If you’re like me, then you have heard of the famous series written by C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia Complete 7 Volume Set, but perhaps have only ever read The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. This past spring, my best friend and I decided to read the series together; this was her second or third time and my first. I didn’t really have any expectations about the series, but knew it would be a fun, imaginary story.  I was not disappointed.

There are 7 total books in the series. I think they each follow a similar pattern: within the first chapter, the kids are swept away to Narnia where they spend most of the novel preparing for the big, epic event that will ultimately arrive in the last few chapters. Some of the books have a slower build up to the big event than others.

I have NO IDEA if I was pronouncing the Narnian names correctly, but really, who cares? I enjoyed getting lost in the adventures of a group of young, English kids. Be advised, these are not merely feel-good novels; There is evil and death present. The children must fight against it in a different way in every novel. The novels are all held together by one reoccurring theme: Aslan is a Christ-like figure who assists the children in fighting the evil that comes upon Narnia.

Overall, if you have a reader in your family, I think they would love to read this series. I know I can’t wait to read them aloud with Jonathan when he is old enough. (Let’s be real… I may even read them prior to that!)