"The Last Battle" by C.S. Lewis, summary

C.S. Lewis completed his epic fairytale series in 1956. This book is the finale of the Narnian epic, describing the destruction of the magical kingdom and the transition of its inhabitants to the eternal realm. The narrative reveals the destruction of the ancient order, the clash of loyalty and betrayal, and the subsequent spiritual transformation of the world.

The novel won Britain’s highest award for children’s literature, the 1956 Carnegie Medal. It completes the seven-volume Chronicles of Narnia series, which also includes The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, and The Magician’s Nephew.

The Conspiracy of Khitr and the Fall of the Kingdom

Near the Stone Cauldron waterfall, the old monkey, Khitr, finds a lion’s skin in the water. He forces his naive neighbor, the donkey Lopukh, to try it on. Khitr sews the skin together with thread to fit the donkey’s size and convinces the talking animals that the Great Lion Aslan has returned to Narnia. Using a false identity, Khitr subjugates the local inhabitants, forces the squirrels to hand over all their winter supply of nuts, and dictates his own rules.

The last ruler of Narnia, King Tirian, is resting in a hunting lodge near Lantern Heath with his devoted unicorn companion, Diamond. The golden-bearded centaur Runomudr warns the monarch that the stars foretell great evil and do not foretell the coming of Aslan. At that moment, the pine dryad dies right before them, having managed to cry out for the total felling of the sacred trees.

Tirian and Diamond rush to the river. They see a raft of logs, steered by a water rat, who informs them that the timber is being sold to the southern country of Tarkhistan by order of Aslan. In a clearing in Lantern Heath, the king and the unicorn find Tarkhistanis whipping a captive talking horse. In anger, Tirian and Diamond kill two of the attackers. Realizing the lack of chivalry in their surprise attack, they surrender to the Tisroc’s warriors, wishing to face Aslan’s own judgment.

Khitr, dressed in a scarlet caftan and a paper crown, holds a trial. He declares an alliance with the Calormenian ruler Rishda-Tarkhan and claims that Aslan and the cruel Calormenian goddess Tash are one and the same, named Tashlan. All the inhabitants are sent to forced labor and the mines. Tirian is tied with ropes to an ash tree.

The arrival of saviors from another world

At night, loyal small animals — mice, rabbits, and moles — sneak up to the bound king. They feed Tirian oatcakes and cheese, give him wine, and wash his wounds. Praying for help, the king loudly calls upon the friends of Narnia across the vastness. He sees a vision: seven protectors seated at the dinner table.

Soon, two teenagers, Eustace Scrubb and Gil Pole, appear before the king. They cut the ropes with a knife and free Tirian. The children explain that they arrived there during a train accident while traveling to meet Kings Peter and Edmund, who had obtained the magic rings. The three of them head to the watchtower, stock up on armor, and disguise themselves as Calormenian warriors using dark rubbing powder.

Under cover of darkness, the squad makes a foray toward the hill. They free the unicorn Diamond and capture the Calormenian guard. Jill enters the barn, lights a match, and discovers Burdock, the donkey, tethered there. Khitr’s deception is completely exposed.

The split among the subjects and the appearance of Tash

The heroes free a group of dwarves being led by Calormenian soldiers to the salt mines. By showing them a donkey in a lion’s skin, Tirian hopes for support. However, the dwarves, led by Griffle, refuse to trust either the king or Aslan, proclaiming the motto: "Dwarves for dwarves."

Only the dwarf Poggin leaves his tribesmen and joins Tirian. He reveals details of the conspiracy between Khitr, Rishda-Tarkhan, and the predatory cat Red. Soon, the travelers see a terrifying gray ghost with the head of a vulture and four arms — the goddess Tash, who has answered the call of the liars.

The eagle Farsight brings tragic news: Cair Paraval has been captured by the Calormenian fleet from the sea, the centaur Runomudr has fallen to an arrow, and the Narnians have been killed or scattered. The Narnian state is destroyed. The company decides to return to the stable and make their final stand there.

The tragic battle at the barn

That night, animals and Calormenian warriors gather at the barn. Khitr and Rishda declare that Tashlan is inside, ready to incinerate anyone who enters. Red the Cat enters the barn to stage the scene, but encounters the very embodiment of evil and runs out, forever speechless.

The noble Calorman youth Emet, who sincerely revered Tash, boldly crosses the threshold. The body of another Calorman warrior, killed by Emet, is thrown out of the door. Tirian draws his sword and charges, hurling Khitr into the barn. Only a few fight on the king’s side: his faithful dogs, the boar, the bear, Farsight, Poggin, and the children.

The dwarves fire arrows at the talking horses, wishing no victory to anyone. Reinforcements arrive for the Calormenes. Eustace is captured and thrown into a barn, along with the captive dwarves. At the end of the battle, Tirian grapples with Rishda-Tarkhan and, together, leaps through the open barn door.

Eternal reality and the transition to a new world

Beyond the barn door, Tirian discovers not a dark room, but a radiant, sunny land. His arrival is illuminated by the presence of rulers of bygone times: Peter, Edmund, Lucy, Digory, and Polly. Susan is absent, preferring the bustle of earthly life.

The dwarves sit nearby, but continue to believe themselves locked in a dark, stinking barn. They see neither light nor delicious food. Aslan explains that their own mistrust has become an insurmountable prison for them.

The Great Lion roars a call, and Father Time awakens. Stars fall from the sky like silver rain, dragons ravage the earth, and a rising ocean floods the extinct world. Creatures who love Aslan pass through the Door, while those who reject him fade into the shadows. Peter locks the Door with a golden key.

The heroes meet the young man Emet. Aslan accepted his service, explaining that sincere and noble deeds are always dedicated to the Lion, while evil belongs to Tash. The travelers press on upward and deeper. The new land turns out to be the true Narnia, and the former country was only a shadow. The Great Lion informs the children that their earthly life ended in the train wreck, and now their eternal story begins.