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His Dark Materials #3.6
Serpentine
A bewitching tale with a fascinating new glimpse of young Lyra and her dæmon, Pantalaimon. This companion to the New York Times bestselling His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust series follows Pullman's beloved characters on a brand new adventure.
After the world-altering events of The Amber Spyglass, Lyra and Pan find themselves irrevocably changed. In this new companion story, set after the stunning conclusion to the original His Dark Materials trilogy, Lyra and Pan will journey to the far North once more, hoping to ask the Consul of Witches a most urgent question.
This brand-new story, a beguiling must-read for Pullman fans old and new, is a perfect companion to His Dark Materials and a fascinating bridge to The Book of Dust.
After the world-altering events of The Amber Spyglass, Lyra and Pan find themselves irrevocably changed. In this new companion story, set after the stunning conclusion to the original His Dark Materials trilogy, Lyra and Pan will journey to the far North once more, hoping to ask the Consul of Witches a most urgent question.
This brand-new story, a beguiling must-read for Pullman fans old and new, is a perfect companion to His Dark Materials and a fascinating bridge to The Book of Dust.
80 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2020
403 people are currently reading
10115 people want to read
About the author
Philip Pullman
261 books25.7k followersSir Philip Nicholas Outram Pullman is an English writer. His books include the fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials and The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, a fictionalised biography of Jesus. In 2008, The Times named Pullman one of the "50 greatest British writers since 1945". In a 2004 BBC poll, he was named the eleventh most influential person in British culture. He was knighted in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to literature.
Northern Lights, the first volume in His Dark Materials, won the 1995 Carnegie Medal of the Library Association as the year's outstanding English-language children's book. For the Carnegie's 70th anniversary, it was named in the top ten by a panel tasked with compiling a shortlist for a public vote for an all-time favourite. It won that public vote and was named all-time "Carnegie of Carnegies" in June 2007. It was filmed under the book's US title, The Golden Compass. In 2003, His Dark Materials trilogy ranked third in the BBC's The Big Read, a poll of 200 top novels voted by the British public.
Northern Lights, the first volume in His Dark Materials, won the 1995 Carnegie Medal of the Library Association as the year's outstanding English-language children's book. For the Carnegie's 70th anniversary, it was named in the top ten by a panel tasked with compiling a shortlist for a public vote for an all-time favourite. It won that public vote and was named all-time "Carnegie of Carnegies" in June 2007. It was filmed under the book's US title, The Golden Compass. In 2003, His Dark Materials trilogy ranked third in the BBC's The Big Read, a poll of 200 top novels voted by the British public.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 994 reviews
August 28, 2024
She's back! Lyra and Pantalaimon that is! Check out my video on this book here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtgI-...
This is a short story written by Philip Pullman captured with beautiful illustrations. Lyra and Pan are back up North once again, and Lyra has a question.
This book is only for those who have read His Dark Materials Trilogy and specifically the last book, The Amber Spyglass because this book is filled with references to the last book.
The illustrations are gorgeous and add a stunning visual element to the book. The only downside to this book is that is like eating a half Fun size candy bar after eating a King size candy bar. The Amber Spyglass had so many pages to feel at ease and bonded with the characters. With this book being so short, it felt like sand running through my hand. I wanted to hold onto to it for a bit more.
Overall, an enchanting work and my favorite piece by Philip Pullman.
2025 Reading Schedule
Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal
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This is a short story written by Philip Pullman captured with beautiful illustrations. Lyra and Pan are back up North once again, and Lyra has a question.
This book is only for those who have read His Dark Materials Trilogy and specifically the last book, The Amber Spyglass because this book is filled with references to the last book.
The illustrations are gorgeous and add a stunning visual element to the book. The only downside to this book is that is like eating a half Fun size candy bar after eating a King size candy bar. The Amber Spyglass had so many pages to feel at ease and bonded with the characters. With this book being so short, it felt like sand running through my hand. I wanted to hold onto to it for a bit more.
