If you like C.S. Lewis…

Most Christian fantasy authors claim inspiration from C.S. Lewis or Tolkien. However, the question is: exactly how is that author’s book like the books they love? Well, today I’m going to reveal the ways in which my series, The Daughters of Tamnarae, is like books by C.S. Lewis.

1. Aslan=Melchizedek

Originally, I tried to write my books more like The Lord of the Rings, which doesn’t have as much direct allegory as C.S. Lewis’s stories. However, I didn’t like it. I wanted a “Jesus” character that my protagonists could interact with and talk to. Thus, Melchizedek was born. The term, Melchizedek, comes from Genesis 14 and Psalm 110. Melchizedek is often thought to be a Christophany, which is a representation of Christ before his earthly ministry. Just like Aslan, Melchizedek interacts with my various characters and helps them understand more about God. Thus, both are very similar, with the only difference being that Melchizedek is a human being, rather than a lion. Although, if you want an Aslan like appearance, you’ll have to read Etania’s Destiny.

2. Edmund/Eustace=Zaden/Sage

Something I really enjoy from The Chronicles of Narnia is the presence of flawed characters. Two of the most infamous characters from the series are Edmund, who betrayed Aslan, and Eustace, whose bratty demeanor infuriated everyone. Both characters are redeemed in different ways by Aslan. Edmund’s sin is paid for by Aslan’s death. Eustace is literally stripped of all his pride by Aslan. Together, these redemption arcs made me desire to create something similar in my novels. Sage in Toothbreaker and Zaden in Etania’s Calling and Destiny, are characters whose great sins break them, but Melchizedek redeems them.

3. The White Witch=Jazel

The White Witch, also known as Queen Jadis, is someone who is very beautiful on the outside, but cruel on the inside. The way in which she tricks and deceives is reminiscent of the woman in Proverbs 2:16-19 or Babylon from Revelation 17. Both women use their wiles to seduce men to do evil acts. They are the ancient femme fatales, and they are both fascinating and revolting to me. That’s why it was all too interesting to portray Jazel, especially in Etania’s Calling, as a type of Jadis. 

4. Lizard/Screwtape=Narak

Although I hadn’t reread The Great Divorce or ever read The Screwtape Letters, I can see influences and parallels between those novels and my own. In the case of The Great Divorce, the lizard that continued to whisper lies into the spirit’s ear is very much like Narak, the demon in my book. Narak deceives and cajoles his hosts into doing what he desires. In the same way, The Screwtape Letters’ titular character is like Narak because of his desire to tempt his host to sin like Screwtape advises Wormwood to do with his patient. Overall, C.S. Lewis’ portrayal of the realities of spiritual warfare is something that I added to The Daughters of Tamnarae series.

5. Statues Coming Back to Life=the Powers of a Vexli

In both Mere Christianity and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis mentions how being redeemed and sanctified is akin to statues coming to life. Mere Christianity, though a nonfiction novel, explains the transformation of a statue into a real man as a means to explain salvation. Then, the portrayal of exactly that happens when Aslan breathes on Tumnus and brings him back in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I loved this imagery and metaphor, so I’ve done something somewhat similar with the Vexli. A Vexli is someone who can change Skazic (monsters) back to their human forms. For example, a werewolf would be transformed into a regular human. Skazic are fallen because they have strayed from God (became a statue), and they are restored to their original form by the Vexli (like Aslan breathing on them). However, the Vexli is not God, and therefore, the Skazic who are Changed can still sin against God and go to hell. They cannot revert back to the monsters they were, though.

Final Thoughts

Although I could continue writing about how C.S. Lewis inspired the Daughters of Tamnarae, this blog post is probably far longer than most are willing to read. If you came to the end, fascinated by the similarities, I hope that you’ll read C.S. Lewis’s books and then pick up a copy of my own. I promise you’ll find little pieces of Lewis’ influence in my Christian Fantasy series.

Buy the C.S. Lewis Books: https://www.cslewis.com/us/

Read the Daughters of Tamnare: https://storyoriginapp.com/universalbooklinks/ec0c97aa-1870-11ef-abfd-e353f6633d6e