Tarissa's Reviews > The Horse and His Boy

Another fantastic Narnia novel.

This one is different, I found, because the main character does not enter Narnia from another world. Instead, the characters (while not in Narnia) actually start out in a nearby country. It was a fascinating view of Aslan's country to see it from the eyes of a neighbor, not as a person from our Earth.

Shasta, a young boy adopted by the local Calormenes, is soon accompanied by Aravis, a Calormene girl. Including a pair of Talking Horses, the four journey towards Narnia together, each escaping their life's hardships. A few countries away, Narnia is in its Golden Age, with the beloved Pevensie siblings reigning; from a distance, it looks like the right place to be.

I found Shasta and Aravis to be convincing characters, people I could expect to meet anywhere. They might commit mistakes, but learn from it. They push on towards a common goal, and keep treading the dangerous path even when it hurts. I am equally fascinated by the new facets of Aslan that I saw emerge from the story. He is merciful, but also willing to show a person when they've gone to far in their actions. (How true of Him!)

"Do not dare not to dare." (The Horse and His Boy)