Overall, an enchanting work and my favorite piece by Philip Pullman.
2025 Reading Schedule
Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal
Connect With Me!
Blog Twitter BookTube Facebook Insta My Bookstore at Pango
July 18, 2021
(B+) 77% | Good
Notes: Rife with reminiscing, neither dire nor complicated, it's a pleasure ride, with warmth supplied, and nicely illustrated.
Notes: Rife with reminiscing, neither dire nor complicated, it's a pleasure ride, with warmth supplied, and nicely illustrated.
November 1, 2020
A charming if brief return to the world of Lyra Silvertongue
You know, it isn't really surprising that there are things about ourselves that still remain a mystery to us, he said. Maybe we should be comforted that the knowledge is there, even if it's withheld for a while.
Serpentine has us return to the work of His Dark Materials. Firmly set after The Amber Spyglass (I don't think this story is readable without intimate knowledge on the trilogy) we follow Lyra and her companion in the far North. There is no real adventure, but introspection about what can and can't be known about oneself (which could be argued to be life's real adventure). For such a short story Philip Pullman packs in quite some more heavy, more mature themes, like how one can build a relationship even if it's not easy. The banter between Pantalaimon and Lyra is definitely a highlight, as are the illustrations from Tom Duxbury, and I am moving up The Secret Commonwealth up on my reading list.
You know, it isn't really surprising that there are things about ourselves that still remain a mystery to us, he said. Maybe we should be comforted that the knowledge is there, even if it's withheld for a while.
Serpentine has us return to the work of His Dark Materials. Firmly set after The Amber Spyglass (I don't think this story is readable without intimate knowledge on the trilogy) we follow Lyra and her companion in the far North. There is no real adventure, but introspection about what can and can't be known about oneself (which could be argued to be life's real adventure). For such a short story Philip Pullman packs in quite some more heavy, more mature themes, like how one can build a relationship even if it's not easy. The banter between Pantalaimon and Lyra is definitely a highlight, as are the illustrations from Tom Duxbury, and I am moving up The Secret Commonwealth up on my reading list.
October 6, 2021
A short dark materials Philip Pullman story I listened to on audio….covers the complex relationship between Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon.
December 7, 2020
Serpentine is sweet story about Lyra and Pantalaimon, exploring their relationship after their separation. It won't make sense to those who haven't read His Dark Materials trilogy, so I recommend reading those books before any of the short stories.
October 11, 2020
3.5 rounded up because daemons.
The negatives are easy: this is very short (very short for $12.99). The woodcut-style art is lovely, but since the story is mostly Lyra having an extended conversation with Dr. Lanselius, then an extended conversation with Pan, the artist clearly struggled with finding new ways to depict this at times -- there's lots of faces drawn from slightly different angles. And there's too much use of the word lover. (Ugh, even just writing it there was too much.)
But: daemons! Lyra and Pan actually talking to each other! -- which, after The Secret Commonwealth, I mightily miss.
This also sets some of that book up in an interesting way, so it's cool it's been widely released: it was written long before The Book of Dust trilogy but privately auctioned (wild). Curious to see Pullman having ideas in this direction all along...
I do very much wish he would write one of these little books about Will, though. Would gladly pay $12.99 for that.
The negatives are easy: this is very short (very short for $12.99). The woodcut-style art is lovely, but since the story is mostly Lyra having an extended conversation with Dr. Lanselius, then an extended conversation with Pan, the artist clearly struggled with finding new ways to depict this at times -- there's lots of faces drawn from slightly different angles. And there's too much use of the word lover. (Ugh, even just writing it there was too much.)
But: daemons! Lyra and Pan actually talking to each other! -- which, after The Secret Commonwealth, I mightily miss.
This also sets some of that book up in an interesting way, so it's cool it's been widely released: it was written long before The Book of Dust trilogy but privately auctioned (wild). Curious to see Pullman having ideas in this direction all along...
I do very much wish he would write one of these little books about Will, though. Would gladly pay $12.99 for that.
