It is not all fun and games, as Lyra soon finds out.ĭespite the protagonist age, and the child-like narrative to this story, I found it strangely enjoyable. However it is clear not all trust her, Lyra is given an Alethiometer, and is told to hide it from her new guardian. Coulter, a wealthy lady who takes Lyra under her wing to ensure she receives an appropriate upbringing. Meanwhile, with her peers, there are rumours circulating of Gobblers who take children away, never to be seen again – a story, until Roger disappears.Īt the time her friend most needs her, she is thrown into a world with Mrs. She overhears her Uncle talking of a substance known as “Dust”, and having been partially taught about fundamental particles, Lyra has an elementary understanding of what it may consist of, but naturally is desperate to find out more. Whilst on her own, Lyra ends up trapped in a closet, hiding from adults who will undoubtedly be furious should they find her there. Lyra, her daemon, and friends from Jordan and the surrounding town often let their imaginations run wild, and embark on their own adventures together. Like any child, she is naturally inquisitive, and due to the fact the kitchen and help staff at the college do most of her upbringing, she befriends lots of children she may have never met if her high-status parents had survived. She has been raised by the staff there, and is watched over by her Uncle Asriel, a powerful member of aristocracy who often resides at the College. An orphan whose parents died in an aeronautical accident when she was young. She is a girl living at Jordan College, Oxford University. The first thing that struck me about this book was how similar to our world Lyra’s is.

Until Book of Dust was announced – that got me moving. Alas, they then just sat on my shelf, unread. When I saw the breath-taking paperbacks in my local bookstore I decided it was time. A book which at the time, I hadn’t actually read. Lyra overcomes these strange terrors, only to find something yet more perilous waiting for her – something with consequences which may even reach beyond the Northern Lights…”Īnother long-overdue read from me! I watched the film when it came out back in 2007, and even had the game on the Wii – my parents couldn’t understand why it was one of my favourites but to me, it was an interactive transportation in to a bookish world. The ensuing quest leads them to the bleak splendour of the North, where armoured bears rule the ice and witch-queens fly through the frozen skies – and where a team of scientists is conducting experiments too horrible to be spoken about. “When Lyra’s friend Roger disappears, she and her dæmon, Pantalaimon, determine to find him.

Philip pullman northern lights series