Mini Reviews: His Dark Materials Novellas

As December was winding to a close I realized that including rereads I was four books away from my reach goal of reading 150 books in 2015. Now I'm a pretty competitive person and so I suddenly became determined to meet that goal. So when it looked like I wasn't going to finish the book I was reading I spent a day reading some novellas to meet that goal.

So after doing the His Dark Materials reread with Britt from Please Feed the Bookworm I decided the perfect novellas were the His Dark Materials novellas which I have never read. I am so glad I did because they were really fantastic. So here you go, my Mini Reviews of the His Dark Materials novellas.

Title: Lyra's Oxford Series: His Dark Materials #3.5 Author: Philip Pullman Published: October 28, 2003 by Knopf (Amazon / Goodreads)                                                                                           Synopsis: Lyra's Oxford begins with Lyra and Pantalaimon spotting a witch's daemon. Lyra shelters the daemon from the pursuit of a frenzied pack of birds, and then attempts to help by guiding the daemon to the home of an alchemist living in a part of Oxford known as Jericho. The journey through Oxford reveals more dangers than Lyra had anticipated.

My Thoughts:

Well now I want a full length sequel to the His Dark Materials trilogy. There's a reason I don't usually read novellas, they're such a tease. But I don't regret reading this one at all. It was a fantastic addition to the His Dark Materials series.

Lyra's Oxford is just the tiniest taste of life for Lyra after the events of the main trilogy. She's back at Oxford, this time as a student which is fun to see. But things haven't totally slowed down for her if this brief story is any indications. There's a lot of mystery and a little action in such a short period of time. In addition, Lyra's importance within this world has not gone away as well.

It's the same old Lyra just a few years later. It was so great to catch up with Lyra and see her slightly older but I want more. I want more from her, I want to see Will and all the other favorites from the trilogy. Even if it's not a full length novel, maybe a collection of novellas, one from each different world perhaps.

On the whole this was a great little story that had cute woodcut illustrations and extra details to expand the story including a map of Oxford and some info about one of the colleges. Fans of the trilogy should check it out for sure.

Title: Once Upon A Time in the North Series: His Dark Materials #0.5 Author: Philip Pullman Published:  by Knopf (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible) Synopsis: In this prequel episode from Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials universe, Lee Scoresby -- Texan aeronaut and future friend to Lyra Belacqua -- is 24 years old. The story reveals the origins of Scoresby's friendship with Iorek Byrnison as well as Scoresby's aeronautical career.   After winning his hot-air balloon in a poker game, Scoresby finds himself floating north. On the Arctic island of Novy Odense, Scoresby and his dæmon Hester become involved in a deadly plot involving an oil magnate, a corrupt mayoral candidate, and a hired killer who is Lee's longtime nemesis from the Dakota Country. Forming an alliance with one of the island's reviled armored bears, Scoresby fights to break up the conspiracy.  This clothbound volume features the illustrations of John Lawrence, a removable board game on the inside back cover, and the story that offers a glimpse into the origins of the friendship of two beloved characters in the His Dark Materials trilogy

My Thoughts:

There's nothing like an origin story for how two of your favorite characters in a series met and became friends. That's what Once Upon a Time in the North was, a one-shot meeting for characters that we meet in The Golden Compass.

I absolutely adore Iorek Byrnison so I really enjoyed seeing him again was fantastic. He has such an interesting backstory so it was great learning more about that as well. I also really like Lee Scorsby. He sometimes seems out of place in this world so I liked being able to see how he first joined the world. It was also nice seeing how the two met and became fun.

The book is told from Scorsby's perspective and is full of action and adventure that you would expect from the aeronaut and armored bear so even though it was short, it wasn't dull at all. A short and sweet novella that fans of the His Dark Materials trilogy should read.

I also listened to the audiobook for his one and it was a full cast just like the other books in the His Dark Materials trilogy. It was totally fantastic and I'm so glad I listened.

