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Last month, we informed NarniaFans that CS Lewis’ secretary, Walter Hooper, would be auctioning off signed first edition copies of three of the Narnian Chronicles. We are delighted to report that the books were able to help raise £34,000.

The three Narnian books auctioned were The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Horse and His Boy, and The Last Battle . It was expected that each of the books would only take in £3,000. The Oxford Daily Mail reports that, ” The Voyage of the Dawn Treader raised £10,625; The Horse and his Boy £10,000; and The Last Battle raised £9,375.

The proceeds from the sale of this auction went to the renovation of the Oxford Oratory Church of St Aloysius. Eight other books by CS Lewis were auctioned off as well.

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 The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: Fight For The Throne

Title: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: The Fight for the Throne.
Based on The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian by CS Lewis
Adapted by: JE Bright
Publisher: HarperEntertainment (April 1, 2008)

ISBN-10: 0061231584
ISBN-13: 978-0061231582

Summary of the book:

Late one night in the Telmarine castle in the land of Narnia, Prince Caspian was woken up by his mentor Dr. Cornelius. Caspian’s uncle Miraz had a son, and Caspian had to escape as his uncle was trying to kill him. Before leaving Cornelius gave Caspian a gift, the horn of Queen Susan Pevensie to use to summon the heroes of old.

Fleeing from his Uncle Miraz’s soldiers, Prince Caspian falls into the company of three of the Narnians, Trufflehunter the badger, along with Nikabrik and Trumpkin, two dwarves. Caspian blew the horn to summon the heroes. The three of them were pursued in the woods and Trumpkin was taken captive. Guided by Nikabrik and Trufflehunter, Caspian was led further into the woods where he then meet Reepicheep and other Narnians. They were afraid to trust him at first as they hated the Telmarines because they had stolen their land. He assured them that he would restore Narnia to them if they fought alongside him.

The Narnians agreed and training begun. Sometime during their training Trumpkin returned with the four Pevensies who were only children.SPOILERS! By the urgings of Peter, and despite the protests of Lucy, the Narnians engaged in a futile Night Raid, in which Caspian rescued Cornelius and learned that his uncle Miraz had killed Caspian’s father.

In the process of this night raid many Narnian lives were lost. Nikabrik and some companions of his attempted to convince him to resurrect the White Witch. With the help of the Pevensies he was able to defeat Nikabrik and his two friends.

They at last decided to do the right thing. After sending Lucy out to find Aslan, Peter decided to engage in a duel of single combat with Miraz to by time. Peter won the duel and was given the choice to kill Miraz he refused as it was not his job. To deal out justice He handed over the sword to Caspian who also refused as he would not sink to Miraz’s level. Miraz was then killed by two of his generals and they blamed his death on the Narnians.

A massive battle broke out. The Narnians routed the Telmarine forces to the river where they meet up with Lucy and Aslan. Aslan summoned up the River God and the forces of the Telmarines were defeated. Caspian was crowned king and the Pevensies returned home.END SPOILERS!

Review of the book:

Let’s see if you can follow this. This book, Prince Caspian: Fight for the Throne, is an adaptation of the movie, which is an adaptation of the book Prince Caspian pretty much like most tie-in books dealing with the Narnia books. It’s almost a given fact for a big movie release. With this book, however it does something different. It looks at Prince Caspian’s story through his perspective.

It is meant for readers who are in the early junior high stage. It is meant to be like it were Caspian’s journal so it is written in a very simple, strait forward manner, with no frills attatched to it, much like a journal entry. This, combined with the books choice on limiting the perspective, means that it does not try to be too challenging. The concept itself of telling the story from Caspian’s perspective is interesting and does intrigue a reader enough. However, it also means that many key plot points for the original novel are cut out as it is based on the film.

SPOILERS!Caspian and Peter do butt heads, but on the plus side Peter seems like less of a jerk in this book than he did in the film and more like he’s trying to help free Narnia. This book also does not have the apparition of Jadis appear in the ice or the “kiss that was heard around the world.” In many ways this book flows like a possible fan edit of the film would.END SPOILERS!

