An exciting new tale set in the world of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials saga. This collectible hardcover volume includes a short story by Mr. ...
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Mar 06, 2008
John
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A quick glimpse back into the world of His Dark Materials. No need for a book mark, this can be achieved in one sitting.
I really liked this book, short as it was, though I know many didn't. They expected Lyra to have gone unchanged over the two years since her last adventure. But even in the final book of the trilogy, she'd changed. She'd lost some of her abilities as she matured. So I didn't expect anything less.
It still amazes me that Pullman knows his world so we More...
I really liked this book, short as it was, though I know many didn't. They expected Lyra to have gone unchanged over the two years since her last adventure. But even in the final book of the trilogy, she'd changed. She'd lost some of her abilities as she matured. So I didn't expect anything less.
It still amazes me that Pullman knows his world so we More...
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Feb 13, 2008
Debbie
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Lyra's Oxford is a short story that continues, albeit briefly, Lyra's adventures. A map of Lyra's Oxford, a cruise brochure, and a postcard from Mary Malone are also included. In the introduction, Pullman writes that these items "...might be connected with the story, or they might not; they might be connected to stories that haven’t appeared yet. It's difficult to tell."
A witch's daemon named Ragi is being attacked by birds when he is rescued by Lyra and Pan. The daemon More...
A witch's daemon named Ragi is being attacked by birds when he is rescued by Lyra and Pan. The daemon More...
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Dec 16, 2009
Shannon
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I hate when authors don't know when to end something. His Dark Materials trilogy is OVER. We get that you're a sell-out, Philip Pullman (judging by the movie previews.. oh man).. just leave it alone. You wrote some great books. Now hush.
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Oct 22, 2011
Simon
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The main problem with this book is the issue of EXPECTATIONS.
If you read and liked His Dark Materials, you expect something good, even though it's a short story, you expect Lyra's Oxford to provide some kind of additional insight, some kind of additional information, or, at the least, to describe Lyra and Oxford 2 years since the events of The Amber Spyglass.
None of that happens. This is basically a novella, a short story that was written, it seems, to allow Pullman to ma More...
If you read and liked His Dark Materials, you expect something good, even though it's a short story, you expect Lyra's Oxford to provide some kind of additional insight, some kind of additional information, or, at the least, to describe Lyra and Oxford 2 years since the events of The Amber Spyglass.
None of that happens. This is basically a novella, a short story that was written, it seems, to allow Pullman to ma More...
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Oct 04, 2011
Maciek
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Lyra's Oxford is a small publication, a short story essentially, which can be easily read in one sitting. It is after the events of His Dark Materials trilogy and features the familiar duo of Lyra Silvertongue and her daemon, Pantalaimon. Both are stationed at Oxford, when a witch's daemon arrives, begging Lyra to help him find a person who's unknown to her...
To say more would spoil the book, since it is so very short. And that's my complain. While it is certainly enjoyable, and Pull More...
To say more would spoil the book, since it is so very short. And that's my complain. While it is certainly enjoyable, and Pull More...
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Mar 28, 2011
Andy
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I found this recently in a bargain bin in Warehouse and had never heard of it before, having read the Dark Materials books a few years back. Read widely spaced in time and with mild reluctance after not really enjoying the first one I grew to love them by the end.
This short story focussing on Lyra two years after the events of the trilogy is intriguing, comforting and slightly frustrating all at the same time. The entire world portrayed in Northern Lights is quickly re-established an More...
This short story focussing on Lyra two years after the events of the trilogy is intriguing, comforting and slightly frustrating all at the same time. The entire world portrayed in Northern Lights is quickly re-established an More...
Mar 02, 2011
Rhys
rated it: 
I found this little delight in a charity shop the other day and read it on my commute today (it’s quite short). I loved the Dark Materials trilogy, and have a special affinity with Northern Lights because I bought it after quitting my job at British Gas (I walked out and didn’t go back) before taking it to the roof garden café of David Morgans where I stayed reading it until 8 o’clock at night.
I started reading this story and it didn’t take me long to remember how magical the first boo More...
I started reading this story and it didn’t take me long to remember how magical the first boo More...
