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His Dark Materials: Northern Lights

His Dark Materials Series

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(79 reviews)

Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy started with the publication of The Northern Lights in 1995. The extraordinary fantasy world captured children’s and adult’s imaginations everywhere, with the books selling millions of copies and winning awards, including the Carnegie Medal in 1995 for The Northern Lights and the 2001 Whitbread Book of the Year for The Amber Spyglass.

The Northern Lights books have been brought to life on stage and screen several times, most recently for the BBC in 2019. The Dark Materials cast included Dafne Keen as Lyra, Ruth Wilson as Mrs Coulter and James McAvoy as Lord Asriel. There has also been a His Dark Materials play in the West End and a Hollywood film starring Nicole Kidman.

The story follows the coming of age of two children, Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry, born into different, parallel worlds but with the ability to travel between them. 

The first book in the trilogy opens in Jordan College, Oxford. Lyra Belacqua, an orphan who lives with the scholars, runs wild through college, getting into scrapes with her daemon Pantalaimon and her best friend Roger. But before too long, Lyra’s Uncle, Lord Asriel, returns and she becomes embroiled in a world of magic, mystery and peril. When her friend Billy Costa becomes the latest in a string of Gyptian children to go missing, Lyra is compelled to investigate, putting herself and Roger into grave danger.

Lyra’s adventures throughout the trilogy are as exciting as they are fantastic – travelling to the icy North and crossing into unknown worlds, Lyra and Pan make friends with the most unlikely companions, from Lee Scoresby the Texan balloonist to the fearsome queen of the witches, Serafina Pekkala and the disgraced armoured bear Iorek Byrnison.

Lyra is one of the bravest heroines in literature – prepared to take on the Gobblers (General Oblation Board) who are stealing children, the terrifying Mrs Coulter and ultimately the Magisterium who rule Lyra’s universe. Her journey will have immense consequences, even beyond her own world. 

We recommend the series for young adult readers, from age 10. You need to read Philip Pullman’s books in order, starting with book 1 The Northern Lights. We also highly recommend the His Dark Materials audiobooks. 

For fans of His Dark Materials, Pullman’s second series The Book of Dust, tells more of Lyra’s story at different points in her life, as well as some other His Dark Materials characters, although this series is recommended for adults. 

Love this series? Check out our list of the Best Magical and Fantasy Book Series for 11 and 12 year olds. 

All the His Dark Materials books in order:

Book 1: The Northern Lights (1995)
Book 2: The Subtle Knife (1997)
Book 3: The Amber Spyglass (known as The Golden Compass in the USA) (2000)
Novella: Lyra’s Oxford (2003)
Novella: Once Upon a Time in the North (2008)
The Imagination Chamber (2022)
Graphic Novel: The Subtle Knife (2022)

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Book 1
His Dark Materials: Northern Lights
Book 1

His Dark Materials: Northern Lights

THE BOOK BEHIND THE BBC SERIES 'HIS DARK MATERIALS' - now with a TV tie-in cover "Without this child, we sh... MoreHis Dark Materials: Northern Lights

(40 reviews) 5 40
Review
Book 2
The Subtle Knife
Book 2

The Subtle Knife

NOW A MAJOR, CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED BBC/HBO TV SERIES"What is he? A friend, or an enemy?" "He is a murderer." ... MoreThe Subtle Knife

(18 reviews) 5 18
Review
Book 3
The Amber Spyglass
Book 3

The Amber Spyglass

The third volume in Philip Pullman's incredible HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy. First published in 2000, and acclaimed... MoreThe Amber Spyglass

(11 reviews) 5 11
Review
Novella
Lyra's Oxford
Novella

Lyra's Oxford

This is a wonderful new episode from the world of Philip Pullman's bestselling trilogy, His Dark Materials. In Lyra's Ox... MoreLyra's Oxford

(2 reviews) 5 2
Review
Novella
Once Upon a Time in the North
Novella

Once Upon a Time in the North

When Lyra is studying at Oxford University, she comes across the story of Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnisson's first mee... MoreOnce Upon a Time in the North

(2 reviews) 5 2
Review
The Imagination Chamber

The Imagination Chamber

  Master storyteller Philip Pullman returns to the world of Lyra and Will, Mrs Coulter and Lee Scoresby, P... MoreThe Imagination Chamber

(1 review) 3 1
Review
Graphic Novel
The Subtle Knife: The Graphic Novel
Graphic Novel

The Subtle Knife: The Graphic Novel

Enter the remarkable world of His Dark Materials like never before with this stunning, full-colour graphic novel.Followi... MoreThe Subtle Knife: The Graphic Novel

(0 reviews)
Review
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New Book

His Dark Materials: The Amber Spyglass (Tv tie-in edition)

His Dark Materials: The Amber Spyglass (Tv tie-in edition)

10th November 2022
(0 reviews)

Most Popular Book

His Dark Materials: Northern Lights

His Dark Materials: Northern Lights

3rd October 2019
(40 reviews) 5 40

Recent Reviews

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    The Amber Spyglass

    by ChildGenius

    I borrowed this from the library. This is the final book in the His Dark Materials trilogy, following Northern Lights and [i]The Subtle ...

  • The Subtle Knife

    The Subtle Knife

    by ChildGenius

    I borrowed this from the library. This is the second book in the His Dark Materials trilogy, following Northern Lights, and is set acros...

  • His Dark Materials: Northern Lights

    His Dark Materials: Northern Lights

    by ChildGenius

    I borrowed this from the library. This is the first book in the His Dark Materials trilogy, and is set in a parallel universe where a theocracy...

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