Archive for the ‘The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Book News’ Category

Parade.com Narnia Quiz

Tuesday, May 13th, 2008

The fantasy novel series from C. S. Lewis has sold over 100 million copies. And after the success of the first movie, audiences are ready for the sequel, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

We’re celebrating the release of the movie with a quiz and exclusive interviews with the cast. You could win the ultimate Narnia prize package, which includes a signed book from the cast, posters, action figures and more!

Put your Narnia skills to the test with our 50-question quiz, written by NarniaFans.com — the ultimate resource for everything Narnia.

Once you’ve mastered the quiz, enter for your chance to win an ultimate prize package from THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN and check out their exclusive interviews of the cast!

Parade.com Narnia Quiz

Prince Caspian: The Battle Within; a Devin Brown Interview

Monday, April 28th, 2008

When English Professor Devin Brown started writing a literary analysis of C.S. Lewis’s timeless Chronicles of Narnia in 2003, he soon realized how the incredible depth of each book warranted invididual attention. Thus, the idea of having an “inside” for each book was birthed.

Brown says devoting an entire book to each of the Chronicles has worked well for him. To date, Inside The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, and Inside Prince Caspian have been published prior to the big screen releases of these films. Currently, Brown is in the process of writing Inside The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which he says will come out in advance of the third film in 2010.

When CBN.com contacted Brown recently about his insight into Narnia, he was delighted to share the spiritiual lessons he observed in Prince Caspian, particularly how we all expericence the battle within.

HEDLUND: What is it about Prince Caspian that makes it unique to the series?

BROWN: Prince Caspian corresponds to an older time in the Pevensies’ lives and in ours as well, a time when the world is more complicated and less black and white, a time when it is not always easy to know what is the best thing to do. For a good part of the book, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are unsure of where they are. After they realize they are back in Narnia, they next have to figure out what they should do and what is the best way to do it.

I think many people will be able to identify with the Christian parallels here. I think that for many mature Christians, the question of what God wants them to do is often more of a struggle than the question of whether they will do it or not.

HEDLUND: What surprises you the most about Prince Caspian?

BROWN: Lewis had a difficult task in writing this sequel. He had to make it different from the first book but not too different, familiar but not too familiar. People who liked The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe will be pleased to find the same four heroes, but they will find them one step further along in their spiritual journey. In this sense, we as readers get to grow up along with them and share in their development.

There is a certain innocence that is lost here in the second book. And while, in our own lives, we all regret this loss, there comes a time when we all must leave our childhood world and enter the real world a bit more.

HEDLUND: Do you think there are some lessons in Prince Caspian that perhaps only children will understand and others that make more sense to adults? Why?

BROWN: Children will easily relate to the idea that we all, big and small, have a responsibility to stand up to evil where ever and however we can. Caspian’s wicked uncle has seized power unlawfully, he has mercilessly driven all the Old Narnians into hiding, and he must be stopped. Even the diminutive Reepicheep and his band of merry mice have a role to play.

I hope adults will understand that Lewis choose to have Bacchus and Silenus return with Aslan to emphasize that happiness and celebration are supposed to be part of our everyday life, not just something reserved for holidays and vacations. If we can’t be filled with joy in our ordinary daily life, then we are choosing to live in a world that is a little like Narnia under Miraz.

Read the Rest at CBN.com

A Look at the Prince Caspian Movie Tie-In Books – Part 2

Friday, March 28th, 2008

Narnia Fans Spy SusanTheGentleHornblower wrote an awesomely detailed account of a trip to the bookstore. This article is all about the Prince Caspian Movie Storybook. Enjoy!

Hey! Here’s my other spy report on the Movie Storybook. This was my favorite out of the two books, and I found that there were a few repeats, or at least very similar pictures between the two books. Like I said, I took pictures of all of the ones I saw with my phone, but I’m not sure how to get them off without a cost. Anyway, here goes nothing.

The story starts with a picture of Dr. Cornelius walking down a hall in Miraz’s castle. His hood to his cloak covers up his face completely. The story says that he helps Caspian escape through a secret passage in the wardrobe. I found this very interesting.

The opposite page shows Caspian on his horse with Cornelius standing next to him. Still cannot see the Dr.’s face. Caspian looks worried/confused. The story has the Dr. telling Caspian that, “Everything you know is about to change.” He also gives him Susan’s horn.

The story goes on to say that the soldiers are looking for Caspian in the castle but can’t find him. Some of them saw him leave, so they chase him. It goes on to say that he hits his head on a branch and falls down. The picture on this page is him on the ground blowing Susan’s horn, but it’s different than the one from the novel. Nikabrik’s back is towards us, and he’s approaching Caspian with his sword drawn.