Title: The Collectors Series: His Dark Materials #0.6 Author: Philip Pullman Published: September, 2015 by Knopf (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible)                                                                                           Synopsis: "But the thing is," said Horley, "they didn't know each other at all. Never heard of each other. It wasn't about the makers. Only about the works."  On a dark winter's night in 1970, Horley and Grinstead huddle for warmth in the Senior Common Room of a college in Oxford. Conversation turns to the two impressive works of art that Horley has recently added to his collection. What the two men don't know is that these pieces are connected in mysterious and improbable ways; and they are about to be caught in the cross-fire of a story which has travelled time and worlds.  The Collectors is narrated by Bill Nighy, the Golden Globe and BAFTA award-winning actor whose work on stage, screen, and radio has included Love Actually, the Pirates of the Caribbean series and a multitude of TV, stage, and radio appearances

My Thoughts:

This is the shortest of the three novella at a 19 page e-book and 30 minute audiobook, but it may honestly have been my favorite of the three. Ir was fantastic despite being super short.

How something so short can have this much mystery I will never know but it definitely did. It was atmospheric and interesting with so many of the complex themes from the His Dark Materials trilogy that make the series so interesting. It included things like the multi-verse and even references to some of this characters that you love to hate.

What may have also made it so good was the audiobook. Bill Nighy did a great job narrating. He gave it a real atmosphere and depth despite it's lack of length.

This is definitely worth a read for fans of the His Dark Materials trilogy.

Final Thoughts on The Novellas:

Taking all three of these books into consideration, I'm kind of glad that I needed some novellas to read at the end of the year and that I could take the time to read these. As a fan of the His Dark Materials trilogy, they added to the overall enjoyment of the series for me. They add a lot of color to the series, offering some backstory on a few favorite characters, make a villainous character seem even more devious, and let us catch up with our heroine after the series. If you are a fan of the series I would definitely recommend you check these out.

Have you read any of the His Dark Materials novels? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading.

His Dark Materials Reread: Joint Review of The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman

It's the last joint review of out His Dark Materials Reread with me and Britt from Please Feed the Bookworm. (but not the last of the fun!)  If you didn't get a chance to see our review of The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife, you can check it here. Britt and I decided we wanted to do a reread of the series because it had been awhile since we had read the books after we heard that BBC is making a TV show out them. So the reread was born!

Britt and I both decided to listen to the audiobook again because we liked it so much the first time. And because the joint review went so well the first time with the conversational format we decide to do that again instead of a traditional review. Hope you enjoyed them. We definitely had a lot of fun reading them together and doing the posts together. So much fun in fact that we're thinking about doing something like this again. Here is our joint review of The Amber Spyglass....

Title: The Amber Spyglass Series: His Dark Materials #3 Written By: Phillip Pullman  Published: July, 1998 by Knopf (Random House) (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible) Synopsis: Lyra and Will, the two ordinary children whose extraordinary adventures begin in The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife, are in unspeakable danger. With help from Iorek Byrnison the armored bear and two tiny Gallivespian spies, they must journey to a dank and gray-lit world where no living soul has ever gone.  All the while, Dr. Mary Malone builds a magnificent amber spyglass. An assassin hunts her down. And Lord Asriel, with troops of shining angels, fights his mighty rebellion, a battle of strange allies and shocking sacrifice.  As war rages and dust drains from the sky, the fate of the living, and the dead, finally comes to depend on two children and the simple truth of one simple story. The Amber Spyglass reveals that story, bringing Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials to an astonishing conclusion.

First things first, how do you feel? 

B: Feel?! My feel is broken and crying in the corner.

C: DON’T LOOK AT ME! No I mean I’m definitely feeling the book hangover kicking in and I’m a little devastated by the way it all ended but I love this series so much and rereading it was so fantastic that I’m also really happy. I just have a lot of feelings!

So how long has it been since you first read the book? 

B: 2010? I don't know but I was majorly pregnant and this whole thing and raging emotions is not a cocktail you want to try.

