Book Stack

Title: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Author: C.S. Lewis

Language: English

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction

Add to Read: Goodreads

Rating: 4.00/5

"The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" by C. S. Lewis, It was the third published book of The Chronicles of Narnia series and he had finished writing it in the year 1950, before the first book was out. According to Narnian history, it is actually volume five of the series. This is the only Narnia book that does not have a main villain.

Lucy and Edmund, are both staying with their revolting cousin Eustace Scrubb while Peter, is studying for an exam with Professor Kirke, and Susan, is traveling through America with their parents. Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace are drawn into Narnia through a picture of a ship at sea hanging in Lucy's room. They land on an ocean near the pictured vessel, the Dawn Treader, and are all taken aboard. The Dawn Treader is actually the ship of Caspian X, who is now the king of Narnia. Lord Drinian and the first mate Rhince are also present on board. Caspian is on a quest to fulfil his oath to find the seven lost Lords of Narnia. Lucy and Edmund are very happy to be back on Narnia, while Eustace is less enthusiastic. Reepicheep was also on board, and he hopes to find Aslan's Country beyond the seas of the "utter East".

“Adventures are never fun while you're having them.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

They first arrive at Lone Island. The slave trade was flourishing here. Caspian, Lucy, Edmund, Eustace and Reepicheep are captured as merchandise by a slave trader, and a man buys Caspian before they reach the slave market. He was Lord Bern, who later acknowledges Caspian as king. Caspian reclaims the islands for Narnia, and replaces Gumpas, who is the greedy governor, with Lord Bern, whom he appoints as the Duke of the Lone Islands. On the next island, Eustace leaves the group to avoid helping to render the ship after being damaged by the storm. he hides in a dead dragon's cave to escape a sudden downpour. The dragon's treasure trigger on his greed: he fills his pockets with gold and jewels and puts on a large golden bracelet. But during his sleep, he is transformed into a dragon. Caspian recognizes the bracelet which belonged to Lord Octesian, another of the lost lords. They theorize that the dragon killed Octesian or that the dragon was Octesian. Aslan turns Eustace back into a boy, and as a result he is now a much nicer person.

“There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the "Dawn Treader"

They stop at Burnt Island, a coracle is discovered and given to Reepicheep. Next they stop at Deathwater Island, so named because of a pool of water which turns everything immersed in it into gold, and they found one of the missing lords, Lord Restimar inside the pool. Then they stop at the Duffers' Island, where Lucy come in contact with Aslan, and at the Dark Island since it is totally hidden in darkness. There they rescue Lord Rhoop and got out of there. At last they reach the Island of the Star, where they find the last three remaining lost lords in a total enchanted sleep. Ramandu, the fallen star who lives on the island, tells them that the only way to awaken them is to set sail to the edge of the world and there to leave a member of the crew behind. The Dawn Treader continues sailing passing a place where merpeople dwell and the water has turned sweet rather than salty, which Reepicheep discovers. When the ship arrives at shallow water, Caspian orders for a boat and say that he will go with Reepicheep to which the crew objects. Caspian returns to his cabin, but came back saying that Aslan told him that only Lucy, Edmund, Eustace, and Reepicheep will go on. They venture on the boat, through a sea of lillies and reach a great wall of water that extends to the sky. Reepicheep fulfil his wish and paddles his coracle up the waterfall and is never again seen in Narnia. Edmund, Eustace, and Lucy find a Lamb, who transforms into Aslan. Aslan tells Edmund and Lucy that they may not come back to Narnia. He also say that he is known by another name in their world and sents the children back home.

“Do not look sad. We shall meet soon again." "Please, Aslan", said Lucy,"what do you call soon?" "I call all times soon" said Aslan; and instantly he was vanished away.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

This book was good. I really enjoyed the voyage. The only thing that I wonder is that in the book Prince Caspian, one year in England is many years in Narnia, but in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, one year in England is just 3 years in Narnia. I guess, Lewis was just making to bring Caspian appear in the story. Well, this voyage was really ggod compared to some other voyages that i read. I had to give a thumbs up for Lewis's imagination. Slave trade, transformation to a dragon, Duffers, dark world, star are not flame balls and so. I really liked all those ideas. Well it was a perfect book for me, but not as good as the other two. Well, all have their own taste and I hope you like this too.