The opposite page shows Nikabrik coming out of the house under the tree. His sword is drawn, and we can see Trumpkin behind him. A different picture than the novel.

The next page shows Edmund and Peter wrestling a boy on the ground. They are in the same uniforms as what they wear at the train station. Peter’s back is to us, and the boy is in between the Pevensie boys. Edmund’s face is clearly seen, and he looks upset and angry. The story says that the Pevensies have never adjusted back to English life, and that they get into fights.

The opposite page shows the same picture as the one in the novel. Susan and the boys sitting in front of Strand with Lucy standing there. The story tells us that Lucy says, “Aslan said that once a king in Narnia, always a king in Narnia!” Susan replies that they are here now, and that they’ll just have to get used to that. Right then they feel a spectacular feeling.

Next page shows the beach of Narnia with footprints and clothes strewn about it. The boys are taking off their shoes and Lucy is heading towards the water. Susan is already there. That well-known rock from New Zealand is in the background.

The opposite page shows a picture similar to the one in the novel of the kids at the ruins. The difference is that Peter is closer and Lucy is right behind Edmund, who is not yet on the steps in this picture. A big picture of Susan is on top of this picture. It shows her holding the chess piece. The story says that Edmund declares, “I don’t remember any ruins in Narnia.”

Next page shows Telmarine Lords sitting in chairs at what appears to be a council. The story says that Miraz is trying to blame everything on the Narnians so he can make war with them and take the throne. What ‘everything’ is, I do not know.

The opposite page goes with it, showing Miraz in the center of a room with the lords. Trumpkin is in the middle, bound and gagged and beaten up. There is blood below his left eye. Miraz is pointing to him. He is using him as an example to the lords; a reason to blame the Narnians, I think.


Next two pages is a picture of the treasure chamber. It is almost exactly like the one we saw before, except Peter has his sword drawn and he’s looking at Edmund. On the second page Edmund comments that Cair Paravel looks like it was attacked after he sees all of the ruble everywhere. Could this be the added scenes to the video game?

Next page shows Caspian in a small doorway. He’s peeking around it from the left. It’s the same room with the beads hanging down that we saw in the Ben Barnes production blog when he first says, “I am Prince Caspian.” This is Trufflehunter’s house. He has just woken up and sees the three in the other room and is shocked. They took him in after his fall and were interested in the white horn he had. When they realize that it’s Queen Susan’s horn, they don’t kill him.

Opposite page shows Nikabrik sitting at a table in Truff’s house. The horn is on the small table as well as food and a candle. The story is saying how Truff thinks that Caspian was meant to help them. Truff thinks that the sound of the horn will bring back the Ancient kings and queens.

Next two pages show Susan on the edge of what looks to be Glasswater Creek. It’s definitely not the sea. She is aiming, with her back to us, at a boat that has two Telmarine soldiers throwing a bundle of something over. By the color of the fabric and the hair, it is obviously Trumpkin. Her sleeves open up on the underside over the elbows to reveal a blue material; the same of that in her skirt and the sleeves on her night raid dress. The story says she shot two arrows at them, and they save Trumpkin.

Next we see a picture of Caspian in what seems to be the Dancing Lawn. Trufflehunter takes him there, and at first the Narnians are very upset because they don’t trust the Telmarines. But Truff wins them over by reminding them that Narnia wasn’t right unless a Son of Adam was on the throne. They agree, and they resolve to make Caspian their rightful king. The opposite page shows Glenstorm and Mrs. Glenstorm. The picture of Glenstorm is the production one that we’ve seen, and the one of her is at the Dancing Lawn. There is a Satyr beside her, perhaps Tyrus?

Next is a picture of Glasswater Creek. The four Pevensies with Trumpkin. It’s very much like the book cover of This Is Narnia. I’m not sure if it’s identical, though. The opposite picture is of Peter and Lucy. Lucy is looking up at Peter sadly, and Peter looks very serious. The story is telling us that Lucy has seen Aslan, while no one else has and they don’t believe her. It also mentions something about crossing the river.

Next we find out that that night, Lucy dreams she sees Aslan, so she gets up in the night to look for him. She hears a rustle in some bushes, but to her disappointment it’s only Peter. Suddenly, Caspian rushes up and attacks Peter. Lucy eventually makes them stop when she realizes that Caspian has Narnians on his side, therefore he must not be a foe. Peter turns to Caspian and says, “Prince Caspian, I believe you called?”