The battles are described in detail but they come off as very lethargic. While they are fun to watch on screen they are less enjoyable in print. One becomes grateful that CS Lewis did not focus on battles as much. Readers realize that he knew what he was doing. By not describing the battles in detail he left them for the readers to imagine and choreograph on their own, which when you are reading a book is much more fun than having it spoon feed to you.

There is also much less of Lewis’s symbolism in this book.SPOILERS!The limited perspective features Aslan only briefly at the end and we have no idea what else is going on in the other parts of story, such as with the Pevensies.END SPOILERS!In a small way, the original book’s beauty is taken away and in it’s place is a quick adventure story for adolescent boys to read in between rounds of playing Nintendo Wii. But in another way there is more mystery about Aslan and the Pevensies as no one sees them until they come.

There are no pictures as this is not meant to be a children’s story book. This is a young readers novel. The advantage of this is that it does give the reader more room to imagine what the characters may look like, even though their versions of the Pevensies in their minds may be the ones played by William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, and Georgie Henley.

Readers may enjoy this book just for the virtue it looks at a favorite story from one characters perspective. However, in reading it there is one thing that must be kept in mind: this book is not a supplemental book, a replacement, or even an introduction to the story. It’s a companion story. It should only be read if readers have first read ( or heard) the original novel by CS Lewis and then seen the movie, other wise there will be huge blanks left to fill.

Prince Caspian: Fight for the Throne has an interesting premise behind it and does make for a good read for a few times. Next to the original book however, this book is merely the Shadowlands: a good reflection for readers of the wondrous world of Narnia.

3 ½ out of 5 shields.

A former secretary of Oxford author CS Lewis is giving away signed first editions of the author’s Narnia books to raise money to renovate a city church.

The Oxford Oratory Church of St Aloysius, in Woodstock Road, is set to receive the windfall thanks to the generosity of Walter Hooper.

The church is launching a £3m appeal to carry out renovation work and build a new chapel and student accommodation.

Mr Hooper, 77, who lives in North Oxford, briefly worked as CS Lewis’s private secretary in 1963, shortly before the author’s death.

After Lewis’s death, Mr Hooper devoted himself to The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe author’s memory and co-wrote the author’s biography, and edited his letters and diaries.

He said: “I have kept these books close to me all these years but when this appeal came up, I wanted to do something.

“In a way it will be a wrench to part with the books but in another way I’m glad, because they might do some good.

“CS Lewis gave away two thirds of his income and it was wonderfully liberating to see a man who did not seem to amass wealth at all – he really was a good man.”

Mr Hooper will retain a copy of Lewis’s poetry volume Spirits in Bondage, because he still finds inspiration from the verses.

Mr Hooper has donated 11 CS Lewis titles, including three signed first editions – The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader, The Horse And His Boy and The Last Battle.

All 11 books are estimated to sell for up to £3,000 each at auction in London next month, with the hammer price boosted by the release today of the movie version of Prince Caspian. The books will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in London on July 17.

This year marks the 110th anniversary of Lewis’s birth in Belfast on November 29, 1898.

Philip Berrington, books specialist for Sotheby’s, said: “With the film of Prince Caspian coming out, the timing for this auction couldn’t be better. The connection between Walter Hooper and CS Lewis makes these books very collectable.”

The Oxford Oratory was built in 1875. Redecoration will restore marble, stonework and stencilling of the original Victorian design.

A smaller chapel for Masses, pilgrimage groups and baptisms will be added, together with a small garden.

CS Lewis’ beloved classic is listed among other notables like JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird as one of the top 50 novels . The list, which was featured in the Telegraph.co.uk story about Play.com’s top 50 Novels, listed some of the 50 best novels of all time.