November 22, 2020
Back in The Amber Spyglass Lyra and Pantalaimon had to weather through their biggest trial yet: separating from each other in the Netherworld. For all that it's been quite a while since, our heroine still worries about the best way to approach her daemon about his trials during the separation.
I'm struggling with how to write a coherentreview opinion on this short story. It starts out promising enough, leading the reader through a number of guilt-ridden musings, only to have them end up exactly where they've started. I suppose this is a children's story with the moral of respecting others' privacy. Even if that other... is one's own soul?
There is one interesting tidbit to be learned from all the over-analyzing that Lyra does, namely that some people can be at odds with their daemons. An aspect that I feel would've made for a far more interesting story.
Score: 2/5 stars
The best way I can sum things up is: an overambitious mix of philosophical reflections and comedic banter aimed at children. The simplistic language feels rather at odds with the seriousness of the subject matter being addressed, making it seem as if the author needlessly limited the amount of in-depth analysis he could do.
I'm struggling with how to write a coherent
There is one interesting tidbit to be learned from all the over-analyzing that Lyra does, namely that some people can be at odds with their daemons. An aspect that I feel would've made for a far more interesting story.
Score: 2/5 stars
The best way I can sum things up is: an overambitious mix of philosophical reflections and comedic banter aimed at children. The simplistic language feels rather at odds with the seriousness of the subject matter being addressed, making it seem as if the author needlessly limited the amount of in-depth analysis he could do.
February 15, 2021
This is an illustrated novella following the events that occur after both the His Dark Materials trilogy and the other short story that follows it, Lyra's Oxford. This focuses on the series' central character, Lyra Belacqua, but her daemon, Pan, also shares equal focus. Other characters from the preceding books also feature, either physically or in speech, and much of what has previously occurred between them is mentioned.
This didn't provide the reader with a whole amount of new information about this world and focused, instead, on bringing emotion rather than knowledge to reader. It was just a pleasant little story to experience that left with a big silly smile on my face, after reading it. The gorgeous black and white imagery that featured throughout also enhanced the warmth I felt emanating from it.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Philip Pullman, and the publisher, Penguin Random House, of this opportunity.
This didn't provide the reader with a whole amount of new information about this world and focused, instead, on bringing emotion rather than knowledge to reader. It was just a pleasant little story to experience that left with a big silly smile on my face, after reading it. The gorgeous black and white imagery that featured throughout also enhanced the warmth I felt emanating from it.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Philip Pullman, and the publisher, Penguin Random House, of this opportunity.
October 21, 2020
This book was like a Starbucks drink. It's beautiful, it's delicious, but it's gone in five minutes and it's $13.
February 1, 2021
A small novella that bridges the gap between Lyra's Oxford and the The Secret Commonwealth, it's a short examination into the changing relationship between Lyra and Pantalaimon and the start of their struggles and doubts moving into adulthood.
We also see a return of the witch's counsel and uncover a few secrets along the way. It was a nice bridging moment between the two books series, that offers hints of more to come, but doesn't feel particularly essential to read about.
We also see a return of the witch's counsel and uncover a few secrets along the way. It was a nice bridging moment between the two books series, that offers hints of more to come, but doesn't feel particularly essential to read about.
December 20, 2020
I like the little side stories along the way as we journey for years through Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials series, now expanded to five full books and heading to (maybe) the finale. Serpentine is a short story Pullman wrote to help raise money for The National Theater, who had mounted a hugely successful theatrical production based on the initial series. He had the story in his head since the months he had finished the third book, he says in 2004, so it now serves as a kind of sweet moment that takes place between the events of the original trilogy and The Secret Commonwealth, the second part of The Book of Dust. It is published in 2020, 16 years after Pullman said he conceived it.