May 02, 2010
Sarah705
rated it:
That was cute, and I loved reading more about Lyra. This story (Lyra and the Birds) really made me think about our own perceptions of ourselves. Towards the end of the story, it says, "Oh, how stupid she could be when she was being clever!" about Lyra. What this means is that when Lyra thought she was being smart, she was really just doing someone else's bidding.
What is this saying about the world? Does it imply that there is always someone else controlling what we do every More...
What is this saying about the world? Does it imply that there is always someone else controlling what we do every More...
Aug 04, 2009
Young Lightning in Dark Sky
rated it:
This was a very quick read-sixty pages at the most, though I'm not sure, and I knocked it out in about half an hour. This one will surely be a re-read though-I was doing some extreme multitasking.
Philip Pullman's writing style draws me in, and envelopes me in worlds that no other author aside from Neil Gaiman can seem to put me in. The dark illustrations really iced this chocolate cake, and I found this book full of plot, with characters full of unique personalities, interesting scenes, an More...
Philip Pullman's writing style draws me in, and envelopes me in worlds that no other author aside from Neil Gaiman can seem to put me in. The dark illustrations really iced this chocolate cake, and I found this book full of plot, with characters full of unique personalities, interesting scenes, an More...
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Dec 19, 2011
Craig
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The world created in His Dark Materials could be home to some great short stories, unfortunately Lyra’s Oxford isn’t one of them. Ignoring the fact the book 40 page* book and costs the same amount as The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass, nothing really interesting happens. Philip Pullman introduced just enough new things to make people feel compelled to read it before his starting his upcoming The Book of Dust. Lyra’s Oxford isn’t bad it is just really unsatisfying and doe
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Jun 04, 2011
Mary
rated it:
Early on in this short story, Philip Pullman hints that its significance may not be entirely clear. "Everything means something. We just have to find out how to read it." The sentiment is quite true of this book, which, on the surface, relates an incident in Oxford that takes place two years after the events in His Dark Materials left off. At first, the tale feels slight, but it does raise issues that will make Pullman's next HDM project very exciting indeed. For example, who are the w
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Jan 08, 2012
CaterinaAnna
rated it:
I devoured this greedily in one afternoon and enjoyed the other bits and pieces as well as the story.
At a recent Cardiff bookcrossing meet several non-readers of fantasy discussed why we could cope with some but not most: it's to do with there being a consistent universe which, while different from ours, obeys a coherent set of physical and social rules. The additional material in this little volume supports and extends the world of His Dark Materials. I had good fun comparing the name More...
At a recent Cardiff bookcrossing meet several non-readers of fantasy discussed why we could cope with some but not most: it's to do with there being a consistent universe which, while different from ours, obeys a coherent set of physical and social rules. The additional material in this little volume supports and extends the world of His Dark Materials. I had good fun comparing the name More...
May 19, 2010
Kate
rated it:
When I finish a good book, it can take ages for me to stop thinking about a character, a scene, a feeling I got from the book. After consuming the His Dark Materials trilogy in the span of only a few weeks, I was a little fixated on Lyra.
Lyra had courage and an adventurous spirit that I admired. My husband is reading The Golden Compass now and I am truly jealous of him as he gets to meet Lyra for the first time. And if I haven't been able to shake Lyra, what of the author, Philip Pu More...
Lyra had courage and an adventurous spirit that I admired. My husband is reading The Golden Compass now and I am truly jealous of him as he gets to meet Lyra for the first time. And if I haven't been able to shake Lyra, what of the author, Philip Pu More...
