The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage (Book of Dust, Volume 1)

Philip Pullman

Oct 2017 · The Book of Dust Book 1 · Sold by Knopf Books for Young Readers

About this ebook

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Philip Pullman returns to the parallel world of His Dark Materials to expand on the story of Lyra, “one of fantasy’s most indelible heroines” (The New York Times Magazine).

Don’t miss Volume II of The Book of Dust: The Secret Commonwealth!

Malcolm Polstead and his daemon, Asta, are used to overhearing news and the occasional scandal at the inn run by his family. But during a winter of unceasing rain, Malcolm finds a mysterious object—and finds himself in grave danger.

Inside the object is a cryptic message about something called Dust; and it’s not long before Malcolm is approached by the spy for whom this message was actually intended. When she asks Malcolm to keep his eyes open, he begins to notice suspicious characters everywhere: the explorer Lord Asriel, clearly on the run; enforcement agents from the Magisterium; a gyptian named Coram with warnings just for Malcolm; and a beautiful woman with an evil monkey for a daemon. All are asking about the same thing: a girl—just a baby—named Lyra.
 
Lyra is at the center of a storm, and Malcolm will brave any peril, and make shocking sacrifices, to bring her safely through it.
 
“Too few things in our world are worth a seventeen-year wait: The Book of Dust is one of them.” —The Washington Post

“The book is full of wonder. . . . Truly thrilling.” —The New York Times

“People will love the first volume of Philip Pullman’s new trilogy with the same helpless vehemence that stole over them when The Golden Compass came out.” —Slate

Ratings and reviews

A positively fantastic thriller from cover to cover, barring that weird section of supernatural toward the end that makes no sense and does absolutely nothing to further the plot. I think perhaps it'll make more sense with information from subsequent entries, but in a vacuum it's nonsense. However, even that doesn't significantly detract from how good ether writing is. I'm going back to brush up on His Dark Materials now.

What a thriller! I was near having a heart attack multiple times. Beautiful prose (as usual for this author). And the main character is a great addition to those that comprise Lyra's story.

Definitely worth the wait, I absolutely loved it. I don't want to give too much away about this book, so....just try reading it yeah? It's a gripping story that's easy to fall into and is packed with rich character development, action, adventure and so much more. I cannot wait for volume 2 to come out. :D

About the author

PHILIP PULLMAN is one of the most acclaimed writers working today. He is best known for the His Dark Materials trilogy, which has been named one of the top 100 books of all time by Newsweek and one of the all-time greatest novels by Entertainment Weekly. Pullman was knighted for his services to literature in the 2019 New Year Honours.

The Book of Dust, Pullman’s eagerly anticipated return to the world of His Dark Materials, will also be a book in three parts. It began with La Belle Sauvage and continues with The Secret Commonwealth.

Philip Pullman is the author of many other beloved novels. For younger readers: I Was a Rat!, Count Karlstein, Two Crafty Criminals!, Spring-Heeled Jack, and The Scarecrow and His Servant. For older readers: the Sally Lockhart quartet (The Ruby in the Smoke, The Shadow in the North, The Tiger in the Well, and The Tin Princess), The White Mercedes, and The Broken Bridge. He has written a magnificent collection, Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm, and his essays and lectures on writing and storytelling have been gathered in a volume called Dæmon Voices: On Stories and Storytelling.

Philip Pullman lives in Oxford, England.