In this second book of the trilogy, Ransom travels to another alien planet at the request of Maleldil. This time he goes to Perelandra (Venus), and encounters a new race of aliens, who are struggling with the same temptations from the Evil One that Adam and Eve fell victim to in our own world. Ransom must battle against the Evil Presence in order to protect the innocent new society that is just beginning to form.

I love the imaginative world-building in this book! There are so many different settings and alien animals and weird plants. Perelandra is such a strange planet with a perpetually cloudy sky and rolling islands that float on the seas. And even when you are more than halfway through the book, and you think you've seen all the scenery and met all the animals that Perelandra could possibly have, then there are still more mysteries and wildlife and extreme mountains and rivers to be explored.

I love the powerful writing style that plunges the reader into the story. It is truly breathtaking and wild! Lewis has such a genius for writing.

This book is full of Biblical themes and references to mythology. Sometimes the story gets bogged down in the themes, and the characters spend long paragraphs and even entire chapters talking endlessly about philosophical ideas and beliefs. But it does circle around to be relevant to the plot and makes the story that much more meaningful.

However, I do feel that some of the theological discussions could have been condensed or simplified to keep the pacing of the story moving. I think Lewis was trying to introduce and explore too many ideas all at once. He tried to include so many epic themes in this one story that it overwhelms the reader. It would have been more effective to focus on two or three main themes of redemption, spiritual obedience, and faith.

I loved seeing Ransom get even further character development. He had some really extreme and wonderful development in the first book, and he goes even further in this book as he learns more and more about Maleldil. His faith grows and his understanding grows. It's such an amazing internal journey that is demonstrated in his outward actions throughout the story.

I think that compared to other authors, this book is a 5 star book, but compared to Lewis' other work, this book is a 3 star book. Not his best, but still incredibly excellent and beautiful.