La Belle Sauvage (Book of Dust - Volume 1) - The Book of Dust

The ending of the "His Dark Materials" trilogy leaves the reader craving for more of the story. This new book does not disappoint.

"La Belle Sauvage" tells the tale of how Lyra came to Jordan College at Oxford, and how a certain important object came into the hands of her caretakers there. Yet, the story is only incidentally about Lyra as an infant, focusing on those whose purpose is to keep her safe and deliver her to sanctuary, and those others who try to prevent that outcome. Pullman's character development is rich, as always, and the story is compelling to the point where you will call in sick to work just to spend the day in bed reading.

If you enjoyed "His Dark Materials" -- heart-wrenching ending and all -- you will love this new story of Lyra and her Golden Compass.

I have never been so intensely, singularly concerned about a character whose fate I've already read. That I am is a testament to Pullman's power as an author, and though the narrative is as dirty, raw, and meandering as the floods that overtake Lyra's great island, every last bit of it is hauntingly beautiful. I need to know what happens next, and I need to know it fiercely.

Pullman's writing and imagery is still absolutely beautiful, but there's a huge amount of the central tension of the book riding on the fear of sexual assault as a means of generating horror. There's the threat of sexual assault of a child, the threat of sexual assault of nuns, and the implied sexual assault of university students by their professors. I won't keep reading this series.

I have never been so intensely, singularly concerned about a character whose fate I've already read. That I am is a testament to Pullman's power as an author, and though the narrative is as dirty, raw, and meandering as the floods that overtake Lyra's great island, every last bit of it is hauntingly beautiful. I need to know what happens next, and I need to know it fiercely.

Pullman's writing and imagery is still absolutely beautiful, but there's a huge amount of the central tension of the book riding on the fear of sexual assault as a means of generating horror. There's the threat of sexual assault of a child, the threat of sexual assault of nuns, and the implied sexual assault of university students by their professors. I won't keep reading this series.

As a huge Philip Pullman fan, I was looking forward to La Belle Sauvage, but came away disappointed.

Where has Pullman’s genial creativity that he showed so clearly in His Dark Materials gone? Where’s his unexpected plot twists? His fascinatingly unique, deep and rich characters? The brooding mystery? His political machinations? His sense of fun? His mastery of the macabre?

I loved His Dark Materials. In just the opening three chapters he introduces us to the amazing daemons, a poisoning plot, a severed head in a coolbox, children kidnapped by the menacing Gobblers, armoured bears in the Far North, scary night-ghasts, the magical alethiometer, zeppelins and the mysterious Dust. The main character is the wild, effervescent, naughty Lyra. It was a breathtaking trilogy. In comparison, La Belle Sauvage is a plodding yawn.

Instead of the quirky Lyra, the central character here is 11-year-old Malcolm; a Bob-A-Job, Goodie-Two-Shoes, Master-Fixit with oodles of down-to-earth common sense but with severe failings in the charisma department: he “was not noticed much” and if he had a nickname “it would have been the Professor.” His best friends seem to be the nuns from the priory, the aged carpenter, and his boat, La Belle Sauvage. His travelling companion Alice is a clichéd serving wench; rough and uneducated, fancied by the lecherous villain, she only comes to life when she gets angry, which we know because she starts swearing. The other characters are as wet, grey and unappealing as the floodwater. Even the noble adventurer Lord Asriel gets cleaned up and sanitized (Lord Ariel?); his main appearance is when he takes the baby for a midnight coochy-coo-coo in the garden.

The overall plot is as thin as a Kindle: boy meets girl and saves baby from flood and weirdo. It’s a flood of Noahic proportions, with people drowned, Oxford and London virtually submerged, buildings demolished, yet the titular boat rarely meets any survivors, bumps into just one drowned person, and keeps beaching on deserted islands mid-river. Where is everyone? And on two of these islands things occur that simply do not fit the storyline.

The daemons shape-shift endlessly, but we know that by now so it becomes somewhat tiresome. At times when a daemon was going from robin to cat to jackdaw to otter to moth, I was screaming for one to turn into a pterodactyl, tarantula or dragon, but no, it was back to a robin.

If you’ve never read Pullman, don’t start here. Read His Dark Materials.If you’re a Pullman fan, don’t continue with La Belle Sauvage. Re-read His Dark Materials.

Very disappointed. I’m a big Philip Pullman fan and the His Dark Materials are among my favorite books so I was very excited to read this prequel. Unfortunately this did not live up to expectations and was also far more sexually explicit than the previous books where the adult content was a sub text unlikely to be noticed by younger readers.

I have just finished Philip Pullman's latest book, The Book of Dust, and found it a most enjoyable read. The main characters-Malcolm, Alice and baby Lyra- are convincing and resourceful, courageous and delightful. I now want to go and re-read His Dark Materials as this latest novel is a precursor to those. A wonderful escape from these dark times we are living in but also ominously prescient!

I am a fan of Philip Pullman, having thoroughly read and reread the trilogy that preceded the Book of Dust. The copy I received is a first edition with a very beautiful illustration in the first few pages. I only wish it could have been signed by the author. I gave the book to my grandaughter as a gift and now must purchase another copy for myself.

I have been so upset with the quality of the store products. There has been a noticeable decline in the quality of goods. This book is great and I love the author, but I bought the book new as a gift and it looks like it has been used and cane straight from a yard sale. The book is poorly bound so the edges of the pages are bent and the cover is scuffed and worn on the corners. I gave three stars because the content of the book is really good and drew me in right away. Buy the kindle version though. I blame the store. I'm so disappointed with their quality that I'm not renewing prime next year

While I don't know if it gave me that same "Wow" factor as when I read "The Golden Compass" for the first time, "The Book of Dust" is a really excellent read, and great return to Lyra's Oxford. Malcolm is a great new character and one who I look forwarded to following in subsequent volumes.

I am a fan of these books. The Book of Dust was well written and suspenseful. I felt like I was there in the flood, fleeing for my life. Characters were carefully crafted and although we learned a lot about them, I'm looking forward to learning more.
Great read!

I'm not a huge fan of science fiction but this more of a fantasy story and I raced through it. The characters are sweet and wonderful, and the story is very fast paced and engaging. Can't wait for the next one in the series.

Completely engaging. This book has complex plots and an intriguing philosophical bent. The characters make me yearn to meet them again. I immediately bought Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy and am devouring it! This book is suitable for adults even though designed for the YA market. I would recommend it for all my friends, particularly those young at heart and adventurous.

Reading this was like returning to a familiar world you go to in your whimsical dreams. Didn’t want to read too fast as I didn’t want it to end. But couldn’t put it down - and now the wait for the next chapter begins.
Thank you Phillip Pullman and get writing!

If you’ve loved the Golden Compass series then the tone and world created here will delight. The nobility of some characters and the true evil of others is revisited. I devoted an uninterrupted weekend to reading it and am so enthused to read the other two expected books in this new series

Malcolm has heard strange rumors about the baby with the nuns.

It's said she's the daughter of a powerful man and the woman who started the League of St. Alexander. It's said the CCD is looking for her. It's said she's the answer to a prophecy. When Malcolm sees the little girl, he doesn't see what the big deal is. She's cute, but she's just a baby - how could she be so dangerous.

Malcolm is certainly about to find out as he is whisked away into a world of secrets and spies. When the biggest flood London has ever seen comes to wipe everything away, it's up to Malcolm to make sure baby Lyra is safe - not only from the water, but from the men and women chasing after her. Especially the man whose daemon is missing a leg....

La Belle Sauvage is not The Golden Compass, but it is quite enjoyable.

Like many of the people reading this book, I have a history with Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. I read them growing up... over and over again... and Lyra and Will are a part of my heart. When La Belle Sauvage was announced as a prequel, I was a bit skeptical about the choice of setting, but immediately pre-ordered it because of course I was going to read this book... I've only been waiting about 20 years for it. If a reader is expecting for find Lyra and Pan back in all their glory, think again.

THAT SAID, lets talk about Malcolm and Asta, because they're also delightful new characters. Mal isn't this big, brave child - he's the sort that simply does the things that need doing. The things he feels are right. This quality is so important to me in Lyra's character, and it was amazing to see it in Malcolm. These children are regular children who see a bad situation, are very careful, and do the right thing as best they can. Malcolm is good to his parents and kind to baby Lyra. He is helpful to the nuns when he visits them. He does what he needs to do, but he doesn't do it was a self-righteous flash and flare... something fairly rare in heroes.

It's an awfully long book.

This is not a complaint, necessarily... more of an observation. La Belle Sauvage comes in at nearly 500 pages, but most of that is just travel. There are little adventures along the way, and they are all interesting in their own right, but they are pointless. They do nothing to move along the plot - they merely distract the reader while we wait for the trio to reach their destination. There were sections when I found myself asking "Wait, what's going on? Who is this? Why do I care?" which is not particularly good.

For as much as I liked Malcolm and grew to like Alice... I just felt like this book was really draggy and lacked the overall purpose that pulled you into The Golden Compass and the other books.

Plot of The Golden Compass: stop the horrible people who are severing daemons!
Plot of La Belle Sauvage: make sure Lyra stays safe.

