The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
My rating: 3 stars for this book, 4 stars for the series as a whole.

I had a brilliant time reading through the Narnia series again with my daughter, both because of the nostalgia of the books, which I hadn't read since I was about her age, and because they're just such fun, creative adventures.

The Last Battle is probably my least favorite book in the series, mostly because so much of it is focused on the philosophical aspects of life, death, and the power of belief rather than the actual characters and adventure. There's still some excitement in the story, and some well-portrayed characters, but not nearly so much as in the other books.

The series as a whole I'm giving 4 stars, because it is a wonderful adventure but the language can be a little dry and archaic at times. Being an older novel, the books are written in an omniscient POV, and there's a lot more "telling" than modern stories can get away with. There's also a very definite gender bias that was standard of our society, though I applaud that Mr. Lewis was able to portray the girls as strong individuals despite their limited roles (most of the time).

All in all, this series remains a fun fantasy adventure for young readers that sparks the imagination. My daughter gives it a big thumbs up. :)

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