La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust Volume One: From the world of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials - now a major BBC series (Book of Dust Series)

His Dark Materials was a groundbreaking trilogy of fantasy novels. They were breathtaking in their scope and originality; the concept of a person having the personification of their soul in the form of an animal called their daemon was both simple and a stroke of genius. It was also a wonderful writing device; characters could literally talk to themselves.

For a long time, Pullman hinted that he was writing a second trilogy, The Book of Dust, following on from His Dark Materials. Finally, in 2017, the first part of that trilogy was published, La Belle Sauvage.

This book, unlike the other two books in this new trilogy, is a prequel to His Dark Materials, but unlike so many other prequels, this isn’t an origins story. This is an intense adventure in its own right.

Malcolm Polstead, the main character here, is a plain and non-heroic boy, not the usual adventurous type of boy found at the heart of a fantasy story, and this book is all the better for that. Malcolm’s ordinariness draws the reader into this story of cloak-and-dagger spying and sinister danger against the backdrop of the all-powerful Magisterium. Malcolm lives in an inn, on the bank of an Oxford river, run by his parents. On the opposite bank is a convent of nuns, several of the elderly nuns Malcolm has befriended.

Three characters from His Dark Materials trilogy make an appearance here. Lord Asriel has a small but important part to play in the plot, Mrs Coulter makes a sinister cameo appearance, but it is Lyra who is an important part of the story, even though she is just a newborn baby here. The story begins with her left in the care of the nuns.

What lifts this novel up from a well written, sinister spy adventure is the horrible event at the centre of this story. A terrible storm hits the country and overnight the whole of Southern England is flooded. What were once cities and towns and green countryside are suddenly turned into a desolate, dark sea of dank water. Suddenly the only land is at the top of hills or tall buildings. Into this dangerous world Malcolm and Lyra, accompanied by Alice, the inn’s young serving maid, must race across this now alien land in Malcolm’s small boat in an attempt to keep Lyra safe.

Pullman’s writing is always of a high quality, he doesn’t turn in lazy or shallow characterisation because this is a “children’s novel”. The first part of this novel crackles with the sinister and dark tones of a spy thriller, but it is the second part of the novel where his writing shines. He paints the flooded landscape as an alien and dangerous world, the familiar gone as it is drowned under an unforgiving sea of water, in which the three characters have to survive.

This book was certainly worth the wait. Pullman has lost none of his skill as a storyteller but neither has he run out of ideas and stories to tell in his unique universe. So often with sequels, especially after such original stories as His Dark Materials trilogy, there can be the law of diminishing returns, the author having used up all their ideas in the first book/books, not so here. The quality of La Belle Sauvage bodes well for the rest of the trilogy, and I am so glad to report that.

Having fully immersed myself in Philip Pullman's work over the last 15 years or so, I am, like many others, always thrilled to hear of a new edition to one or another of his imaginary worlds. When I heard of this new novel I was overjoyed and waiting for the release with baited breath. I tend to purchase the various editions of my favourite novelists including the audiobooks, which I listen to whilst driving. Indeed, I invested in the BBC Full cast version of the His Dark Materials trilogy back in the day and now consider such a production to be the very pinnacle of the audiobook format. If you haven't heard it I can't recommend it highly enough. It ranks along side the BBC's best radio plays and is utterly engrossing for the whole family.His Dark Materials Trilogy (Box Set): Three BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisations (BBC Audiobooks)

Solo readings, though very enjoyable with a talented reader, are unlikely to match an unabridged, full cast, author-narrated production. So I was intrigued to hear that Michael Sheen was the reader for The Book Of Dust Volume One. Most people, I suspect, will be familiar with Mr. Sheen's work as an actor but what most will forget is his talent as an impersonator. Aside from his wonderful voice, which has a soft welsh timbre, he has no problem adopting regional accents, a female pitch, or a tone suited to the age of any character. It beggars belief how he remembers the voice of each character and uses them without skipping a beat. Furthermore, Mr Sheen ensure his cadence, rhythm and emphasis is never short of perfect. It is terribly easy to listen to. Admittedly, it is not a full cast production but Mr. Sheen pulls off a command performance in this single-handed tour de force. Right from the off I became drawn into the familiar, disturbing world of Lyra, Dust & alethiometers. I very much hope Mr Sheen has signed up to voice the final two books in the series and will definitely add them to my collection.

La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust Volume One (Book of Dust Series)

THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW

First up: it's great to have you back Lyra/Pan, even in your baby form!

