• The Magician's Nephew

  • The Chronicles of Narnia
  • By: C. S. Lewis
  • Narrated by: Kenneth Branagh
  • Length: 3 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (10,323 ratings)

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The Magician's Nephew  By  cover art

The Magician's Nephew

By: C. S. Lewis
Narrated by: Kenneth Branagh
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Publisher's summary

Narnia . . . a land frozen in eternal winter . . . a country waiting to be set free

Witness the creation of a magical land in The Magician's Nephew, the first title in C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy series, which has captivated readers of all ages for over sixty years.

On a daring quest to save a life, two friends are hurled into another world, where an evil sorceress seeks to enslave them. But then the lion Aslan's song weaves itself into the fabric of a new land, a land that will be known as Narnia. And in Narnia, all things are possible.

This is a stand-alone novel, but if you want to journey back to Narnia, check out The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the second book in The Chronicles of Narnia.

Don't miss any of the books in C.S. Lewis' classic Chronicles of Narnia series.
©1955, 1983 C.S. Lewis Pte. Ltd (P)2001 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Lewis's storytelling is magnificent, and Branagh's performance completely and utterly engaging." (AudioFile)

Featured Article: 95+ C.S. Lewis Quotes About Love, Life, Faith, Bravery, and Friendship


Born in Belfast, Ireland, in 1898, C.S. Lewis is perhaps one of the most esteemed and beloved authors of all time. His acclaimed classics range from The Chronicles of Narnia fantasy series to the theologically-specific Mere Christianity. As one of the world’s most respected authors, Lewis’s words of wisdom continue to inspire countless readers and listeners. Here are our favorite quotes from C.S. Lewis about friendship, love, life, and faith.

What listeners say about The Magician's Nephew

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    8,374
  • 4 Stars
    1,397
  • 3 Stars
    419
  • 2 Stars
    66
  • 1 Stars
    67
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
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    6,895
  • 4 Stars
    885
  • 3 Stars
    197
  • 2 Stars
    31
  • 1 Stars
    26
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    6,818
  • 4 Stars
    863
  • 3 Stars
    264
  • 2 Stars
    45
  • 1 Stars
    31

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

An incredible children's series

Our family had such a good time listening to Robert Stanek's "The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches" we recently started "The Chronicles of Narnia." We've read all these authors' works in novels but this is our first time listening to the audio books.

We had a bit of trouble finding the books on Audible. When we click C.S. Lewis we mostly found his christain writing works, like the "Screwtape Letters." The only way we could find "The Chronicles of Narnia" books was to click the link provided in the descriptive text of the books.

"The Magician's Nephew: is the sixth narnia book published, but the first in time order, so you should listen to this one first.

The best listening order is:

The Magician's Nephew
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Horse and His Boy
The Last Battle

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is the novel they are basing the new Chronicles of Narnia movie on. Happy listening!

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204 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Enchanting

Like the remainder of the books in the Narnia series this one is quite enjoyable. Unfortunately, each of the audiobooks in the series has been done by a different reader. This breaks up the continuum a little, but Kenneth Brannaugh does a spectacular job with this story.

As it is thematically the first book and in my opinion the best read this book makes a fine introduction to the Narnia series.

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48 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

How it all started

How did the lamp get into Narnia? Who is the White Witch and how did she come to Rule Narnia? How did Narnia come to be? Why was the Wardrobe special? All these are answered in this first book of the Chronicles of Narnia. My son and I enjoyed it just as much as The Lion, The Witch, & the Wardrobe. The Magician's Nephew will almost stand up on its own, except for a few references made by C.S. Lewis to LWW. If you only read books 1 & 2, it would still be a complete experience. Though, I recommend reading LWW first, then MN. It feels better that way, but that is only MY opinion.

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44 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Maybe my favorite in the series...

When I first read these Chronicles I remember praying God would send me to Narnia. When I read or listen to Lewis I imagine I'm sitting by a fire with a dear uncle.

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32 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Reading Order

I must disagree with the previous reviewers who stated the order according to which the books should be read. Although it is the chronological order, it is not the order the author intended the books to be read. And, in fact, reading The Magician's Nephew first spoils much of the reading.
The proper order to reading the books should be:

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

Great books and narrations.
Thank you Audible!

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30 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent reader

Would you consider the audio edition of The Magician's Nephew to be better than the print version?

Yes!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Magician's Nephew?

Aslan's creation of Narnia

What does Kenneth Branagh bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His reading style is fast-paced and seems to make listening to the book an adventure. He is the best reader i have heard so far.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Wanted to but didn't. 3 sittings.

Any additional comments?

Excellent book.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A magical experience

What a wonderful story and Kenneth Branaugh is exceptional in his telling of this story. At moments I forgot I was listening to a single story-teller and instead heard a cast of characters, each with their own accents. I only wish Mr. Branaugh was reading the rest of the series!

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

My favorite of the series

The idea of visiting world by jumping into ponds, climbing between connected buildings through the rafters, the mad uncle and evil queen have stayed in my dreams since childhood and provoked many hours of thought.

A great book for young adult or old. Timeless and one of my all-time favorites.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great storytelling

Kenneth Branagh did a great job with C.S Lewis' classic tale. A wonderful story made better by the actor's superb storytelling.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

The back story to Wardrobe.

A short story by todays books by the pound standards...also one many people forget. There is a back story to the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and it has a decidedly different tone. The books are all worth the read, and re-read. This one offers a short afternoon in another world.

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8 people found this helpful