Published in 40 countries, Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials
trilogy – The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber
Spyglass – has graced the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, San
Francisco Chronicle, Book Sense, and Publishers Weekly bestseller
lists.
The Golden Compass forms the first part of a story in three
volumes. The first volume is set in a world like ours, but
different in many ways. The second volume is set partly in the
world we know. The third moves between many worlds.
In The Golden Compass, readers meet 11-year-old Lyra Belacqua, a
precocious orphan growing up within the precincts of Jordan College
in Oxford, England. It quickly becomes clear that Lyra''s Oxford is
not precisely like our own—nor is her world. In Lyra''s world,
everyone has a personal d?mon, a lifelong animal familiar. This is
a world in which science, theology and magic are closely
intertwined.
The Subtle Knife is the second part of the trilogy that began
with The Golden Compass. That first book was set in a world like
ours, but different. This book begins in our own world.
In The Subtle Knife, readers are introduced to Will Parry, a
young boy living in modern-day Oxford, England. Will is only twelve
years old, but he bears the responsibilities of an adult. Following
the disappearance of his explorer-father, John Parry, during an
expedition in the North, Will became parent, provider and protector
to his frail, confused mother. And it''s in protecting her that he
becomes a murderer, too: he accidentally kills a man who breaks
into their home to steal valuable letters written by John Parry.
After placing his mother in the care of a kind friend, Will takes
those letters and sets off to discover the truth about his
father.
The Amber Spyglass brings the intrigue of The Golden Compass and
The Subtle Knife to a heartstopping close, marking the third and
final volume as the most powerful of the trilogy. Along with the
return of Lyra, Will, Mrs. Coulter, Lord Asriel, Dr. Mary Malone,
and Iorek Byrnison the armored bear, The Amber Spyglass introduces
a host of new characters: the Mulefa, mysterious wheeled creatures
with the power to see Dust; Gallivespian Lord Roke, a hand-high
spy-master to Lord Asriel; and Metatron, a fierce and mighty angel.
And this final volume brings startling revelations, too: the
painful price Lyra must pay to walk through the land of the dead,
the haunting power of Dr. Malone''s amber spyglass, and the names of
who will live—and who will die—for love. And all the while, war
rages with the Kingdom of Heaven, a brutal battle that—in its
shocking outcome—will reveal the secret of Dust.
These Yearling paperback editions each contain bonus material:
the found papers, notes, and other archival material of Lord
Asriel, Dr. Stanislaus Grumman, and Mary Malone. They also feature
chapter-opening artwork by Philip Pullman.
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