Prince Caspian - Rated 
Second book printed, fourth book chronologically.
I began re-reading the Narnia series after coming across a beautiful boxed set of all seven novels. Mainly this was out of nostalgia, as these were favourites when I was young, and I was interested to see how they held up as adults. I found them all to be written very clearly with provocative descriptive prose, and narrative that often draws the reader immediately into the story.
As the first real sequel to "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe", this manages to draw out the story and history of Narnia so that Lewis' creation reaches its full potential. The character of Caspian is readable although a little stiff at times, and the dialogue does falter occasionally where elsewhere in the books it is very smooth. The description of the voyage and the encounters of the crew are imaginative and still feel very original, and the transformation of Eustace still brings a bit of a chill, even in hindsight!
Great for youngsters and very readable for grown-ups.
8.5/10
A return to Narnia - Rated
Imagine if you once saved a magical other world... only to return later and find that centuries had passed, and everything had changed.
Well, since the movie adaptation of "Prince Caspian" is about to come out, it seems appropriate to revisit C.S. Lewis's classic novel, the sequel to his even more classic "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe." While it has some drippily allegorical moments near the end, Lewis does a pretty good job with what must have been a difficult sequel.
When his aunt gives birth to a baby boy, young Prince Caspian finds himself on the run from his usurping uncle Miraz -- and in the hands of Narnia's secret army of dwarves, centaurs, talking animals and nature spirits. Soon Caspian has an army backing his claim to the throne, but in a moment of desperation, he is forced to blow the magic horn of the legendary Queen Susan -- and subsequently pulls the Pevensies back into Narnia.
But while only a year has passed on Earth, centuries have passed in Narnia, and the kids find that it's no longer the place they left -- they and Aslan are distant memories, and their castle lies in ruins. And as they are led by a very skeptical dwarf to help Caspian, Lucy keeps glimpsing Aslan along the way -- a sign that things are about to change drastically in Narnia, both for the human and magical inhabitants...
The Chronicles of Narnia were probably the first books to feature what is now standard in the fantasy genre -- an ordinary person gets dragged into another world. Just take a look at successful, unique authors like Diana Wynne Jones and Garth Nix to get an example of how Lewis' stories have influenced the entire genre.
If you don't like allegory (religious or otherwise), then steer clear of "Prince Caspian," especially the second half. While Lewis's beliefs are presented in a more complicated and subtle manner in his other fictional works, here the parallels to basic Christian beliefs are very obvious. Reportedly even Tolkien, one of Lewis's best pals, found the allegory annoying.
But if you can get past the slightly ham-handed treatment, it's a lovely little read. Lewis interweaves mythical elements -- dwarves, nymphs, talking animals, witches -- with the chatty, slightly precious style of traditional British storytelling. But this one is a bit darker and more action-packed than "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe," with some unexpected twists in the middle of it all. The scene with a strange witch and a werewolf is downright chilling, in fact.
But Lewis' plotting does sag near the end, during a drippy scene where Aslan wanders around fixing life for Narnian subjects. Fortunately after that, he gets back to a mystery that hangs over the whole book -- just where did all these humans come from, if they were such a rarity in the previous adventure?
Peter seems a bit more jaded than before and Edmund a bit more mature, but sadly the girls don't get enough to do this time around. But Caspian is a likable and believable prepubescent king-in-waiting, and surrounded by a bunch of unique Narnians -- a gentle yet fierce badger, a hostile dwarf, a fiery mouse, and the delightfully skeptical Trumpkin, who doesn't believe in lions.
Despite a few rough spots, "Prince Caspian" is a slightly darker, more intricate story, and its finale marks a turning point in the Chronicles of Narnia. Definitely give it a read before you see the movie.
Caspian - king of Narnia - Rated 
At the start of the book, we are with the four Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, who are waiting for connecting trains at a railway station in the course of their journey back to their respective boarding schools when they feel the pull of the magic and are drawn into Narnia and find that more than a thousand years have passed since they reigned there as kings and queens. In this book there are some new characters: Prince Caspian is the true king of Narnia, whose evil uncle, King Miraz, has snatched the throne. Caspian gathers an army of the Old Narnians and fights for his crown. Miraz is also a Telmarine like Caspian but is cruel and harsh. He tolerates Caspian as the next king but when his wife gives birth to a son, he wants to kill Caspian so his son can be the future ruler. Doctor Cornelius is Caspian's tutor. He tells Caspian in secret that the stories of old Narnia are true and that he is half-Dwarf. He helps Caspian to escape the castle and later returns to his aid in the forest to help the creatures of Narnia defeat Miraz. Trumpkin is a red-Dwarf who helps Caspian defeat Miraz. When he is captured by Miraz's soldiers and taken to Cair Paravel in exile, he meets the Pevensie children and leads them to Caspian. Nikabrik is a black-Dwarf in Caspian's army. He wants to fight Miraz by calling up the White Witch, with the black magic of a hag and a werewolf. However, he, the hag and the werewolf are killed. Trufflehunter is a badger who aids Caspian in his struggle. He helps Caspian and saves him from the storm in the forest by taking him in to his den.