C: Seven year ago. I marathoned the whole series then.

What did you think about the book when you read it the first time? 

C: I absolutely loved it. This is my favorite book in the series. It’s so intense and with all these complex plot points and themes.

B: I was very mad at myself for thinking this to be a childish series, it is really anything but.

Do you like it more or less than the first two books in the series? 

C: More. Like I said, this is my favorite book in the series.

B: Agreed absolutely more...there is just soooo much.

What’s your favorite part? 

B: KFKFKAKAJEHHHRTIOGOGLKGKKMYHPPPOAOAKWKWMEMT!! Roger….that is all I'll say.

C: This is a totally impossible question for this book. Because I have so many bittersweet feelings for this book a lot of my favorite moments also have really positive feelings around. Like I really like the part in the Land of the Dead but I also sob during that part. And the end after Lyra and Will meet Mary Malone again but as much as I love their interaction and ship it so hard we all all know how that ends.

Do you have a least favorite part? 

C: Maybe some stuff with Mary Malone and the mulefa. I see how they come in at the end but there’s a bit too much exposition in a final book for me to really like them. There are also some stuff with Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter in the middle of the book that I don’t like. Just in general I think, the parts where we cut away from Lyra and Will in the Land of the Dead. I posted on Goodreads how I was annoyed that there were two chapters in a row without them because I needed to know what happened to them and I didn’t care about mulefa or intention crafts.

B: Ughhh yes! I mean I really enjoyed the whole “this world evolution went this way” but there was just a bit much. And yes Cassi I think I began to skim at first cause I was ahh Will and Lyra where are you?!

Speaking of the Land of the Dead, in this book the characters go to speak to loved ones. If you could go there and speak to some who would it be? 

C: I have a few relatives who passed away suddenly. If I could talk to them to say goodbye I would probably do it.

B: Ughhh this kills me. I would absolutely speak to my mother since she was gone suddenly and while we were fighting no less. Also my grandfather I said goodbye to him it that doesn't stop me from missing him terribly.

Did you like the way it ended? 

B: I do of course there are some thing I wanted…...more of but all in all this was a perfect ending. Not too happy and not too sad. Cassi actually explains it perfectly!

C: I did. I do. Of course it wrecks me every single time, it’s so bittersweet and I wish it were happy but I think it works. I like when the final book in a series has a really intricate plot. Like how stuff from the first few books that seemed small now have big affects on the plot. I think that happens here. It all ends in a perfect way but with things that I want to happen not happening. Like I said, bittersweet

What about the characters? Still love them? 

C: Of course. Lyra and Will are some of my all-time favorite characters. They show such strength and determination plus they’re really well rounded. They have strengths and weaknesses which is always my favorite. I also really like Mrs. Coulter in this book. And not like love to hate, like actually enjoy. I think she has really great character development and a redemptive arc which is my favorite. Can we still be friends?

B: I can't believe I am about to say this but Mrs. Coulter did end up okay in my book….I guess. Will and Lyra are of course my heart. Also Mr Scorsby!!

C: YES! I was so worried our friendship would be over when I said that. I know you are not a Mrs. Coulter fan but I'm glad you liked her arc too.

Any new characters that you like or want to talk about? 

C: Yes! The Gallivespians, especially Chevalier Tialys and the Lady Salmakia. I love them. They’re these tiny spies that ride around on hawks and dragonflies. They come from a different world and start out as antagonists towards Lyra and Will but end up helping them. I think they are so cool.

B: Oh yes definitely the Gallivespians! Don't forget the best part is that they have tiny Spurs on their shoes that the stab people which which is poison! There really are the perfect spies.

C: You're right! They're fantastic!

Can we talk about the relationships? Especially the romance between Lyra and Will. You ship it right? 

B: It is a brief romance but it is so sweet in first love that smacks you in the face kind of way. I think you could see how much they loved each other long before they realized it and long after as well. I mean you don't follow someone into the world of the dead if you're not like head over heels for them right?!