No wonder it's a bit draggy and underwhelming. It's fun and interesting, don't get me wrong, but I felt strongly that it didn't live up to the original series. It felt like a quite long sub-book, like the novellas Once Upon a Time in the North and Lyra's Oxford.

Fans of His Dark Materials may be disappointed.

I am not, by any means, saying that you should not read this book. You should. Malcolm is great, Alice is great, and baby Pan will make your heart melt into a puddle of goo. But you absolutely cannot go into this book expecting a brilliant revival of His Dark Materials. It doesn't happen. Not even a little. I think even the most open-minded readers will fall into this feeling as though it lacks something.

I feel it's also interesting to know... the second book in the Book of Dust trilogy is called The Secret Commonwealth. It's not set after this one, so we'll never know what happened precisely with Oxford Street or The League of St. Alexander or Mal and Asta. It's set twenty years in the future, long after the events of all the currently published books in this world. This really further cements my feeling that this are extended novellas and I have mixed feelings about the whole thing.

What else is wrong with this novel? Alethiometers are as common as, uh, dust. Three appear in this novel. Everyone's got one. Oxford's alethiometer person ("Hannah") has as much character as doorstop. Mrs. Coulter's scheme to get children to report their parents' anti-church sentiments (which can result in prison or execution) is unbelievable (yes, this happened in Maoist China but not in Vichy France). I don't remember anyone having guns or motorboats in the original trilogy.

The anti-Catholic sentiments aren't believable. Studying the French Revolution would have given the author insights into why the Catholic Church was so powerful, why the Jacobins opposed the Church, and why so many French people supported the Church.

It wasn't terrible enough to make me stop reading it but it wasn't good. Two stars.

It's fun to go back to Lyra's Oxford, but this book has some real pacing problems. The first three quarters of the book is very slow, and the last quarter incorporates a degree of whimsy that we haven't seen from Pullman before. Though your first clue about the whimsy: the inspiration for this series of books seems to be "Faerie Queene" vs. "Paradise Lost" (for the His Dark Materials series). When I think of the Golden Compass and its pell-mell pacing -- Gyptians! Armored Bears! Lapland Witches! Hot-air ballooning Texans! -- and compare to the "events" of this book -- A broken window is repaired! A boat is painted! Many vegetables are chopped! -- I could weep.

While this book is lovely and I recommend it fully, I have to give this edition a one star rating because I loathe censorship in all forms. This edition, produced for America, is censored. It probably isn't a big deal for most of you, it largely cleans up some slight vulgarities. But this edition does not represent the full vision of the author and, as such, is too flawed for me to recommend. Philip Pullman spent many years making this book as perfect as he could and it is unacceptable to me that an American editor decided to tamper with his art. Buy the edition published by David Fickling (available on the store.co.uk, as well as other places) instead.

As much as I enjoyed the first 2 books of His Dark Material, the third one deeply disappointed me and I thought some of it resembled C. S. Lewis’s Out of the Silent Planet too much to be considered original.
The first half of this book brought 2 thoughts: first, nothing is happening. Second, it has shades of That Hideous Strength, Lewis again. I can only conclude Lewis, and his study of good vs evil, had a deep influence on Pullman.
Nothing happens in the first part, although a lot of questions are laid out. Then they take off on the canoe and everything becomes a blurred, chaotic, fairytale. Too much, too fast, not significant. I am left wondering how a prequel to Lyra’s story can in anyway enhance it. This first book fails to feel significant and fails to show why it had to be told.

The printing (hardcover 1st edition).
Printing: Several odd choices. It advertises a full color illustration, which is actually a blue illustration. Blue is technically a color, so this isn't wrong, but it's a bit misleading. The edges are deckled, which is an irritation. Cut edges are much nicer, and easier to turn. Remove the "dust" jacket, and the cover is white cardboardy material with an embossed Phillip Pullman signature. Since the jacket art is unappealing, and the cover is dull, it would not make a nice displace piece. The margins are bizarrely huge. The text could have been printed in a much smaller book, without changing typeface. Typeface and layout is reading and unobtrusive.

The story: If you liked His Dark Materials, you'll probably be okay with this. Many themes, and characters are revisited from HDM, although the major characters are largely different. The first act, which seems to encompass the majority of the first half of the book, introduces characters, setting, and sets up the crisis resolved in the second act. Oddly much of this is the protagonist observing other characters (encountered through chance), and then restating their actions to others. Most major scenes of the first act occur twice-- once in the happening and once in the retelling.

A great deal of time is spend introducing a triagonist who is absent from the second act, and whose character development is suspected to pay off in a later book. Act II is more similar to HDM with two young protagonists, carrying out a mission in adverse conditions. They face down an inexplicably powerful human foe, and the mythology of Lyra's Earth is added to through a series of misadventures.
Without undue spoilers, this act is also oddly punctuated with repetitive sequences describing childcare.

Compared to Northern Lights/The Golden Compass as the beginning of a trilogy, it doesn't quite live up. The mystery being investigated is one we already have some answers to from HDM, and many of the elements of Lyra's Earth are one's we've seen before-- the magisterium, daemons, oxford, Witches, Gyptians, etc have already been treated in HDM. At the same time, Lyra's world seems much closer to our own than in HDM.
Swiss army knives, disposable nappies/diapers, A Brief History of Time, all signal familiarity that wasn't apparent in HDM.

Overall I believe it still deserves five stars. The narrative is entertaining, especially if taken in the context that is is a part of a wider series, and certain elements introduced today may not payoff until a later volume.

Phillip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy is one of my favorite sets of books, so I had been looking forward to The Book of Dust for about a year now. Unlike many positive reviewers here, I simply cannot give Pullman a pass for this dull, boring, predictable novel. It is the opposite of a page turner. I found myself just waiting for the book to take off and it never really did. There were occasional flashes of that Pullman brilliance that I had expected but they came late in the book and were entirely inconsequential. In short, I had expected Pullman to take me to mythical lands and to show me magical tools, but he only brought me from Oxford to London on a sturdy, but altogether normal canoe.

I have read the Golden Compass trilogy at least 3 times. I have given them as gifts to many kids. I was SO excited to read La Belle Sauvage. And so very disappointed once I did. Not only slow paced and dull, it also was disjointed and glum. I did finish it, but I am not one to abandon a book once I start. And I kept hoping it would get better. My hopes were in vain.

The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman features Malcolm, an inquisitive young boy who gets swept up in a journey of dust and intrigue.

I had the pleasure of buddy-reading this book with Books in the Skye, which was a lot of fun! As to be expected, the book was well-written. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the His Dark Materials series many years ago, so I expected great things with this prequel. While it didn't blow me away, it was still a good first book in the series, and I'm eager to find out what happens next.

The pacing of the book was slow at times, especially during the first half of the book. It was heavy on details, light on action. While I appreciated the world-buiding, it was a struggle at times to stay engaged. The second half of the book more than made up for the first half. It was an intense and harrowing ride following Malcolm, Alice, and Lyra as they paddled and battled for their lives.

The Book of Dust's story concept was interesting, and the plot development was thoughtfully constructed. The idea of daemons is so intriguing--I loved that about the His Dark Materials books as well. It's fun thinking about what your own daemon would be. I think mine would be either a cat or a fox.  I hope to learn more about dust and Dr. Relf as the series progresses.

The ending of the book was just okay. It ended on a positive note, but there's so many loose ends that I want tied up now. For that reason, I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series.

The characters were well-developed and rich with detail, especially Malcolm and Alice's characters. Malcolm is so clever and eager to learn--I loved watching his character develop throughout the course of the book and enjoyed seeing his bond with Lyra grow. Alice can be petulant at times, but she's also caring and brave. I'm very interested in seeing her character in future books.

Overall, this was an entertaining read. If you enjoyed reading His Dark Materials, this book would be worth the read.

A little honesty before I dive into the review...I love Philip Pullman and His Dark Materials so much that I pre-ordered a signed and numbered edition of his new book from a British bookseller. Then, after waiting a little while for the package to make its way across one ocean and half a continent, I decided I would wait to make this my first read of 2018. (You can't have a bad year if the first book you read is good. I don't make the rules, that's just how it is!) I love this series so much it even inspired my blog name. So I'm going to admit upfront that I started La Belle Sauvage with more than a little bias and some very high expectations.

Expectations that Philip Pullman vastly exceeded.

Say the word "prequel" and devoted fans of a series may rightly shiver in fear. Too often creators use them as cheap money-grabs or worse, to revise errors that their followers may instead see as treasured details. In La Belle Sauvage, Pullman uses this dubious mechanism to instead deepen a segment of the world containing Lyra's Oxford not touched upon in the original trilogy. Some familiar characters drift on and off the page, yet for much of the novel's 500+ pages they remain on the fringes in favor of new faces. These new characters are as richly realized as those who preceded them; in time, they'll be just as loved too.