Here is a look at the top 10 novels:

1. To Kill A Mockingbird – Harper Lee

2. Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien

3. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe- C.S Lewis

4. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

5. The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown

6. Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte

7. Animal Farm – George Orwell

8. Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

9. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – JK Rowling

10. Lord of the Flies – William Golding

Give the full list a look over if you are interested in getting ideas for what to read this summer. Here at NarniaFans, of course, we recommend you start with Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe first and then read Lord of the Rings. Once you’re done, I’d say read Pride & Prejudice followed by Great Expectations. After that it’s all up to you.

You can read the full list here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Title: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: Caspian’s Army.
Based on The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian by CS Lewis
Adapted by: Sadie Chesterfield
Illustrated by: Justin Sweet
Publisher: HarperEntertainment (April 1, 2008)

ISBN-10: 0061231576
ISBN-13: 978-0061231575

Summary of the book:

Fleeing from his Uncle Miraz’s soldiers, Prince Caspian falls into the company of three of the Narnians, Trufflehunter the badger, along with Nikabrik and Trumpkin, two dwarves. Caspian is taken further into the woods, where he meet up with other Narnians, They were afraid to trust him at first as they hated the Telmarines because they had stolen their land. He assured them that he would restore Narnia to them if they fought alongside him. With a magic horn that could summon the heroes of old in hand and his new army, Caspian was ready to began his quest.

Review of the book:

While this may sound like an apples to oranges comparison, this particular book, Caspian’s Army isn’t as good as the other adaptations of the Narnian Chronicles in this particular series. While the illustrations are just as splendid and the retelling of the tale is nicely paced, this story is a bit lackluster, especially after reading the Tail of Reepicheep.

Part of the problem would be that this book functions like a prologue for Prince Caspian as it’s ending is just left dangling. An old writers adage is to leave the reader wanting more, and this book left you wanting a lot more. While this book may be meant for children, I’m not sure if it’s ending would be as satisfying as the Tail of Reepicheep for them. It would be very easy to picture a little kid sitting up in bed after hearing this story and going ,“is that the end?”

The somewhat disappointing ending of the story aside, it isn’t that badly written. It’s still paced fairly well, and it does contain a good bit of dialogue. One of this books strongest features is it’s use of more “challenging” words like “extinct”. While most reading comprehension courses may teach that kids should skip a challenging word and only read what they know, it is far more important for them to be challenged and improve their skills in order to become better readers, and this book would help with that.

The art is still great. The use of the concept art just helps the story so much more than using a still shot form the film which could easily be blurry from the motion in it, and leave the characters looking rather awkward. This style of art just keeps the story going.

If you are looking for a well paced book for young readers that will challenge their vocabulary skills, with great illustrations this book is certainly worth the try. Certainly, the Narniafans that have to have every book, and parents with younger readers, would like having this in their library. However this story is simply “good” but not “great”, and it is almost better to wait until they are older to read the full story of Prince Caspian to them.

3 1/2 out of 5 shields.

James A. Owen is the author of a series called “The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica.” The first book in the series, “Here, There Be Dragons” introduced us to the characters that would become the heroes of the stories: Jack, John and Charles.

Jack is actually C.S. Lewis, John is J.R.R. Tolkien and Charles is Charles Williams. They were each members of a group called the Inklings. This series is based on fictional adventures that these characters embarked on, into the Archipelago of Dreams, where they became Caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica.

The second book in the series is titled “The Search for the Red Dragon,” and introduces new characters and a few more writers from that era to the story.

Now, author James A. Owen has revealed the cover art for the third book in the series: The Indigo King.

Having listened to the books on CD (I have the unabridged audio books!), I am very curious to learn what happens next in the adventures through the Archipelago of Dreams.

Check out the cover art on James A. Owen’s LiveJournal, and come and see him at LionCon, later this month!

WETA wrote us today, telling us about the latest issue of Toy Collector Magazine, that is currently available for download.

There’s a terrific article about WETA’s Prince Caspian line of toys, followed by a small one about the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe line from a couple of years ago.

