The Chronicles of Narnia
#1624.14 of 664 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 7 books Status Complete 1950–1956 Reading commitment High C.S. Lewis Last reviewed 2026-08-05
Overview
The Chronicles of Narnia is C.S. Lewis's seven-novel series (1950–1956), illustrated throughout by Pauline Baynes, following children drawn into Narnia's history from creation to apocalypse. With 100M+ copies in 47 languages it is among the best-selling works of children's literature. Rights are held by The C.S. Lewis Company Ltd.
Portal fantasy · For Middle grade
Core Canon: Reading Order (7 works) counts toward ranking
The Chronicles of Narnia C.S. Lewis
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | 1950 | 2 | core | 4.24 (3,196,597 ratings) |
 | Prince Caspian | 1951 | 4 | core | 3.98 (495,626 ratings) |
 | The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | 1952 | 5 | core | 4.10 (465,530 ratings) |
 | The Silver Chair | 1953 | 6 | core | 3.96 (294,654 ratings) |
 | The Horse and His Boy | 1954 | 3 | core | 3.91 (403,340 ratings) |
 | The Magician's Nephew | 1955 | 1 | core | 4.06 (625,544 ratings) |
 | The Last Battle | 1956 | 7 | core | 4.03 (270,512 ratings) |
Dual ordering: publication (1950-56) vs internal chronology (HarperCollins renumbering, 1994); scholars generally prefer publication order.
Excluded (0 works)
Boxen (juvenilia, not Narnia) and scholarship such as Past Watchful Dragons.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Chronicles of Narnia? The Chronicles of Narnia's Core Canon is 7 books.
- What is the reading order for The Chronicles of Narnia? Publication order, starting with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Chronicles of Narnia finished? Complete (1950–1956).
- How much reading does The Chronicles of Narnia take? High reading commitment (estimated from 7 Core Canon books · ~1,670 pages).
- How is The Chronicles of Narnia ranked? #162 of 664 ranked universes on this site, based on 5,751,803 reader ratings across 7 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #162?
Ranked #162 of 664 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 4.14 across 7 core books.
- Backed by 5.8M reader ratings.
- Less than 0.01 behind #161, Blackthorn & Grim (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Highly rated · 7 books · Complete · 5.8M ratings · Ranks #162 overall
Good choice if you want a long-running portal fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (7 Core Canon books)
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)
- Prince Caspian (1951)
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)
- The Silver Chair (1953)
- The Horse and His Boy (1954)
- The Magician's Nephew (1955)
- The Last Battle (1956)
Documented internal/story order
- The Magician's Nephew (1955)
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)
- The Horse and His Boy (1954)
- Prince Caspian (1951)
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)
- The Silver Chair (1953)
- The Last Battle (1956)
Awards (verified)
- Carnegie Medal, 1956: won: The Last Battle
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Suggestions computed from what The Chronicles of Narnia and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- Chrestomanci Portal fantasy / Comic fantasy · Complete · High commitment · 4.03
- Young Wizards Portal fantasy · Ongoing · High commitment · 4.01
- Harry Potter Portal fantasy · Complete · High commitment · 4.52
- Magisterium Portal fantasy / Epic fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.03
Official resources
- narnia.com(HarperCollins): fetch-blocked, registered for reference
- cslewis.com: official estate site
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.14 across 5,751,803 ratings on 7 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: The Chronicles of Narnia Core Canon accepted 2026-08-05
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
Last reviewed: 2026-08-06
Rule: First universe to populate the internal chronology field. The famous ordering controversy: HarperCollins renumbered by chronology in 1994 (suggested by Lewis's stepson, citing a 1957 letter to a child); most scholars prefer publication order; this project records both and uses publication order as primary.