Scan barcode
A review by silver_valkyrie_reads
The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Re-reading this as adult, I realized that I was mistaken about why I struggled to enjoy this one as a child. I thought it was because it was sad that Narnia was ending (and was later informed that I was bad/wrong/childish to see the ending of Narnia as sad compared to the entry into heaven/Aslan's Country). But the thing is, the real sadness of this book is the pre-millennial worldview where Narnia has to fall apart for no good reason before we can get to Aslan's Country.
The relationship between Shift and Puzzle is both infuriating, and also impressive, because even as a child with no words for the manipulative gaslighting that Shift pulls on Puzzle, I still got a very clear picture that these sorts of shenanigans are bad, and people like Shift are not to be trusted.
There are still some bright spots in the book that made the re-read well worth it:
*Tirian. Possibly my favorite king of Narnia. (He might have to share that title with Peter, though, but that's okay because neither of them would be greedy about titles.)
*The Bear. Mostly comic relief in my childhood, he's gotten more relatable even just in memory as I've aged, and one of the lines about him (while still funny) made me full on cry as an adult.
*Assorted adventure and heroics, as you would expect from the heroes of Narnia.
The relationship between Shift and Puzzle is both infuriating, and also impressive, because even as a child with no words for the manipulative gaslighting that Shift pulls on Puzzle, I still got a very clear picture that these sorts of shenanigans are bad, and people like Shift are not to be trusted.
There are still some bright spots in the book that made the re-read well worth it:
*Tirian. Possibly my favorite king of Narnia. (He might have to share that title with Peter, though, but that's okay because neither of them would be greedy about titles.)
*The Bear. Mostly comic relief in my childhood, he's gotten more relatable even just in memory as I've aged, and one of the lines about him (while still funny) made me full on cry as an adult.
*Assorted adventure and heroics, as you would expect from the heroes of Narnia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Death