The Chronicles of Narnia - Book Review

Book 4 - Prince Caspian

Written by: Clive Staples Lewis
Illustrated by: Pauline Baynes
First published: 1951
Genre: Fantasy

Time Location, Our World: 1941
Time Location, Narnia: 2303
Area: Central Narnia
Central Characters: Lucy Pevensie, Edmund Pevensie, Susan Pevensie, Peter Pevensie, Caspian X, Aslan and Miraz

Plot:
Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy returned from Narnia to our world one year ago. On their way to school, they experience magic again, and all of a sudden they find themselves on a beach surrounded by ocean, streams and overgrown forest. Though they don't recognize the place, they assume they've been sent back to Narnia. At first they're just happy about it, but after a while they realize they're on an island, with no life, far away from land. All they have to eat is apples from an old overgrown apple yard they find. As they keep exploring they find out the apple yard is located in what would have been the garden to an old castle. As they walk around in the ruins of the huge castle they memorize their own time as kings and queens in Cair Paravel. They assume their own castle to be miles away, maybe in another world, but the more they explore, the more similarities they find of Cair Paravel in the ruins. As they enter the treasure chamber thorugh a rotten door they get the horrific thruth confirmed - They're walking around in the ruins of their own castle - hundreds of years after their disappearance.
They're still wondering how to get off the island though - when two soliders pass in a boat, attempting to kill a dwarf. The soliders are attacked by the pevensies, but manages to escape. So does the dwarf, with the boat.
The dwarf realizes slowly that the children who saved him are the kings and queens that ruled Narnia hundreds of years ago. And he can tell them exactly why they are back again...
During the hundreds of years that has gone, a new disaster has struck Narnia. Evil humans from the neighbour country Telmar has taken over Narnia, and ruled for 300 years. During this time they have eradicated the Narnian creatures, and all that's left is a strict, human based kingdom, and a few Narnians living a secret life, deep inside the forest.
Meanwhile, the Telmarine prince of Narnia, Caspian, is in trouble. His uncle murdered his father when he was a young kid, and has now stolen the throne, ruling Narnia more ruthlessly than the country has seen since the hundred years winter. When he finally gets a son to take over the throne, he's attempting to kill Caspian, who's on the Narnias side and plans to give them back their freedom when he's king.
Caspian and the Narnians have attempted old magic that is said to be able to bring back the kings and queens of old - and maybe even Aslan - to help them in the battle against Miraz.
Will the Pevensies find Prince Caspian and the Narnians? Disbelief keeps them from finding Aslan, but in the most helpless moment something happens...

My thoughts:
Prince Caspian seems to be the book I remember the least. Every time I read it I get new surprises. I think the plot was complicated to me as a kid - and as the movie plot is pretty changed from the book it leaves me confused. This is a pretty exciting story though - and I love the fact that the authour for the first time mentions stories of magic that's not told in any of the books (you'll understand this when you read them). The last times I've read this book I've discovered that I'm more and more blown away by the story of returning to a place you love, only to find out hundreds of years have passed. It's a sad, but at the same time beautiful story. I do miss the magic that the other books gives us tho - this book tells more about a world equal to our own. But I guess this is also what the Pevensies feel returning to the once beautiful country.
Rate: 4.5/6