Secondly, this is a rip-roaring adventure book, which manages to throw in a boat-load of characters and scenes, despite never leaving the Thames. Of course, this is a different world, and a due to circumstances that emerge in the book, a very different Thames. The story is - once it really gets going - about two characters on a journey, and it is reminiscent of many other similar stories, being somewhat episodic and lacking in all but the most basic overall plot. Like The Hobbit, but on a much smaller stage, this is a 'There and Back Again' tale. That has its weaknesses. Like Voyage of the Dawn Treader, there are eddies and longeurs in this story, and frankly weird moments that have symbolic meaning but add nothing to the narrative. But unlike Lewis and Tolkein, Pullman adds a proper villain, and a chase to boot.

Of course, at the moment, this feels like The Hobbit in another way, in that it is setting the scene for the cosmic drama of His Dark Materials. There is no world-hopping here, we are putting various people and items in place for the grand narrative of the end of worlds that is to come. This is much more domestic, and therefore it is appropriate that the two heroes are working class children who help out in a pub. Unlike Lyra, these are unremarkable children, with unremarkable parents, and they are all the better for it. I much prefer the stories of ordinary people put in extraordinary circumstances to those of superheroes. Thank you for Malcolm and Alice.

The metaphysical elements of the original trilogy remain, and the challenge of writing fantasy while denying a spiritual dimension to life is one that Pullman is clearly intending to face down in this new series. There is much of the 'faerie' about the story, which is currently not explained; I'm curious about how these many loose ends will be resolved and a potential 'scientific' explanation feels far-fetched, at the very least. I look forward to his efforts, but I have a feeling they might not be as satisfactory to his secularist fans as they no doubt wish. If Pullman can solve the mystery of consciousness he will do well to avoid offending them.

One group of people Pullman is clearly not worried about offending is Christians. Once again they are the Nazis, the KGB/Stasi, the very worst of human nature. One can only imagine what Pullman's schooling was like for him to develop such an instinctive hatred. Since writing His Dark Materials Pullman has been confronted by many wise and intelligent Christians, including Rowan Williams, and I wonder if they are represented by the caring, kind, but nonetheless naive, unquestioning and subservient nuns of Godstow Priory. If they are an olive branch, it is a paltry one.

I very much enjoyed my read, but just like Dawn Treader the flimsy overall narrative never really grabbed me ,and even tempted me to skip through some of the fantastical scenes. I kept waiting for the story proper to start, and it never really did. I am also left wondering what comes next. This book feels complete in itself, and without giving too much away, sets us up for His Dark Materials without the need for two more books. Was Pullman persuaded to write two more books after completing this one? I wonder...

Still, I heartily recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed the first series. For me, though, it is very much a Hobbit in comparison to the majesty of His Dark Materials.

Pullman is back! We return to Lyra's Oxford and this time to baby Lyra, and the adventures of Malcolm Polstead and his canoe, La Belle Sauvage.

I listened to the audio book, very well read by Michael Sheen, and enjoyed it immensely. The first half is a little slow as we explore Malcolm's life at his parents riverside pub The Trout, his meetings with scholars, nuns and baby Lyra and the rise of sinister forces taking over his school and stifling free thought. Then a huge flood hits and Malcolm, Lyra and his friend Alice and thrown into danger and turmoil, pursued by a pretty terrifying villain!

I just love visiting Pullman's world and Malcolm is a plucky but thoughtful hero. I'd have liked a bit more of the resistance movement and Dr Hannah Relph, the aletheiometer reader and I was rather taken aback by the 'f words' from Alice! The book refers to quite disturbing violence and sexual assault, but quite honestly, if you are old enough to read and understand Pullman's previous His Dark Materials books, you are mature enough for this more adult content I think.

I'm still worried about Sister Fenella!

The original series was narrated by a cast, with Pullman himself involved, so it was slightly disappointing to find just one reader. However, Michael Sheen does an fantastic job, capturing the different characters superbly well. I have not heard Sheen do any audio books before, but I will certainly be looking out for him after this. The 13 hours or so swept by.

Of the story itself, despite Pullman saying "it's an equel [sic] not a prequel", it is very much the latter, Lyra appearing as a baby throughout with the story that explains one of two background facts from "His Dark Materials". It is essentially a tale in two parts - the first is almost a spy story, the second an odessy - indeed with strong nods to The Odessy.

