Chronologically the third book in The Chronicles of Narnia, The Horse and His Boy is quite different from the first two books in the series. While the others have featured characters of this world, THAHB is purely a fantasy novel, the only intersection between purl world and Narnia being the presence of the four Pevensie siblings as the kings and queens of Narnia.

Shasta is the son of a poor fisherman in the country of Calormen, a desert far to the south of the Narnian mountains and forests. His life is not one of great joys, in reality he is little better than a slave. One evening his father's hospitality is required of a great Tarkaan and a deal is struck between the two men to sell Shasta into slavery. With the aid of a Talking Horse from Narnia, also a slave of the Tarkann, Shasta escapes and they head north, to Narnia and freedom. The book tells the story of their grand and is quite enjoyable from start to finish.

Like the first two books, this is a re-read for me, as I am reading them aloud to my son. It was not as good, in my opinion as the most well beloved book of the series, but the adventure of the book was quite fun to read, especially with a young boy who reveled in the battles and worried for our protagonist in all the right places. I particularly enjoyed the introduction of the nations and cultures surrounding Narnia. I like that Mr. Lewis continues to expand the world instead of limiting himself to th small patch of land just past the Lamppost. I look forward to continuing the series and reminding myself of exactly why I loved these books so much as a child.