The Last Battle!

The Last Battle is the seventh and final installment of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis and was first published in 1956. As all the others had been, this one was illustrated by Pauline Baynes. Lewis starts this story in a strange place, a quiet section of Narnia where we encounter Shift a talking ape and Puzzle a talking donkey. Shift dominates Puzzle and takes advantage of him. When a lion's hide ends up in his mitts, he concocts a scheme to have Puzzle pretend to be Aslan. The creatures of Narnia have not seen Aslan for many years and if you keep him at a distance and in the shadows, he almost resembles the great Lion who created Narnia. 

The plot works all too well as Shift uses men from Calormen to enslave the Narnian talking beasts and use them for his own enrichment and comfort. Key portions of the Narnian forests are cut down, slaying the dryads who embody them. When King Tirian becomes aware of this sacrilege, he and his ally Jewel the Unicorn slay two Calormenes in haste. Not realizing the true nature of the threat to Narnia they surrender themselves to Shift's forces and Tirian at long last begins to suspect the truth and his error. He remembers how in times past children from another world came to Narnia in times of extreme strife and calls out. He breaks through and in answer to his summons, Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole arrive back in Narnia. 

The arrival of Eustace and Jill give Tirian support after freeing him. They rally in a stocked tower and pretending to be the enemy head back into the camp where they free Jewel and discover Puzzle. Tirian learns that the trust in the long unseen Aslan has weakened and potential allies in the fight, even after learning the truth about Shift and his schemes reveal they no longer wish to serve Aslan as well. Even more devastating news rocks our group when they learn of a full-force invasion by Calormen which has sundered the Narnian forces in the capitol of Cair Paravel. That only prepares our heroes for the final battle which extends further than they can imagine. 

The Last Battle shows us a Narnia of talking magical creatures who have lost touch with their origins. The underlying truth of their existence is confused by the introduction of an ape's story. The analogy Lewis wishes to draw with modern Christianity couldn't be clearer. This wrap up to the saga does what I suppose Lewis wanted, but it does get more than a tad intentional preachy in the ending. That said, there are a few shocks and even a disappointment for the reader as well. These books are worth the time. 

Tomorrow, I take a glimpse at the sundry film and television adaptations of these tales of Narnia. It's a double-header so come prepared.  

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