The novel is divided into two sections: The Trout and The Flood. In the first, which takes up a little over half the chapters, we meet Malcolm, a slightly older girl named Alice who works at his parents' inn, and Hannah, a scholar of the alethiometer with secrets of her own. Through Malcolm we witness the burgeoning power of the Magisterium, whose authority was well-established by The Golden Compass. A school club called the League of St. Alexander draws disturbing parallels with the Hitler Youth, while the Consistorial Court of Discipline inspires fear as a religious secret police. These are all human institutions, whose actions affect the human world. Absent are the deep theological questions and implications dealt with in HDM; this new trilogy is swiftly shaping up to be the story of how greed, self-righteousness, and lust for power brought about the need for Lyra's quest one decade later.

If chapters in "The Trout" section carefully lay the foundations of a future theocracy, in "The Flood" we return to the phantasmal darkness that cements Pullman as a master of the genre. Swept away by torrential rain, Malcolm, Alice, and baby Lyra float southward in search of safety. During their journey, covetous fairies offer sweet enticements behind pointed teeth. In a fog-choked demi-world oblivious adults fete on sweeping lawns while, across a river, hides "everything they ought to remember. If it [the fog] ever cleared away they'd have to take stock of theirselves, and they wouldn't be able to stay in the garden no more." (The last is spoken by a fluvial gatekeeper who takes his orders from Father Thames.) With the overarching question of Dust relegated to the background, the supernatural and political threats in La Belle Sauvage take on an adult and sinister edge.

Malcolm delights as the new central protagonist. Clever and resourceful in a way that is complementary to (but not a facsimile of) Lyra's tenaciousness, he continues in Pullman's tradition of thrusting ordinary men and women into extraordinary circumstances, where their talents shine. His companion Alice intrigues, although telling the tale through Malcolm's viewpoint hinders some larger revelations. In the waning pages Pullman shifts the narrative over to her; I hope we see a similar shift in the series' second book that occurred in HDM, when Will shared the story equally with Lyra. The scholar Hannah is quite similar to the physicist Mary, which is not necessarily a negative. I would like to see her role expand in later books, however.

For all its fantasy elements, La Belle Sauvage is decidedly grounded in humanity in a way that His Dark Materials was not. Without the trappings of angels and multiverses its conflicts reflect more pointedly on today's headlines. It's an inspired return to Lyra's Oxford that fulfills every promise so often broken by prequels. New readers will have the joy of discovering His Dark Materials while they wait for a sequel, while established fans of the original trilogy will delight in finding themselves home among friends once more.

This is the first book in a new trilogy by Philip Pullman. It’s actually the prequel to the His Dark Materials series, which included The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. I read them many years ago and to be truthful, I remember almost nothing about them. I do remember that I enjoyed them, however. From what I gather, the main character in the His Dark Materials series is Lyra. Again, I don’t remember. Well, in La Belle Sauvage, Lyra is just a babe.

--Story--

The story follows 11-year-old Malcolm Polstead who helps out at The Trout, the inn that is owned by his parents. Malcolm and his daemon Astra tend to hear all of the local gossip, including scandals and intrigue, including news about the oppressive religious authority which has, as of late, become more powerful and perhaps more deadly. A creepy Hitler-Youth-like organization called the League of St. Alexander that enlists children to spy on their parents and teachers begins to take hold in the school, and as it becomes stronger, teachers begin to disappear along with some students’ parents.

So one day, Malcolm comes across a strange message in an acorn and eventually discovers the person for whom the message was intended. This person, who we can think of as kind of a spy, asks Malcolm to keep his eyes and ears open and report anything of interest to her - in other words, she enlists him as a spy.

Malcolm also spends a good amount of his time running errands for the nuns directly across the river. It’s at the Priory that Malcolm encounters the baby Lyra, who had been given to the nuns for safekeeping. There is an entire scandal that goes along with Lyra’s birth. Anyway, Malcolm is immediately taken by Lyra and become increasingly attached to the infant as the days progress.

But as he soon learns, there are dark forces afoot and they seem to be centered on the baby Lyra. One of these include the CCD - a branch of the Magisterium which is an oppressive religious sect vying to be the dominant religion which doesn’t seem to have any problems with making people disappear; and the other including villainous scientists who have their own agenda in regards to Lyra, which we are not yet privy to. I found it interesting that we had both villains and heroes on both the religious side and the secular side so, in this way, neither of them was singled out.

What follows then is a harrowing and gripping adventure as Malcolm and Alice (a scullery maid) along with their daemons try to stay one step ahead of their enemies to keep the infant safe (especially from the malevolent scientist Gerard Bonneville and his hyena daemon). Without giving too much away, let me just say that a good part of the novel took place in Malcolm's trusty canoe, which he had named “La Belle Sauvage”, hence the title of this volume. So in this way, the book is part spy novel, part adventure novel, part coming-of-age story which revolves around two children and one infant, all of which are in true peril.

--What I Liked--

Now Daemons are one of the coolest part of Philip Pullman’s novels. If you're unfamiliar with Pullman's daemons, they are a kind of a supernatural creature — like part of your soul — that appear as talking animals and accompany you where you go. In fact, if you wander away too far from your daemon, it results in severe physical pain. I’m not sure if it would kill you if you move away too much, but I think so. In this world, everyone has a daemon but children’s daemons can shape-shift into other animals.

For instance, Malcolm’s daemon Astra switches into a cat, a bird, a month, an owl, just to name a few. I kind of thought of the daemons as an extension of a person’s soul. It’s also interesting to note that if a person is asleep or unconscious, so is their daemon. Once people become an adult, however, the daemon settle down into a permanent shape, which is a reflection of the individual’s personality, much like our personality settles down once we reach adulthood. The primary characters of Alice, Malcolm and Lyra are young enough that their daemons often change form, which made the story extra interesting.

I thought Bonneville was the ultimate terrifying villain. He was absolutely chilling — the kind of evil mastermind that gives little kids nightmares, especially as he, along with his equally frightening daemon, relentlessly pursued Malcolm, Alice and Lyra over the course of several days. I thought he was perfect for this story.

I also felt that Malcolm was a marvelous protagonist: brave, protective, loyal, resourceful, and wise beyond his years. Though only a child himself, I was especially impressed with his overpowering need to put Lyra above everything else and do whatever was necessary to ensure his safety.

It’s funny, after one especially harrowing part of the book, I recall Malcolm saying something to the effect of, “I’m way too young to be going through all this.” I had to agree. But he was definitely up to the task, and he was always ready to fiercely protect the baby. This eleven-year-old boy ended up being a larger than life characters in this book.

I also really liked the theme of conflict between the oppressive religious authoritarianism and the basic right of human freedom, a recurrent theme, if I’m not mistaken, in other Pullman novels. I thought this conflict was well presented in the book and liked the fact that Pullman presented both the good and the evil sides of it.

--What I Didn’t Like--

The first part of the novel consisted of heavy world building and backstory, so it did seem kind of slow at the get-go. But once the setting was laid out, then things really take off as we move from one nail-biting experience to another.

Another thing I didn’t care for was the abrupt ending. I’m not a fan of cliffhangers, and this book did kind of end on one. Not terribly so, but enough that I found it annoying. For instance, we really don’t find out the reason that everyone is after Lyra. All we know is that it has something to do with this illusive Dust. The ending scene felt more like a momentary reprieve rather than the conclusion of a book, which didn’t feel all that satisfying to me.

--Final Verdict--

This is a remarkable addition to the His Dark Materials series, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this series is going to go. La Belle Sauvage was one of those books that had my heart racing on more than one occasion and that I just couldn’t put down. Pullman’s storytelling ability is unsurpassed, in my opinion, and I found this a thrilling ride.

I loved the strong world-building and character development, and felt that this story really came to life for me with the vibrant characters, the exciting adventures and the beautiful narrative. Well written with strong characters and a marvelous sense of place, La Belle Sauvage is a captivating story of good and evil that will linger long after the last word is read.

This book had it all: spies, devastating floods of biblical proportions, life-and-death boat races, gentle nuns, intolerant and inquisition-like religious organizations, brave heroes and heroines fighting for freedom and liberty, brave heroes and heroines fighting for their lives, creepy mausoleums, nefarious villains, mad scientists and even supernatural creatures such as witches and faeries.

I ended up loving this book, in spite of the rather abrupt ending and will definitely be reading the next installment in the series. I just hope we don’t have to wait too long. I ended up giving this book 4 stars.

3.5
Pullman has started off his "Book of Dust" series well with "La Belle Sauvage."
"Sauvage" is a nice addition to the "Dark Materials" world. Technically it can be read without having read the trilogy, but it makes it more fun and probably more meaningful. As always Pullman's writing is solid, and sometimes rather beautiful. I felt that, while the "His Dark Materials" books were enjoyable reads for both YA and adults, "Sauvage" seemed to have a more mature audience in mind, both with the themes and events in it, as well as Pullman's word choice. Malcolm and Alice are both likeable, well-rounded characters, and I look forward to spending more time with them in future books. "Sauvage" book doesn't have as many events as the books the trilogy (another sign of a more mature intended audience). A lot of it is Malcolm, Alice, Lyra, and their daemons in a boat trying to get to London. This is an "Odyssey" like journey, where the characters stop at strange islands (or pseudo islands), and have to overcome different obstacles in order to continue on their way.
The reason I'd give "Sauvage" a 3.5 or 3.75 rather than a full four stars is that, while the book mostly works as a stand-alone -- at its core, it's the story of how Lyra came to live in Jordan College, and that is completed by the end with no further story needed -- there are other places where it doesn't. Some of these things wouldn't usually bother me, as it is the beginning of a series or trilogy, but since the book otherwise feels like a completed stand alone, the [ unexplained visions of the painted dogs feels slightly out of place. Those are weird, even for Pullman. I didn't feel this way about the spangled ring, just the painted dogs. (hide spoiler)] I'm sure it will be explained in future books, but it seemed like an odd addition to this book.
Overall, "Le Belle Sauvage" was a nice return to the "Dark Materials" world. I will be picking up the next book

(There will be some minor spoilers in this review.)

