The Magician's Nephew

The third book in C. S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, The Magician's Nephew serves as the prequel to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, explaining how the world of Narnia was created. The story follows Digory Kirke, a young boy in 1900s England, and his friend Polly Plummer, who are tricked by Digory's eccentric and morally compromised uncle, Andrew, into using a pair of magic rings. The rings transport the children to a desolate, unformed world where they encounter the first dragon and the first human, Adam. Guided by Aslan, the lion who speaks with a voice like thunder, Digory witnesses the creation of Narnia, the arrival of the first animals, and the planting of the Tree that will later become the White Witch's target. The narrative explores the temptation of power through the Apple of the Magician, contrasting the selfish ambition of the uncle with the redemptive potential of the nephew.

Description adapted from Open Library ↗.