Review: The Last Battle (Chronicles of Narnia #7) by C.S. Lewis

Synopsis:
Many Narnian years have passed since Eustace and Jill helped ensure the Royal line. But when they are jerked back violently into this strangest of lands they find the present King in danger and Narnia facing its darkest hour. With Eustace and Jill at his side, the King, the noble unicorn Jewel and a few remaining loyal subjects must stand fast against the powers of evil and darkness and fight the Last Battle to decide the future of this once glorious kingdom.

Review:
The Last Battle is an amazing ending to a wonderful series. Yes, it was sad at times, but I thought it was the perfect way to finish it up. It starts off with an ape named Shift along with his donkey "friend" named Puzzle finding a lion skin. Shift then starts formulating a plan that involves Puzzle wearing the lion skin and pretending to be Aslan. I really did not like Shift, but that was the point. He was a horrible ape who was extremely annoying and arrogant. He ends up helping the Calormenes take over Narnia, which is horrible!

King Tirian is captured, so he ends up getting help from Eustace and Jill. I like Eustace and Jill in this book the most probably because they are a bit older and more mature. There are many deaths in this book from the battle. Unfortunately or fortunately (depends how you look at it) Narnia comes to its end, but the good news is the characters get to go to Aslan's Country AKA Heaven.

What I loved about this book was that all of my favorite characters from the previous books make an appearance. I did not realize how much I missed them until they reappeared. There are a few new characters that I ended up loving. One of them being Jewel the unicorn. Jewel is such a devoted friend to King Tirian and a great addition to the world of Narnia. The saddest part of this book for me was finding out that Susan does not believe in Narnia any more. Still, this is probably one of favorites of the Chronicles of Narnia.

Like I said, The Last Battle is the perfect book to end the Chronicles of Narnia. If you have not read this series, you must! It does have a few sad parts, but I liked the way it ended. I am so glad I took the time to read this series. It was definitely worth it because it is so beautiful! Narnia is a world that everyone should explore at least once. It is such a beautiful place, and I kind of wish I could live there.

Rating: 5/5

Swords are for fighting,

Review: The Silver Chair (Chronicles of Narnia #6) by C.S. Lewis

Synopsis:
King Caspian has grown old and sad in the ten years since the disappearance of his only son. With time running out, Jill and Eustace embark on a perilous quest to find the Prince and bring back tranquility to the magical land of Narnia.

THE SILVER CHAIR
The Chronicles of Narnia

Journeying to the wild lands of the north, the friends and their companion Puddleglum battle mighty storms and encounter a race of giants who like nothing better than a tasty snack—of human children! Searching deep underground in the grim land of the Earthmen, they encounter the wicked Green Lady who has evil plans to overthrow King Caspian and become Queen of Narnia.

Review:
In this adventure, Eustace returns with a school friend named Jill. A big part of this book is that the children must learn to trust Aslan no matter what. He gave them specific signs to look for, but they failed to follow them at first. I did enjoy this book, but I would have to say it is the most predictable one of the series. Some things were so clear to me right away, but the characters took forever to realize it.

One thing I really liked about this book was that Eustace is not as annoying as he was in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. His last adventure in Narnia really has changed him for the better. He is an all around better person.

Besides being predictable, The Silver Chair, is a fun and exciting read. I enjoyed following Eustace and Jill throughout Narnia. It was kind of sad to see Caspian as an old man, though, but it turns out great for him in the end. The adventure to find the lost Prince was fun and exciting. I love the fantasy aspect of these series, and I am definitely looking forward to reading these books again in the future.

Rating: 4/5

Swords are for fighting,

Review: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Chronicles of Narnia #5) by C.S. Lewis

Synopsis:
Lucy and Edmund, with their dreadful cousin Eustace, get magically pulled into a painting of a ship at sea. That ship is the Dawn Treader, and on board is Caspian, King of Narnia. He and his companions, including Reepicheep, the valiant warrior mouse, are searching for seven lost lords of Narnia, and their voyage will take them to the edge of the world. Their adventures include being captured by slave traders, a much-too-close encounter with a dragon, and visits to many enchanted islands, including the place where dreams come true.

Review:
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was one of the most adventurous stories in the Chronicles of Narnia. Edmund and Lucy are once again the main characters along with their cousin, Eustace. This is Edmund and Lucy's last adventure in Narnia, so they will not return again like their other siblings Peter and Susan.

I definitely liked this book more than Prince Caspian. Caspian is now king, there is peace in all of Narnia, so he decides to go searching for the seven lost lords of Narnia. They were sent away during his evil uncle's reign, but they never returned. Caspian is determined to find out what happened to them. Along the way, they encounter many adventures from being captured by slave traders to finding a pool of water that turns anything that touches it to gold. Caspian even finds a wife! This book was so exciting. Every time the Dawn Treader cam across a new land, a new adventure awaited the characters, but it was not always for the best.

Eustace was my least favorite part about this book. He was just so annoying and a jerk! He thought he knew better than everyone else around him probably because he has been spoiled all of his life. I definitely liked when he was turned into a dragon because he could not talk for a little while. Eustace turning into a dragon was probably the best part because it changed him for the better. He learned to be a kinder person because of it.

Reepicheep is my favorite character because he is awesome. I love how brave he is even though he is only a Narnian mouse. Plus, he provided some humor at times.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a wonderful classic that I think everyone should read at one point. I have also seen the movie version of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and many things were changed for the movie. I enjoyed the movie, but it was definitely different.

Rating: 5/5

Swords are for fighting,

Review: Prince Caspian (Chronicles of Narnia #4) by C.S. Lewis

Synopsis:
Narnia has been at peace since Peter, Susan, Lucy and Edmund helped rid the kingdom of the evil White Witch. But the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve have returned to their own world and a dark presence now rules this once harmonious land...