C: Totally true. It embodies first love. I ship it so hard. Like it’s next level OTP for me. One of my all-time favorites. The part at the end when they’re all couply, I love it so much. And like my followers and you know, I’m romancephobic. I usually could do without romance in my fantasies. But I think with this one it kind of has a connection with the plot and themes of the book, so it works. Plus the way it all ends just makes me want it to happen even more. *sobs*

What did you think about the audiobook? 

C: Amazing, seriously amazing. I keep saying how much I like the fact that it’s a full cast. That’s such a brilliant format and I really want to listen to more of them. I also mentioned to Britt that it sounded like Will’s voice changed like he went through puberty and it kind of fit perfectly for the story. And in the post for the first book I talked about how the narration from Philip Pullman didn’t always work, how I wanted him to talk fasting during the exciting parts. This time that was perfect. He sped up during the big scenes and it pulled me in and got the adrenaline flowing. It was so great and I’m glad I listened to the audio for the reread.

B: It was very well done. Thank goodness for Cassi urging me to get an audible membership. So worth it!

So this was a reread, did you get more out of the book? Notice things you missed the first time? 

B: Oh yes! I was constantly tweeting Cassi and saying “ oh my god I can't believe I forgot so and so”. They were some pretty huge plot points to but my memory is the worst so it's not surprising.

C: I did. I remembered most of what happened in this book but it was big picture stuff. I remembered the Land of the Dead, the fact that mulefas existed, and the stuff with the Clouded Mountain but the little details and how they got there I totally forgot about.

So now that it’s over, what comes next? 

B: I cry in the corner for a week and try to see my daemon.

C: I really want to reread all over again. But that will destroy my TBR more than it already has and I have 2016 ARCs side eyeing me. Instead I’m thinking that I will read all the short stories that are part of this world. There’s Lyra’s Oxford which takes place years in the future, Once Upon a Time in the North which is the prequel about Iorek and Lee Scorsby, and The Collectors which I think is about Mrs. Coulter and her daemon. Have you read any of these Britt?

B: You know, I haven't, but I always eye them. I think we should totes make this a holiday tradition. Those stories would be nice to read like mid year or perhaps before. Have you ever heard the name of Mrs. Coulter’s daemon? They always just call him the golden monkey. I'd like to find that out for sure!

That's it. Just like the ending of the book it's very bittersweet. It was so much we will have to do this and other joint posts and things again (we have some ideas so stay turned).

Have you read The Amber Spyglass? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

His Dark Materials Reread: Joint Review of The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman

Welcome to the next post in the His Dark Materials Reread with me and Britt from Please Feed the Bookworm.  Britt and I decided we wanted to do a reread of the series because it had been awhile since we had read the books after we heard that BBC is making a TV show out them. So the reread was born! We have a bunch of great stuff planned including these joint review, mood board, and more. If you didn't get a chance to see our review of The Golden Compass, you can check it here.

Britt and I both decided to listen to the audiobook again because we liked it so much the first time. And because the joint review went so well the first time with the conversational format we decide to do that again instead of a traditional review. Hope you enjoy. And don't forget to come back every Monday for more content from the reread and check out my crossover recommendations if you enjoy this series.

But before you do that, check out our joint review of The Subtle Knife....

Title: The Subtle Knife Series: His Dark Materials #2 Written By: Phillip Pullman  Published: July, 1997 by Knopf (Random House) (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible) Synopsis: Will is twelve years old and he's just killed a man. Now he's on his own, on the run, determined to discover the truth about his father disappearance.  Then Will steps through a window in the air into another world, and finds himself with a companion - a strange, savage little girl called Lyra. Like Will, she has a mission which she intends to carry out at all costs.  But the world of Cittàgazze is a strange and unsettling place. Deadly, soul-eating Spectres stalk in its streets, while high above, the wingbeats of distant angels sound against the sky. And in the mysterious Torre degli Angeli lurks Cittàgazze's most important secret - an object which people from many worlds would kill to posses.

