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The story begins with Eustace Scrubb, who was introduced in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, returning to Narnia with his classmate Jill Pole. They, along with a Marshwiggle named Puddleglum, are sent on a quest to find a prince who disappeared under mysterious circumstances some years prior to the children's arrival. The prince, named Rilian, is the son of King Caspian (formerly Prince Caspian), who is now an old man and unable to undertake the arduous journey himself. Rilian has in fact been taken captive through the evil spells of an enchantress named the Green Witch - reminiscent of the White Witch in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - and needs to be brought back to inherit the throne.

In this volume Lewis deals with such topics as temptation, guidance, and Christian discipleship. Again it is to be stressed that his pedagogic intent is secondary to his main aim of creating a good story. One of The Silver Chair's most memorable scenes has a mental struggle between the enchantress and Puddleglum concerning the true nature of reality.