@jasmine_tarkheena This is insightful! Edmund siding with the White Witch was always the only "ticking time bomb" that I would notice when reading the books. You do just want to shout at the selfish little turncoat, knowing how terribly wrong his actions are and the imminent consequences! Now, though, I do see the connections to the other books where the same sort of plot device is used. 

I can't think of anything solid to add to your list at the moment. Since you couldn't think of anything for HBB, though, and since it happens to be my absolute favorite book in the series, I'll at least suggest three possibilities for a ticking time bomb instance 🙂

Shasta Falls in With the Narnians- After all the ado made by Shasta and company about avoiding cities and staying under the proverbial radar, I think the reader is likely to sense something ominous coming as soon as they walk through the gates of busy Tashbaan. Their fears prove true when the group is separated and leads to both Shasta and Aravis having to just barely escape detection in tense situations.

In the House of the Tisroc- I think on its own, the scene where Aravis and Lasaraleen are trapped in the council chamber, hearing Rabadash and his father plot and scheme is a moment of great tension. They could be discovered at any moment in their cramped hiding place, especially with Lasaraleen's nerves getting the better of her. This scene also completely transforms the story from an escape to freedom to a breathlessly-paced race against time to save the Northern kingdoms, and though the bomb is 'diffused' in the end at the Battle of Anvard, it is still very much ticking as the men finally leave and then are soon on the heels of Aravis and the others as she slips out of the city and they rush to warn King Lune.

Shasta Among the Tombs- Separated from the others, Shasta is forced to wait for them at the Tombs outside the city. He's alone, outside at night in the desert, and surrounded by things that terrify him like 'ghosts' and jackals. The reader may very well wonder if he won't simply give up and run away to rendezvous elsewhere or go on ahead without his companions.

I might just be mixing in examples that are simply tense scenes, but those are the closest examples I can think of at present. Again, good note!

@jasmine_tarkheena, this was really good. Not something I typically think about. I like that so your examples had to do with their character/deciding to give in to their dark side or follow Aslan/do what they know is right.

@atlantisbox, I think the first two are just tense scenes, but the last one where Shasta is about to make a decision to strike out on his own because of his own insecurities/lack like of trust in his companions. The main character potentially making the wrong decision based on morality seems to be more like what  @jasmine_tarkheena was referring to.

@atlantisbox I actually haven't thought of those. I thought it was a good thing that Aravis and Lasaraleen overheard Prince Rabadash and the Tisroc talking about their plan to invade Archenland and Narnia. Otherwise, if she didn't hear about it, Archelanders would not have been prepared for the attack by the Calormenes.

@lasaraleen I think we often think of the Narnia series as children's book, but there is a dark side to it. Even Lucy, you think of her as an innocent child, being the youngest of four children. But there is a moment in Voyage of the Dawn Treader where she wants to recite the spell that will make her beautiful like Susan if not more beautiful.

In The Silver Chair, Puddleglum and the kids realized later at Harfang that they were going to be the meal at the Autumn Feast. I don't know if the Lady of the Green Kirtle knew about this so she had to come up with a way to keep them away from rescuing Prince Rilian.

In The Last Battle, Tirian acting so rashly caused him and Jewel to kill two Calormene slave drivers that were beating a talking horse. While Ginger is one of three villains in the book, he is the first to volunteer to go into the stable. He goes in there, and comes out as a dumb cat. We learned later that it was Tash he saw in there, so I would imagine that a vulture-headed, four armed monster freaked him out. Sometimes I wonder if Tash actually said the same line to Ginger and Shift as he did to Rishda.

Yes, Jasmine, you have set out some truly insightful examples. But there are others I might think of. 

1. @Jasmine: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader- I think the closest we get to a ticking time bomb is where Caspian, the kids, and Reepicheep are at the island where a pond turns things into gold. Caspian sees this, "I'll be the richest king of Narnia" and he and Edmund have tension against one another. It lasts until Aslan intervenes. Another possible ticking time bomb is where Lucy sees the spell in Coriakin's book where is she recite its, "She'll be beautiful like her sister."

What about Eustace deciding to run off, away from the others at Dragon Island? Plus taking a shine to the arm ring? Finding oneself turned into a dragon must be just like waking up to find one's face covered with measles spots. Or being covered with hives. Not to mention the pain in his arm. It was Aslan who "undragoned" him.

2. The pirates capturing the Dawn Treader passengers taking a stroll on Felimath Island. Just as well Lord Bern was there to at least rescue King Caspian. Even the looks of Pug & friends reinforce one's misgivings.

As for the Last Battle, we should have recognised the ticking time bomb, right at the beginning of the book, when Shift finds the lion's skin in Cauldron Pool, how he related to poor Puzzle, & Shift's actually sewing anything. Smarter than the average bear? Or just an ape, aping men?

