History YMMV / TheHorseAndHisBoy

--"For this is what it means to be a king: to be first in every desperate attack and last in every desperate retreat, and when there's hunger in the land (and must be now and then in bad years) to wear finer clothes and laugh louder over a scantier meal than any man in your land."

* ValuesResonance: King Lune's words of wisdom on the character of a good ruler are ones that most readers will probably still approve of today, stressing responsibility, justice and TheMenFirst.

** Susan opts not to fight in the war, other characters claiming "she's like an ordinary grown-up lady" who [[NeutralFemale doesn't like fighting]].

* BrokenBase: The use of Calormen as a FantasyCounterpartCulture to the Middle East. It's been interpreted as racist by a lot of people, as the lone unambiguously good Calormene character (Aravis) still starts off as rather haughty and [[spoiler: eventually becomes a northern princess]]. Others are more sympathetic, pointing out that only a few minor changes would have to be done in an adaptation to make the setting more appropriate for modern audiences.

* UnfortunateImplications: The stereotyped [[ArabianNightsDays Orientalist overtones]] in the descriptions of the Calormenes-- dark-skinned, proud, cruel, decadently luxurious, owning slaves, worshiping a literal demon, and so on-- has raised more than a few eyebrows among present-day readers.

** Calormen does call on some Middle Eastern stereotypes - as it's a FantasyCounterpartCulture of ArabianNightsDays. While there are good characters like Aravis and Lasaraleen to balance it out, it's clear the book is from a time when such stereotypes were okay.

* AngstWhatAngst: Lampshaded -- Shasta learns in a single evening that the old fisherman who raised him is not his real father ''and'' that the same man plans to sell him as a slave. He's not dismayed about either of these, since 1. he doesn't love the old man and 2. his life is hard labor anyway, so being a slave would be no different and possibly better. What bothers him is that the visitor's ''horse'' speaks up and tells him that being his master's slave would be a FateWorseThanDeath.
* BrokenBase: The use of Calormen as a FantasyCounterpartCulture to the Middle East. It's been interpreted as racist by a lot of people, as the lone good Calormene character (Aravis) still starts off as rather haughty and [[spoiler: becomes a Narnian princess]]. Others are more sympathetic, pointing out that only a few minor changes would have to be done in an adaptation to make the setting more appropriate for modern audiences.

* ParanoiaFuel: What nearly happens to Susan is quite alarming. Imagine going on a visit that you assume is going to be diplomatic...and you realise that the prince who wants to marry you won't take no for an answer. Although she escapes safely, a war nearly gets started over Rabadash's obsession.

* CultClassic: ''The Horse and His Boy'' is definitely the odd book out in the Narnia series, as it's not part of the primary plot line (instead serving as a side-story taking place during ''The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe's'' late TimeSkip), does not star any Earth children traveling to Narnia, and can be removed entirely from the series without leaving any holes. And yet, it has a very loyal following who like it ''because'' it's the OddballInTheSeries.

* AngstWhatAngst: Lampshaded -- Shasta learns in a single evening that the old fisherman who raised him is not his real father ''and'' that the same man plans to sell him as a slave. He's not dismayed about either of these, since 1. he doesn't really care about the old man and 2. his life is hard labor anyway, and being a slave would be different and possibly better. What bothers him is that the visitor's ''horse'' speaks up and tells him that being his master's slave would be a FateWorseThanDeath.

* {{Crowning Moment Of Funny}}: Rabadash is fighting King Edmund, and then leaps at him shouting, "The bolt of Tash falls from above!"... [[spoiler: and promptly gets ''caught on a hook'']]!
-->'''Rabadash:''' ''[[spoiler: [now captured and impotently pissed at his situation] ]]'' The Bolt of Tash falls from above!
-->'''Corin:''' Does it ever get caught on a hook halfway?
-->'''Lune:''' Shame, Corin. Never taunt a man save when he is stronger than you; then, as you please.

* CultClassic: ''The Horse and His Boy'' is definitely the odd book out in the Narnia series, as it's not part of the primary plot line (instead serving as a side-story taking place during ''The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe's late TimeSkip),'' does not star any Earth children traveling to Narnia, and can be removed entirely from the series without leaving any holes. And yet, it has a very loyal following who like it ''because'' it's the OddballInTheSeries.

* CultClassic: ''The Horse and His Boy'' is definitely the odd book out in the Narnia series, as it's not part of the primary plot line (instead serving as a side-story taking place during ''The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe),'' does not star any Earth children traveling to Narnia, and can be removed entirely from the series without leaving any holes. And yet, it has a very loyal following who like it ''because'' it's the OddballInTheSeries.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: When Aravis is in Tashbaan, she learns with horror from her friends Lasaraleen that her father is in the city. But having established this fact, the story does absolutely nothing with it.
** Not so. Aravis has to move in hiding and be smuggled out of the city by night, rather than receive a royal escort to the Tombs (and probably a load of supplies to help her cross the desert) from her friend's estate.

* CultClassic: ''The Horse and His Boy'' is definitely the odd book out in the Narnia series, as it's not part of the primary plot line (instead serving as a side-story taking place during ''The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe),'' does not star any Earth children traveling to Narnia, barely features Aslan himself, and can be removed entirely from the series without leaving any holes. And yet, it is among the series most popular books.

* CultClassic: A Horse and His Boy is definitely the odd book out in the Narnia series, as it's not part of the primary plotline (instead serving as a side-story taking place during A Lion, A Witch, and A Wardrobe), does not star any Earth children traveling to Narnia, barely features Aslan himself, and can be removed entirely from the series without leaving any holes. And yet, it is among the series most popular books.

* FridgeLogic: Would it even have been possible for Susan to wed while in Narnia, given that she returns to a preteen on Earth? Where would one draw the line between {{Squick}} and the many other adult experiences the children have as they age in Narnia?

-->'''Lune:''' Shame, Corin. Never taunt a man save when he is stronger than you; then, as you please.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: A rare case in which it applies to a book rather than a character. A Horse and His Boy is definitely the odd book out in the Narnia series, as it's not part of the primary plotline (instead serving as a side-story taking place during A Lion, A Witch, and A Wardrobe), does not star any Earth children traveling to Narnia, barely features Aslan himself, and can be removed entirely from the series without leaving any holes. And yet, it is among the series most popular books.

-->'''Lune:''' Shame, Corin. Never taunt a man save when he is stronger than you.

* ChaoticGood: Aravis plans to warn Archenland and Narnia that they're about to be sneak-attacked by Calormen "in time of peace without defiance sent" just so Prince Rabadash can make Queen Susan his SexSlave, despite that this means she's technically giving away her own country's state secrets.

* {{Crowning Moment Of Funny}}: Rabadash is fighting King Edmund, and then leaps at him shouting, "The bolt of Tash falls from above!".....[[spoiler: and promptly gets ''caught on a hook'']]!