The picture on the opposite page goes with this. Peter and Caspian seem to be talking to one another, and Edmund, Susan, Lucy, and then a little ways off Trumpkin are looking on with their backs to us. This is in the forest at day time, but the story says it takes place at night. The story says that as soon as Peter had said the above that Susan and Edmund rushed up.

So Caspian takes them to his underground camp, and when he leads them into one room, Lucy asks “What is this place?” when she sees the carvings everywhere. Then they all see the Stone Table, and in the picture Lucy is going forward looking distressed. Susan, who is to our left, also seems a little upset, and Peter is on the right, with Caspian further behind him on the right. Both boys are holding torches.

Opposite page is Caspian in what seems to be Aslan’s How. Narnians are behind him. The story is talking about how the Narnians are very excited to see the kings and queens, and that they have a war council to make Caspian the rightful king.

Next two pages discus the night raid. The first picture is at Miraz’s castle. Peter (on the left) and Caspian are rushing forward from an open archway with swords drawn. The story is talking about how they attack the Telmarine castle. Peter says, “For Narnia!” but we already knew that.

Opposite page is Peter on some steps with a Telmarine soldier on them as well, but Peter is lower down on the steps. The Telmarine seems to be shying away, and both swords are drawn and I think Peter has a small scratch below his left eye. The story tells how the Telmarines drive them back to Aslan’s How, despite a valiant effort on the Narnians part.

At this point, Peter realizes that spirit alone will not help them win. Because of this, he sends Lucy to find Aslan. The picture on this page shows Lucy on a black horse. The next page is the same one as in the novel. Lucy is smiling to a fuzz on the left that is obviously Aslan. The story says that he appears to her immediately. She inquires why he did not show himself fully before. He tells her that things are never the same twice. Then he asks if they should wake her friends (the trees) up, and he does, but the story does not say how.

Next page tells how Caspian comes up with the idea for a one-on-one combat, and the picture shows Edmund in armor holding a scroll. Behind him is a smaller picture of Miraz and some lords sitting at a table covered in documents under some kind of tent. Edmund is seemingly delivering the message. Miraz accepts the challenge. The opposite page shows Peter and Miraz fighting. Both have their helmets on at this point. Telmarine Lords stand in the background. Peter has just struck Miraz’s shield.

The story goes on to tell how Peter corners Miraz, but then hands his sword to Caspian and tells him that it is not his fight to end. The picture shows what looks like Caspian about to behead a kneeling Miraz with someone else’s sword, not Peter’s though. I think it’s Miraz’s. The story, however, states that Caspian tells him, “Keep your life, but I’m giving the Narnians back their kingdom.” They then go into battle. The picture on the opposite page is Peter standing in front of Aslan’s How with a bloody drawn sword and a battered face.

The next picture shows Peter standing to the right of Caspian in what seems to be the brink of battle. Peter’s face looks much more bruised and mottled on his left side. The story is saying how the Telmarines are about to attack, and that the Narnians need something more in order to win. Then the trees arrive! The battle starts, and on the opposite page is a very interesting picture of Peter who seems to be yelling/grimacing. His sword is clean, and there is no one immediately around him. The story says that he orders the charge into battle, again with “For Narnia!”

Next two pages are a Telmarine Lord and some other soldiers on horses. They are retreating to the bridge after being chased by the trees and other Narnian soldiers. They find, however, that Aslan is there, and the bridge is destroyed and they run away when her roars.

Final two pages are about Caspian’s coronation. The first page shows a picture of him on Destrier, in his coronation outfit that I described in my earlier report. There are people around him, and he seems to be going by some walls or maybe in a castle. Caspian has a nice smile on his face.

Other page shows the Pevensies. Peter and Susan are riding next to each other and are smiling to each other. Her dress is as described as above, and Peter has on that mysterious blue shirt underneath a navy blue vest that buttons the far right side of his chest. Blue hose as well. They are both riding white horses. Edmund can be seen behind Susan, but he’s quite blurry. He is riding a brown horse, and wears an outfit that looks similar to Peter’s, only in brown. Lucy’s head can be seen, but the rest of her is covered by Susan. I see a small patch of pink, so I think Lucy’s dress might be pink, but I’m not sure. The story says that after the battle the Pevensies and Caspian bow to Aslan. Aslan declares Caspian the rightful king of Narnia. Peter then gives Caspian his sword. Caspian is shocked and honored, and tells Peter that, “I’ll keep it safe till you return.”

The last page says that the Pevensies look at Narnia one last time before going through a doorway that Aslan made out of oak branches. They find themselves in England at the train station, where no time has passed.

