In this richly imagined and complex alternate reality, the child Lyra braves many dangers to find her lost playmate, Roger. On her quest she is aided by her father, an adventurer, a polar bear king and her daemon, Pantalaimon. Arrayed against her, however, are her powerfully charming mother and the forces of a corrupt Church. Although this fantasy world is confusing at first, the author does a masterful job making every facet of it seem real, until the reader is completely entrenched in Lyra’s parallel existence. The book examines the themes of love and trust, courage, fear and betrayal. It also asks its older, more sophisticated reader difficult questions about the nature of faith and religion. Because it is a fantasy novel, the book is full of symbols that enrich the experience of reading it for those who are paying attention. ( )

While it gets compared to Harry Potter a lot, this book in intended for a more mature audience. A dark tale set in a world that parallels our own and delves into subjects like death and religion, that are rarely discussed in books for this age frame. The watered down movie did not do it justice. ( )

Ok just finished golden compass and I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. First of all Pullman has a great writing style, his sentence structure is done in such a way that it grips you and makes you share the suspense and the ambience of that world.

But even better than his writing style are his ideas! First of all this takes place in an alternate reality, the main difference from our own is that every human has a daemon accompanying them. A daemon is described as the human soul in animal form which serves as more than a companion but probably half of a whole. As such the animal is a best expression of a persons character- for example the meek and subservient have mice and pups for daemons while the devious and deceptive have serpents as daemons. Also before a human reaches adolescence their daemon much like their personalities often change form with their emotions- and believe this device is used very well to describe Lyra (the main character's) state of mind.

Also their is the concept of Dust- which i wont spoil. Basically Pullmans world is one which is a joy to discover as you read on.

The plot for this is all but simple but the gyst is that it follows the main character Lyra Belaquia. Shes a twelve or eleven year old girl who has a daemon called Pantalamion. In her adventures around her home of Jordan College she witnesses a murder attempt on her Uncle Asriel, but warns him before any damage is done. Then after eavesdropping on the meeting between her Uncle and the other professors she finds out about the mystery of Dust and so forth. From that point her uncle leaves, and shes given this althieometer (the golden compass) which is a mystical item which allows one to read the future. However the item is rare and shouldnt be allowed to fall in the wrong hands. Meanwhile this clandestine group called the Oblation board (AKA Gobblers) have been behind the mysterious disappearance of children all across england, including Lyras dear friend Roger. And the head of the organisation; Mrs. Coulter has taken a special interest in Lyra and thus an adventure begins with Lyra being on the run from the Gobblers while searching for her kidnapped friend and her Uncle.

Now this is a bad synopsis really the plot is actually pretty great with a huge twist which caught me offguard and the movie didnt get a chance to show. Part of why the plot is deep is that it incorporates many races and cultures *Polar Bears ROCK!!!!!!!* and witches for example. Furthermore the secondary characters are very intriguing example Iorek Bynirson- the falled Polar Bear Prince, Lee Scoresby the happy-go-lucky yet enigmatic aeronaut, John Faa and Father Coram- the Gypsy Heads, Serafina Pakkala- one of the century old witch clan leaders etc etc all just make me wanna check the sequel to see if any light is shed on them. Though I have my doubts if that'll actually happen-_-

Anyway- all I'll say is that its a great book im dying to read the sequels as the world has sucked me in much like Potter. And one more thing I must add Lyra has to be one of the most likeable main characters ever- shes brave and crafty with a bit of a stubborn brat streak bt man she just doesnt give a damn about adults. The ending especially just has me so excited considering how much of a harda** she could be lol.

Anyway 4 and a half stars !!! ( )

This was a quick read. The writing occasionally got in the way of the story. While the story was engrossing, it did not exactly inspired me to run to the bookstore and get the second book. Having said that, I will probably pick up the rest of the series at a second hand bookstore. ( )

This has been on my mental TBR pile for years, but despite all the recommendations from just about everyone, I remained slightly wary as I am not a great fan of the fantasy genre. In fact, I’m not really a fan of it at all. I love Douglas Adams, but his unique brand of comic fantasy is not exactly typical of the genre, which has a tendency in my mind to try to take itself too seriously. I even failed to read ‘Lord of the Rings’, dropping it after a few dull chapters, and have thus far refused to consider reading any Harry Potter. Still, when I saw the first in the famous ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy on the shelf at a friend’s house, I knew that I had to give it a try…

Lyra Belacqua is a delightful child to follow: carefree, determined, inquisitive, arrogant in the way most children are, which is simply un-dented confidence, and possessed of a conscience. It is genuinely enjoyable to read about her as she rejects the wisdom of authority figures and sets her heart on finding out about real truths, rather than the history and theology that the scholars strive to teach her. In this sense, she reminds me very much of often ‘rebellious’ modern children hunched over school desks, learning about ideas and events which are largely meaningless to them, while struggling to make sense of the world that surrounds them today. Despite being fictional, she comes across as being very realistic in her manner and approach to life.