In Serpentine, we join the undergraduate Lyra on an archaeological expedition to the melting Arctic; she returns to a place we recall we met some of the story's most memorable characters. But the heart of this little story is the severed relationship between Lyra Silvertongue and her daemon Pantalaimon that happened when she was twelve and how to mend it finally, now that she is twenty. Okay, there's not much here, but it is nice moment, told a little serpentinely, featuring a serpentine daemon that shares the beginnings of some dark knowledge that gets expanded in The Book of Dust. It makes perfect sense to see it as a slim but emotional transition between the two series, bringing Lyra and Pan back together, and it's a terrific artifact, with superb linocuts by Tom Duxbury. If you are a fan of this world, you have to have it.
In Serpentine, we join the undergraduate Lyra on an archaeological expedition to the melting Arctic; she returns to a place we recall we met some of the story's most memorable characters. But the heart of this little story is the severed relationship between Lyra Silvertongue and her daemon Pantalaimon that happened when she was twelve and how to mend it finally, now that she is twenty. Okay, there's not much here, but it is nice moment, told a little serpentinely, featuring a serpentine daemon that shares the beginnings of some dark knowledge that gets expanded in The Book of Dust. It makes perfect sense to see it as a slim but emotional transition between the two series, bringing Lyra and Pan back together, and it's a terrific artifact, with superb linocuts by Tom Duxbury. If you are a fan of this world, you have to have it.
December 25, 2020
This has made my year! A new short story set in the His Dark Materials world.
I am a massive fan of this series so despite Serpentine being teeny tiny I was very excited to read it. It is definitely worth it if you want to know how Lyra and Pan are coping after the events of The Amber Spyglass and hints at things past and hopefully more things to come.
If Philip Pullman wrote what Lyra had for breakfast I'd read it but what I really want is more about Will. (I am crossing all my fingers and toes that he appears in the final volume of the Book of Dust trilogy)
I am a massive fan of this series so despite Serpentine being teeny tiny I was very excited to read it. It is definitely worth it if you want to know how Lyra and Pan are coping after the events of The Amber Spyglass and hints at things past and hopefully more things to come.
If Philip Pullman wrote what Lyra had for breakfast I'd read it but what I really want is more about Will. (I am crossing all my fingers and toes that he appears in the final volume of the Book of Dust trilogy)
December 14, 2020
This is the companion book to the The Book of Dust trilogy. Chronologically, one should have read it right between the two series. Considering the publication dates, that wasn't possible (it also doesn't matter too much since La Belle Sauvage takes place before the first trilogy).
As readers of the series know, Lyra's and Pan's lives have changed significantly due to the events in His Dark Materials (their forced parting on the shores of the world of the dead). And not really for the better. In short: she and Pan are either not talking to each other at all or only very politely / distantly and never about what it felt like to be separated.
This alienated, broken-up union comes to a head during their return to Trollesund (the town where they first met Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnison) due to a dig funded by Jordan College. They also go to see Dr. Lanselius again.
More shall not be said about the content.
I've seriously loved the previous two companion books as they are little treasure-troves. Sadly, this one was not designed in the same, lovely way. What I mean is that this book only contained black-and-white illustrations such as these:
I was already disappointed when it arrived and it wasn't the same cloth-bound goodness but a simple/cheap hardcover with a dust jacket (which means it also won't fit with the other two on the shelf, which in turn has my OCD scream like one of the women in Hitchcock's movies).
What is far worse, though, is that it completely lacks the interactive elements and ephemera the other two companion books have that make them extra special.
Therefore, while this wasn't bad and while the tale itself is quite significant for the events in The Secret Commonwealth as well as the third and last book in the trilogy, the book as a whole was just not the same level of awesome.
As readers of the series know, Lyra's and Pan's lives have changed significantly due to the events in His Dark Materials (their forced parting on the shores of the world of the dead). And not really for the better. In short: she and Pan are either not talking to each other at all or only very politely / distantly and never about what it felt like to be separated.
This alienated, broken-up union comes to a head during their return to Trollesund (the town where they first met Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnison) due to a dig funded by Jordan College. They also go to see Dr. Lanselius again.