And that’s it! I love doing this, and even though it took a long time to write it up, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks again! SusanTheGentleHornblower, a devoted Narnia fan.

A Look at the Prince Caspian Movie Tie-In Books – Part 1

Friday, March 28th, 2008

Narnia Fans Spy SusanTheGentleHornblower wrote an awesomely detailed account of a trip to the bookstore. This first article is all about the Movie Tie-In edition of the book. Enjoy!

I went to my local Family Christian Bookstore, and I was shocked and thrilled to find that they already had the novel with the movie cover and the Movie Storybook! They were chock full of new pictures. I had never seen ANY of them before. Thankfully, I had my school stuff with me so I took notes on all of the pictures and also took pictures of them with my phone.

For the novel:
All of the pictures are backed on red or blue backgrounds.

1st page:
The kids are at the train station, with the boys and Susan sitting down in front of the wall that says Strand. Susan has her arms crossed and is looking at Lucy, who is standing there glaring at her. The boys look on.
The kids are at the ruins exploring. Peter is in the distance, and Lucy is closest. She is barefoot and holding a half-eaten apple. Edmund is right behind her climbing some stairs.

2nd page:
All four kids are in the treasure chamber. Their looks are excited and filled with awe. There is a suit of armor and some gate-like thing behind them.
Peter is in front of his open chest in the treasure chamber looking very serious. The caption says that he has just unsheathed his sword, but you can’t see it.
Peter and Edmund are on the beach beginning to release a tied up Trumpkin. Peter’s back is to us, and we can see the side of Edmund’s face. Trumpkin faces us, and in the background the girls are running towards them with Susan’s bow drawn.

3rd page:
A picture of Glasswater Creek fills the page. At the top is the boat with the four Pevensies and Trumpkin. Edmund is steering!
On top of the large picture at the bottom is a picture of Nikabrik and Trumpkin emerging from the root house that I presume is Trufflehunter’s. Nikabrik is on the right with his sword drawn. Trumpkin stands with his sword in his sheath, but it looks like he’s about to draw it. I think this is the part where they see that Caspian’s falling, due to pictures in the Storybook.

4th page:
Caspian is on the ground blowing Susan’s horn. Since this picture is right after the previous one and due to other pictures in the Storybook, he is being approached by at least Nikabrik.
Lucy is in the forest and there is something fuzzy to the left of the picture. The caption says that she’s found Aslan, so I presume it’s him. She looks very adorable and excited.

5th page:
One picture covers the page. Caspian is being held by the Wer-wolf, and the hag is to his right with the witch’s wand remains in her hand. They are looking at something off-shot. The caption says that Caspian is attacked by them, and he looks very frightened.
Small picture on top of the previous one: Peter, Edmund, and Trumpkin are running down steps in what seems to be some kind of dark castle. The boys are wearing their night raid outfits, and are drawing their swords, but the caption says that they rescue Caspian from what I’m assuming is the picture that this one is on top of.

6th page:
Caspian is on a black horse that I would say is Destrier. He is wearing his coronation costume and has his crown on. The crown is made of gold and has blue gems in it. Caspian’s outfit is a white shirt with gold embroidery on it. The undershirt is a dark olive green, and the sleeves are slit in front to show the undershirt. Behind him you can see the top of Peter’s head, but nothing else. Susan is to our left and back from Caspian. She wears a red dress with gold sleeves that are cinched with white rope at the top of the shoulders and at the elbows. The neckline is square and at the top there are openings(like her sleeves in her green Narnian dress from LWW) that show white material. She wears the same necklace as earlier in the movie and her hair is down. She is riding on a white horse. There are two people behind her that look to be Edmund and Lucy but it’s too blurry to tell.
The kids are back at the station, and they stare in shock at Edmund who looks confused and stands there with his bag open. Another boy is there looking at him as well, and this boy has a uniform on that resembles the girls’. Maybe it’s when Edmund’s realized he lost his torch.

Narnia Pop-up Book – In Depth

Sunday, February 3rd, 2008

At HarperCollins Childrens, they’ve added a new video feature and behind the scenes on the making of the Pop-up book. Here’s what you’ll find there:

Robert Sabuda invited us to visit his New York City studio for a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process. He talked with the book’s editor, Katherine Tegen, about his inspiration for the magic that springs off the pages of The Chronicles of Narnia Pop-up.

HarperCollins Childrens

Take a look at what really goes into designing the complex mechanics of a pop-up book. Robert Sabuda’s production sketches show the intricate details and special effects found in each spread of these hand-assembled books.