The heroine’s home town, Oxford, is depicted in a similarly enjoyable way: although some details are evidently changed, it is recognisably Oxford and will doubtless add a certain joy for those who are familiar with the town and can picture the story unfolding with that sense of accuracy and vision which using real places allows.

You may be beginning to wonder where the fantastical elements arise in this story. Lyra may almost breathe humanity and live in a recognisable physical location, but she also possesses a daemon – as does everyone else in her world. Daemons are souls which live outside the body and there is a whole social etiquette surrounding them which is at once interesting but also important to illuminating character. Children’s daemons change to reflect how they are feeling, but adults’ daemons are fixed in a particular animal form, allowing a unique insight into characters personalities – very useful when you’re trying to decide who to trust! Lyra’s own daemon, Pantalaimon, changes frequently and sometimes rapidly as he seeks to hide with her, protect her or scold her. Pullman describes these shifts briefly but tellingly to suggest nuances in social situations as Lyra’s life begins to change in unanticipated ways.

Wild Lyra has enjoyed living in Oxford with the Jordan scholars – who, of course, are the best scholars in the World – even though she has no parents and few friends. She spends her time escaping lessons and exploring with Pantalaimon, but ripples are being created that will lead to devastation in her world, and Lyra is, unknowingly, a vital component of an immense plan that will change her world forever. A sense of drama is immediately created in the opening chapter when Lyra witnesses an attempt to poison the only relative she seems to have, the forceful and much-feared Lord Asriel, and hears about a strange material which seems to distress the scholars. Soon afterwards she finds herself travelling North on an epic mission to save her friend Roger from the mysterious Gobblers and discover the true meaning of ‘Dust’.

As this brief overview shows, there is a lot happening in the story, but Lyra’s journey and sense of purpose is always clear. The characters she meets along the way are often strange but fit perfectly within the fictional world Pullman creates. There is somehow a very matter of fact tone which allows a war between bear kings, for example, to be perfectly dramatised. Part of the delight comes from meeting strange characters and learning about the details of their cultures and lives, but Pullman never allows this to detract from the story he is telling us. Key details are interspersed when necessary, or integrated into a story within the story. Gradually, the action moves towards a final, dramatic conclusion in which Lyra realises that she has been drawn into making a terrible mistake…

Of course, this is the first in a trilogy so although the ending has plenty of resolutions, it also leaves a door open to the next in the sequence and you would be unlikely to read this as a stand-alone book. It is also worth noting that Lyra’s “mistake” is actually part of her “fate” and this element of the story is stressed at the start by the master of Jordan College. If you are someone who believes in free will rather than destiny, then this recurring theme could exasperate you – especially since Lyra is simultaneously depicted as a bit of a wild child and a young girl who is predestined to act in certain ways to bring about the final outcomes.

The trilogy as a whole has endured some stiff criticism from certain quarters for being ‘anti-religious’ and working almost in opposition to C. S. Lewis’ ‘Narnia’ series, which Pullman has openly criticised. However, as with many stories, they only work as allegories if you are prepared to think through the comparisons and their symbolism or significance, and only work as propaganda if you are already willing to be swayed or confirmed in your opinions. I read ‘Narnia’ as a child without becoming devoutly religious and I anticipate being able to read ‘His Dark Materials’ without becoming overtly anti-religious! It is possible to read and enjoy the story without being disturbed by ideological interpretations, as I’m sure many young readers will do. Anyway, the religious undertones become more explicit in the later novels and do not really affect the story much in ‘Northern Lights’.

Overall, this is an engaging and enjoyable read. The characters are engaging and well-written, the action is broken into readable chapters and the similarities between this world and our own will have you eager to discover the differences. If you think you might enjoy it, I advise you to have the sequel lined up, as you will surely want to follow Lyra as her journey enters a new dimension…

*Winner of the Carnegie Medal for Children's Literature* ( )