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

“The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” by C.S. Lewis is the fifth book in the Chronicles of Narnia series based on the chronological timeline and the third book C.S. Lewis published in the series. It is the story of King Caspian, Lucy Pevensie, Edmund Pevenise, their cousin Eustace Scrubb, Reepicheep, and the crew of the Dawn Treader sailing the seas of Narnia in search of the seven lords that Caspian’s father had dispatched to search the world. The other objective of the mission is to find the end of the world in the East and to reach Aslan’s country.

I found that of the first five books in the series, this one was my second favorite so far after the original, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” What I appreciated it most was the quest aspect and the varying challenges that each member faces throughout the journey. From the lure of gold and power and learning about oneself to the challenge of turning away at the end of the world, despite one’s own desire to see it, returning to fulfill one’s responsibilities as leader and king. In each critical moment, Aslan appears to the voyager with a trying decision to reveal himself and to lead the person to the correct path.

I believe C.S. Lewis was communicating something about God in Aslan and how when we are faced with the most difficult decisions of our lives, He is there and He will lead us on in the right path. It is then our choice to decide how we will proceed, taking heed of His counsel. Stepping back from the story one more step, it seems to me to be a story of life, and life’s challenges that each person faces. Not so much a test, but rather a perilous journey through the ups and downs as we sail on. Reading this book for the third time, I feel like I got more out of it than the previous two reads with more life experience under my belt. I related to this book in a different way, this time compared to earlier times.

– Jason