| Date: 14 April 2011, 09:54
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Of C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, "The Horse And His Boy" is probably my favorite. Venturing into exotic locations, with a likeable cast and a good thriller format, this is a pretty cool fantasy that gives some insights into what the cast of "Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" were doing during that time before they returned home.
Shasta is the son of a poor fisherman, and his life is pretty ordinary until a mighty Calormene (sort of a generic Mideastern civilization) Tarkaan comes to stay at his home. He overhears his father admit that he found the infant Shasta on a raft with a dead man, and the Tarkaan offers to buy him. That night, Shasta escapes with the Tarkaan's talking Narnian horse Bree, and by chance bumps into a runaway Calormene girl called Aravis, who also has a Narnia horse (Hwin).
The four plan to run away to the free land of Narnia. But they run into problems when they enter the city of Tashbaan -- the rotten son of the Tisroc (emperor) is planning to kidnap Queen Susan of Narnia and marry her whether she likes it or not. What's more, Shasta is caught up by the kings of Narnia, who think he's the prince of Archenland -- what's more, the prince looks exactly like Shasta. With the guidance of the mysterious Aslan, Shasta and Aravis must keep the Calormenes from attacking Narnia.
The later books in Lewis's series are probably a bit better than the first ones, literaturewise. This book introduces new and very interesting characters, as well as bringing back old ones like the kings and queens of Narnia, Tumnus, and Aslan, of course. The Christian subtext is probably faintest in this volume, and it's probably the least connected to the main storyline that runs through the series. But it's also a good exploration of stuff that Lewis had introduced, such as the Middle-Eastern Calormen kingdom, and the talking animals. And the writing is superb, especially the scene with Shasta near the tombs.
Aravis may be my favorite character in the Chronicles -- she's tough, decisive, independant, and smart. She's a bit reminiscent of J.R.R. Tolkien's Eowyn, or one of Lloyd Alexander's more serious heroines. Shasta is a nice twist on the boy-with-mysterious past, a likeable kid who is a bit in over his head but keeps working at it. Bree and Hwin are also likeable, with different personalities (Bree is more sarcastic, Hwin is meeker) and after awhile you may forget that they're horses.
Even taken outside the Chronicles (one of the early fantasy series, and one that helped spawn many of the staples of fantasy literature), this is an entertaining story for anybody who enjoys a good story.
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