I loved His Dark Materials. So I had high hopes for this book. But it was INCREDIBLY dull. The first half of the book follows our protagonist, Malcom, as he very slowly learns about some high intrigue regarding a baby, Lyra, who will grow to be the star of His Dark Materials. But it's just SO SLOW, I kept waiting for interesting things to happen, and basically nothing interesting did happen. I don't know why I kept reading - I suppose it was partly due to the fact that I wanted to get my $11 worth, and also because I felt some misplaced sense of loyalty to the author, perhaps? If it were an unknown author, or I hadn't loved the Golden Compass trilogy, I definitely would have put the book down halfway through.

The second half gets a little better, because finally something happens (a long, drawn out low-speed chase through a flooded England). But there were a couple scenes that felt incredibly out of place, mostly where Malcom and Alice meet magical creatures. I'm all for magical creatures in a book, but when you've spent the whole first half of the book basically living in a normal world (albeit with daemons and alethiometers), with no real evidence of the supernatural, it just feels very odd to suddenly be thrust into a full on fantasy novel.

All in all, I was incredibly disappointed by this book, and I am not looking forward to book two.

Several years ago (when the movie was coming out), I devoured the trilogy called His Dark Materials, by Phillip Pullman. The first, and most famous of the books is called The Golden Compass. I loved everything about these books. When I learned that, after over twenty years, Phillip Pullman had written a prequel to that saga, I was over the moon with joy. Thanks to Random House Audio, I was able to get a copy of the audio book for review. I'm not used to binges, but I certainly did with this book. It was everything I hoped it would be, and more.

What I Liked:

Audio Performance:
Michael Sheen is a genius narrator, with voices and emotions that make you think twenty people are performing. His performance is mesmerizing. With a rich, booming voice, he is the perfect Lord Asriel. And then the next moment, he is a confused eleven-year old boy. One would think that he would need a moment to go from one character to another, but his performance is seamless.

Action:
This book is full of many adventures and frightening scenes. From the start, there is an edge of danger as Malcolm learns about Lyra and seems to become her protector. When it is clear people want to kidnap Lyra, Malcolm fiercely defends her.

Characters:
Malcolm, the main character, is smart, brave, and resourceful. As he develops, Malcolm learns to see the goodness in some people, and the darkness in others. I love how his opinions change as Malcolm gets to know Alice, the kitchen help at his father's Pub. I can't wait to read more about Malcolm in the future.

Alice has bravado to spare, but is racked with insecurities just under the surface. As the book progresses, the reader learns more and more about Alice, and what a tormented person she is. But regardless of this, Alice is also brave and strong in the face of danger.

Lord Asriel is prominently featured in this book, and I loved finally understanding his character. While he is harsh and abrupt, he is also intensely concerned about Lyra. This changes my thoughts about what happens in the rest of the book series, for the better.

What I Was Mixed About:
Abrupt Ending:
As with his other books, the author ends the book almost in the middle of a scene. Although this is a prequel and I know the general direction of what will happen next, I found this frustrating. I really hope that it doesn't takes years and years for the next book!

PG-13 Aspects:
Although the protagonist is an eleven-year old boy, this book is filled with F-bombs and intense violence. This is NOT a book for children under thirteen.

It is difficult to describe the exquisite pleasure of revisiting a fictional world in which I was first immersed as an adolescent, and wherein every living human has an animal companion known as a daemon. Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' series was a life-changing reading experience for me, and I can trace my passion for written storytelling to those three books, as well as other serialised fiction by authors such as J.K. Rowling and John Marsden.

With this book – the first of three titles planned for release in the coming years – Pullman tells a story that begins ten years before the events of 'His Dark Materials'. Its protagonist is an eleven year-old boy named Malcolm Polstead, who is at the cusp of adolescence and intensely curious toward everyone and everything around him. The protagonist from 'His Dark Materials', Lyra Belacqua, is a wordless baby in 'La Belle Sauvage', and as events unravel, Malcolm takes it upon himself to save her from evil forces and seek sanctuary.

This book's title refers to the name of Malcolm's trusty canoe, in which he navigates a great flood that envelopes the lands surrounding his childhood home. Philip Pullman excels at this sort of a coming-of-age tale, and as I was drawn deeper into the story, I felt that familiar tug of fascination that I first encountered as a wide-eyed boy reading 'His Dark Materials' for the first time. My emotional connection to this story and fantasy world is so enmeshed with my childhood memories that I can't really pretend to have any sort of objectivity. I will say, though, that Pullman remains a master storyteller. I greatly enjoyed 'La Belle Sauvage', and I'm now eagerly re-reading the original trilogy while waiting for the next one to be published.

I listened to this an audio book from audible. I love the golden compass and the movie that was created around the story. I eagerly waited to get this book and it is read spectacularly by the narrator. The story is split into two main sections. The first involves Malcolm being drawn into the world of the resistance, a shadowy cabal of spies and secrets. And the second half is a gruelling, breathless journey set during a biblical flood.

It was a delight to read as you ride along on the boat protecting lyra from several powerful figures. It’s up to Malcolm to keep her safe from the menacing figures that pursue her – and start the chain of events that leads to His Dark Materials.

You got a full glimpse of the Magisterium who is very intolerant of religious fervor to the point that start an army in elementary schools to inform on those that might be against what is to believed. Seriously that a scary thought.

I loved how we got more of the demons and how inter connected they are within this world. The main action happens towards the end of the book which is where the audio book came in nicely as the narrator read it with the intensity it deserved.

It does a great job of being a prologue to the previous series. With a nod to the fae as the story closes. I am excited to see what happens in The Secret Commonwealth to be published sometime in the future.

. . . it lacked a lot, too. If you just want to read a rollocking adventure, very of a particular genre, and using more updated vernacular, very tropish, then this is for you - a tale of two youngsters getting, basically, 'the golden child' to safety, with adults in pursuit, mostly baddies, but some goodies too (without the main characters being totally sure of who's who). This is the trouble though, the overwhelming majority of those who have read, are reading or will read this, are fans of the original trilogy, but this prequel is seriously devoid of the aspects which made the original trilogy special - the steeply-spiry semi-steampunkish backdrop and atmosphere of Mr Pullman's other-world Oxford and environs, it just ain't there. It's mentioned, as are the Gyptians and witches, but that's all that happens. I did enjoy this, but, being ruthlessly honest, I expected far more. Let's hope the next 2, which apparently are not prequels, are far better reads.

One thing though, the hard cover edition is great: large font, well spaced. It actually makes a short to medium length story look longer, but that's just an observation, not a criticism.

This book was terrific, much better, in my opinion than the 3 main books and less of a children’s book than the others. I wish I had know that there is a planned trilogy prequel for his dark materials as I would have waited till they all came out before beginning reading them. Now I can’t wait for the next one. Very exciting and fun w/o being exceedingly harrowing in the scary bits.
SPOILER: Only one thing I had a problem with and if someone has ideas about it, i’d be happy to hear. That is with the man with the hyena demon. How was it that he was able to be seen by the people in the enchanted island and how was it that he was able to follow them as if a shadow while maintaining his corporeal body? Seems to me if he was able to interact with the people on the island, that would mean he was dead. And if he was dead, how could he have had sufficient physicality to grab and try to kill Alice and Malcolm? If he was some sort of spirit, then an oar would not have killed him. That is the only perplexing part. I hope someone has some insight for me.

This is the story of Malcolm Polstead, son of a tavern owner, friend of nuns, and protector of Lyra Belacqua. About a decade before Lyra's adventures in Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy she is a baby being cared for by a priory of nuns in Oxford. But sinister people are trying to take Lyra away from the priory and Malcolm knows it. When a massive flood hits Oxford Malcolm and Alice, a teenager who works in Malcolm's family tavern, save Lyra and escape down river in Malcolm's canoe, La Belle Sauvage. They must struggle to stay alive and get Lyra to the safety of her father.

I was not impressed with this book, especially since I love the original trilogy. This is part one of a two-part prequel to His Dark Materials, an amazing Young Adult trilogy set in a parallel universe. I felt like Pullman was trying to make this story just as magical and fantastic as the other stories, and he couldn't quite pull it off. Parts of the story, like the giant flood, don't make sense no matter what universe you're in. It was just interesting enough to keep me reading and since I need to know how the adventure ends, I'll read part two when it's published.

