When you think of The Chronicles of Narnia, chances are The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe or Prince Caspian come to mind. But Tyler Huckabee makes the bold statement that The Horse and His Boy is the best Narnia novel.

This book’s delights abound, but for starters, there’s the simplicity of the plot, which is as straightforward an escape story as they come. Things clip along in a straight line at a brisk place, with little time spent depicting the flora and fauna of Lewis’ imaginative world. The fact that so little of the book takes place in Narnia makes the bursts of magic in this stranger land feel more enlivening and satisfying when they do appear.

Huckabee also makes some good points re. the book’s treatment of both its female characters and Aslan.