Posted by: @waggawerewolf27

 

What about Eustace deciding to run off, away from the others at Dragon Island? Plus taking a shine to thring? Finding oneself turned into a dragon must be just like waking up to find one's face covered with measles spots. Or being covered with hives. Not to mention the pain in his arm. It was Aslan who "undragoned" him.

I actually didn't think about that one. It might have been because CS Lewis knew well that dragons have been known for being hoarders. I guess it was a wake up call for him because he read "non the right books", only books with information. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy reading informational stuff, but it's nice to have a variety.

Posted by: @waggawerewolf27

2. The pirates capturing the Dawn Treader passengers taking a stroll on Felimath Island. Just as well Lord Bern was there to at least rescue King Caspian. Even the looks of Pug & friends reinforce one's misgivings.

I've always thought that the Lone Islands had lost contact with Narnia for a while. Lord Bern does tell Caspian that Governor Gumpas, in word, has done all things in the king's name. However, King Caspian and his men showed up at Gumpas's house, and he was totally not prepared! I think that's one of the things Walden got wrong in the movie. If Netflix wants to add tension between Pug and the slaver traders and Caspian and his men, they could do that, but it doesn't have to be action or a big fight scene to free the slaves.

Posted by: @waggawerewolf27

As for the Last Battle, we should have recognised the ticking time bomb, right at the beginning of the book, when Shift finds the lion's skin in Cauldron Pool, how he related to poor Puzzle, & Shift's actually sewing anything. Smarter than the average bear? Or just an ape, aping men?

I thought the first chapter was more of a prologue. Puzzle even asks Shift, "What will happen to us if the real Aslan shows up?" While the book has a lot of action scenes, Netflix might add more. But this could be good opportunity to have tension that is not just physical. Now I'm not saying Netflix shouldn't do this, but they might have Rishda talking a Calormene soldier that he placed in the stable to kill any Narnian who went in there or even show Tash going into the stable when he is coming into Narnia. I'm not saying Netflix should keep "What is inside the stable?" mysterious. I am a skeptic, but I am waiting to see what happens. 

I guess that my family watch too many "whodunnits". Often when watching such TV shows when something is about to happen, the music changes, becoming more tense & spooky. Police entering the room where is the dead body, or a shadow emerges from nearby bushes. We see only gloved hands, or a heavily masked face. The first chapter of Last Battle, the first question is why did Shift want Puzzle to retrieve the dead lion skin in the first place? Oh it seems to be out of generosity to Puzzle, as the story develops, but he doesn't treat Puzzle so well that there wouldn't be strings attached to his generosity.

One theme running through all the Narnia books is a return to a place that is not what it is remembered as. Something has gone wrong, really badly wrong. Just like in the real world. Narnia is under a dictator, or is about to be invaded. Or they are all at sea, or crossing deserts on a quest. The proper leaders are missing, in life-threatening circumstances. 

Like visiting an old remembered favourite restaurant & finding the atmosphere has changed drastically, the waiter seems pre-occupied, & won't look one in the eye. Yes, conspirators who have left, have just put a ticking bomb under a table, expecting someone else to arrive shortly. Anticipation is in the air, For the police, who have hopefully been called? For some VIP or other? Or is it oneself the bomb is targeting? 

Shift is a manipulator, and he keeps putting Puzzle down. Puzzle is a good donkey, but Shift keeps saying, "You're not very clever!" I guess by what you've said, @waggawerewolf27, the ticking time bomb could be where Shift tells Puzzle that he had to do what he say. Though Shift does get manipulated by Rishda and Ginger, so he had to do what they say.

Some of the books do have some slow moments. I think filmmakers have gone in the direction of adding tension with action. It's kind of like The Count of Monte Cristo, which I've read last spring-summer, and it's a pretty slow book. Obviously, Hollywood would add tension for more excitement when they adapt it.

So there is a lot of moments in Narnia when saying, "Stop! Turnaround and go back!" In The Silver Chair, Jill was instructed to remember the signs. Then there was a point where she thought about getting comfortable and forgot about the signs.

Great topic! 

When I think of a ticking time bomb, I think of a scene in SC, which is actually more of a foreshadowing. 

"Who's that?" asked Puddleglum. And it was so long since anyone
had spoken, that Jill wondered how he had the nerve.
"That is old Father Time, who once was a King in Overland," said
the Warden. "And now he has sunk down into the Deep Realm and lies
dreaming of all the things that are done in the upper world. Many sink
down, and few return to the sunlit lands. They say he will wake at the
end of the world." - Silver Chair 

Father time was in fact a 'ticking time bomb' for the ending of Narnia. Although it is more of a foreshadowing, this scene foreshadows the most tragic event in history. 