After such a long wait, this is like being back with old friends - even though Lyra is not yet the child we came to know and love. I don't think His Dark Materials fans need to know anything much about the storyline other than that it's just as compelling as one would have hoped.

However, a slight caveat: I was a little bit taken aback by the sex and language. Not extensive, but I'd have thought that the f-word could have been quite happily and comfortably avoided, and the sex was more explicit than I would have expected in a book that will be read by a young age group. Harry Potter-fodder this isn't!

Don't get me wrong - there isn't much of this level of language, and the sex is less than a page ....but I know at just how young an age I would have read this, had it been available before I was a grown-up, and I would have been ready for the rest of this adventure before I was ready for that! So just be aware before you assume it's entirely primary-age friendly.

A full five stars and more, though, as long as you're old enough!

Oh - and I almost forgot to mention: when you take the dustcover off, the hardback itself is absolutely beautiful: sparkling silver on dark blue. Very Dust!

I have read the Golden Compass trilogy at least 3 times. I have given them as gifts to many kids. I was SO excited to read La Belle Sauvage. And so very disappointed once I did. Not only slow paced and dull, it also was disjointed and glum. I did finish it, but I am not one to abandon a book once I start. And I kept hoping it would get better. My hopes were in vain.

The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman features Malcolm, an inquisitive young boy who gets swept up in a journey of dust and intrigue.

I had the pleasure of buddy-reading this book with Books in the Skye, which was a lot of fun! As to be expected, the book was well-written. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the His Dark Materials series many years ago, so I expected great things with this prequel. While it didn't blow me away, it was still a good first book in the series, and I'm eager to find out what happens next.

The pacing of the book was slow at times, especially during the first half of the book. It was heavy on details, light on action. While I appreciated the world-buiding, it was a struggle at times to stay engaged. The second half of the book more than made up for the first half. It was an intense and harrowing ride following Malcolm, Alice, and Lyra as they paddled and battled for their lives.

The Book of Dust's story concept was interesting, and the plot development was thoughtfully constructed. The idea of daemons is so intriguing--I loved that about the His Dark Materials books as well. It's fun thinking about what your own daemon would be. I think mine would be either a cat or a fox.  I hope to learn more about dust and Dr. Relf as the series progresses.

The ending of the book was just okay. It ended on a positive note, but there's so many loose ends that I want tied up now. For that reason, I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series.

The characters were well-developed and rich with detail, especially Malcolm and Alice's characters. Malcolm is so clever and eager to learn--I loved watching his character develop throughout the course of the book and enjoyed seeing his bond with Lyra grow. Alice can be petulant at times, but she's also caring and brave. I'm very interested in seeing her character in future books.

Overall, this was an entertaining read. If you enjoyed reading His Dark Materials, this book would be worth the read.

A little honesty before I dive into the review...I love Philip Pullman and His Dark Materials so much that I pre-ordered a signed and numbered edition of his new book from a British bookseller. Then, after waiting a little while for the package to make its way across one ocean and half a continent, I decided I would wait to make this my first read of 2018. (You can't have a bad year if the first book you read is good. I don't make the rules, that's just how it is!) I love this series so much it even inspired my blog name. So I'm going to admit upfront that I started La Belle Sauvage with more than a little bias and some very high expectations.

Expectations that Philip Pullman vastly exceeded.

Say the word "prequel" and devoted fans of a series may rightly shiver in fear. Too often creators use them as cheap money-grabs or worse, to revise errors that their followers may instead see as treasured details. In La Belle Sauvage, Pullman uses this dubious mechanism to instead deepen a segment of the world containing Lyra's Oxford not touched upon in the original trilogy. Some familiar characters drift on and off the page, yet for much of the novel's 500+ pages they remain on the fringes in favor of new faces. These new characters are as richly realized as those who preceded them; in time, they'll be just as loved too.

The novel is divided into two sections: The Trout and The Flood. In the first, which takes up a little over half the chapters, we meet Malcolm, a slightly older girl named Alice who works at his parents' inn, and Hannah, a scholar of the alethiometer with secrets of her own. Through Malcolm we witness the burgeoning power of the Magisterium, whose authority was well-established by The Golden Compass. A school club called the League of St. Alexander draws disturbing parallels with the Hitler Youth, while the Consistorial Court of Discipline inspires fear as a religious secret police. These are all human institutions, whose actions affect the human world. Absent are the deep theological questions and implications dealt with in HDM; this new trilogy is swiftly shaping up to be the story of how greed, self-righteousness, and lust for power brought about the need for Lyra's quest one decade later.

If chapters in "The Trout" section carefully lay the foundations of a future theocracy, in "The Flood" we return to the phantasmal darkness that cements Pullman as a master of the genre. Swept away by torrential rain, Malcolm, Alice, and baby Lyra float southward in search of safety. During their journey, covetous fairies offer sweet enticements behind pointed teeth. In a fog-choked demi-world oblivious adults fete on sweeping lawns while, across a river, hides "everything they ought to remember. If it [the fog] ever cleared away they'd have to take stock of theirselves, and they wouldn't be able to stay in the garden no more." (The last is spoken by a fluvial gatekeeper who takes his orders from Father Thames.) With the overarching question of Dust relegated to the background, the supernatural and political threats in La Belle Sauvage take on an adult and sinister edge.

Malcolm delights as the new central protagonist. Clever and resourceful in a way that is complementary to (but not a facsimile of) Lyra's tenaciousness, he continues in Pullman's tradition of thrusting ordinary men and women into extraordinary circumstances, where their talents shine. His companion Alice intrigues, although telling the tale through Malcolm's viewpoint hinders some larger revelations. In the waning pages Pullman shifts the narrative over to her; I hope we see a similar shift in the series' second book that occurred in HDM, when Will shared the story equally with Lyra. The scholar Hannah is quite similar to the physicist Mary, which is not necessarily a negative. I would like to see her role expand in later books, however.

For all its fantasy elements, La Belle Sauvage is decidedly grounded in humanity in a way that His Dark Materials was not. Without the trappings of angels and multiverses its conflicts reflect more pointedly on today's headlines. It's an inspired return to Lyra's Oxford that fulfills every promise so often broken by prequels. New readers will have the joy of discovering His Dark Materials while they wait for a sequel, while established fans of the original trilogy will delight in finding themselves home among friends once more.

This is the first book in a new trilogy by Philip Pullman. It’s actually the prequel to the His Dark Materials series, which included The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. I read them many years ago and to be truthful, I remember almost nothing about them. I do remember that I enjoyed them, however. From what I gather, the main character in the His Dark Materials series is Lyra. Again, I don’t remember. Well, in La Belle Sauvage, Lyra is just a babe.

--Story--

The story follows 11-year-old Malcolm Polstead who helps out at The Trout, the inn that is owned by his parents. Malcolm and his daemon Astra tend to hear all of the local gossip, including scandals and intrigue, including news about the oppressive religious authority which has, as of late, become more powerful and perhaps more deadly. A creepy Hitler-Youth-like organization called the League of St. Alexander that enlists children to spy on their parents and teachers begins to take hold in the school, and as it becomes stronger, teachers begin to disappear along with some students’ parents.

So one day, Malcolm comes across a strange message in an acorn and eventually discovers the person for whom the message was intended. This person, who we can think of as kind of a spy, asks Malcolm to keep his eyes and ears open and report anything of interest to her - in other words, she enlists him as a spy.

Malcolm also spends a good amount of his time running errands for the nuns directly across the river. It’s at the Priory that Malcolm encounters the baby Lyra, who had been given to the nuns for safekeeping. There is an entire scandal that goes along with Lyra’s birth. Anyway, Malcolm is immediately taken by Lyra and become increasingly attached to the infant as the days progress.

But as he soon learns, there are dark forces afoot and they seem to be centered on the baby Lyra. One of these include the CCD - a branch of the Magisterium which is an oppressive religious sect vying to be the dominant religion which doesn’t seem to have any problems with making people disappear; and the other including villainous scientists who have their own agenda in regards to Lyra, which we are not yet privy to. I found it interesting that we had both villains and heroes on both the religious side and the secular side so, in this way, neither of them was singled out.

What follows then is a harrowing and gripping adventure as Malcolm and Alice (a scullery maid) along with their daemons try to stay one step ahead of their enemies to keep the infant safe (especially from the malevolent scientist Gerard Bonneville and his hyena daemon). Without giving too much away, let me just say that a good part of the novel took place in Malcolm's trusty canoe, which he had named “La Belle Sauvage”, hence the title of this volume. So in this way, the book is part spy novel, part adventure novel, part coming-of-age story which revolves around two children and one infant, all of which are in true peril.

--What I Liked--

Now Daemons are one of the coolest part of Philip Pullman’s novels. If you're unfamiliar with Pullman's daemons, they are a kind of a supernatural creature — like part of your soul — that appear as talking animals and accompany you where you go. In fact, if you wander away too far from your daemon, it results in severe physical pain. I’m not sure if it would kill you if you move away too much, but I think so. In this world, everyone has a daemon but children’s daemons can shape-shift into other animals.

