Friday, October 9, 2009

Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis


In this fourth book of The Chronicles of Narnia, things are not going well.  The King and his wife have both died, and their heir, Prince Caspian, is being raised by his uncle, Miraz.  Miraz takes the throne and declares himself King.  Caspian escapes and finds his way to Narnia.

Miraz never believed in any of the old tales about Narnia, talking animals, dwarves or even Aslan.  Caspian does, and is delighted to encounter all of these characters when he arrives in Narnia.  The dwarves and animals all pledge their loyalty to Caspian, but Miraz is determined to put an end to him once and for all.  He brings an army and the battle for control of the kingdom begins.

Outnumbered, things are not going well for Caspian and his forces.  Fearing defeat, he blows the magic horn left behind by Susan when she, Peter, Edmund and Lucy reigned the land.  Although it was a thousand years ago, the tales of their heroics and kind governance remain part of the fabric of Narnia.  The horn is supposed to bring the four to the aid of whomever blows it.  Desparate, Caspian does just that.

Back in England, the four children are in a train station, ready to journey back to their respective schools after holiday.  To them, only a year has passed since their time in Narnia.  But when the horn sounds, they are transported back, only to find that little remained that they recognized.  They met up with a dwarf from the Caspian army, and he took them to meet Caspian.  There, they fight at his side with the help of Aslan who awakens the old magic of the land and Mariz and his army are defeated.  Caspian will be King Caspian and rule Narnia as it's rightful ruler.

This was another enjoyable journey back to the land of Narnia.  This book is recommended for young readers, and for parents who wish to share the adventure with their children, and for lovers of fantasy series.

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