Serpentine by Philip Pullman

The reader needs to be familiar with Pullmans’ fantasy series, The Dark Materials and The Book of Dust, in order to read Serpentine. This is set in a short period of time when Lyra is working in the Northern Lands. Prior to this story, in The Amber Spyglass, Lyra was on the shores of the World of the Dead and she had to separate from her Daemon, Pantalaimon. This was highly traumatic and since then they have mistrusted each other and been unhappy. During her time up north Lyra goes to get advice from Dr Lanselius who is Consul to the Witches. She wants to know how the witches and their daemons cope with separation. This leads to a better relationship between Lyra and Pantalaimon, but not directly as a result of Lanselius’ advice.

This is a handsome novella and Duxbury’s lino cuts add to the feel and design of the book beautifully. There is a lot of conversation which engages your attention. However, you really need to be familiar with the characters and events for the story to make sense.  If you are a fan of Pullman’s series then Serpentine is a short read and effectively transports you back to his wonderful, deeply intelligent and creative series.

Themes: Fantasy, Relationships, Trust.

Jo Marshall