The Book of Dust: La belle sauvage by Philip Pullman
Book of dust, vol. 1. David Fickling Books, 2017. ISBN 9780857561084
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Many years have passed since the
completion of His dark materials and now Pullman fans have
been graced by the first in a prequel series following baby Lyra and
her protector, Malcom. Diving back into this world was a magical
experience - for this reviewer it was like coming home. A knowledge
of the world of His dark materials is unnecessary for the
enjoyment of La Belle Sauvage, but like the original series the
book thrusts you into a world of daemons and children thirsty for
knowledge.
The novel follows the unusually bright innkeeper's son, Malcom, and
his need to protect baby Lyra, who was left with the Nuns at the
priory for safe keeping. Working in the pub, Malcom meets all sorts
of people - even strange men with three-legged hyena daemons whose
presence unnerves everyone. But this strange man isn't the only to
visit the Trout since Lyra's arrival - Lord Asriel, a famous
explorer calls, employing Malcom to take him to the priory to visit
his daughter and swearing the boy to secrecy. Befriending a
librarian and a gyptian, Malcom's days are soon filled with the need
to protect little Lyra - even if that means braving the Thames in
flood and outsmarting the man with the three-legged hyena.
I would highly recommend La belle sauvage for boys or girls
twelve years and up who love fantasy. In particular those who have
already fallen in love with Lyra in His dark materials or in
the 2007 film The golden compass.
Kayla Gaskell, 22