Prince Caspian movie poster art

(2) C.S. LEWIS –
NARNIA CHRONICLES (1950-1956)

It’s a rare child in Anglophone culture that doesn’t know about Narnia, and the Narnia Chronicles are arguably more definitive as children’s fantasy than Tolkien, particularly when it comes to children’s fantasy involving secondary worlds. Hence the Narnia Chronicles are not only second top spot after Tolkien in my Top 10 Fantasy Books, but also second place special mention after Tolkien here.

It also features child protagonists, who find themselves drawn from our world (specifically England) to Narnia through magic portals – hence the description of the Narnia Chronicles in Wikipedia as portal fantasy.

However, if one character both embodies Narnia and rises above the others, albeit not so much as protagonist but as the moving force behind the world – from singing it into being in the beginning to literally closing the door on it in the end – it’s Aslan.

And Aslan embodies the spirit of Lewis’ Narnia Chronicles, those seven fantasy books that continue to inspire readers and remain among the most popular fantasy books or series, strikingly so for children’s fantasy books and explicitly Christian ones at that, although many readers remain unaware of the Christian themes.

Narnia might lack the same grandeur as Middle-Earth but for me it will always have a charm and place close to my heart, with these books as something of a recurring source of familiar comfort even as an adult. And so enchanting that after reading its Chronicles, what young reader doesn’t search wardrobes for other worlds? (Or hot White Witches with Turkish delight? Except I’ll pass on the Turkish delight). I know I still do…

RATING: 5 STARS****
S-TIER (GOD TIER)