More shall not be said about the content.
I've seriously loved the previous two companion books as they are little treasure-troves. Sadly, this one was not designed in the same, lovely way. What I mean is that this book only contained black-and-white illustrations such as these:
I was already disappointed when it arrived and it wasn't the same cloth-bound goodness but a simple/cheap hardcover with a dust jacket (which means it also won't fit with the other two on the shelf, which in turn has my OCD scream like one of the women in Hitchcock's movies).
What is far worse, though, is that it completely lacks the interactive elements and ephemera the other two companion books have that make them extra special.
Therefore, while this wasn't bad and while the tale itself is quite significant for the events in The Secret Commonwealth as well as the third and last book in the trilogy, the book as a whole was just not the same level of awesome.
November 6, 2020
A short story about Lyra and Pan after the end of the first trilogy. Their interaction is a little prickly but it’s interesting after the changes they went through in book 3.
March 8, 2021
A short tale of Lyra Silverstone and her daemon, Pantalaimon, after being reunited where she seeks advice from the consul of the witches about their separation. I recommend you read the Dark Materials trilogy first. Beautiful black and white woodcut drawings illustrate this sweet moment. 3.5 stars
December 16, 2020
No. No. No.
Why do authors do this? Well, Pullman explains in the afterword that this very short story was written to be auctioned at a fundraiser. I guess everyone involved decided that it should be published. I do not concur.
The writing felt forced and uninspired and boring. While it was nice to hang out with Lyra and Pan again, this book feels very much like a way to make more money (and it's quite expensive for what you get). Sigh. I liked the illustrations. They are the only redeeming part of this book, and I hope that all the proceeds went to the artist, and I don't mean Pullman.
Why do authors do this? Well, Pullman explains in the afterword that this very short story was written to be auctioned at a fundraiser. I guess everyone involved decided that it should be published. I do not concur.
The writing felt forced and uninspired and boring. While it was nice to hang out with Lyra and Pan again, this book feels very much like a way to make more money (and it's quite expensive for what you get). Sigh. I liked the illustrations. They are the only redeeming part of this book, and I hope that all the proceeds went to the artist, and I don't mean Pullman.
October 15, 2020
Similar to Once upon a Time in the North and Lyra's Oxford I would recommend it for fans of His Dark Materials and the Book of Dust. It is a sweet and very small additional story from Lyras world that is not able to stand on its own, but will shorten the wait for the final part of the Book of Dust trilogy.
January 3, 2021
I love the dark materials series so much and this book was no exception
October 20, 2020
A sweet story about Lyra and Pan, set after the events of The Amber Spyglass. It's very short, but a nice read (with great illustrations).
March 18, 2021
This novella revisits the story of Lyra Silvertongue & her daemon Pantalaimon, but I feel as though I can’t properly relay what it’s about without spoiling the magnificent “His Dark Materials” series for those who haven’t read it. Let’s just say, this book is a concise depiction of what Lyra & Pantalaimon go through in their relationship after the events in those books. I enjoyed how this story comforted me to hear their dialogue again. It also provided a bit of context to their new relationship in Pullman’s new series “The Book of Dust.” As I wait patiently for book 3 in that series to release in October, this was nice to hold me over. I wasn’t blow away by this book or anything, but it was just a nice little tale. Pullman’s writing feels very warm & homey although this is set in the frigid cold of the north again. We hear of old characters & meet one new. This story was apparently written 16 years ago before Pullman had even started writing “The Book of Dust” series & in his author’s note he says that Lyra just wouldn’t leave him alone. I’m glad he continued her tale & reinvented his timeline of events to add a bit more to the storyline. I love Lyra & am always interested in hearing more of what this little heroine of a character has to offer!
December 11, 2021
Honestly a perfect story.
Serpentine had everything you'd want in a return to Lyra's world: memories of Iorek and Lee, mentions of Will and Serafina, and best of all, an honest and open discussion between Lyra and Pan about their separation in The Amber Spyglass . I love any and all insights into the relationship between people and their daemons and how it reflects on their character and their overall happiness in life - the not-so-hidden moral of knowing and accepting yourself.