The Return to Narnia - Rated
"Prince Caspian" is chronologically the fourth book in the Narnia series but the second written by CS Lewis. It sees the return of the four Pevensie children - Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy - who first entered the enchanted land of Narnia in "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe".
In this second instalment, the four children aid Prince Caspian who must fight his Uncle Miraz for his rightful place as king, and restore Narnia as the land of the free where talking animals and magical creatures can once again live in harmony with humans.
"Prince Caspian" follows the classic theme of the weak overcoming the strong for justice and freedom. In this sense, the book has a predictable plot and suffers the "sequel syndrome" of not being as fresh or enchanting as the original. What it does have are memorable characters including Doctor Cornelius, Caspian's mysterious mentor; Trufflehunter the loyal badger; Trumpkin the agnostic but brave dwarf and Repeecheep the valiant mouse (though he does not truly shine and earn his reputation as one of the most loved characters from the entire series until the next book, "The Voyage of the Dawntreader"). There are also scenes that although seem minor when you read them, will stay with you long after you've read the last chapter, including when Caspian learns the truth about Miraz from Cornelius and when Caspian is reunited his old nanny.
This book is subtitled as "The Return to Narnia" and I think that perhaps this should have been used as the main title. The book for me serves only as an introduction to Prince Caspian who does not develop into a fully rounded character until the next title in the series. In this book, the focus is still very much on the Pevensie children and "their" return. It deals with their faith, relationships and struggles far more strongly than Caspian's. For instance it is Peter and not Caspian who must face Miraz in the ultimate battle.
But that aside, "Prince Caspian" is an enjoyable read and sets the scene very nicely for "The Voyage of the Dawntreader".
Yeats for children? - Rated 
The basic plot of the book is that of Hamlet: the wicked uncle who murders the rightful sovereign and steals the kingdom from the true heir. However, this usurpation is embedded within a larger usurpation, in which the mythic wonders of old Narnia are suppressed by the grey regimentation imposed by invaders from Telmar. The hero Caspian, helped by the four Pevensey children, vindicates the right in both the smaller and the larger dispute.
Contrary to what is so often supposed, the Narnia world is not in itself a representation either of Christianity or of the Christian Heaven. It is the world of mythology and imagination, which (on Lewis' view) like all worlds can be a gateway to Heaven. In this light, the Telmarine regime in Narnia typifies what Lewis saw as the modern suppression of, and horror of, the romantic imagination as well as of religion. The official line is that the talking animals of Old Narnia never existed; nevertheless, the areas where they live are allowed to be taken over by impenetrable forest, and feared and avoided by the human population. When Caspian mentions the old legends, his uncle Miraz sternly forbids him to mention them again, or even think of them.
The book could equally be read as a critique of colonialism, and in particular of the tendency of power to invent the past and obliterate previous cultures. The history taught in Telmarine schools is "duller than the truest bit of history you ever read, and more untrue than the most exciting adventure story".
In all this, there seems to me to be a flavour of romantic Irish nationalism, on the lines of W B Yeats or Augusta Gregory, which I am surprised that none of the critics has picked up. Narnia is said to look somewhat like parts of Northern Ireland, and the liberation of Narnia, especially the coming of Dionysus, is strongly reminiscent of the ending of Stephens' "The Crock of Gold", a book Lewis is known to have admired. (See "Period Criticism", in ''Of This and Other Worlds''.)
Unlike Yeats, Lewis does not let the cause run away with him, and warns that Dionysus would be dangerous if Aslan were not there to keep him in check. The book has an important warning about the dangers of revolution. The dwarf Nikabrik is condemned for being willing to ally himself to the White Witch or "anyone or anything that will batter these cursed Telmarine barbarians", typifying the revolutionary beliefs that the end justifies the means and that the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
The conclusion is optimistic: the Telmarines (read: the Protestant Ascendancy) are invited to stay in Narnia provided they are willing to live with the animals as equals, and many take advantage of the offer.
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