‘Prince Caspian’ Movie Tie-In Edition Features Exclusive Narnia Timeline Originated by C. S. Lewis

Tuesday, January 8th, 2008

The countdown to Walt Disney Pictures’ and Walden Media’s film ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian’ begins today with the release of THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA MOVIE TIE-IN EDITION. For the first time, readers can experience Narnia in a collectible edition featuring an 8-page, fold-out insert based on C. S. Lewis’s own timeline conceived for Narnia. The stunning cover artwork from ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian’ movie introduces a dashing new hero-actor Ben Barnes (’Stardust’) as Prince Caspian.

The full-color timeline, recreated from C. S. Lewis’s original and paired with Pauline Baynes’ classic full color illustrations for the first time, provides the key to the passage of time in Narnia and Earth by laying the two worlds side by side. Never before has C. S. Lewis’s timeline been included in a complete edition of all seven books of Narnia. Readers can now enjoy the beloved stories and use the timeline as a guide to orient themselves within the epic work.

This Spring the timeline will be expanded into NARNIA CHRONOLOGY: From the Archives of the Last King (April 1, 2008; $19.99), an interactive version of The Chronicles of Narnia. NARNIA CHRONOLOGY will include pop-ups, gatefolds, pull tabs and many other exciting features to tell the stories in a sweeping linear format as C. S. Lewis imagined it.

On May 16, 2008, audiences will be enthralled by the film, ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.’ With THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA MOVIE TIE-IN EDITION and NARNIA CHRONOLOGY, readers will have the chance to experience Aslan’s world first, in their own imagination.

Clive Staples Lewis, known as Jack to his friends, was born in 1898. Lewis and his good friend J. R. R. Tolkien, the author of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, were part of the Inklings, an informal writers’ club that met at a local pub to discuss story ideas. Lewis’s fascination with fairy tales, myths, and ancient legends, coupled with inspiration drawn from his childhood, led him to write The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, one of the best-loved books of all time. Six further books followed to become the immensely popular The Chronicles of Narnia. The final title in the series, The Last Battle, was awarded the Carnegie Medal, one of the highest marks of excellence in children’s literature.

HarperCollins Children’s Books is one of the leading publishers of children’s books. Respected worldwide for its tradition of publishing quality, award-winning books for young readers, HarperCollins is home to many timeless treasures-Charlotte’s Web, The Chronicles of Narnia, Goodnight Moon, Where the Sidewalk Ends and Where the Wild Things Are; and popular new classics-A Series of Unfortunate Events, Warriors and Fancy Nancy. HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of HarperCollins Publishers, one of the leading English language publishers in the world and a subsidiary of News Corporation . Headquartered in New York, HarperCollins has publishing groups in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australasia. You can visit HarperCollins Children’s Books at www.harpercollinschildrens.com and HarperCollins Publishers at www.harpercollins.com.

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA MOVIE TIE-IN EDITION
Written by C. S. Lewis
Illustrated by Pauline Baynes
HarperEntertainment
Paperback / Ages: 10 and up / January 8, 2008 / ISBN: 978-0-06-123105-6 /
$21.99 / 6 x 9 /
767 pages with b & w illustrations and a full-color 8-page foldout

NARNIA CHRONOLOGY
From the Archives of the Last King
Based on the books by C. S. Lewis
Including full color illustrations by Pauline Baynes
HarperCollins Children’s Books
Paperback/ Ages: 8 and up / April 1, 2008 / ISBN: 978-0-06-124005-8 /
$19.99 / 10 1/4 x 11 3/4 /
32 full-color pages

www.harpercollinschildrens.com

Tumnus’s Bookshelf: The NarniaFans Book Reviews: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the “Dawn Treader”

Wednesday, August 8th, 2007

Welcome to Tumnus’s Book Shelf where we review any and all books related to Narnia and CS Lewis! For this weeks review, we will be looking at CS Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the “Dawn Treader” !

Book Title: The Chronicles of Narnia:The Voyage of the “Dawn Treader”.

Author: CS Lewis
Illustrator: Pauline Baynes
Publisher(US): HarperCollins
ISBN-10: 0064471055
ISBN-13:978-0060764944

Summary of the book:

Some Possible Spoilers.( Please Highlight to read)

It has been another year since the last adventure of the Pevensies in Narnia. Peter is studying with Professor Kirke for an exam, while Susan has gone to America with her parents. As for the younger two they have the worst lot. They have to go stay with their Uncle Harold and their Aunt Alberta and their cousin, Eustace Clarence Scrubb.

