Focus on the Family the Horse and His Boy

Credits

Readability Age Range

eight and up

Publisher

HarperCollins Children's Books, a sectionalization of HarperCollins, Inc.

Awards

Unknown

Year Published

2002

Book Review

This book has been reviewed by Focus on the Family'south marriage and parenting magazine. It is the third book in "The Chronicles of Narnia" series.

Plot Summary

During the Gilded Historic period of Narnia, a boy called Shasta lives in Narnia's neighboring land of Calormen. Shasta is the son of Arsheesh the fisherman, merely when a Tarkaan lord of Calormen comes to stay at their hut, Shasta overhears their chat and discovers that he was adopted. He also learns that Arsheesh is planning to sell him as a slave to the Tarkaan. The Tarkaan's equus caballus, Bree, is a talking horse from Narnia, and he and Shasta decide to make their escape from both of their masters.

After a few weeks of traveling toward Narnia, Bree hears some other equus caballus and rider nearby in the forest. Bree tries to avoid them, simply the sound of a lion's roar drives the 2 horses and riders closer together. After the lion stops chasing them, Bree hears the other horse speak. Hwin is a talking mare, and her rider, Aravis, is the runaway girl of a wealthy Tarkaan. They are also running away to Narnia, and then Bree proposes that all iv of them travel together.

When the 4 companions go far at the great city of Tashbaan, their plans are disrupted. Shasta is mistaken for a young prince and picked upwards off the street by Narnian nobles who are visiting Calormen. Shasta is taken back to the Narnians' invitee quarters and overhears their decision to abscond from Calormen before they are forcibly detained. He also hears almost a hole-and-corner passage from the Calormen desert into Archenland and on to Narnia, which he commits to memory for his own upcoming journey. While the adults are out of the room, the existent Prince Corin of Archenland returns. Shasta switches places with him and climbs out of a window to go find his companions. He leaves Tashbaan at sunset and has to stay the night near the Tombs of the Ancient Kings. The Tombs frighten him, merely Shasta is comforted by a true cat that stays with him and rests its dorsum confronting him while he sleeps. The next morning, equally Shasta wonders how long he should wait at the Tombs for his friends to join him, a Calormene servant leads Bree and Hwin out to the Tombs.

The story backtracks to tell what happens to Aravis while Shasta is with the Narnians. Immediately subsequently Shasta is taken away, Aravis' sometime friend Lasaraleen recognizes her in the street. To avoid further discover, Aravis joins Lasaraleen and goes home with her. Aravis needs to become out of Tashbaan with her horses, and Lasaraleen says Aravis can escape the urban center through an exit in the Tisroc'southward garden. The Tisroc is the king of Calormen, and the two girls find themselves in danger when they sneak into his palace at night. The Tisroc and his son, Prince Rabadash, walk into the room where the girls are hiding, and they overhear the Prince'due south plans to set on Archenland and Narnia. Aravis escapes from the palace undetected and meets up with Shasta and the horses at the Tombs.

The four companions travel through the desert to warn the Archenlanders of the impending attack. They are nearly overtaken past Rabadash's cavalry on the 2nd 24-hour interval. The horses gallop to stay ahead of the soldiers, and they are forced to run even faster when a king of beasts begins chasing them. The panthera leo claws Aravis' back but leaves the rest of the group lonely. It eventually goes away. Shasta finds that they accept arrived at the abode of the Hermit of the Southern March. The Hermit welcomes Aravis and the exhausted horses, but he tells Shasta that he must run onward without residuum to warn Male monarch Lune of Archenland.

Shasta runs until he finds King Lune, just as he rides back with the king, he becomes lost within a fog bank. Shasta is lamenting that zip ever goes right for him when he hears something walking nearly him. It is Aslan, the neat Lion. Aslan explains to Shasta that everything he has experienced has happened for a purpose. Aslan himself has been guiding and protecting Shasta on his journey. Aslan leaves Shasta, who finds that he is now in Narnia. Shasta meets some talking animals and dwarfs who take care of him and set food for him. The Narnian regular army comes by the dwarfs' firm, and Shasta meets Prince Corin over again. Corin convinces Shasta to put on armor so the two of them tin can sneak into the battle with Rabadash.