So how long has it been since you first read the book? 

B: Hmmmm. I was preggers with my son so it had to be 2010.

C: I read it immediately after finishing The Golden Compass, so seven years ago.

What did you think about the book when you read it the first time? 

C: I loved it just as much as I loved The Golden Compass. I think it’s a really great expansion of the series and the world. Plus the way this one ended is really what hooked me on the series.

B: I wanted to pinch myself in the face. After the first book in 1997 I never continued since I chalked this series up to being childish and this book proves it is anything but.

C: Yes, anything but a kids book. I can't believe how serious things get in this book. I read it at a time where I was mostly reading Literary Fiction and it made me realize that YA and MG could be just as complex.

Do you like it more or less than the first book in the series? 

C: Probably about the same amount. I love the way it ends but along the way I think there are less interesting parts. There is a lot more exposition and new characters which is really interesting but I miss the action and for some reasons the stakes don’t feel as high to me. I think maybe it takes more time to get to the “good stuff.”

B: This is a really a tough call for me. I think Cassi hit the nail on the head. There is a TON more info to get so that always takes some time. It is all done in a really great manner. I think this might be my fav by a tiny smidge more because Will is just a fantastic character. He is totally the quiet calm to Lyra’s storm. It's kind of like a bomb goes off and blows this plot wide open. What you thought was happening in The Golden Compass is just the trendiest top of the iceberg.i know Cassi loves Will as much as I do.

What’s your favorite part? 

B: *see below* Once again my girl nailed it. The ending is just killer. There is kind of this kind of crescendo that makes you want to just keep on reading (or listening) which is exactly what I did. :-)

C: The ending. I’m still not over how it ended! The last couple chapters are super intense and so much happens in such a small amount time. It just really escalates and has this huge ending with crazy twists and emotional moments and oh man I had so many feels. Like I said this is when I really got hooked on the series. It’s so freaking epic.

Do you have a least favorite part? 

C: Maybe the stuff in Citta’gazze. There are so many trips there and really only one of them is interesting. I mean I like that it’s the place where Will and Lyra meet but other than that I could do without it. And I know I should find the Spectres scary or interesting but I don’t really.

B: One name that I despise….Mrs. Coulter. She is a total “C” word….. Cotton headed ninny muggins.

In this book the characters use the subtle knife to move between worlds. If you had a subtle knife what world would you visit? 

C: The obvious answer for me is Hogwarts. I would definitely want to visit there so if I could use use it to get there I would definitely want to go. Or maybe Luthadel from the Mistborn series but that’s mostly because I want to do allomancy.

B: Well after going with Cassi to Hogwarts and drinking our fill of butterbeer I would take a tour of Narnia. Also Westeros perhaps but I would have to find a dragon first. Ohhhhh and of course I would then move myself permanently to Wonderland. Sense is such nonsense.

So which world so you think you would reside in Cassi? 

B: I'd like to think I would come from Lyra’s Oxford. I think I just really want a daemon. Knowing my luck I'd end up in Citta’gazze with the soul sucking specters.

C: I want a daemon too. Being from Lyra’s Oxford would be amazing but I doubt I would be that lucky either. I’d probably be from that other world that Lord Asriel is in. He’d plotting to take over the world and doing other evil things for good reasons and I’d be like, “hey maybe, don’t do that? Your call though.”

Any new characters that you like or want to talk about? 

C: Will. I love Will so much. When he was first introduced I was fangirling so much. He and Lyra are so different which is why I think they work so well together. Lyra is so emotional sometimes where Will is more calculating and cautious. But they look out for one another and help the other person get out of the hard places they’ve gotten themselves into.

B: See I told you she loves Will as much as I do! Def him. Of course I am really loving my Lee Scorsby and his daemon rabbit Hester. I don't like him as much on the audio as I did in the book though. I also and very drawn to Stanislaus Grumann. He has led such an interesting life and where he started to where he ended up was quite a journey.

