With the prospect of a “dark winter” looming on the horizon (I am writing this review at the end of 2020), I found myself in desperate need for some wholesome, old-fashioned escapism. And then I remembered that I had six books left in The Chronicles of Narnia and off I returned to the land beyond the wardrobe!

Honestly, I dare say, I liked [b:Prince Caspian|121749|Prince Caspian (Chronicles of Narnia, #2)|C.S. Lewis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1308814880l/121749._SY75_.jpg|3348636] more than [b:The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe|100915|The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)|C.S. Lewis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1353029077l/100915._SY75_.jpg|4790821]. Whereas the first entry to this series doubled as both a fun fantasy novel, and a means through which children could work through their trauma during WWII, Prince Caspian touches on what it could mean to return home after strife.

Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy return to Narnia and find that 300 years have passed, the animals are no longer speaking, and there is new leadership in place. They must find the young Prince Caspian and aid him in his battle against a corrupt coup d'etat. This novel is also cool in that we get Caspian’s story in the first half of the novel, the Pevensie’s story of return in the second half of the novel, and seeing how these interweave is just good fun.

Overall, if you need a break from the cynicism of the world, give a trip to Narnia a try. The quintessential British humor is certainly an added bonus.