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Sep 02, 2011
Although it's been quite a few years, I've read His Dark Materials twice, so this little addition to the story brought me back to familiar places and characters for an hour or so. I don't know if this story could stand on its own or if it depends on the reader knowing all of Lyra's previous story, and I can't help but feel that the multigenre nature of this story (maps, postcards, etc.) lends itself to a mystery I haven't fully picked up on or solved. Are we just revisiting some of the charact
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Sep 14, 2011
Molly
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After re-reading The Amber Spyglass, I was not quite ready to put Pullman's world back on the shelf. I've had this small book for some time, but had never gotten around to reading it before now. It was nice to see Lyra's story continuing, and to find out how she was doing two years after the events of the series. In some ways, she has reverted back to her old self, from before her adventures began, but she is more grown up, and has learned many things which inform her actions here. There is much
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Feb 23, 2011
Mike
rated it:
This was a quick little read. The setting is a few years after the events of the His Dark Materials trilogy. It's a one-off adventure, maybe 60 pages long. The story is not overly intriguing on its own. It's in the same writing style as the other books, though, and it features Lyra and Pan, which I enjoyed. My favorite thing about the book is the presentation. It's hardcover, but with the dimensions of a small paperback. I like the materials used; it feels old fashioned. There's cool woo
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Aug 09, 2011
Emma
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Lyra's Oxford is a really good short story that skips forward two years after the end of the Dark Materials trilogy and finds Lyra still in Oxford, studying. It is nice to see her back in the environment where we first found her in The Northern Lights. Her ordinary seeming world is disturbed with the arrival of a witch's daemon, but what does he want? I love Philip Pullman's writing style and this really reminds me of the first of his trilogy which is the one I enjoyed the most. A great shor
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Nov 14, 2010
Allie
rated it:
Although I don’t believe this was anything spectacular, it was nice to read something new about Lyra and Pan. I wasn’t even aware of this story until I came across it while searching through a goodreads list.
The short story takes place a few years after the Dark Materials books when Lyra and Pan stumble across a witch’s daemon named Rai. Rai needs Lyra’s help to find an alchemist named Sebastian Makepeace because he may be the only one able to help his witch Yelena Pazhets who has f More...
The short story takes place a few years after the Dark Materials books when Lyra and Pan stumble across a witch’s daemon named Rai. Rai needs Lyra’s help to find an alchemist named Sebastian Makepeace because he may be the only one able to help his witch Yelena Pazhets who has f More...
Sep 18, 2009
Jan
rated it:
I just finished the His Dark Material series and loved them. This short story is a sequel and "bridge" to the next promised book in the series "Dust".
I enjoyed the short, short book because it featured the main character of the series, Lyra and her demon. It made reference to the other stories and help with finished series withdrawal symptoms. It gave me a glimmer of Lyra's life and how she is doing yet was a little tease of things to come.
This is very More...
I enjoyed the short, short book because it featured the main character of the series, Lyra and her demon. It made reference to the other stories and help with finished series withdrawal symptoms. It gave me a glimmer of Lyra's life and how she is doing yet was a little tease of things to come.
This is very More...
Jul 10, 2011
Jo
rated it:
Set after the end Pullman's Northern Lights Trilogy, this is a story that may or may not have happened, a little gift from a possible future. Lyra is living and teaching as a postgraduate student back in Oxford. Sitting on the roof of her college she and her daemon Pantalaimon see a flock of starlings acting strangely, and realise they are attacking a bird, a witch's daemon who is in search of an alchemist living in Oxford.
The story is beautifully packaged in a little red fabric bound More...
The story is beautifully packaged in a little red fabric bound More...
Oct 05, 2009
Brian
rated it:
I rarely find books that bring out the kid in me, but everything I've read by Pullman manages to do that. Despite the fact that this book is merely a short story, Pullman manages to tie it in with His Dark Materials in a mysterious and tantalizing way. Included are a map, an excerpt from a journal, a postcard, and advertisement for a cruise liner. Each of these items provides a glimpse into a new adventure for Lyra, which I can only hope is printed in the near future. I suspect that this jou
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Nov 10, 2011
Megan
rated it:
2.5ish. It's been so long since I've read His Dark Materials, so I was a bit rusty stepping back into this universe. This is a super short story and it's all right, but nothing too special or exciting. Not sure if the artwork is anything to write home about, since I read it on my kindle and the picture weren't all that nice there. Not sure why Pullman didn't save this story, that other short one he published, write a couple more and publish a full size book of short stories (similar to Susan
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Jan 20, 2012
Felix
rated it:
German edition – German review:
Es handelt sich um eine kleine Kurzgeschichte, die einige Jahre nach dem Ende der His Dark Materials-Trilogie spielt und eine weiteres Abenteuer von Lyra erzählt. Beigefügt sind eine fiktive Postkarte, eine Werbeanzeige für eine Kreuzfahrt und ein Stadtplan von Lyras Oxford.
Die Kurzgeschichte ist zwar ganz nett, gibt jedoch wenig Neues her. Weder ist Lyras Figur wesentlich weiterentwickelt worden noch erfahren wir wirklich mehr über Lyras We More...
