The Horse and His Boy is Book Five of the Chronicles of Narnia.

1. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
2. Prince Caspian
3. Voyage of the Dawn Treader
4. The Silver Chair
5. The Horse and His Boy
6. The Magician’s Nephew
7. The Last Battle

Shasta is a poor Calormen fisherman’s son. He is uneducated and knows nothing of Narnia. Until a Tarkaan nobleman riding a talking horse comes to visit one day, that is. As Shasta eavesdrops on the fisherman and the visitor, he learns that the Tarkaan wants to buy him as a slave. He goes to take care of the stranger’s horse and to his surprise, the horse begins to speak! His name is Bree, and he had been pretending to be dumb and witless like the other Calormen horses, but in reality, he had been captured from the hills of Narnia when he was a foal.

Shasta and Bree make plans to escape from Calormen and go to Narnia because, as Bree put it, “You’re too light-skinned to be one of the Calormen. No, I’d say you’re from Archenland or Narnia - You’re true Northern stock, you are.” Shasta is surprised to learn that he is not the fisherman’s true son and hastily they set out on the journey.

Along the way, they meet up with another traveler to Narnia - a Tarkheena princess, also on a talking Narnia mare, running away from a forced marriage. Her name is Aravis.

The Horse and His Boy follows the journey of the two travelers and their horses through dangerous cities and perilious deserts and into the heart of war.

Find out who Shasta’s father really is, and journey with him through the mad flight to warn Archenland of the danger marching towards it’s gates. What about Aravis? How is the Calormen girl going to survive in a different country? And can they outrun the lions that seem to be always behind them?

Personal Rating: 9
Another favorite of mine, The Horse and His Boy stimulates the mind and fancies of the reader. There seem to be more politics in this book than in the others. The story is set during the Golden Age when the four Kings and Queens of Narnia (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) ruled from Cair Paravel. I also liked it when I was younger because I loved horses, and what girl doesn’t like horse stories like Black Beauty and The Black Stallion? Well, The Horse and His Boy was my horse story. I also liked it for the ‘escaping’ of the Tarkheena princess and the lowly fisherman’s son. Definitely picturesque, this book captured me.

Content rating: E
Again, the entire set of the Chronicles of Narnia is perfect for everyone.