You’d think a series of children’s books written in the 1950s would have a settled reading sequence by now. It doesn't. In fact, if you walk into a bookstore today and pick up a boxed set, the numbers on the spines are probably "wrong" according to many longtime fans. The chronicles of narnia book order is a surprisingly heated topic in literary circles, mostly because C.S. Lewis wasn’t exactly consistent about how he wanted his world experienced.
It’s weird.
Most people start with a lion, a witch, and a literal piece of furniture. That feels right. It feels like the beginning because it was the beginning for readers in 1950. But then you have the prequels. You have the internal timeline of Narnian history. And you have a very famous letter Lewis wrote to a young fan named Laurence in 1957 that basically threw a wrench into the whole thing for decades to come.
The Two Ways to Enter the Wardrobe
There are basically two camps here: the Publication Order purists and the Chronological Order converts.
If you go by Publication Order, you’re reading the books in the exact sequence they hit the shelves at Blackwell’s or any other UK bookshop back in the day. This starts with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) and ends with The Last Battle (1956).
The logic is simple. You learn about Narnia as the Pevensie children do. The magic is a mystery. Aslan is a whisper of a legend before he actually shows up. When you finally get to The Magician’s Nephew—which was the sixth book published—it acts as a "eureka" moment. You finally understand where the lamp-post came from. You see the creation of the world you already love.
But then there’s the Chronological Order. This is how almost every modern edition is numbered. It puts The Magician’s Nephew first because it’s the origin story. It starts with the creation of Narnia and follows the calendar of that world straight through to its end.
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Why the numbering changed
HarperCollins, the current publisher, didn't just flip the numbers for fun. They did it because of that letter to Laurence. The boy had an argument with his mother about which book should come first. Lewis wrote back, "I think I agree with your order [i.e. the chronological] for reading the series more than with your mother's."
Lewis was always pretty chill about his work. He wasn't some precious architect like Tolkien, who spent decades obsessed with the linguistic consistency of Middle-earth. Lewis wrote Narnia fast. He didn't even plan to write a sequel to the first book, let alone seven. Because of that casual approach, he didn't mind the idea of people reading them "in order."
But honestly? Lewis might have been wrong about his own books.
The Problem With Starting at the Beginning
If you pick up The Magician's Nephew first, you're getting a very different introduction to the series. It’s a great book, don't get me wrong. Digory and Polly traveling through the Wood between the Worlds is haunting and beautiful. But it’s a prequel. Prequels usually rely on the reader having some "future" knowledge to make the stakes feel high.
When Aslan sings Narnia into existence in The Magician's Nephew, it's a moving scene. However, it's significantly more moving if you’ve already spent four books watching Aslan die, rise, and rule. If you start there, Aslan is just a talking lion you met five minutes ago. The mystery is gone.
Also, consider the opening of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Lewis writes it as if you’ve never heard of Narnia. He explains the magic of the wardrobe with a sense of wonder. If you’ve already read The Magician's Nephew, you already know exactly what that wardrobe is made of. You know the wood comes from a Narnian apple. You know the history. The sense of discovery is replaced by a sense of "Oh, I know what this is." It changes the vibe.
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A Closer Look at the Timeline
Let’s look at how the chronicles of narnia book order actually shakes out if you follow the "modern" (chronological) numbering.
- The Magician's Nephew: Set in 1900 (London). This is the creation story. Jadis (the White Witch) enters Narnia. We see the planting of the Tree of Protection.
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: Set in 1940. The Pevensies find the world during the Blitz. The 100-year winter ends.
- The Horse and His Boy: This is the weird one. It actually takes place during the final chapter of the previous book, while the Pevensies are adults reigning at Cair Paravel. It’s a side quest in a different country (Calormen).
- Prince Caspian: Set in 1941 (Earth) but 1,300 years later in Narnia. The "Golden Age" is a myth now.
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: 1942. Edmund and Lucy go to the eastern end of the world.
- The Silver Chair: 1942. Eustace and Jill search for Prince Rilian. Aslan is more distant here, appearing mainly through "signs."
- The Last Battle: 1949. The end of Narnia.
It’s a clean line. It makes sense for a shelf. But it ignores the narrative texture Lewis built. The Horse and His Boy feels like a massive distraction if you read it third. You’ve just finished the emotional high of the Pevensies leaving Narnia as adults, and suddenly you’re shifted to a story about a talking horse in a desert.
If you follow publication order, The Horse and His Boy comes fifth. By then, you’ve spent so much time in Narnia that you’re actually curious about the surrounding lands. You’re ready for the world-building to expand.
Does it actually matter?
Probably not to a ten-year-old. A kid will love these books regardless of the order. They are short, punchy, and filled with a specific kind of British whimsy that hides a lot of deep, sometimes dark, philosophical questions.
But for an adult reading them for the first time? It matters a lot.
There is a specific "Narnia fog" that settles over you when you read them in publication order. You feel like an outsider being let into a secret. If you go chronological, you feel like a historian watching a timeline unfold. One is magical; the other is informational.
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Expert readers—people like Douglas Gresham (Lewis's stepson) or scholars at the Marion E. Wade Center—often have their own preferences. Gresham has famously supported the chronological order, largely because that’s what Lewis expressed in his personal letters. But scholars often point out that the literary "reveal" of Aslan in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is one of the most iconic moments in 20th-century fiction. You shouldn't spoil it for yourself by reading the "how-to" guide first.
The Middle Ground
There is a "Hybrid Order" that some fans swear by. It’s basically publication order, but you move The Horse and His Boy around. Honestly, that just makes things more confusing.
If you’re buying these as a gift, most sets now come in the 1-7 chronological order. You’ll see The Magician's Nephew with a big "1" on it. If you want the recipient to have the "classic" experience, tell them to skip to book 2 first. It sounds crazy, but it works.
Narnia isn't like Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings. Those series were written with a specific, rigid progression. Lewis was more like a jazz musician. He was riffing. He went back and filled in gaps when he felt like it. He wrote The Horse and His Boy because he realized he hadn't told any stories about the Pevensies' actual reign. He wrote The Magician's Nephew because people kept asking where the lamp-post came from.
Actionable Advice for Your First Read
If you are staring at a stack of these books and don't know where to start, here is the move:
- Go with Publication Order if you want the "Surprise." Start with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It is the strongest book in the series. If you don't like it, you won't like the rest. The Magician's Nephew is a bit more "period piece" and can be a slower start for some.
- Go with Chronological Order if you are reading to a child. Kids often find it easier to follow a straight line. "This happened, then this happened, then the world ended" is a very digestible narrative arc for younger minds.
- Don't stress about "The Horse and His Boy." No matter where you read it, it feels like a standalone. It’s a fantastic book—maybe the best written of the lot—but it doesn't impact the main Pevensie/Caspian arc much.
- Pay attention to the dates. Lewis actually wrote a "Timeline of Narnian History" (not included in the books but found in his papers) that helps clarify how much time passes between stories. Thousands of Narnian years pass while only a few years pass in England.
Basically, there is no "wrong" way to do it, but there is a "better" way to experience the magic for the first time. Start with the wardrobe. Leave the creation of the world for later. It’s much more satisfying to find out how a world began after you’ve already fallen in love with how it lives.
Check the copyright page of your edition. If it says "Book 1: The Magician's Nephew," just know that you're holding the "Laurence version" of the series. It’s the version Lewis endorsed in a moment of grandfatherly kindness, but it’s not necessarily the version that makes for the best story.
Choose your own path. Just make sure Aslan is there when you arrive.