The Horse And His Boy by CS Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia: Book 3)

9/10

Bree, the horse, has been kidnapped from Narnia and longs to return there. Shasta, on the verge of being sold into slavery, decides to run away with him in search of the home he's always dreamed of. But the journey is full of surprises and fraught with dangers, and when the companions uncover a treasonous plot, it also becomes a race against time.

It was enough of a surprise for Shasta to discover he wasn't the son of Arsheesh the fisherman. But when Bree, the talking horse, whisks him away from the cruel land of Calormen in search of the safe and happy of Narnia where High King Peter rules, Shasta finds himself up to his ears in mystery and adventure such as he could never imagine in his wildest dreams. Their journey is charged with fear and danger, intrigue and adventure, as they make their way in disguise through the city of Tashbaan, past the eerie tombs, then on by burning day and silvery night over the harsh desert to the high mountains of Archenland. Even when Narnia is in sight, Shasta realises he must finally conquer his fear. "If you funk this," he tells himself, "you'll funk every battle in your life. Now or never."

Much debate over whether this is the third in the Narnia series, with Prince Caspian always considered being the direct sequel, but with the 4 children appearing as kings and queens in Narnia in the novel and happening in that timeline I think it is safe to include it as the official third book in the Chronicles Of Narnia series.

The Horse & His Boy takes place in a different place of Narnia during the reign of the The Pevensies as adults. The story starts in Calormen, an arid land far to the south of Cair Paravel. Slavery is a part of life in Calormen and a young boy named Sasha meets a talking Narnian horse named Bree. Together they decide to escape and head to Narnia where, due to Sasha's fair complexion, he should be able to pass as native and escape his life of servitude.

After a little nudge from Aslan they meet Aravis and her horse Hwin who are escaping her arranged marriage. Together they agree to travel to Narnia and seek refuge under the Pevensies rule.

The problem with getting to Narnia is that they have to pass through the Calormine capital Tashbaan. Upon entering the congested city the two become separated and Sasha, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the Tashbaan prince, is mistaken by Queen Susan and King Edmund. Sasha overhears the Queen and King planning to escape the city as Susan does not want to marry the cruel prince.

Meanwhile Avris runs into her own problems when she is recognized by one of her wealthy friends. Convincing her spoiled and selfish friend that she must escape the palace and her planned marriage is an entertaining read. Avris overhears the Prince's plan to invade Narnia in relation to Queen Susan's escape.

Sasha and Avris manage to escape the city and head for Narnia with their horses, fighting Rabadash's army the whole way and must get to Narnia in time to warn the Kings and Queens.

The Horse And His Boy is the most mature and adventurous novel of the Narnian series. This is the novel that makes Narnia seem like a real and large country. A clear inspiration for this was the Arabian Nights legends and this drips through in Lewis's imagery of the desert cities.

The pacing and narrative are a complete departure from every other Narnian story. This is clearly aimed at an older teenager audience and is a adventure story. There is also a lot less magic for obvious reasons and a brief appearance from Aslan to help guide the armies in the right direction keeps things Narnian.

The Horse And His Boy is an exciting adventure through a different part of Narnia, telling a different kind of story that shows what a true genius CS Lewis, showcasing just how real Narnia was as a country.