Review: The Horse and His Boy (novel)

This review is a day late thanks to real life getting in the way, but better late than never!

People who know me in real life can confirm that I love to read. My favourite book tends to change depending on what I'm reading at the minute. But among my absolute favourite books are The Chronicles of Narnia. And out of them, The Horse and His Boy is the one I like most. Yes, even more than The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. (Sorry, LWW fans! *dodges things thrown at me*)

The Horse and His Boy is chronologically the third Narnia novel, but the fifth book to be published. (This causes endless confusion when attempting to decide what order the books are meant to be placed in.) It was published in 1954. Unlike the other books in the series, its plot doesn't revolve around children from our world finding their way into Narnia.

The story begins with Shasta, the adopted son of a Calormene fisherman, learning that his "father" plans to sell him as a slave. So he escapes with Bree, a Talking Horse, and they set out for Narnia. Along the way they meet Aravis, a runaway aristocrat, and Hwin, another Talking Horse; encounter Edmund, Susan and Lucy (now adults and King and Queens of Narnia); learn that the Tisroc intends to attack Archenland; and Shasta learns his true identity and how much Aslan has been looking out for him.

One of the things I like so much about HHB (easier to shorten it to that instead of writing out the full title) is that it takes place entirely in Narnia (the world, not the country). No wardrobes, magic rings or paintings are needed to get the main characters into that world. It gives the reader a glimpse into a part of the Narnia-world that's only mentioned in passing in other books.

Another thing I love is the scene where Shasta meets Aslan. Picture this: Shasta is riding along a cliff in the middle of the night, in a fog, when he realises someone is walking beside him. Then he and the person have a conversation, where Shasta bemoans his fate and grumbles about how unlucky he is. The person corrects him, and shows him how everything he thought was a misfortune has been carefully arranged for his good. Then the sun rises and the mist vanishes, and Shasta sees Aslan in all his glory. What a wonderful scene! 😄

There are exciting moments (the race to reach King Lune before the Calormenes) and funny moments (Rabadash getting caught on a hook). And overall the story is just as thrilling as The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

Is it available online?: I don't think so. But you can find it in most bookshops and libraries!

Rating: 10/10.