The Hermit of the Southern March watches the battle while gazing into a magic pool. The Narnians win, and Shasta survives. Aslan visits Aravis, Bree and Hwin and explains some past events to them. When Aslan departs, Shasta comes back to see Aravis. Shasta is actually Prince Corin'south older twin brother, who was stolen away from Archenland in his infancy. His real proper noun is Prince Cor, and he invites Aravis to live at the court of Archenland with his family unit. In Archenland, Rex Lune and King Edmund prepare to pass sentence on Prince Rabadash. Aslan warns Rabadash to apologize of his wrongdoings, and when he refuses, Aslan turns him into a donkey. Rabadash is sent back to Tashbaan, where he becomes human again. The trouble is over, and Bree and Hwin become to Narnia while Cor and Aravis stay in Archenland. When the children go adults, they get married and somewhen become the male monarch and queen of Archenland.

Christian Beliefs

Aslan is a mighty Lion, and his grapheme represents Jesus Christ. He is the son of the Emperor-over-the-Sea, and he directs Shasta's journey, fifty-fifty before Shasta realizes that what he is doing has purpose.

Other Belief Systems

Arsheesh says that the gods reward those who care for the poor. The king of Calormen, the Tisroc, is regarded as a lesser deity. His proper name is not supposed to be mentioned without adding the phrase may he live forever immediately after. Bree tells Shasta that they don't need to say may he live forever because they are Narnians and just slaves and fools speak worshipfully of the Tisroc. When Shasta learns that Arsheesh is not his father, he enthusiastically thinks that he might be the son of a god.

Aravis says her family is descended from the god Tash and hopes that the peace of the gods will rest upon her mother. While telling her history, Aravis swears by the gods of Calormen and briefly prays to them. She lies to her begetter and says she is going to perform sacred rites to a goddess of maidens, but she escapes from her business firm without doing them.

Bree suggests that if he, Shasta, Aravis and Hwin get separated in Tashbaan, they tin can meet up at the Tombs of the Ancient Kings just outside the metropolis. He says that no Calormenes will bother them there because they all believe ghouls haunt the tombs. Aravis and Shasta both recollect that the tombs are haunted, though they claim otherwise.

The temple of Tash is a landmark in Tashbaan. Rabadash attacks Archenland in the proper noun of Tash, and many other characters mention Tash or all the Calormene gods equally a grouping.

Mr. Tumnus is a mythological creature with the upper body of a human being and the legs of a goat.

When Shasta believes he is almost to dice, he wonders if annihilation happens to people subsequently death. Some think sorcerers and demons inhabit Narnia and that it is subject to an eternal magical winter, which was true during the White Witch'southward reign.

Aravis says she's lucky that the attacking panthera leo didn't injure her any worse, but the Hermit of the Southern March says he does not believe in luck. When Shasta was born, a centaur prophesied that he would save Archenland from the greatest danger information technology had always known. He does.

Authority Roles

Shasta'southward adoptive father, Arsheesh, overworks and beats him when Arsheesh is in a bad mood. He pretends to object to selling his son to the visiting Tarkaan, but he's really just trying to haggle for a higher price. Shasta is glad to learn that he is not Arsheesh's son considering he knows that a child should honey his male parent, but he doesn't. He has always felt guilty for not loving Arsheesh.

Bree is in authority over Shasta and acts as his mentor. Bree alternates between being tough on Shasta and kind to him. He teases Shasta virtually his riding and says he sits in the saddle like a sack of potatoes, simply he says it without cruelty. Bree is the strategist of their escape and the leader during their journeying. He is concerned about his dignity and what other talking horses may retrieve of him.

Aravis says her stepmother hates her. Aravis' stepmother arranges Aravis' engagement to Ahoshta Tarkaan, an unattractive old man. Her father agrees to the match and is hands deceived when Aravis decides to escape.