Here’s an excerpt:

CS. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia has been a classic in the realm of fantasy since The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe first hit bookshelves in 1949. The storyline follows the adventures of four London children who are sent to a professor’s country home to put them out of harm’s way during World War II. There they discover a magic wardrobe that leads to a mystical land – Narnia – whose ruler is a malevolent witch.

In late 2005, the movie version of Lewis’ fantasy tale joined the ranks of highest-earning films of all time with a worldwide box office take of almost $745 million. Along with the amazing film, titled The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, came more Narnia merchandise than even the literary genius C.S. Lewis ever could have imagined. Toy stores were filled with action figures and role-play toys, and the shelves of collectors were adorned with some of the finest statues and replica weapons ever made.

A couple of years may have passed, but with last month’s release of the new Narnia film, Prince Caspian, the hunger for collectibles based on Lewis’ characters is as strong as ever. Whether you are looking for toys for the kids, or a high-end collectible that you’d never let your kids near, there’s something for everyone coming to market in the next couple months.

Download the full article here. It starts on page 61.

Title: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: The Tail of Reepicheep.
Based on The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian by CS Lewis
Adapted by: EK Stein
Illustrated by: Justin Sweet
Publisher: HarperEntertainment (April 1, 2008)

ISBN-10: 0061231568
ISBN-13: 978-0061231568

Summary of the book:

Reepicheep was a brave little mouse who lived in Narnia. He wanted to free the land from the Telmarines and help Prince Caspian take his rightful throne. Reepicheep and the other mice took part in a big battle. The brave mouse was wounded in the battle and lost his tail in the process. The other mice were willing to remove theirs in honor of him. For their devotion, Aslan restored Reepicheep’s tail.

Review of the book:

Reepicheep! Yes, he is a mouse. Need I say more for any long time fans of the Chronicles of Narnia? If a fan sees his name on the book alone, they are immediately interested in reading it. Forget any comparisons to him and Puss n’ Boots in Shrek, Reepicheep the mouse is to Narnia what Chewbacca the Wookie is to Star Wars. He’s brave, fearless, courageous, heroic, but at the same time he’s also fluffy, cute and cuddly ( just don’t let him catch you saying that). Irregardless of who their favorite character is, fans will always have a soft spot in their heart for that lovable fur ball.

Naturally, due to his place amongst the vast collective of fans, a tie in book focusing on him would be in order. This book is by no means a brand new story. It is a nice retelling of the exploits of Reepicheep from the book Prince Caspian. It would have been difficult to try and come up with a new story focusing on him. Fans of the Chronicles can be very protective of the series and to many of them adding a brand new story to the legends would be unacceptable. The fact that it is the “same story” just different, doesn’t at all take away from the enjoy ability of the story. It is, afterall meant for the youngest of readers, so young children will finally have a Narnia book that is “just for them” as the novels are better suited for their older brothers, sisters and cousins.

The title of the book is a pun on Reepicheep’s actual “tail” and the type of “tale” that is a story, similar to what was done with the title the animated movie An American Tail with the mouse Fievel. As it is about him loosing his tail in battle and Aslan restoring it is a very natural one to make.

Unlike a lot of tie in books, this one does not feature pictures from the movie. Instead it utilizes some of the concept art and employs the art very nicely. The pictures give the story an almost surreal dream like quality that is missing from other tie ins and make it feel like a children‘s book and not a strict movie tie-in. Younger children may not appreciate it much, but older readers will appreciate the fact that everything doesn’t look “exactly” like the movie.

The story is short as it is meant for little kids and the dialogue is extremely limited. The story’s briskness aside, it is a fun and engaging read with very nice illustrations. Little ones will enjoy it and it is certain to make a good story to share with them for bed-time. I know I’d be glad to share it with a little one.

Four out of Five shields.

Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian has hit the theaters and the film has sold more than 19 million dollars worth of tickets during its first day out alone.

So what really goes into making a film this epic?

To discuss some behind the scenes secrets is Ernie Malik, author of the Official Illustrated Movie companion of the film.

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