For instance, Malcolm’s daemon Astra switches into a cat, a bird, a month, an owl, just to name a few. I kind of thought of the daemons as an extension of a person’s soul. It’s also interesting to note that if a person is asleep or unconscious, so is their daemon. Once people become an adult, however, the daemon settle down into a permanent shape, which is a reflection of the individual’s personality, much like our personality settles down once we reach adulthood. The primary characters of Alice, Malcolm and Lyra are young enough that their daemons often change form, which made the story extra interesting.

I thought Bonneville was the ultimate terrifying villain. He was absolutely chilling — the kind of evil mastermind that gives little kids nightmares, especially as he, along with his equally frightening daemon, relentlessly pursued Malcolm, Alice and Lyra over the course of several days. I thought he was perfect for this story.

I also felt that Malcolm was a marvelous protagonist: brave, protective, loyal, resourceful, and wise beyond his years. Though only a child himself, I was especially impressed with his overpowering need to put Lyra above everything else and do whatever was necessary to ensure his safety.

It’s funny, after one especially harrowing part of the book, I recall Malcolm saying something to the effect of, “I’m way too young to be going through all this.” I had to agree. But he was definitely up to the task, and he was always ready to fiercely protect the baby. This eleven-year-old boy ended up being a larger than life characters in this book.

I also really liked the theme of conflict between the oppressive religious authoritarianism and the basic right of human freedom, a recurrent theme, if I’m not mistaken, in other Pullman novels. I thought this conflict was well presented in the book and liked the fact that Pullman presented both the good and the evil sides of it.

--What I Didn’t Like--

The first part of the novel consisted of heavy world building and backstory, so it did seem kind of slow at the get-go. But once the setting was laid out, then things really take off as we move from one nail-biting experience to another.

Another thing I didn’t care for was the abrupt ending. I’m not a fan of cliffhangers, and this book did kind of end on one. Not terribly so, but enough that I found it annoying. For instance, we really don’t find out the reason that everyone is after Lyra. All we know is that it has something to do with this illusive Dust. The ending scene felt more like a momentary reprieve rather than the conclusion of a book, which didn’t feel all that satisfying to me.

--Final Verdict--

This is a remarkable addition to the His Dark Materials series, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this series is going to go. La Belle Sauvage was one of those books that had my heart racing on more than one occasion and that I just couldn’t put down. Pullman’s storytelling ability is unsurpassed, in my opinion, and I found this a thrilling ride.

I loved the strong world-building and character development, and felt that this story really came to life for me with the vibrant characters, the exciting adventures and the beautiful narrative. Well written with strong characters and a marvelous sense of place, La Belle Sauvage is a captivating story of good and evil that will linger long after the last word is read.

This book had it all: spies, devastating floods of biblical proportions, life-and-death boat races, gentle nuns, intolerant and inquisition-like religious organizations, brave heroes and heroines fighting for freedom and liberty, brave heroes and heroines fighting for their lives, creepy mausoleums, nefarious villains, mad scientists and even supernatural creatures such as witches and faeries.

I ended up loving this book, in spite of the rather abrupt ending and will definitely be reading the next installment in the series. I just hope we don’t have to wait too long. I ended up giving this book 4 stars.

3.5
Pullman has started off his "Book of Dust" series well with "La Belle Sauvage."
"Sauvage" is a nice addition to the "Dark Materials" world. Technically it can be read without having read the trilogy, but it makes it more fun and probably more meaningful. As always Pullman's writing is solid, and sometimes rather beautiful. I felt that, while the "His Dark Materials" books were enjoyable reads for both YA and adults, "Sauvage" seemed to have a more mature audience in mind, both with the themes and events in it, as well as Pullman's word choice. Malcolm and Alice are both likeable, well-rounded characters, and I look forward to spending more time with them in future books. "Sauvage" book doesn't have as many events as the books the trilogy (another sign of a more mature intended audience). A lot of it is Malcolm, Alice, Lyra, and their daemons in a boat trying to get to London. This is an "Odyssey" like journey, where the characters stop at strange islands (or pseudo islands), and have to overcome different obstacles in order to continue on their way.
The reason I'd give "Sauvage" a 3.5 or 3.75 rather than a full four stars is that, while the book mostly works as a stand-alone -- at its core, it's the story of how Lyra came to live in Jordan College, and that is completed by the end with no further story needed -- there are other places where it doesn't. Some of these things wouldn't usually bother me, as it is the beginning of a series or trilogy, but since the book otherwise feels like a completed stand alone, the [ unexplained visions of the painted dogs feels slightly out of place. Those are weird, even for Pullman. I didn't feel this way about the spangled ring, just the painted dogs. (hide spoiler)] I'm sure it will be explained in future books, but it seemed like an odd addition to this book.
Overall, "Le Belle Sauvage" was a nice return to the "Dark Materials" world. I will be picking up the next book

(There will be some minor spoilers in this review.)

I loved His Dark Materials. So I had high hopes for this book. But it was INCREDIBLY dull. The first half of the book follows our protagonist, Malcom, as he very slowly learns about some high intrigue regarding a baby, Lyra, who will grow to be the star of His Dark Materials. But it's just SO SLOW, I kept waiting for interesting things to happen, and basically nothing interesting did happen. I don't know why I kept reading - I suppose it was partly due to the fact that I wanted to get my $11 worth, and also because I felt some misplaced sense of loyalty to the author, perhaps? If it were an unknown author, or I hadn't loved the Golden Compass trilogy, I definitely would have put the book down halfway through.

The second half gets a little better, because finally something happens (a long, drawn out low-speed chase through a flooded England). But there were a couple scenes that felt incredibly out of place, mostly where Malcom and Alice meet magical creatures. I'm all for magical creatures in a book, but when you've spent the whole first half of the book basically living in a normal world (albeit with daemons and alethiometers), with no real evidence of the supernatural, it just feels very odd to suddenly be thrust into a full on fantasy novel.

All in all, I was incredibly disappointed by this book, and I am not looking forward to book two.

Several years ago (when the movie was coming out), I devoured the trilogy called His Dark Materials, by Phillip Pullman. The first, and most famous of the books is called The Golden Compass. I loved everything about these books. When I learned that, after over twenty years, Phillip Pullman had written a prequel to that saga, I was over the moon with joy. Thanks to Random House Audio, I was able to get a copy of the audio book for review. I'm not used to binges, but I certainly did with this book. It was everything I hoped it would be, and more.

What I Liked:

Audio Performance:
Michael Sheen is a genius narrator, with voices and emotions that make you think twenty people are performing. His performance is mesmerizing. With a rich, booming voice, he is the perfect Lord Asriel. And then the next moment, he is a confused eleven-year old boy. One would think that he would need a moment to go from one character to another, but his performance is seamless.

Action:
This book is full of many adventures and frightening scenes. From the start, there is an edge of danger as Malcolm learns about Lyra and seems to become her protector. When it is clear people want to kidnap Lyra, Malcolm fiercely defends her.

Characters:
Malcolm, the main character, is smart, brave, and resourceful. As he develops, Malcolm learns to see the goodness in some people, and the darkness in others. I love how his opinions change as Malcolm gets to know Alice, the kitchen help at his father's Pub. I can't wait to read more about Malcolm in the future.

Alice has bravado to spare, but is racked with insecurities just under the surface. As the book progresses, the reader learns more and more about Alice, and what a tormented person she is. But regardless of this, Alice is also brave and strong in the face of danger.

Lord Asriel is prominently featured in this book, and I loved finally understanding his character. While he is harsh and abrupt, he is also intensely concerned about Lyra. This changes my thoughts about what happens in the rest of the book series, for the better.

What I Was Mixed About:
Abrupt Ending:
As with his other books, the author ends the book almost in the middle of a scene. Although this is a prequel and I know the general direction of what will happen next, I found this frustrating. I really hope that it doesn't takes years and years for the next book!

PG-13 Aspects:
Although the protagonist is an eleven-year old boy, this book is filled with F-bombs and intense violence. This is NOT a book for children under thirteen.

It is difficult to describe the exquisite pleasure of revisiting a fictional world in which I was first immersed as an adolescent, and wherein every living human has an animal companion known as a daemon. Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' series was a life-changing reading experience for me, and I can trace my passion for written storytelling to those three books, as well as other serialised fiction by authors such as J.K. Rowling and John Marsden.

With this book – the first of three titles planned for release in the coming years – Pullman tells a story that begins ten years before the events of 'His Dark Materials'. Its protagonist is an eleven year-old boy named Malcolm Polstead, who is at the cusp of adolescence and intensely curious toward everyone and everything around him. The protagonist from 'His Dark Materials', Lyra Belacqua, is a wordless baby in 'La Belle Sauvage', and as events unravel, Malcolm takes it upon himself to save her from evil forces and seek sanctuary.

This book's title refers to the name of Malcolm's trusty canoe, in which he navigates a great flood that envelopes the lands surrounding his childhood home. Philip Pullman excels at this sort of a coming-of-age tale, and as I was drawn deeper into the story, I felt that familiar tug of fascination that I first encountered as a wide-eyed boy reading 'His Dark Materials' for the first time. My emotional connection to this story and fantasy world is so enmeshed with my childhood memories that I can't really pretend to have any sort of objectivity. I will say, though, that Pullman remains a master storyteller. I greatly enjoyed 'La Belle Sauvage', and I'm now eagerly re-reading the original trilogy while waiting for the next one to be published.

