The pacing is key. It's not a breakneck plot. It takes its time to establish mood and place. A reader used to fast-paced graphic novels or modern MG might need an adjustment period. The reading level isn't high, but the narrative patience required might be. This isn't a flaw; it's a feature. It teaches readers to appreciate buildup, atmosphere, and the quiet moments in a story. A valuable skill!
I envy anyone reading these for the first time and getting to choose their own adventure with the order. That initial discovery is something you only get once. My advice? Pick one order (flip a coin if you have to) and just dive in. The connections will reveal themselves, and they'll feel personal to your reading journey. Then, in a few years, read them the other way. You'll notice different links, different foreshadowing, different emotional beats. The series is generous enough to reward multiple approaches.
My hot take: 'The Horse and His Boy' is the best book, and you can read it anytime after the first one. It's almost a side-quest. So the order debate matters less for that one. But for the core arc involving the Pevensies and Caspian, publication order is key. You need to have followed Caspian from a boy prince to a king setting sail to understand the weight of 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.' The chronological order shoves 'The Horse and His Boy' in the middle of that, which disrupts the flow of Caspian's character journey. Keep the main sequence intact.
The most under-argued point: 'The Silver Chair' is a direct sequel to 'Voyage of the Dawn Treader.' Prince Caspian is old, Eustace is back, and they reference the voyage. Those two should be read back-to-back. In publication order, they are. In chronological order, they still are, but with 'The Horse and His Boy' awkwardly placed between 'Lion' and them, breaking the flow of the Caspian/Eustace/Jill arc.
That alone is a strong point for publication order—it keeps direct sequels together.