The Magician's Nephew - CS Lewis

Published in an omnibus edition with the full Chronicles of Narnia series: "The Magician's Nephew"; "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe"; "The Horse and His Boy"; "Prince Caspian"; "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader"; "The Silver Chair"; "The Last Battle", by Harper Collins Publishers: Hammersmith, London, 2010. Originally published 1955.

 The least "Narnian" of all the Narnia books, The Magician's Nephew is an odd book, but still enjoyable. Taking place a lot more in our world than the remainder of the series it follows the story of Digory and Polly, involves magic rings, travels between worlds, and the introduction of Jadis, who goes on to become the wicked witch of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. 

 Despite being less about Narnia, the book is still an enjoyable entry, and being written as a prequel it is able to tie directly into the events of the second book, explaining the origins of the lamp-post and the wardrobe, among other things. The creation of Narnia is also featured, and is a fun scene to watch unfold. The characters of Digory and Polly also are well told, and Digory is given a more 'tragic' backstory than most of the children from our world in the series.

Completed with Elise, 8 March 2019.

(Elise Books)

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