I listened to this an audio book from audible. I love the golden compass and the movie that was created around the story. I eagerly waited to get this book and it is read spectacularly by the narrator. The story is split into two main sections. The first involves Malcolm being drawn into the world of the resistance, a shadowy cabal of spies and secrets. And the second half is a gruelling, breathless journey set during a biblical flood.

It was a delight to read as you ride along on the boat protecting lyra from several powerful figures. It’s up to Malcolm to keep her safe from the menacing figures that pursue her – and start the chain of events that leads to His Dark Materials.

You got a full glimpse of the Magisterium who is very intolerant of religious fervor to the point that start an army in elementary schools to inform on those that might be against what is to believed. Seriously that a scary thought.

I loved how we got more of the demons and how inter connected they are within this world. The main action happens towards the end of the book which is where the audio book came in nicely as the narrator read it with the intensity it deserved.

It does a great job of being a prologue to the previous series. With a nod to the fae as the story closes. I am excited to see what happens in The Secret Commonwealth to be published sometime in the future.

. . . it lacked a lot, too. If you just want to read a rollocking adventure, very of a particular genre, and using more updated vernacular, very tropish, then this is for you - a tale of two youngsters getting, basically, 'the golden child' to safety, with adults in pursuit, mostly baddies, but some goodies too (without the main characters being totally sure of who's who). This is the trouble though, the overwhelming majority of those who have read, are reading or will read this, are fans of the original trilogy, but this prequel is seriously devoid of the aspects which made the original trilogy special - the steeply-spiry semi-steampunkish backdrop and atmosphere of Mr Pullman's other-world Oxford and environs, it just ain't there. It's mentioned, as are the Gyptians and witches, but that's all that happens. I did enjoy this, but, being ruthlessly honest, I expected far more. Let's hope the next 2, which apparently are not prequels, are far better reads.

One thing though, the hard cover edition is great: large font, well spaced. It actually makes a short to medium length story look longer, but that's just an observation, not a criticism.

This book was terrific, much better, in my opinion than the 3 main books and less of a children’s book than the others. I wish I had know that there is a planned trilogy prequel for his dark materials as I would have waited till they all came out before beginning reading them. Now I can’t wait for the next one. Very exciting and fun w/o being exceedingly harrowing in the scary bits.
SPOILER: Only one thing I had a problem with and if someone has ideas about it, i’d be happy to hear. That is with the man with the hyena demon. How was it that he was able to be seen by the people in the enchanted island and how was it that he was able to follow them as if a shadow while maintaining his corporeal body? Seems to me if he was able to interact with the people on the island, that would mean he was dead. And if he was dead, how could he have had sufficient physicality to grab and try to kill Alice and Malcolm? If he was some sort of spirit, then an oar would not have killed him. That is the only perplexing part. I hope someone has some insight for me.

This is the story of Malcolm Polstead, son of a tavern owner, friend of nuns, and protector of Lyra Belacqua. About a decade before Lyra's adventures in Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy she is a baby being cared for by a priory of nuns in Oxford. But sinister people are trying to take Lyra away from the priory and Malcolm knows it. When a massive flood hits Oxford Malcolm and Alice, a teenager who works in Malcolm's family tavern, save Lyra and escape down river in Malcolm's canoe, La Belle Sauvage. They must struggle to stay alive and get Lyra to the safety of her father.

I was not impressed with this book, especially since I love the original trilogy. This is part one of a two-part prequel to His Dark Materials, an amazing Young Adult trilogy set in a parallel universe. I felt like Pullman was trying to make this story just as magical and fantastic as the other stories, and he couldn't quite pull it off. Parts of the story, like the giant flood, don't make sense no matter what universe you're in. It was just interesting enough to keep me reading and since I need to know how the adventure ends, I'll read part two when it's published.

Pullman is masterful at writing novels that appeal to young adults, but also have meaning for actual adults. His concerns about organized religion and specifically the Catholic Church are well known, but in this book, a prequel, the Church is in the early stages of control over the population. They enlist children to spy on their parents and denounce them, they arrest people who are never seen again, they murder when it's to their advantage. There are some very interesting parallels between Naziism and religious zealots who aim to intimidate and silence any dissenters. The same notions could easily apply to today's neo-nationalism, with their hatred of anyone who belongs to a minority group, and their attempts to squelch dissent. Pullman brings so many characters to life, from heroes to villains and in between. Ordinary citizens turn out to be heroes in his books, reluctant, scared, but determined to do the right thing. I intend to re-read all of his Lyra books so I can gain insights to his perceptions and make sense of what's happening in today's world.

Like so many, Lyra and her story has total possession of my heart and I awaited for The Book of Dust with bated breath.

Pullman's skill has not diminished, making it a masterfully written book insofar as technical ability goes. Yet Pullman said that it could have called "His Darker Materials" and that, as an author, "I’ve got older and perhaps more cynical, closer to despair...It is a darker book, I don’t deny that, but that’s the story that came to me and wanted to be told.”
Hence I liked the book yet cannot put it, storywise, in the same league as the His Dark Materials trilogy. I only hope that lack is due to dear Lyra being a baby and that, in the next book, her fire will brighten the whole thing. (Honestly this one was not unlike a Fantasy Thriller). Though, due to Pullman's new attitude, I now fear for her (and Will, if we see him).

Pullman's finally got his mojo back! I'm not the only reader who thought the quality of the Dark Materials series declined precipitously from the brilliance of The Golden Compass to the incoherent mess that was The Amber Spyglass. It's probably just as well that Pullman took a break from this alternate universe. Now, he's back with a "prequel" that lives up to The Golden Compass. The young hero, Malcolm, and his companion, Alice, plus their daemons, Asta and Ben, are worthy protagonists and protectors of the infant Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon. The trials they face as they risk everything to bring Lyra to safety are depicted from the point of view of two children upon whom adults have placed great responsibility while failing to tell them everything they need to know. Watching Malcolm and Alice persevere in the face of all obstacles is just thrilling. So, read this book. You won't be sorry.

A fairly underwhelming prequel to Philip Pullman's classic His Dark Materials trilogy, La Belle Sauvage consists mainly of characters trading custody of the baby Lyra Belacqua like a tiny squalling MacGuffin. There's too much focus on setting up the events of the original series (and presumably the rest of this new trilogy, which will reportedly take place after His Dark Materials), and not enough effort to tell a compelling independent story in its own right. It's still Pullman, so it isn't awful, but it all feels pretty inessential nonetheless. If lightsabers and blasters were enough to make you like The Phantom Menace, alethiometers and dæmons will likely have the same effect here, but such trappings largely fail to recapture the magic.

This is part one of a trilogy. It does a good job setting the background and giving hints as to what may happen in the future. As background, it provides not one but two major protagonists, and one major flood. However, it is a slow float down to London and leaves the reader wanting something more. I for one prefer a trilogy in which each book stands alone as a complete story. Phillip Pullman pulled this off nicely with the Golden Compass, Amber Spyglass, and Subtle Knife. Unfortunately, The Book of Dust does not quite rise to this level. On the positive side, I did like it and having read it, want to read the next two books. As long as Pullman can hook the reader into wanting to read more, he is a success as a story teller.

The American and British editions are published simultaneously. Set 10 years before Northern Lights, when Lyra Belacqua is a baby. Malcolm Polstead is an 11-year-old boy with his dæmon, Asta, working at his parents’ pub on the Thames at Oxford. They go sailing on the river in his canoe, La Belle Sauvage. They get involved in deadly magic/political intrigues, and, with the slightly older girl Alice with her dæmon, have to rescue the baby Lyra during a torrential flood. Villains have their own dæmons, notably a horrendous hyena.

A superbly written, gripping British children's adventure. It ends smoothly, but warns that this is only volume 1 of a trilogy.

Really? Phillip Pullman? His first trilogy was a mostly fantastic read. Fast, compelling. This book should in reality gather dust in some distant part of the universe. Horribly slow, his main character, an 11 year old boy is so good, it’s unbearable, but he’ like the Martha Stewart of everything. Geez, the first part of this plodder is so boring, I kept looking ahead to see if there was something. And then towards the last third, he must have been watching Once Upon a Time on TV cause every magical and illogical thing happens. If my kid wrote an essay like this they would surely get a mouthful of criticism from me. Dust, particles....the science or even pseudo- science is so ridiculous, it’s as if it was written by a third grader. Notes the profs from Oxford were exchanging were so dumb I was incredulous. And then when he introduced the gratuitous nipples and had that so called 11 year old ogling a 16 year old girl, I lost it. And RAPE? Really? This is a horrid book. No grace, no flow....eeks JK Rowling can you please write more Harry Potter’s....sure hope you haven’t lost the knack too.

Save your money. This is just a chap trying to milk the popularity of his first series, so, so sad.

I read all three books of the Golden Compass series and the movie and found them very enjoyable. After reading more than half way, I
am ready to pack it in. It is slow with endless mediocre dialogue and non-essential details. My two grown daughters are listening to
the book but have no enthusiasm.