Eustace is almost as bad as Edmund was when he first went to Narnia in terms of how he treats them. He can and will bully all of the Pevensie children, especially about Narnia. One particular day while Edmund and Lucy are talking in her room, Eustace comes to bother them. Edmund tries to get him to go away to no avail.

Lucy has been looking at a picture of a ship that reminds her of one in Narnia. When she mentions this, Eustace runs to rip it of the wall just to torment her. It is at this moment that the three children are pulled into the picture and find themselves in the water. They are fished out and find they are back in the world of Narnia.

Not only that, they are on board “The Dawn Treader”, the royal ship of King Caspian. They are reunited with Caspian and Reepicheep and meet his ship’s captain, Lord Drinian. They discover that Caspian is on a voyage to find the seven Lost Lords of Narnia and then to the very end of the world.

The first place they arrive in is in the region known as the Lone Islands. Upon their arrival Edmund, Lucy, Eustace, Reepicheep, and Caspian are taken captive by a slave trader named “Pug”. Caspian is sold to a man who turns out to be Lord Bern, one of the seven Lost Lords. Bern bought him because he could tell Caspian was the son of Caspian the IX . Bern informs him that the Islands are being poorly ruled by a man called Gumpas. With the help of Bern, Gumpas is removed from office. The two then rescue Edmund, Lucy, Reepicheep and Eustace. They return to the ship, with the Lone Islands safely now under Bern’s rule.

They continue on their voyage, Eustace of course is continuing to be unbearable. They stop at an inhospitable island were they make camp on a beach, except for Eustace who sneaks off . He watches a dragon slither out of its cave and die. He then sneaks into the cave and puts on an enchanted bracelet. As he is thinking dragon like thoughts, he himself becomes a dragon.

He returns to the ship and after many attempts finally convinces all of them that he is Eustace. It is only late one night when Aslan himself comes to Eustace that he is returned to normal. After his encounter he apologizes to his cousins for having been such a pain. They forgive him, and they also discover that the other dragon had been another one of the Lords.

They sail on and are attacked by a sea serpent. They stop at another island to repair the ship, but quickly leave the island as they see the body of one of the other lost lords. The lord has been turned to gold as the water is cursed. This causes the passengers of the Dawn Treader to argue with each other as it brings out their greed. They agree to leave quickly before they die as well.

Next they sail to an island that is filled with invisible people. They persuade Lucy to find a magic book and use it to make them visible. When she does it not only makes the invisible people visible but also makes the ruler of the island the wizard Coriakin (who is not human but a star who is under probation) and Aslan visible as well. Aslan reprimands her for her actions, which she apologizes for.

She returns outside and sees the invisible people are in fact one footed creatures who call themselves monopods.

From the island of the Monopods they pass through the Dark Island where nightmares and fears come to life. They rescue one of the lords, Lord Rhoop, and are lead out of the darkness by Aslan in the form of an albatross.

From the Dark Island it appears to be smooth sailing as they arrive at what is called the Island of the Sleepers. The sleepers are the last three Lords who are placed under an enchantment by Ramandu, a retired star.SPOILERS! It is here that Caspian meets Ramandu’s daughter and falls in love with her. He promises to return to her after the journey is complete.

As they arrive near the very end of the world Caspian cannot go further. He and the all but one of the Narnians must turn back as Aslan has ordered it . Only Edmund, Lucy, Eustace and Reepicheep are allowed to go further on.

Reepicheep must sail to the very edge as it is what he is destined for. He climbs inside a little boat and rows on to the edge, but not before getting a hug from Lucy and being cuddled by her. Edmund, Lucy and Eustace also disembark and sail into an area of water lilies where a lamb awaits them with a dinner of broiled fish.

The lamb transforms into Aslan and returns them to England. Before he does he reveals two things to the children. First is that Edmund and Lucy can never return to Narnia, as like their siblings they are now too old. Aslan also tells them that there is another reason they were brought to Narnia. By knowing him for a while in Narnia they could know him better in their world.

The book ends with a few final notes to the reader. First that Caspian did return to Ramandu’s island and married his daughter. Second that Eustace was a much better person back hone afterwards and his parents could never understand why.END SPOILERS!

Review.

Perhaps one of the reasons fans of CS Lewis’s Narnia Chronicles rank
The Voyage of the “Dawn Treader” as a favorite is that they see that the land of Narnia is more then the small country Lucy found in the wardrobe, but an entire world. It is in this book that we finally get to see the Lone Islands which have been referred to since The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. We also encounter lands far beyond the realm of Narnia such as Dragon Island ( where Eustace becomes a dragon), Death Water Island ( where they found the man turned to gold in the cursed water), The Island of the Duffle pods ,and Ramandu’s Island.