C: Yes, Grumann is so interesting. I loved meeting him and learning about his past. He’s a character I forgot about entirely and it was a really great to meet him all over again.

What about the characters from the first book? They’re still awesome right? 

C: Oh totally. Lyra is just as wonderful here. She’s definitely a little vulnerable at times which I like. She’s always a little bit at risk but here I think the difference is that she is in a vulnerable position because of her own mistake. I love a heroine who’s not perfect and that’s Lyra. Plus like Britt mentioned earlier, Mrs. Coulter is still evil and manipulative and I love to hate her.

B: Even more so!

What did you think about the audiobook? 

C: It was so perfect again. Full cast man, that’s where it’s at. Will was perfect. Like I instantly loved the actor who plays him. He absolutely understood Will for me. I also really like the voice for Grumann and Mary Malone.

B: I agree the only person I am not too thrilled with is Lee, but I think it's in my interpretation. I wanted his Texan accent to be a bit more spot on. I am not loving Iorek. How do you feel about his actor Cassi?

C: I agree. I think maybe I’m used to Lee now but I definitely wanted him to sound more southern in the first one. Also it’s hard for me because I think that Sam Elliott who plays him in the movie for The Golden Compass is so perfect that anyone else almost doesn't work.

So this was a reread, did you get more out of the book? Notice things you missed the first time? 

B: I am blown away by how complex this book truly is. We are teetering on the edge of some seriously personnel topics such as theology and spirituality and dare I say religion. There was at least 3 huge plot lines that slipped my mind.

C: Always. I notice with all the rereads I have done lately that I always forget most of what happens in the second book. I remembered so little about this book and it was almost like I was experiencing it for the first time which was really cool. Like there’s a big reveal that happens about two-thirds of the way in maybe and I forgot about it completely so when there was a clue that reminded me I was so excited.

Excited for the last book in the series? 

B: I couldn't stop reading so yes! I only meant to listened a bit and needed up 5 hours in immediately after finishing TSK. This is where things get crazy

C: YES! Oh my god, yes! The way this book ended I need to keep reading. I can’t wait for the ending.

There you have it. Or review of The Subtle Knife. I hope you all enjoyed it. These joint reviews are so much fun and I hope you all are liking it as much as we are. Be sure to head over to Please Feed the Bookworm and show Britt some love too. Don't forget to come back next week for the next review and more fun stuff after that. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Crossing Over: His Dark Materials Reread Edition

Hi Everyone! It's time for the second post in the His Dark Materials Reread that I'm doing this month with Britt from Please Feed the Bookworm. If you didn't get a chance to see our joint review of The Golden Compass on Monday, check it out HERE.

And while the reviews are amazing and so fun, that is not all we have planned. Britt and I are each doing something fun based on features and posts we do on our blog. If you're not familiar with my feature Crossing Over, it is a monthly feature where I recommend books that have crossover appeal based on a similar adult and/or a YA book. His Dark Materials definitely has crossover appeal. I read it as an adult and was blown away by how serious and complex it is. But it's technically Middle Grade. Or YA. It's tough to say really. In fact when I was trying to figure out the books to recommend the ones that immediately came to mind were adult reads and other books hard to categorize.

So here are the books I would recommend if it are a fan of The Golden Compass in three different age marketing categories.

Middle Grade
Harry Potter by JK Rowling  
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
Percy Jackson and the Lighting Thief by Rick Riordan
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in A Ship of Her Own Making by Catherine M. Valente

Young Adult
A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
Miss Peregrine's School for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Sabriel by Garth Nix

Adult
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

There you have it. The books with crossover appeal I would recommend if you are a fan of His Dark Materials. Have you read His Dark Materials? What books would you recommend? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

His Dark Materials Reread: Joint Review of The Golden Compass withBritt from Please Feed the Bookworm

Hi everyone, and welcome to the first point in His Dark Materials Reread with me and Britt from Please Feed the Bookworm. If you didn't get a chance to see me December TBR, Britt and I decided we wanted to do a reread of the series because it had been awhile since we had read the books after we heard that BBC is making a TV show out them. So the reread was born! We have a bunch of great stuff planned including these joint review, mood board, and more.

