Making Them Drink

Considering the long pause it took me to finish my last book, I have quickly gotten to this one. I just finished reading The Horse and His Boy, the fifth publication in the Chronicles of Narnia Series. You can read the first, second, third, and fourth reviews there.

This book breaks form the previous ones in two ways. It is the first book to jump back in the timeline to a point before the end of the first book. It takes place during the Golden Age rule of the four kings and queens of Narnia. It is also the first book that doesn’t follow characters that enter Narnia from our world. Only Edward and Lucy of the original Pevensie children appear near the end of the story.

The book follows four characters, centering on one primarily. Shasta is the adopted son of a Calormene fisherman. He sets out from the home with Bree, a talking horse from Narnia who was enslaved. On the journey they encounter Aravis, a young noblewoman, and Hwin, her talking horse. They must overcome obstacles to reach their goal of escape to Narnia. On the way they learn more about each other and their past.

This book seems to have gotten a little closer to the entertaining with lessons formula. It should make good reading with children.