The Horse and His Boy (Chronicles of Narnia, #5)

Title: The Horse and His Boy (Chronicles of Narnia, #3)

Author: C.S. Lewis

Published in: 1954

Date read: 25th January 2005

Score: 4/5

Genre: Fantasy

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"The Horse and His Boy," published in 1954, is the third book in C.S. Lewis's "The Chronicles of Narnia" when read in chronological order of events (though it was the fifth book published). It is a standalone adventure set during the golden age of Narnia under the rule of High King Peter and his siblings, bridging the period between the end of "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" and the beginning of "Prince Caspian."

The story is set in the desert land of Calormen, south of Narnia. The protagonist is Shasta, a young boy who believes he is the adopted son of Arsheesh, a poor fisherman. One day, Shasta overhears Arsheesh planning to sell him into slavery to a wealthy Calormene nobleman.

Desperate to escape, Shasta encounters Breehy-hinny-brinny-hoohy-hah (Bree), a talking horse who, like Shasta, is also a captive in Calormen. Bree reveals that he is actually a Free Narnian horse, captured as a foal, and longs to return to Narnia and live free. Together, they plot their escape and journey north.

On their perilous journey through the desert, they unexpectedly meet another pair of runaways: Aravis, a proud Calormene Tarkheena (noblewoman) fleeing a forced marriage, and her talking mare, Hwin. The four unlikely companions form a fragile alliance, united by their shared goal of reaching Narnia and their desire for freedom.

Their escape is fraught with danger. They must evade the pursuing Calormene forces, including Aravis's father's soldiers, and brave the harsh desert. They also face terrifying encounters with lions and ghastly desert spirits. Along the way, they receive mysterious guidance and aid from an unseen presence, which is subtly revealed to be Aslan, the great Lion, Narnia's true king.

As they near Narnia, they overhear a shocking plot: the Calormene Prince Rabadash is planning a surprise invasion of Archenland (Narnia's neighboring ally) and then Narnia itself, aiming to capture Queen Susan and take over the northern lands. Shasta realizes he must warn the Narnians.

The climax of the novel is a thrilling race against time. Shasta, separated from his companions, must push himself to the limits of endurance to deliver the warning to King Lune of Archenland and Queen Lucy of Narnia. This leads to the Battle of Anvard, where the forces of Narnia and Archenland, led by Peter and Edmund, bravely defend their homeland against the Calormene invasion. "The Horse and His Boy" is a gripping adventure about courage, friendship, and discovering one's true identity and destiny.

Comments:
Great follow on story.

Books that we've read by C.S. Lewis (7):
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1) (1950), Prince Caspian (Chronicles of Narnia, #2) (1951), The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Chronicles of Narnia, #3) (1952), The Silver Chair (Chronicles of Narnia, #4) (1953), The Horse and His Boy (Chronicles of Narnia, #3) (1954), The Magician's Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia, #6) (1955), The Last Battle (Chronicles of Narnia, #7) (1956)