Wicked King Miraz has imposed a pernicious new order of persecution and imprisonment, but the King's nephew and rightful heir, young Prince Caspian, realizing the evil of his uncle's regime, vows to revive Narnia's glorious past. Fearing for his life, he is forced to flee and calls on the four children, the magic of the mighty lion Aslan, and an army of fauns, dwarfs and woodland spirits to help him in his seemingly impossible task.

Review:
Prince Caspian is another great installment in the Chronicles of Narnia. C.S. Lewis is an amazing writer and story teller, and this book proves to be no exception. I really like that Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are back in this book as the main characters. I enjoyed reading about the Pevensie children rediscover Narnia. About 1,000 years have passed since they ruled Narnia, so Narnia looks a but different. I loved how Aslan revealed himself to the children one by one showing that the others should just believe. Narnia is such a magical world that I think anyone can enjoy reading about. I know I will reread these books in the future, and when I have kids I will read this lovely series to them as well.

Rating: 5/5

Swords are for fighting,

Review: The Horse and His Boy (Chronicles of Narnia #3) by C.S. Lewis

Synopsis:
Shasta is a young boy living in Calormene with a cruel man who claims to be his father. One night he overhears his "father" offering to sell him as a slave, so Shasta makes a break and sets out for the North. He meets Bree, a talking horse who becomes his companion. On their way they encounter Aravis, a high-born girl escaping an arranged marriage, and her talking horse. Despite their differences the children and horses learn to work together to reach the freedom they long for. In the meantime, they uncover a Calormene plot to conquer Narnia.

Review:
The Horse and His Boy may be my favorite book in the Chronicles of Narnia. I love everything about it. The main characters are interesting, and their adventures to Narnia are exciting. It takes place during the time that the Pevensies ruled Narnia as Kings and Queens. What is different about this one is that it actually starts in the world of Narnia (although actually takes place outside of Narnia). There is not any children going through a wardrobe or using a ring to get there.

I remember loving this book as a kid because of the talking horses. What little girl would not love a story with talking horses in it? This book follows the adventures of the boy, Shasta, and the talking horse, Bree, as they make their way to Narnia. Along the way, they meet a girl, Aravis, and another talking horse named Hwin. I really liked Aravis because she is a strong girl character. She may very well be the strongest girl character of the whole series. Of course, there is a great deal of Christian allegory, which I think is great for the kids.

I definitely recommend reading this book and the other books in the Chronicles of Narnia. It is a fun read that I think most people will enjoy.

Rating: 5/5

Swords are for fighting,

Review: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia #2) by C.S. Lewis

Synopsis:
The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, completed in the winter of 1949 & published in 1950, tells the story of four ordinary children: Peter, Susan, Edmund & Lucy Pevensie. They discover a wardrobe in Prof. Digory Kirke's house that leads to the magical land of Narnia, which is currently under the spell of a witch. The four children fulfill an ancient, mysterious prophecy while in Narnia. The Pevensie children help Aslan (the Turkish word for lion) & his army save Narnia from the evil White Witch, who's reigned over the Narnia in winter for 100 years.

Review:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a classic tale like no other. The story follows Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy as they plunge into the world of Narnia. Digory from The Magician's Nephew makes an appearance, but he is now known as Professor Kirke. Of course, the White Witch also reappears as does Aslan. If you have read The Magician's Nephew you know how the wardrobe came to be.

The Pevensie's are great characters. I actually liked them more than the characters in the previous book. Edmund did annoy me at times, but I think he was supposed to be like that since he did betray his siblings. Great story from beginning to end.

I thought The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was a fun book to read. There is a lot of symbolism in this book that relates to Christianity. I think people of all ages enjoy this book, so if you have not read it, I recommend you do.

Rating: 5/5

Swords are for fighting,

Review: Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

This book contains both Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass:



Alice's Adventures in Wonderland:
Summary from Amazon:
Bored on a hot afternoon, Alice follows a White Rabbit down a rabbit-hole without giving a thought about how she might get out. And so she tumbles into Wonderland: where animals answer back, a baby turns into a pig, time stands still at a disorderly tea party, croquet is played with hedgehogs and flamingos, and the Mock Turtle and Gryphon dance the Lobster Quadrille. In a land in which nothing is as it seems and cakes, potions and mushrooms can make her shrink to ten inches or grow to the size of a house, will Alice be able to find her way home again?

Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There:
Summary from Amazon:


The adventures of Alice continue as she crosses into the Looking-Glass world and assumes her place as a player in a vast and fantastical chessgame, where she encounters, among others, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Walrus and the Carpenter, Humpty Dumpty, and a cast of others who confuse, amuse and confound Alice as she persists onward to her eventual crowning as a Queen in the eighth square.



Review:

This is one of the strangest books I have ever read. It was extremely weird, but weird in a good way. The storyline was indeed "curious" and if you can get past the weirdness then you can enjoy it. At times I could get past the strange aspects of these stories, but other times I thought it was a bit too ridiculous and confusing to say the least. A few times, I had to read a sentence more than once to fully grasp its meaning. There is not really any plot to this book, but I can see how it may be a fun book to read to kids.

Definitely not my favorite books, but I did enjoy Alice's Adventures in Wonderland more than Through the Looking Glass. I'm not going to say don't read this because I know a great deal of people enjoy this classic...it's just that I didn't find it all that great. Nevertheless, if you find the time, pick it up if you want to. It's a quick read and you can make your own judgment about it.

Rating:2/5

Thank for reading!

I'm sure you all know this by now, but...

Swords are for fighting,