Here CS Lewis begins to make up completely new creatures for his land beyond ones borrowed from mythology or talking animals. In a fantasy series this is one of the keys to making it a good one. Can you inhabit your realm with entirely brand new creatures that no one has ever meet besides your standard fair ( elves, dwarves, dragons and such)? One such new species is the Dufflepods, which are bizarre little men who only have one foot.

Another key to a good fantasy is how you can reuse certain fantasy conventions and at the same time make it different. This is the case with another new species we find in that of “the stars”. In the world of Narnia, stars are not balls of gas burning millions of miles away, but actual living beings who appear in human form at times. They are among the few beings in the world of Narnia who have magical capabilities. In this regard, Lewis uses another fantasy staple in granting magical abilities to beings who appear to be human but in actuality are far from human. These “stars” are then like Merlin in the Arthur Legends, the “Istari” (or Wizards) in Tolkien’s Middle Earth, or the various beings in Madeline L’Engle’s Time Quartet.

Because of this, Lewis sets up guidelines for what beings can and cannot perform magic. The stars can, as well as any “magical” being. However, humans cannot. This is evident when Lucy is reprimanded by Aslan for using the magic book, showing that it is forbidden for her to mess with such powers. Such rules are important as even a fantasy world needs it’s own set of rules and laws that cannot be bent. This further shows who Aslan is as he is the one who can defy all magic, as he is above it.

We also see further growth in the characters. One way of showing this is by giving a character flaws. It’s in this book that the once seemingly perfect Lucy is shown to be having some faults. She struggles greatly with caring about what others think of her, and with questions of her beauty as she compares herself to Susan who every one thinks is the most beautiful of the two. These character flaws are shown when she is tempted to use the magic book for those purposes.

Edmund has even more growth as a character. No longer is he Lucy’s tormentor but he’s her friend and protector. In this regard he has gone from the figure that everyone compares to Judas Iscariot in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, to a figure like the Apostle Paul: some one who at one point hated and tormented those of faith and breathed threats against them, but later becomes their strongest supporter and defender after he is given grace and forgiveness through the sacrifice of one who did no wrong. Edmund even paraphrases Paul’s comment in his epistles about being the chief of sinners when Eustace asks for forgiveness by saying , “I was the worst of all.”

Similarly Eustace is meant to be like another person who was against the faith and later believed. That of CS Lewis. In his biographies he noted that he thought the claims of Christianity were ridiculous, and he’d even mock the likes of Charles Williams and JRR Tolkien for their beliefs as Eustace did with the claims of Narnia, . Then he came to believe after his own encounter and also became a defender of the Faith. Interestingly Eustace’s middle and last initials are CS, and “Eustace” sounds suspiciously like “Lewis”. He also suffers from an equally intolerable name as Eustace did. ( In the first chapter Lewis wrote, “There once was a boy who was called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he deserved it. ” And Lewis was no less fond of his own name “ Clive Staples Lewis”, and preferred being called Jack.)

Reepicheep has also grown as a character. His bravery in battle makes him a far more confident creature, despite the fact he is just a mouse. He at times appears to be bigger then himself in this story as he is trying to fulfill his destiny that was spoken to him by a nymph.

We also see Caspian has grown from the boy-prince to the rightful heir to the throne. His voyage is not a pleasure cruise but a quest to continue to find a connection to his father by seeking these lost seven lords. His journey mirrors that of Telemachus in Homer’s The Odyssey, wherein he embarked on a quest to find out about his father and his past. His journey is also similar to that of Odysseus as he encounters many strange lands. One such land, Ramandu’s island, is similar to the Island of the Lotus Eaters in The Odyssey wherein people are put into an enchanted sleep.

We encounter on Caspian’s journey several new characters as Drinian, the various Lords, Coriakin, and Ramandu and his daughter.SPOILERS! It is Ramandu’s daughter that wins Caspian’s heart and ends up marrying him. This romance is a bit unbelievable( how can they be together after only one day!), but could perhaps be part of her tie in to such magical maidens as The Lady of the Lake in the Arthur legends, various fairie princesses in the fairy tales, and Galadriel in Lord of the Rings. It is also similar to Lewis’s poem “The Landing” where a traveler comes to an island and meets a woman of great beauty and falls in love with her instantly. END SPOILERS

Along the voyage readers can learn such lessons about greed, fear, and vanity. SPOILERS! Sadly, this is the book where we must bid good bye to Lucy and Edmund as like their siblings they have grown too old for Narnia. However, Aslan reveals some more of the deeper magic of Narnia to them by explaining that they were brought to that world to know him better in their world.END SPOILERS

Lewis is, as always, our very welcome narrator and guide in this story. No matter how good they make the films, his narrations will always be the things that are most missed in the movies. They add a certain life and vibrancy to the stories that is often missing in most books written for children or adults in this day and age.