Perfect length, perfect subject matter, perfect story. I loved it.
Review originally posted here on Britt's Book Blurbs.
Other books in the His Dark Materials series:
#0.5: Once Upon a Time in the North ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#0.6: The Collectors ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#1: Northern Lights ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#2: The Subtle Knife ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#3: The Amber Spyglass ⭐⭐⭐
#3.5: Lyra's Oxford ⭐⭐⭐
Serpentine had everything you'd want in a return to Lyra's world: memories of Iorek and Lee, mentions of Will and Serafina, and best of all, an honest and open discussion between Lyra and Pan about their separation in The Amber Spyglass . I love any and all insights into the relationship between people and their daemons and how it reflects on their character and their overall happiness in life - the not-so-hidden moral of knowing and accepting yourself.
Perfect length, perfect subject matter, perfect story. I loved it.
Review originally posted here on Britt's Book Blurbs.
Other books in the His Dark Materials series:
#0.5: Once Upon a Time in the North ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#0.6: The Collectors ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#1: Northern Lights ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#2: The Subtle Knife ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#3: The Amber Spyglass ⭐⭐⭐
#3.5: Lyra's Oxford ⭐⭐⭐
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December 29, 2020
This is a charming and very sweet read. Its always lovely to be back in this universe and with these characters.
April 6, 2022
Very short story taking place between the two Dark Materials trilogies. Explores Lyra and Pan's relationship and the repercussions for the two of them when they separated. Nice reminder of their sweet relationship and the hardship/sadness when they were apart and after.
This was written as a fundraiser by Phillip Pullman and only published 16 years after he wrote it. Always nice to revisit this magical universe.
This was written as a fundraiser by Phillip Pullman and only published 16 years after he wrote it. Always nice to revisit this magical universe.
October 17, 2025
Not a true novella, barely even a short story — this is really just a "scene" that takes place sometime after the events of The Amber Spyglass. I was tempted to write this off as a cynical cash grab, but then I read Pullman's note at the end explaining that this was written for a charity auction and raised quite a lot of money, so good for him. (Never mind that after seeing what it went for under the hammer, and then later realizing with 2019's The Secret Commonwealth that there was still a market for such things, they then published it in book form for the cynical cash grab...)
So yeah — published in 2020, but actually written in 2004. years before Pullman even envisioned a second trilogy. Not a lot of value here (certainly nothing worth spending $12 on if your library doesn't have it for free), it's really just two short conversations Lyra has with Dr. Lanselius and then Pan.
However...it did strike one interesting note. Lyra and Pan discuss how sad it must be for a person and his/her daemon to grow apart, to watch their most-intimate relationship crumble while not having any idea why it did or how to save it. Because that's just the position they find themselves in throughout Commonwealth, and like watching any similar situation in real life — whether between husband and wife, siblings, or just good friends — it's truly heartbreaking to watch people start heading down a road that nobody wants to be on, but also don't know how to back away from.
So yeah — published in 2020, but actually written in 2004. years before Pullman even envisioned a second trilogy. Not a lot of value here (certainly nothing worth spending $12 on if your library doesn't have it for free), it's really just two short conversations Lyra has with Dr. Lanselius and then Pan.
However...it did strike one interesting note. Lyra and Pan discuss how sad it must be for a person and his/her daemon to grow apart, to watch their most-intimate relationship crumble while not having any idea why it did or how to save it. Because that's just the position they find themselves in throughout Commonwealth, and like watching any similar situation in real life — whether between husband and wife, siblings, or just good friends — it's truly heartbreaking to watch people start heading down a road that nobody wants to be on, but also don't know how to back away from.
