Gone are the wars—here, adventure is the point. Each island is a parable, but the moralizing rarely outweighs the sheer strangeness and delight. Eustace’s arc is one of the best in children’s lit: a portrait of transformation, regret, and acceptance. The ending’s ache (goodbyes, growing up, letting go) hits hardest of all.
“There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.”Strengths: Inventive settings, character growth, episodic wonder. Weaknesses: Occasional didacticism, abrupt pacing. Tags: #Seafaring #Transformation #StrangeLands
4. The Silver Chair
Score: 4/5 Marshwiggles
Narnia through the eyes of outsiders: Jill and Eustace aren’t destined, they’re desperate. The tone is more somber—there’s anxiety, self-doubt, and pain, but also real endurance. Puddleglum the Marshwiggle is a scene-stealer, and the story’s message (believe in the light, even underground) lands for anyone who’s felt out of place.
“Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things—trees and grass and sun and moon and stars?”Strengths: Depth of emotion, tension, journey motif. Weaknesses: Slower pace, less of Narnia’s wonder. Tags: #Underdogs #RescueQuest #DarkFairyTale
5. The Horse and His Boy
Score: 3.5/5 Talking Horses
The “side story” that’s secretly a heart. Set during the events of Wardrobe, it leaves the Pevensies behind for a refugee’s tale: desert escapes, mistaken identity, and the ache of belonging. There’s power in its outsider perspective—Shasta and Aravis’s journey is about making your own family. But, be aware: the Calormen culture is a product of its time and brings uncomfortable baggage.
“Do not dare not to dare.”Strengths: Adventure, found family, subverting main-character tropes. Weaknesses: Outdated racial depictions, abrupt character arcs. Tags: #Runaways #Identity #Journeys
6. The Magician’s Nephew
Score: 4/5 Rings of Power
Origin stories are rarely this strange or bittersweet. This is world-creation, temptation, grief, and first mistakes. Digory and Polly’s choices echo all through Narnia’s history; Charn is one of fantasy’s eeriest settings. The magic here is darker and older than anywhere else in the series.
“All get what they want; they do not always like it.”Strengths: Mythic resonance, moral complexity, wonder. Weaknesses: Less action, heavy allegory, characters can feel like stand-ins. Tags: #CreationMyth #Temptation #Origins
7. The Last Battle
Score: 3/5 Endings
Bleak, wild, and uncompromising. This finale splits readers—its apocalyptic tone and finality can feel abrupt and even alienating, especially for young readers. The deeper themes: what happens when a world ends, and how do you face loss with faith? Sometimes harsh, but never lacking in vision.
“There was a real railway accident, said Aslan softly.”Strengths: Daring, emotional impact, high stakes. Weaknesses: Fatalism, divisive ending, limited redemption for some characters. Tags: #Endings #FaithTested #Apocalypse
Bookend’s Lens: Narnia’s Legacy for Today’s Readers
Narnia is both escape and mirror: it gives us worlds where goodness matters and kindness is courage, but it also reveals the limits of its own era. Representation is narrow—girls, boys, outsiders all have roles, but not always with modern complexity. The series doesn’t belong to a single faith or tradition: read as queer allegory, as a meditation on grief, as a found-family epic, or simply as childhood dreamwork. Its magic is rooted in longing—for adventure, for belonging, for the hope that you could matter somewhere, somehow.
You don’t have to agree with every message to love these stories. If you’ve ever felt “othered,” or needed proof that the ordinary could be extraordinary, there’s a bit of Narnia in you already. And maybe—just maybe—you’ll find your own lamp-post in the dark.
Closing Emotional Beat
Some stories you outgrow; some grow with you. Narnia will always be both.
July 13, 2020
Check out my reviews on the main page of each individual book!
April 2, 2021
I read and reviewed each of the three books collected here separately, so this is basically just for my own records. The rating is an average of the individual ratings, rounded up because Goodreads doesn't do fractions. Both Prince Caspian and The Silver Chair earned two stars from me, which isn't great. The first irks me because it's where the rot begins with the Susan Problem, as I call it, and the second is the Narnia book I can never remember, despite the fact that I've read it several times. I mean, there's nothing wrong with it exactly but I've always found it forgettable. Redeeming the collection, though, is Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which is a four star read for me, full of really beautiful imagery. I appreciate that, and it's hauled the collected rating up by main strength.