But first things first, the review. Britt and I both decided to listen to the audiobook because we like them and this one is a full cast, which is a cool concept. And because both of us have read the books before we decided to something a little different. Instead of a traditional review we're just going to have a conversation about our thoughts. We often talk about the books we read (we have similar taste and read a lot of the same books) so now we're just including you all in the convo. Hope you enjoy.

Title: The Golden Compass Series: His Dark Materials #1 Written By: Phillip Pullman  Published: April, 1996 by Knopf (Random House) (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible) Synopsis: When Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon decide to spy on a presentation her uncle, the commanding Lord Asriel, is making to the elders of Jordan College they have no idea that they will become witnesses to an attempted murder, and even less that they are taking the first steps in a journey that will lead them into danger and adventure unlike anything Lyra's unfettered imagination has conjured up.  Though she has been raised at the college in an atmosphere of benign neglect that has allowed her to become a half-wild child of the streets, Lyra soon finds herself apprenticed to the elegant Mrs. Coulter, and in possession of a strange device called the alethiometer, a "golden compass" that reads not true worth, but truth itself.   But truth is a precious commodity, and before long Lyra and Pan are running for their lives, the object of an obsessive hunt by mysterious forces who have been stealing children for dark purposes that no one understands. Lyra will need all her street-learned wiles if she and Pan are to survive.

This is a reread, so how long has it been since you first read the book? 

B: I read this waaay back when I was in the 6th grade. The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe was my favorite at the time and a librarian pointed me in this direction. Only the first book was out at the time. 

C: Really! I wish I had read it as a kid. But I always wonder if I would have liked it as much if I read it then. Like I think a lot of the themes and stuff would have gone right over my head. It’s been seven years for me. I read it after college. A friend recommended it because she knew I liked fantasy. 

What did you think about the book when you read it the first time? 

C: I was loved it. I felt like it was such an interesting and complex fantasy and I of course loved the characters. I read it at a time when I was just getting back into "kids books" and it made me kind of realize that there is some great stuff that I missed as a kid. So I started reading a lot more MG and YA around that time. The rest is history I guess. 

B: It gave me the exact same feeling as Narnia. That was and has since been my measure of a good book. I loved this alternate universe that was so like our but so different and who doesn't love the idea of having a Daemon?! 

Good segue to the world and the world-building. Thoughts? 

C: I agree with Britt. I love the alternate universe stuff. It’s like out world but only a little different. That’s so key with fantasy for me. I need it to feel like a place like this could maybe exist, as crazy as that sounds. But I also want things to be completely different at the same. Daemons are a good example of that. I loved the idea of having a daemon. And now now knowing what they are and why they have them is so cool. 

Speaking of daemons, what form do you think yours would take? 

B: I would love to have an elephant but I feel that would be rather impractical. I will go with an Ocelot. It is a type of jungle cat that is cunning but also has this really pretty coat. Although it is small it can be mighty aggressive which pretty but sounds like me in a nutshell. 

C: I would maybe want mine to be an owl but I think it would probably be something uncool like a sloth or a skunk. I jokingly say that’s what my spirit animal is. 

What’s your favorite part of the book? 

B: I don't know why but I have always even fascinated with Lee Scorsby, the aeronaut. He pilots this awesome airship which is like a crazy cross between a plane and a hot air balloon. He kinda babbles a bit but I think he's great. I also love hearing the Gyptians tell the tale of Lyra’s parentage 

C: Lee Scorsby is so steampunk! I get it. For me it’s the part with the armorer bears. For one thing, I just love them so much. I also think it’s such an interesting culture and characters. But I also love when Lyra outsmarts the king of the bears by using the knowledge she learned throughout the book. It’s such classic Lyra. It’s so rash and reckless but ingenious at the same time. 