January 1, 2021
What a lovely little episode of Lyra and Pantalaimon's relationship. Olivia Coleman as the narrator of this was excellent! It's a wonderful short story that gives a little insight as to the journey that Lyra and Pan have been on since we saw them last in Oxford, with all those birds and a witch, and before the start of her journey east. It may help tide me over until we get the last installment of The Book of Dust. Until then I'll savour even the shortest visit to Lyra's world.
I think there's a metaphor buried in there somewhere; about our relationship with ourselves, our soul or dæmon as it were. Some people are discontented with themselves in some way, I think many of us are to a certain extent. It happens when we grow up, and we learn what our place in the world is, and how maybe we don't quite fit that place. It's important that we are kind to ourselves and we allow parts ourselves to forgive other parts of ourselves, Lyra and Pan demonstrate that perfectly in this story. The way that Philip Pullman writes these stories about the intimacies of the human spirit is quite remarkable and I think I'll always feel a deep connection to Lyra and her world, for she and her dæmon have taught me lessons about who I am and who I want to be.
Woah, that got pretty deep didn't it.
I think there's a metaphor buried in there somewhere; about our relationship with ourselves, our soul or dæmon as it were. Some people are discontented with themselves in some way, I think many of us are to a certain extent. It happens when we grow up, and we learn what our place in the world is, and how maybe we don't quite fit that place. It's important that we are kind to ourselves and we allow parts ourselves to forgive other parts of ourselves, Lyra and Pan demonstrate that perfectly in this story. The way that Philip Pullman writes these stories about the intimacies of the human spirit is quite remarkable and I think I'll always feel a deep connection to Lyra and her world, for she and her dæmon have taught me lessons about who I am and who I want to be.
Woah, that got pretty deep didn't it.
October 17, 2020
I'm a little disappointed that it was nearly full book price for what was effectively a short story in a hardback binding, but it added a lot to Lyra's world, and the abundance of illustrations (on every page?) was added value.
This was billed as a thematic and timeline bridge between The Amber Spyglass and The Secret Commonwealth, and it works as both.
Setup: Teenage Lyra gets a summer job helping Oxford grad students at an archaeological dig in (melting) Trollesund.
This was billed as a thematic and timeline bridge between The Amber Spyglass and The Secret Commonwealth, and it works as both.
Setup: Teenage Lyra gets a summer job helping Oxford grad students at an archaeological dig in (melting) Trollesund.
October 8, 2020
Really, really interesting as a bridge between His Dark Materials and the Book of Dust. Beautifully illustrated too.
More than developing the plot of either of the series, it's more of a story, giving a glimpse of Lyra right after Lyra's Oxford, and her relationship with Pan. It is sort of a prequel to their relationship in the Secret Commonwealth.
Can't wait for the third Book of Dust and Will's Oxford.
More than developing the plot of either of the series, it's more of a story, giving a glimpse of Lyra right after Lyra's Oxford, and her relationship with Pan. It is sort of a prequel to their relationship in the Secret Commonwealth.
Can't wait for the third Book of Dust and Will's Oxford.
March 9, 2021
"I hope that, above all, these books are about being alive and being human."
Um primórdio do que iriamos encontrar no segundo Livro do Pó, algo a ler entre a trilogia inicial e esse segundo volume, porque, no fundo, já nos mostra qye há muitas questões no ar, muita angústia e não saber bem o que contar.
É uma história muito, muito simples, mas que deixa no ar essas questões.
Um primórdio do que iriamos encontrar no segundo Livro do Pó, algo a ler entre a trilogia inicial e esse segundo volume, porque, no fundo, já nos mostra qye há muitas questões no ar, muita angústia e não saber bem o que contar.
É uma história muito, muito simples, mas que deixa no ar essas questões.
November 2, 2024
A delightful short story that reminded me of just how much I love this world and this series. I'm excited to read the next trilogy!
December 22, 2022
A short story and quick visit with Lyra and Pantalaimon as they figure out something about themselves and a level of alienation they had been feeling. A metaphor for how we all feel about parts of ourselves sometimes, and how we can reconcile. Sweet.
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