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
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.
"Reading this novel is like standing in a room in which suddenly
all of the windows have blown open at once." —
Slate "It's
a stunning achievement, the universe Pullman has created and continues to build on." —
The New York Times
"
A phantasmagoric waterborne odyssey. Mr. Pullman is a supple and formidable writer." —
The Wall Street Journal
"
Enthralling, enchanting. The first half reads like a thriller. The story becomes darker, deeper and even more engrossing when a cataclysmic flood overtakes Southern England.
Too few things in our world are worth a seventeen year wait: The Book of Dust is one of them." —
The Washington Post
"Pullman's writing is as deftly brilliant as ever.
A triumphant return to the alternate Oxford we love."—
Bustle
"
The Book of Dust passes by in one tumultuous wave of literature, that leaves you queasy, but wanting the next volume as quickly as possible.
It deserves not only a reread, but an unpacking. It is not a one and done novel, something that, in a time where binging and passing is the status quo. This is a novel to digest. One to take in, let settle, and then revisit.
We are lucky to have Pullman's words. Words that will continue to nourish the souls and imaginations of readers for a long, long time."
—Hypable"Once again,
Pullman’s fantasy arrives precisely when it can teach us the most about ourselves, as if it were guided by Dust itself." —
Entertainment Weekly
"High-octane adventure accompanies
ingenious plotting." —The Times (London)
"Lyra Silvertongue, Lyra Belacqua, but really just Lyra: one of those characters—Pip, Emma, Lolita—
who is on first-name terms with her public."—
The New York Times Magazine
"Pullman's imagery is as dazzling as ever.
La Belle Sauvage reveals the incredible ways in which 'ordinary' children can react whenplaced in extraordinary circumstances: with kindness, bravery and cunning." —
The Bookseller
"A rollicking adventure.
Delightful."
—Mother Jones
"
A stunning, otherworldly journey. La Belle Sauvage dives deeply into magic and intrigue.
What a gift it is to be allowed back into this universe." —
BuzzFeed
"Full of acute observation.
A rich, imaginative, vividly characterized rite-of-passage tale." —
London Sunday Times
"Thrilling and thought-provoking." —
Times Literary Supplement
"A singularly beguiling work of fantasy. [Pullman is]
perhaps the best fantasy writer alive." —
The A.V. Club
"A
profoundly compelling foundation for a new trilogy." —
Vox
"This tense, adventure-packed book
will satisfy and delight Pullman's fans and leave them eager to see what's yet to come" —
Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Pullman is an easeful storyteller and an intricate and inventive world-builder, and
everything he has to write is worth reading." —
The Telegraph"
Magisterial storytelling will sweep readers along; the cast is as vividly drawn as ever; and big themes running beneath the surface invite profound responses and reflection." —
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Luminous prose,
heady philosophical questions, and a lovable protagonist combine with a gripping plot sure to enchant fans and newcomers alike." —
SLJ, starred review
"Pullman demonstrates that his
talent for world building hasn’t diminished, nor has his ability to draw young characters—here, Malcolm, who is layered enough to carry an adventure through multiple dimensions." —
Booklist, starred review
"Pullman's immense powers of kinesthetic visualization keep the story pulsing on an
epic scale."
—The Guardian
"An
immersive, creepy, edge-of-your seat adventure." —
Shelf Awareness
"To connect once more with
a fictional universe of such great power is a delight." —Financial Times