Another ticking time bomb I found was in LB when Eustace is talking to Jill: 

"Or be smashed up by British Railways!"
"Why d'you say that?"
"Well when that awful jerk came — the one that seemed to throw us
into Narnia — I thought it was the beginning of a railway accident."- The Last Battle

Obviously, this ticking time bomb was showing that their own fate was coming. It was like a warning, to what was coming, or in this case, already came. This ticking time bomb is more for the readers, since they don't know about the Friends of Narnia's death and are getting a forewarning of it. 

@kingedthejust I think that's what makes The Last Battle a real page turner and perhaps the most complex book in the series. A lot of stuff happened you didn't expect to happen or didn't think that were allowed to happen.

I was kind of wondering when the railway accident happened, were Eustace and Jill unconscious, and didn't "die" until they went through the stable at the Battle of Stable Hill.

I wonder if Netflix will actually show the railway accident or maybe show Eustace and Jill on the train then when there is the "jerk", they cut to where they arrive in Narnia.

I actually haven't thought of Father Time as a ticking time bomb. I thought he played a crucial role in help bringing an end to the world of Narnia.

Posted by: @jasmine_tarkheena

I think that's what makes The Last Battle a real page turner and perhaps the most complex book in the series. A lot of stuff happened you didn't expect to happen or didn't think that were allowed to happen.

      Yes, I agree, and that suspense is why I enjoy LB so much. One, maybe not ticking time bomb in Narnia, but certainly a slight foreshadowing of events to come is the cover of LB (or should I say one of them) with Jewel looking off into the distance with his horn newly soaked in blood. I had always thought that this is the most ominous of the Narnia covers that I have seen, and it gives you a hint that LB will be darker (I use that term broadly) and more violent than the other six (which is the reason I think LB might need to be PG-13 to fully do it justice).

      This other event certainly (I think) fills the criteria for a 'ticking time bomb', and that is when Reepicheep convinces Caspian, Lucy and Edmond to go into Dark Isle. While I was reading this playing out, I kept thinking 'don't do it!', But alas, we all know what happens.

Child of the King: SonofStone

@sonofstone While it's not a personal favorite (I like Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader better), I find The Last Battle enjoyable. I can kind of see it being rated PG-13 (I don't think Narnia would go as far as an R rating, being a children's book series). A lot of blood shed involved and a lot of people died at Cair Paravel. We don't see it in the book, but we know it happened, learning from Farsight. So I wonder if they would show Cair Paravel being exterminated by the Calormene navy.

There is some speculation going on that Netflix Narnia will be similar to Game of Thrones. Would that mean it would be more "mature"? Oh, I don't think they should make it "too kiddie". I wonder if there would be a ticking time bomb if they show something that parents don't want their kids to see.

      I do think that a well-done LB would certainly be a truly epic film @jasmine_tarkheena, but if it was made to violent or mature, it would ruin the story, and making it R would be completely going over the top. So, in a way, I guess you could say that LB is a ticking time bomb in itself, especially with Netflix owning the rights.

      @kingedthejust The idea of father time being a ticking time bomb does intrigue me, but maybe we are confusing the 'ticking time bomb' idea for a foreshadowing, which I kinda feel like that was, seeing as Father Time was a servant of Aslan, and though maybe not safe, he was good.

Child of the King: SonofStone

Posted by: @sonofstone

      I do think that a well-done LB would certainly be a truly epic film @jasmine_tarkheena, but if it was made to violent or mature, it would ruin the story, and making it R would be completely going over the top. So, in a way, I guess you could say that LB is a ticking time bomb in itself, especially with Netflix owning the rights.

It might depend on one definition's of "mature". I mean, Disney has been known for kids stuff, but they do have some mature elements. I don't think The Last Battle should not be about "saving the world" with an epic climatic battle. The world of Narnia is coming to an end, so what would be the point of being about saving the world? Netflix might throw in some "mature" elements in not just The Last Battle, but the other Narnia stories as well.

I'm sure there is plenty of opportunities to add tension that it is not some big action scene. The Silver Chair and The Horse And His Boy are pretty slow at times with walking and talking. So there is a way to add tension to help know, like in The Silver Chair, the main characters are making a bad choice. The ticking time bomb is where they are going to the giant castle of Harfang.

@jasmine_tarkheena I am not sure Edmund really knows he is doing the wrong thing when he goes to the WW's house.  Lucy has told him the WW is bad - but he does not really trust her.  No one has met Aslan at that point.  Remember - Edmund was separated from his mom when they left London - he misses his mom.  The WW is probably the closest thing to her he can find. He is afraid of Aslan - but fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom - it is not always a bad thing - the Bible has things to say about it.  Also - if Edmund had not known the WW - he would not have known that her magic wand turns people into stone - Peter says that Edmund saved the day at the end of LWW.  Edmund would not have been able to do that if he had not known the WW - and they might not have defeated her.