Do you have a least favorite part? 

C: I’d say the part with the Gyptians. There is some good stuff like discussions about the character’s histories and the larger world, plus implications that come in later but in general I think it drags too much. Especially during the reread when I’m waiting for the action-packed stuff I know is coming. I found myself anticipating what comes next when Lyra’s with the Gyptians. 

B: I agree with Cassi on this one. Usually I love backstory but this portion drrraaagggeeeddd. Def because we knew what was about to go down. That's the thing about rereads, you find some parts to be a bit inconsequential. I also don't like the part where they find the severed child. It hurts my heart everytime.  

C: So true! I liked the backstory but I knew it already so I was waiting for the action. 

What about the characters? 

C: I love Lyra. She’s so fierce. I love that she says what she thinks and what she wants and that it gets her into trouble but it also is her biggest strength. That was me as a pre-teen. I was always running my mouth like Lyra. But my favorite character is Iorek Byrnison. I want an armored bear so badly! Imagine how amazing that would be! 

B: *See Cassie's above explanation about Lyra.* I was also a bit of a smartass child. This is why Cassi and I are friends we might be the same person in some ways. I'm going to go with Lord Asriel as my second favorite. He is so intelligent and I find him quite dashing. 

Can talk about Mrs. Coulter? She’s such a great villain. 

B: I have such a hatred for Mrs. Coulter. Usually I like or at least respect the plight of the Villians but not in this case. She is just an evil woman and that damn monkey of hers is just as wicked 

C: The monkey! He’s the worst. Mrs. Coulter is someone that I love to hate. Cunning and charismatic but so devious. There are moments when I’m thinking “you are such a liar” but I also understand why people would follow her and listen to her. That’s the mark of a good villain to me. 

What did you think about the audiobook?

C: I love the fact that it’s like a radio play with different narrators for every character. The girl playing Lyra is so perfect. She’s sassy and precocious. I didn’t love Pan at first but the more I listen the more I think it works for him. I also really like that Phillip Pullman narrates the part that isn’t dialogue. I always like when authors narrate their own books, it makes me think that the tone of the book is spot on. Although I think he was a little calm during some the action scenes. I usually like when you the narrator talks faster during those parts because then I get all amped up. He doesn’t do that and sometimes I missed it. But towards the climax he did pick things up. 

B: Oh Lyra is literally perfect in this book. I also really loved the voices the Gyptians were given. There not Egyptians per say but more along of lines on like Gypsies so I feel there speak was on point. I did NOT know that this was Phillip narrating so that is just awesome. The full cast absolutely adds so much to an already amazing book. I don't think one narrator could do this book justice so I'm pleased they choose to do it this way. The only person who's voice I wasn't a fan of was Iorek. I wanted him to sound….not so bear-ish, even though he is indeed...a bear. 

C: I felt like that about Iofur. I wanted him to be more bear-like. Like a deeper more gravely voice. But I guess he’s trying to be human so it works. 

So this was a reread, did you get more out of the book? Notice things you missed the first time? 

B: I get a little bit more each time. Cassi and I spoke about how we were able to appreciate some of the more mature themes as we got older too so I'm looking forward to that as well. 

C: I think like with most rereads, I realized how well-plotted the series. Like there are little things in this book that come in later in such a big way. And there were so many moments where I was thinking like, “I know what that is,” or “I know why that is happening!” I always love that as someone who likes solving twists. I also think I was really critical about some things, especially with characters like Mrs. Coulter and the larger themes too like the religious stuff.

Still excited for the rest of the books? 

B: Pshaw! Of course even more so now. The second and third books are even better! 

C: YES! I love how the series escalates. And I’m super excited for Will.

Yay! Thanks for chatting with me about the book Britt. I hope you all enjoyed it. Come back throughout the month for more His Dark Materials Reread related stuff. And of course, head over to Please Feed the Bookworm to say hey to Britt if you haven't already.

Have you read The Golden Compass? What did you think? Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!