“The Dawn Treader” is one exciting “Voyage” that you are going to want to read and reread again and again.

5 our of 5 shields

After Edmund in stores Today

Tuesday, July 10th, 2007

After Edmund is a band that takes it’s name from the character “Edmund Pevensie” in “The Chronicles of Narnia.” I confirmed that with the band through their MySpace page. Matt replied, “I’m glad you asked :) . From none other than CS Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia!” They are releasing their first album, in stores starting today!

Sophisticated and complex musically, yet lyrically direct and accessible, new Slanted Records artist After Edmund is poised to take the Christian music scene by storm. Kicking off their debut album with the swirling chords of “Clouds” and the frenetic, driving “Thank God”, After Edmund tackles themes of a desperate desire to feel God’s presence, being honest in the midst of pain and losing everything to truly find Christ. Producer Sotty Wilbanks (DecembeRadio, Third Day) adeptly captures the crackling energy of the band’s powerful, kick-out-the-slats live shows.

Track Listing

01. Clouds
02. Thank God
03. No Tomorrow
04. Tears
05. Everyone
06. Darkest Room
07. Let It Go
08. Stealing Away (Sabade)
09. Like A Dream
10. To See You Leave
11. When You Need Someone
12. Go Oboe

AfterEdmund.com

If you become their friend on MySpace, tell them we sent you!

Spectacular New Cover Art for Chronicles of Narnia Books!

Monday, April 30th, 2007

Three-time Caldecott Medal winner David Wiesner illustrates Narnia! Over the years, only the finest and most prestigious award-winning artists have lent their talents to The Chronicles of Narnia. Available in July, spectacular new jacket art by three-time Caldecott Medal winner David Wiesner showcases C.S. Lewis’s beloved classics and continues an extraordinary tradition of excellence in Narnia illustration.

New 2007 Narnia Book Covers

David Wiesner writes:

Creating covers for The Chronicles of Narnia, one of the classics of children’s literature, was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. There is such a wealth of wonderful imagery to choose from, it seemed as though the hard part would be choosing from too many choices. The reality was much more challenging and complex than I imagined.

I started with ideas for several of the jackets. There was no overriding concept to them, just interesting images. The image for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was the first one that I conceived and the reaction from everyone involved with the project was instantly positive. This image set the path for all the others. We decided to maintain a more intimate approach, focusing on the “good” characters—not the villains, attempting to find an emotional pull to the covers. This turned out to be much easier with some jackets than others.

Read the rest at: HarperCollins

Thanks to Tarva2Alambil for the update!

July Narnia Feature at Hollywood Jesus

Saturday, July 9th, 2005

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

“One criticism of C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia that would be almost impossible to defend is that he repeats himself. Each of the seven books has its own character, its own unique flavor and style. In one sense, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader “picks up” the story line of Prince Caspian, giving us a glimpse of Caspian’s reign as King of Narnia. And while it’s also true that Caspian’s character is only here fully realized, Dawn Treader is still no retread of the earlier books. In this story, we go to sea and are entertained in the fashion of classic tales like The Odyssey and Gulliver’s Travels. We haven’t seen the likes of this in Narnia before.

“Paul McCusker, writer and director of the Chronicles of Narnia Radio Theatre production, has pointed out the problems of adapting the books in a different order than that in which they were published. To a certain extent, he says, Dawn Treader works best when taken as the third book in the series, as originally published. But McCusker also points out that Dawn Treader has the advantage of being the most literarily “mature” of the original three stories – and that Lewis further invested the story with a certain narrative weight since he conceived it as the “final” book in the series.

“So in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, we find Lewis at the peak of his story-telling game, and we also find compelling and moving themes. This month, George Rosok brings us our story synopsis, and Kathy Bledsoe entertains us with a review of the literary themes of the story in an imaginative fashion consistent with the creativity of Lewis’ tale. Finally, Jenn Wright uses Lewis’ imagery of the episode at the Dark Island as a jumping-off point for a meditation on how the spirituality of the novel has interlaced with her own life.

For the rest, visit the source link.