Male monarch Edmund hits Shasta when he firsts sees him, but the narration is quick to point out that the slap is non intended to really damage Shasta. King Edmund believes Shasta is Prince Corin, a young runaway who frightened his guardians past disappearing into the strange city of Tashbaan. Shasta stays silent while Rex Edmund corrects him for his wrongdoing, and he admires the male monarch. He wishes he could have made a meliorate impression on him. Male monarch Edmund is concerned that his sister Queen Susan will be forced into a marriage with Prince Rabadash of Calormen. He fights bravely, shows courtesy to his enemies and is patient with Prince Corin.

Queen Susan is deeply worried over Prince Corin'due south absenteeism and mentions being a shut friend to him after his mother'south death. She listens to wise advice from her brother and recognizes that her romance with Prince Rabadash is unwise after seeing his cruel beliefs.

Mr. Tumnus, a faun, interprets Shasta's silence as a sign of weariness and kindly recommends that the boy rest and take some refreshment. He tells Shasta stories to entertain and encourage him, and he brings him a full meal.
Shasta is immediately fond of all the Narnian adults. He respects them, just he does not consider telling them the truth almost himself because his upbringing with Arsheesh has convinced him that confiding in adults ever results in some loss of fun or freedom. Prince Corin is shocked at the thought of keeping the truth from the grown-ups.

Prince Rabadash resents his father, the Tisroc of Calormen. When people in Calormen accost their fathers, they are supposed to begin by saying O my father and O the delight of my optics, but Rabadash rushes through the phrase to indicate that he is upset. He hints that the Tisroc is a coward. The Tisroc responds by hinting that he can take his son executed for insubordination. The Tisroc encourages Rabadash's unprovoked assail on Archenland and Narnia. He privately plans to disown him if the attack fails.

The Hermit of the Southern March is a kind man. He gives Shasta vital instructions, and he cares for Bree and Hwin and tends to Aravis' wounds. He calls Aravis girl and she calls him male parent. Prince Corin fights in the battle against Rabadash against King Edmund'south orders. King Lune is a loving male parent to Prince Corin, and afterwards to Shasta (Prince Cor).

Profanity & Violence

Bree is a quondam warhorse, but he won't tell Shasta also many battle stories because he is non proud that he fought in the Tisroc'south wars as a slave. He says that he will be glad to fight in Narnia'due south wars in the future. One person's caput is cut off in the battle between Rabadash's soldiers and the armies of Narnia and Archenland.

Queer is used to announce something unusual, and gay is used a few times to refer to something blithesome or brightly colored. A– is used to refer to Rabadash's ass grade.

Sexual Content

Prince Rabadash is called Queen Susan's lover, only no intimate contact is implied and the term seems to refer merely to courtship. King Edmund believes that Prince Rabadash will either force Queen Susan to be his wife or his slave. Edmund notes that living with Rabadash outside of marriage would be a worse fate for his sister. Before attacking Archenland, Prince Rabadash says that his soldiers are allowed to take female person captives every bit their property.

Discussion Topics

Additional Comments

Stealing: Shasta is concerned nearly using money stolen from Bree's former owner. Bree says that they must not steal just rationalizes that since they are captives in an enemy's country, anything they accept to help them on their journey counts as the spoils of war. Subsequently, when Shasta has to steal food from farmhouses, Bree calls information technology raiding. Also, though Shasta and Bree run away together, Shasta knows that if he is caught, he will be hanged as a equus caballus thief.

Alcohol: Aravis gives her retainer drugged wine to put her to sleep. Shasta is given wine to drink with his meal. Calormene law keepers arrest Prince Corin. He buys them wine to pacify them. Corin escapes from the police keepers after they take passed out from drinking.

Smoking: 2 dwarfs smoke pipes.

Suicide: Aravis decides to commit suicide past stabbing herself in the heart, and then she won't have to marry an ugly, immoral one-time man. Hwin stops Aravis before she tin can hurt herself.

You can request a review of a title you can't discover at [email protected].

Volume reviews encompass the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book's review does not establish an endorsement by Focus on the Family unit.

Latest Book Reviews

Historical

Adventure

Fantasy

Children'south Fiction

Adventure

wilsonweververnly.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.pluggedin.com/book-reviews/horse-and-his-boy/