Where to start The Chronicles of Narnia: two orders for seven books

The same Narnia book can appear as volume one or two. The reason is the ordering: readers first encountered the series through The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, while The Magician’s Nephew takes place earlier and opens many chronological editions.

Publication order

In publication order, the seven books run as follows:

1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
2. Prince Caspian
3. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
4. The Silver Chair
5. The Horse and His Boy
6. The Magician’s Nephew
7. The Last Battle

Chronological order

In the chronology of Narnia, the sequence changes:

1. The Magician’s Nephew
2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
3. The Horse and His Boy
4. Prince Caspian
5. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
6. The Silver Chair
7. The Last Battle

For a first reading, publication order lets readers encounter the world in its original release sequence. Those who prefer the internal history can choose chronological order. Both are reading choices; film numbering is not a substitute for book order.