Lyra's Oxford:
This undoubtedly beautiful package--cloth-bound in a classy red and adorned
by numerous illustrations by master engraver and illustrator John Lawrence--
is a must-purchase. A pint-sized pocket volume, Lyra's Oxford packages together
a short story set in the same universe as his famous trilogy, a fold-out map of
the alternate-reality city of Oxford, a short brochure for a cruise to The Levant
aboard the S.S. Zenobia, and a postcard from the inventor of the amber spyglass,
Mary Malone. Pullman, in his introduction, suggests that the peripheral items
within "might be connected with the story, or they might not; they might be
connected to stories that haven.t appeared yet. It's difficult to tell."
A very sumptuous and lovingly crafted but tantalizingly brief book , Lyra's
Oxford begins when Lyra and Pantalaimon spot a witch's daemon called Ragi being
pursued over the rooftops of Oxford by a frenzied pack of birds. The daemon heads
straight for Lyra (the creature was given Lyra.s name as somebody who might help)
and is given shelter. Together Lyra and Pan try to guide the daemon to the home
of Sebastian Makepeace.an alchemist living in a part of Oxford known as Jericho--
but it is a journey fraught with more danger than they had at first anticipated.
Once Upon a Time in the North:
In this prequel to the "His Dark Materials" trilogy (Knopf), Texas aeronaut Lee
Scoresby meets armored bear Iorek Byrnison for the first time. In this short,
fantastic adventure, young Scoresby finds himself on the Arctic island of Novy
Odense, a community set in an alternate past world. The rich mining company Lars
Manganese is trying to control the town, Ivan Dimitrovich Poliakov is a corrupt
mayoral candidate, and Captain van Breda is prevented from unloading his cargo
unjustly. Scoresby takes on the captain's cause, resulting in an Old West-style
shootout. Many readers will likely enjoy this book because of its quick pace and
action-filled plot, but some Pullman fans may be disappointed when comparing this
short text to the trilogy. Characters are less developed, and events sometimes
happen a bit too quickly. The ending is neat and tidy, though it does leave the
door open for future adventures. The inclusion of documents and black-and-white
engraved illustrations add a nice touch, and the board game Peril of the Pole is
tucked into the back inside cover as a bonus.
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