Author: Philip Pullman
It still amazes me how successfully Pullman has managed to revive the world of Lyra Belacqua, daemons and Dust. Would others be able to do so with such style? In the first instalment of this new series, La Belle Sauvage, Pullman introduced us to the incredibly likeable Malcolm Polstead, a young boy who embarked on an adventure to save baby Lyra. In The Secret Commonwealth, Lyra is a young woman of twenty studying at Oxford. Her relationship with her daemon Pan is incredibly strained and her position at Jordan is uncertain. Meanwhile, mystery surrounds a research lab and rare roses grown in the middle of a desert in the East and rose farmers are being attacked by “men from the mountains”. Danger and enemies hide behind every corner, especially for Lyra. This latest instalment almost reads like a thriller/spy novel but all the fans’ favourite fantasy elements are still very much present. The world Pullman created all those years is still very much alive and as rich as ever. At the heart of Lyra’s story still lies the age long question, What is Dust? With Christmas approaching, this is one to buy for fans of His Dark Materials. Thoroughly vibrant and entertaining!
> Naomi Round