Northern Lights by Philip Pullman.

Author: Philip Pullman
ISBN: 978-0-439951-78-4
Genre: Fiction/Science Fiction.
Pages: 397
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Scholastic


""Without this child, we shall all die."

Lyra Belacqua and her animal daemon live half-wild and carefree among scholars of Jordan College, Oxford. The destiny that awaits her will take her to the frozen lands of the Arctic, where witch-clans reign and ice-bears fight. Her extraordinary journey will have immeasurable consequences far beyond her own world..."

It was last year that I first heard about Philip Pullman. After J K Rowling had released her last installment of the HP series. I saw a lot of people on the internet recommending Philip Pullman. My sister in-law also recommended the 'His Dark Materials' but I never got around to getting them until, the release of 'The Golden Compass' on the Cinema (which I haven't watched).
I was a little put off by all the hype with this book (due to the Cinema release) but I decided to try it. I am pleased I did.

I really did enjoy this book, I liked Lyra, and I loved the whole thing about having Daemonds, and not being able to live without the other, and the search for Dust.
Lyra was a likeable character and a strong willed one who won't let anything stop her. I also liked her Bear friend, Iorek Byrinson, he was a strong character and I am hoping we'll see him in the next book (not sure about that though considering....)
This book was fast paced and easy to get into, there was barely a boring moment and I was gripped all the way through. It was easy to visualize the scenery described, and feel the emotions that were expressed, and to also have a good vision of the characters throughout. Both children and adults will enjoy this book. I just wish my son would sit down and read, as he'd love it!

There's two characters I didn't like in the book and yes of course it's Mrs Coulter and Lord Asriel. Nasty nasty people!!!! :)


Definitely worth reading, and I am really looking forward to reading the next installment which I shall start today. I am hoping to see Lyra grow more as a person and to find out more about what it is she must do. She seems a very lonely person, with only the love of her daemon to comfort her. But I'd better shut up or I'll end up giving some of the story away to those who haven't read it.

Oh yes and, I'm not even going to compare this to J K Rowling's HP series, as I loved her books too.