His Dark Materials
Northern Lights principally follows the exploits of Lyra Belacqua, it is set in an alternate version of our own Universe. The majority of differences between Lyra’s world and our own are subtle, mostly related to technological advancement and town planning. Dæmons are the exception to this subtlety, people all have their own individual dæmon, kind of like a pet that can talk, but it’s also an extension of your own being and reflects your personality. Dæmons take the form of an animal, they can switch between different animals until the individual reaches puberty, at which point their form becomes fixed.
Lyra and her dæmon, Pantalaimon, live in Jordan College, Oxford. She was left there as a baby by her uncle, Lord Asriel, he asked the Master of the college to shelter her after the death of her parents in an airship crash. At the start of Northern Lights Lyra is twelve, and a magnet for trouble. When she isn’t playing truant and exploring the rooftops of the College, she is busy leading the servant children in their ongoing feud with whatever Gyptians are currently in the vicinity. Her favoured lieutenant in these nefarious endeavours is Roger, a kitchen boy of similar age to Lyra. Thanks to Lyra’s exceptional ability to weave plausible lies, the consequences of her actions tend to be minimal, until she trespasses into the private chambers of the Master of the College.
Whilst in the chambers Lyra witnesses and prevents an attempted poisoning of her uncle Asriel, eavesdrops on a lecture Asriel gives the Scholars on the nature of cosmic Dust present within the Aurora Borealis, and develops a strong desire to accompany her uncle on an expedition to the North. It also reveals, to us the reader at least, some of the politics of Lyra’s world, particularly the dominance of the Church via the secretive Magisterium.
Shortly after the episode in the Master’s Chambers, Lyra’s existence begins to change, for the worse in her eyes. Asriel fails to take her on the promised expedition to the North, a visitor to the college, Mrs Coulter of the aforementioned Magisterium, arranges to remove Lyra from the College and attempts to refine her behaviour. Then on the eve of Lyra’s departure from Jordan College, Roger disappears amid rumours that a sinister group, known only as the Gobblers, are kidnapping children. From this point onwards the plot begins to accelerate as Lyra attempts to discover what has happened to Roger. It isn’t long before is on her way to the North and meeting armoured polar bears (or panserbjørne, to give them their correct name).
Through eyes that are more innocent this is a thoroughly entertaining coming of age narrative, but there is also strong allegorical flavour to the plot, entirely intentionally. This isn’t a not so subtle rewriting of the New Testament but rather an examination of the acceptance of religious doctrine and obedience to a dogmatic authority, with armoured bears. The books can be read and enjoyed on both of those levels, as such they make compelling reading for anyone older than eleven. Highly recommended.
- Northern Lights (1995) – Amazon – Book Depository
- The Subtle Knife (1997) – Amazon – Book Depository
- The Amber Spyglass (1999) – Amazon – Book Depository
Novellas
- Lyra’s Oxford (2003) – Amazon – Book Depository
- Once Upon a Time in the North (2008) – Amazon – Book Depository
- The Collectors (2015) – Amazon – Book Depository
- Serpentine (2020) – Amazon – Book Depository
The Book of Dust
- La Belle Sauvage (2017) – Amazon – Book Depository
- The Secret Commonwealth (2019) – Amazon – Book Depository