And it is a very enjoyable ride. Unlike the opening two parts of HDM it ends without a clifhanger, giving no real clue as to where things will go next, but we are promised two more. There is about 10-12 years to fill inbetween the end of this book and the start of Northern Lights - assuming that is what Pullman will be confining himself to (who knows?). Hopefully we will not have to wait 17 years to find out!

What a great origins adventure, totally captivating on all levels and a complete page turner. I loved it more the second time.

This was great. Not as jaw-dropping as Northern Lights as a series intro, but wonderful nonetheless. Pullman calls this an 'equel' rather than a sequel or prequel, which seems apt!

Our main character is an 11 year old called Malcolm, who I just loved. He isn't wild and cunning like Lyra, he isn't hurt and bold like Will, he was his own thing, and perfect for it. Malcolm is inquisitive, thoughtful, kind, clever, and good with his hands. He's always helping people, trying to learn, and trying to make things better, in a world that won't reward him for it. He helps the local nuns, he helps build things with a carpenter, he learns from his school and homework, and he's attentive when he helps in his parents inn. He's a golden boy, a classic fairy tale hero, and he's a bit of a joy to spend time with. His love and loyalty for people - his parents, the nuns, Lyra - feels very real, and you want him to succeed because he deserves to.

With him is Alice, a far more complex character a few years older than Malcolm. She's more enigmatic - it's fair to say that this narrative is Malcolm's and not hers - but she's richly drawn. There are hints about troubles in her life that Malcolm can't fathom, and she exhibits behaviours he doesn't understand because of what she's been through, which makes me want to get to know her all the more.

The main antagonist in this is a new, terrifying character called Bonneville, a rapist and abuser who has the most horrifying daemon in the books (even more frightening than Coulter's golden monkey!). His hyena daemon is mutated, twisted, ugly and brutal on the outside, just like he is on the inside.

The supporting characters and worlds are all richly drawn, with sounds, smells, tastes and feelings all helping to draw us in further. Tokay and Chocolatl still seem more appealing than their our-world counterparts. Lovely to spend time with giggly baby Lyra and mischievous little Pan, too.

What really sets this apart from the previous series is that this is about fairy tales, where the other was about religion. Religion is still a major factor here, of course, both the good and bad elements of it, but instead of Angels and souls, here we are concerned with the Secret Commonwealth and the land of the Fae. Pullman also looks at the corruption of vulnerable people by those in power, at the nature of secrets and trust, and at the joy of doing things well.

I loved it. Can't wait for the next one!

What a pleasure to be back in Lyra's universe! In this first installment of the Book of Dust trilogy, she is still at the centre of the action despite not being an active protagonist. Instead, we are introduced to Malcolm Polstead, a lovable young boy we briefly met (as an adult) in Lyra's Oxford (also mentioned in Once Upon a Time in the North). While this story is not "grandiose " in the same way as the His Dark Materials trilogy it is still a highly enjoyable read. The atmosphere is different, utterly sombre. Pullman's writing is beautiful in its clarity and simplicity. The intrigue is interesting, and well paced. There is some subtle magic in it,and a glimpse of other realities. While I was mainly eager to find out what happened *after* The Amber Spyglass, I was still happy to learn more about Lyra's early history. It was a pleasure to get to know Malcolm and I spent a truly lovely time with this book. I kept trying to reduce my pace to get to enjoy it longer (and totally failed I must confess). I look forward to reading the next volume!!

This book was brilliant, explained a lot to me about the series I had previously read ‘His dark Materials,’which I had thoroughly enjoyed.

Also was a thrilling adventure of a story quite gripping and exciting.

On my previous book review it said what age did I buy the book for? Only went as high as 18+ I am in my 60s and I bought them for me. But they would suit any age from 12 up I think.

It is a nicely made edition. My copy came with uneven (uncut) edges of pages which adds to experience. Lyra story continues. I'd say it is not as great as trilogy but still very good.

Segunda vez lendo, primeira na língua original e não podia ser mais perfeito. O sotaque de cada personagem dá ainda mais vida a eles. Phillip Pullman não decepciona!

Bought the original English version to do a nice immersion again in this wonderful story (I read the story already previously in my native language) before the release of the last book. I love Philip Pullman's trilogy His Dark Materials and the Book of Dust is a wonderful, deep, and vast realm completing the story of Lyra and Pantalaimon.

Absolutely loved this book. Pure imagination and fantasy, a gift of escape from the real world. Can’t wait to read the next book.