While I loved Mr. Pullman's "The Golden Compass," and "Subtle Knife," I cringed at the 1/3rd of the final book in the first series, "The Amber Spyglass." I hoped this "prequel" to the Dark Materials would fare better. It did not. The characters are either evil or flat. The story is a horror fest. Reminds me of a slasher film. Mr. Pullman is a talented writer, but he has, for some unknown reason, decided to write sickening books. I wouldn't recommend this for anyone -- unless you liked "Amber Spyglass." Dreadful novel!

So good! I listened to the audio version and was mesmerized. This book fills in a lot of the backstory to Lyra's life and is full of action and great characters. I immediately had to go back and start the original trilogy over again. Can't wait until the next book in the series comes out.

La Belle Sauvage is classic Pullman - young people in true peril rising up to follow their moral compasses against all odds. There are aspects of the book that feel more experimental - without ruining anything, there are some interesting twists on the mythology and cosmology of the series that Pullman brings to bear which are enriching contributions to the world. And the terror that the Church and its inspire is as real here as ever, perhaps because it does such a good job of showing how easily such entities gain power.

I read the entire book in a single sitting and it made me want to go back and read the others right afterwards.

I think this book is better than The Golden Compass series. Although some magic is involved, of course, overall, this story is somewhat more realistic and easier to follow. I thoroughly enjoyed this one book better than the entire GC story.

I was a big fan of the trilogy so I was pretty excited to get this book. But it wasn't as much fun to read and it dragged a lot in the middle. Besides, prequels have to be pretty special to be as exciting, and this one fell short for me. I am not sure I'll pursue the next if there is one.

This is a totally mesmerizing prequal. I won't bother describing it other than to say it was incredible, magical, and completely absorbing. One of those books you hate to see end, especially since the conclusion is merely a pause (how long?) before the next book in this new trilogy. I very much enjoyed listening to the story on audible. Great narration I appreciate audiobooks that don't overdo on drama so you can get there yourself.

A worthy prequel to The Golden Compass. Answers so many questions, with a brave a valiant young man who uses ingenuity and intelligence, tempered by a generous heart, to protect and survive in very perilous times. Well told and brilliantly imagined.

This is a terrific book, well written, and really engaging. I love the characters and the way they're developed and the plot was so thrilling, I couldn't put the book down. I highly recommend it even if you haven't read His Dark Materials Trilogy first.

Not quite as magical as The Golden Compass, but still terrific--the man can tell a story! There's a lot of set-up and character introduction that's not fully fleshed out, so I'm glad there are two more books planned in the series.

An outstanding book. Engaging from the start, and ramps up into couldn't-put-it-down exciting. I'm very happy to return to the world of the Golden Compass, and I'm looking forward to more. And, being a paddler, gotta say I loved La Belle Sauvage.

The story moves at a frantic pace and I couldn't put it down. Can't wait for next installment. (This is a prequel to The Golden Compass...same mysterious characters and out of the world contraptions...has an air of steampunk).

This is another well-told tale that begins the journey with Lyra as an infant. The world woven by Pullman is just as rich and surprising as that found in the first trilogy. I read the book in 3 days as I could not put it down.

I was very impressed by how well the book meshes with the three previous books. The characters were well developed and the plot made it hard to put the book down. I finished it in record time and am looking forward to the next one.

I was a big fan of the trilogy so I was pretty excited to get this book. But it wasn't as much fun to read and it dragged a lot in the middle. Besides, prequels have to be pretty special to be as exciting, and this one fell short for me. I am not sure I'll pursue the next if there is one.

This is a totally mesmerizing prequal. I won't bother describing it other than to say it was incredible, magical, and completely absorbing. One of those books you hate to see end, especially since the conclusion is merely a pause (how long?) before the next book in this new trilogy. I very much enjoyed listening to the story on audible. Great narration I appreciate audiobooks that don't overdo on drama so you can get there yourself.

A worthy prequel to The Golden Compass. Answers so many questions, with a brave a valiant young man who uses ingenuity and intelligence, tempered by a generous heart, to protect and survive in very perilous times. Well told and brilliantly imagined.

This is a terrific book, well written, and really engaging. I love the characters and the way they're developed and the plot was so thrilling, I couldn't put the book down. I highly recommend it even if you haven't read His Dark Materials Trilogy first.

Not quite as magical as The Golden Compass, but still terrific--the man can tell a story! There's a lot of set-up and character introduction that's not fully fleshed out, so I'm glad there are two more books planned in the series.

An outstanding book. Engaging from the start, and ramps up into couldn't-put-it-down exciting. I'm very happy to return to the world of the Golden Compass, and I'm looking forward to more. And, being a paddler, gotta say I loved La Belle Sauvage.

The story moves at a frantic pace and I couldn't put it down. Can't wait for next installment. (This is a prequel to The Golden Compass...same mysterious characters and out of the world contraptions...has an air of steampunk).

This is another well-told tale that begins the journey with Lyra as an infant. The world woven by Pullman is just as rich and surprising as that found in the first trilogy. I read the book in 3 days as I could not put it down.

I was very impressed by how well the book meshes with the three previous books. The characters were well developed and the plot made it hard to put the book down. I finished it in record time and am looking forward to the next one.

Absolutely fabulous. I loved the last series and this new series will definitely not disappoint. Can't put it down and am on the edge of my seat at every turn. I happen to be listening to the Audio version and Michael Sheen is amazing. So happy this came out.

Pullman takes you right back into the magical storyworld of Lyra and friends, masterfully weaving a tale that sets the stage for two more forthcoming prequels to the His Dark Materials trilogy. This was a great read, and I can't wait to read the next two.

I love the Dark Materials series and having the chance to.read how Lyra ended up .at Jordan was great. I wish we had gotten a little more on Lord Asriel and Coulters Husbands fight in this book though.

A prequel to His Dark Materials and a very good way return to the world of Lyra. It has a few more fantastical references that at a point feel silly, passing over that it was a quite enjoyable story.

If you are familiar with His Dark Materials and you have no issue with P. Pullman's views on organized religion, it is a good book.

Absolutely fantastic. Philip Pullman never ceases to amaze me. I have waited a very long time for this book, and I am super excited about the remaining two in the series! Malcolm's character is amazing and mature, and so fitting.

I'm struggling a bit with this one. Of course I loved HDM, but this one seemed to lack the quicksilver brilliance of the first trilogy. It was brutal and bloody and also repetitive! None of the characters were developed much and it was very black and white. Enemy approaches, they miraculously escape. They go to a pharmacy. Enemy approaches, they miraculously escape, they go to a pharmacy (and once more miraculously escape.) Undesirable number 1 attacks, they just about escape and seemingly leave him for dead. He survives! He approaches again, they just about escape and leave him for dead...but he survives! etc
Its a boat trip from Oxford to London with just the odd detour into the realm of faery.
Malcolm seemed a pale imitation of Will and Alice was a bit useless unless changing a nappy. Many of the characters just seemed to be doppelgangers of the ones in HDM: the friendly female professor, the gyptian noble, the scholars, the rebels, the church etc. All there but with little new invention or purpose. Mrs Coulter popped up but didn't seem to have much to say for herself. There was some bizarre subtext about sexual predation on minors and the usual adolescent 'awakenings' in this case triggered by a breast-feeding fairy!
Some excellent discourse on the mob mentality and inversion of power and frankly the best and most brilliant description of a migraine aura I have ever seen! The idea of the aura as a personal Aurora I thought very good.
Hopefully this one was just laying the ground for other books to come. I did enjoy it of course but it was nowhere near HDM (yet!) and I was never in doubt that Lyra would reach her father safely. In other words it was very predictable with only regularly spaced episodes of peril and gore to nudge the story off its fairly obvious track every now and then.

After such a long wait, this is like being back with old friends - even though Lyra is not yet the child we came to know and love. I don't think His Dark Materials fans need to know anything much about the storyline other than that it's just as compelling as one would have hoped.

However, a slight caveat: I was a little bit taken aback by the sex and language. Not extensive, but I'd have thought that the f-word could have been quite happily and comfortably avoided, and the sex was more explicit than I would have expected in a book that will be read by a young age group. Harry Potter-fodder this isn't!

Don't get me wrong - there isn't much of this level of language, and the sex is less than a page ....but I know at just how young an age I would have read this, had it been available before I was a grown-up, and I would have been ready for the rest of this adventure before I was ready for that! So just be aware before you assume it's entirely primary-age friendly.

A full five stars and more, though, as long as you're old enough!

Oh - and I almost forgot to mention: when you take the dustcover off, the hardback itself is absolutely beautiful: sparkling silver on dark blue. Very Dust!

It’s not as good as The Golden Compass, but that’s to be expected. Since the reader already knows daemons, Dust and alethiometers exist, we lose all the wonder of discovering them. That being said, the book IS a very good standalone novel.
You don’t need to remember the HDM plot to follow along, although familiarity will help highlight little shout-outs and Easter eggs. Pullman is masterful at taking serious adult concepts and packaging them into a children’s novel. This is the type of book that is good for all ages.