Es handelt sich um eine kleine Kurzgeschichte, die einige Jahre nach dem Ende der His Dark Materials-Trilogie spielt und eine weiteres Abenteuer von Lyra erzählt. Beigefügt sind eine fiktive Postkarte, eine Werbeanzeige für eine Kreuzfahrt und ein Stadtplan von Lyras Oxford.
Die Kurzgeschichte ist zwar ganz nett, gibt jedoch wenig Neues her. Weder ist Lyras Figur wesentlich weiterentwickelt worden noch erfahren wir wirklich mehr über Lyras We More...
Aug 06, 2007
Skwerlie
rated it:
I loved the His Dark Materials trilogy, it is one of my favourite book series ever. When I heard that there was a short story that follows the series, I was really excited and checked it out from the local library.... ugh. I really disliked the story, wish I had never read it- I felt like it took the character I'd loved through 3 books and ripped off all the interesting bits so that she was an ordinary and unexciting teenaged girl. Where was the Lyra from the earlier triology? I certainly di
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Jun 12, 2011
astried
rated it:
Love it just because this quote:
"The poor thing looked so wretched, huddled there in the cold shadow; and the thought of his witch, waiting in the north in the faint hope that he'd bring back something to heal her, made tears come to Lyra's eyes. Pan had told her she was too soft and too warmhearted, but it was no good telling her about it. Since she and Will had parted two years before, the slightest thing had the power to move her to pity and distress; it felt as if her heart we More...
"The poor thing looked so wretched, huddled there in the cold shadow; and the thought of his witch, waiting in the north in the faint hope that he'd bring back something to heal her, made tears come to Lyra's eyes. Pan had told her she was too soft and too warmhearted, but it was no good telling her about it. Since she and Will had parted two years before, the slightest thing had the power to move her to pity and distress; it felt as if her heart we More...
Jul 08, 2009
Claire
rated it:
I found out about this book in the back of one of the books in the trilogy and was very intrigued. But when I finally got my hands on it (after MUCH searching) I was slightly disappointed! It's so tiny! And truthfully, after reading this VERY short story of an attempt at Lyra and Pan's life, I think the whole point of this book was so that Phillip Pullman could include some visual aides for the original three books. I really did enjoy the map of Oxford and the little postcard and brochure, but c
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Dec 28, 2011
Sue
rated it:
All this book did was remind me how it pains me that the story is over. There is no book that exists that tells us what happens to Lyra and Will after they leave each other and return to their own worlds. We certainly will never get the ending we want where Will and Lyra figure out a way to be together without slowly dying or destroying the world. While this little book was cute and told nice little story, all it did was raise both more question and my hopes of a continuing tale. :(
Aug 09, 2011
Bronwyn
rated it:
This book is tiny (the librarian and I had trouble finding it on the shelves!), but has fascinating features in a map of Oxford and a postcard. The short story is about Lyra and Pan, and their quiet life after their adventures. A witches daemon comes to Lyra for help, and she encounters dangers in trying to help it. Considering all that Lyra has been through, I thought Lyra was incredibly naive in the way she helped the daemon, and was a little disappointed in her.
Dec 25, 2011
Liontinx
rated it:
Años después de que me leyera y me enamorara de "luces del norte", "la daga" y "el catalejo lacado" descubrí un libro de este autor cuyo personaje era Lyra. Rápidamente me puse a leerlo
Me decepcionó mucho. No pasa casi nada, tiene poco que ver con la historia (o al menos con la que yo recuerdo) y ni por asomo levantó en mi la emoción y la ilusión que levantaron los que he mencionado antes.
Me decepcionó mucho. No pasa casi nada, tiene poco que ver con la historia (o al menos con la que yo recuerdo) y ni por asomo levantó en mi la emoción y la ilusión que levantaron los que he mencionado antes.
Oct 23, 2011
Jennifer
rated it:
Contrary to some reviews, I like this little glimpse into Lyra's life after the trilogy. In a sense, it says "life goes on"; plus, although the story was somewhat resolved, we were kind of left wanting in the last book of the series (undoubtedly setting up the possibility for more). Unlike the rest of the series, a quick read with oohs and ahhs. Left wanting more again because it was an enjoyable story. :D