It's an odd collection though, this one. Why collect these three books specifically, out of the seven? I'm not getting the reasoning behind it, to be honest (I have a vague recollection that publication order is different than in-universe chronology, so maybe that's it). Whatever the reason, it's a collection that contains neither of my two Narnia favourites, but then again it doesn't have the execrable Last Battle either, so I suppose it's six of one and half a dozen of the other.
It's an odd collection though, this one. Why collect these three books specifically, out of the seven? I'm not getting the reasoning behind it, to be honest (I have a vague recollection that publication order is different than in-universe chronology, so maybe that's it). Whatever the reason, it's a collection that contains neither of my two Narnia favourites, but then again it doesn't have the execrable Last Battle either, so I suppose it's six of one and half a dozen of the other.
September 29, 2023
The Narnian Chronicles were my favourite books when I was aged 11 - 14. I loved the varied characters and the way the principal players develop in a credible way. I loved the tales, the descriptions of different worlds, the feeling of being a virtual traveller in very exciting places. I didn't see the strong religious Christian analogies and dogma and I didn't spot the racism and sexism.
I loved the Narnian books as a child yet it represents the values of the early 20c. C S Lewis was brought up in an all-male household and only at the end of his life did he develop a strong loving relationship with a Jewish American woman who rocked his ideas of womanhood. This late romance was tenderly and sensitively depicted in Shadowlands a great film starring Anthony Hopkins
I loved the Narnian books as a child yet it represents the values of the early 20c. C S Lewis was brought up in an all-male household and only at the end of his life did he develop a strong loving relationship with a Jewish American woman who rocked his ideas of womanhood. This late romance was tenderly and sensitively depicted in Shadowlands a great film starring Anthony Hopkins
October 26, 2025
CONTENT laugage (same as Peter Pan), minor violance,
MESSAGES heed wise counsel
WRITING To me, it feels like CS Lewis invited us over to tell us a story. So we loose some immersion, and gain in a certain kind of cuddly feel.
CONCLUSION I like it! These book were my childhood, and so much fun. < 3 However, if plot holes bother you, these stories could get a little frustrating at times.
These are however, just my feelings about the work; other may well interpret it differently.
MESSAGES heed wise counsel
WRITING To me, it feels like CS Lewis invited us over to tell us a story. So we loose some immersion, and gain in a certain kind of cuddly feel.
CONCLUSION I like it! These book were my childhood, and so much fun. < 3 However, if plot holes bother you, these stories could get a little frustrating at times.
These are however, just my feelings about the work; other may well interpret it differently.
June 15, 2024
I loved the connections between second and third installments of the Chronicles of Narnia and this book. I also enjoyed the child like quality, how children should not and do not have all the answers in life, and it is okay to be in that space. It is also gut-wrenching knowing Peter and Susan were becoming too old for Narnia. As always, read this book for yourself and form your own opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2021
'On one side were the battlements, on the other a steep roof; below them, all shadowy and shimmery, the castle gardens; above them, stars and moon.'
'Instead of getting more drowsier she was getting more awake -- with an odd night-time, dreamish kind of wakefulness.'
'Instead of getting more drowsier she was getting more awake -- with an odd night-time, dreamish kind of wakefulness.'
August 21, 2020
Very enjoyable!!
December 26, 2021
Not a fan of his writings. Loved the movies.
July 25, 2022
Reading through the series as a family.
January 6, 2023
(reread)
December 15, 2023
Another great novel by C.S. Lewis. It is great to read after The Horse and his Boy. The plot was pretty good yet the final battle was not as good as shown in the movies.
June 8, 2024
Well written. The connect btw time has been done perfectly. The charecter design (reepicheep I am looking at you) is very well done. A refreshing read.
June 30, 2025
rereading as an adult, prejudice against middle eastern peoples is painfully apprent, as are sexist attidudes...both typical of the authors context...nevertheless disturbing
March 8, 2011
I think I was about 27 or 28 when I read these books and I enjoyed them just as much as a child would. Its categorized as a children's book but,it is not immature and an adult can enjoy it just as much as their children. It has plenty of characters,adventure,and excitement. I loved the lessons woven within the books to be learned. I would recommend that every child read these books, and maybe even adults as well.
September 2, 2008
Obviously a classic with spiritual parallels. Worth the read, however I'm not easily sucked in to fantasy books, and I thought the Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe was more impactful.
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July 2, 2009The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian by C S Lewis (???)
May 19, 2015
loved these books- great for kids, youth and adults. great as a face value story or for deeper thoughts.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews