Will I love The Golden Compass (The Northern Lights)?

While you read this story, you step into a world where magic and science intertwine, where armored bears rule the icy north, witches soar through the skies, and every person has a daemon—a living reflection of their soul. The adventure takes us across breathtaking landscapes, from the bustling streets of Oxford to the frozen wastelands of the Arctic, uncovering secrets that shake the very foundation of reality.

Lyra’s journey is thrilling, full of mystery, danger, and a sense of wonder that never fades. Philip Pullman weaves a story so immersive and thought-provoking that it makes us question everything we think… show more.

I love this trilogy and read the third volume, The Amber Spyglass, in one sitting overnight. Phillip Pullman is my idol, his writing is beautiful, his characters are compelling, and his themes are intelligent and profound, and yet you don’t even notice how profound, as the story pulls you along, and you really only begin to see all the extra depths afterward.

Lara is the hero we need for all times, the creation of other worlds is brilliant, and the idea of our human souls being manifest as animals, our daemons, is life-changing.

A magical realism fantasy adventure about kids using their intuition, knowledge through observation and agency to solve big global problems. It's fantastic. It's a book that speaks to the human capacity to use creativity to solve crisis.

I loved Lyra. I'm not sure I've ever encountered a protagonist who is so prone to lying, but I can forgive her anything because of her determination to save her friend Roger. Lyra is bold, reckless, and endearing. The Golden Compass also has a memorable supporting cast. My favourites are the air balloon pilot Lee Scoresby; the armoured bear Iorek; and of course Lyra's familiar Pantalaimon. The high-stakes plot moves quickly and unpredictably. The settings are exotic and imaginative. This is a classic children's tale that gives adults much to ruminate on in terms of religion, politics, and belief systems.

I love how Lyra’s world is so different from ours, yet doesn’t require a huge leap of faith to believe. The science-like attention to detail somehow makes it sensible. Are there talking polar bears who shape metal with their paws and claws? Yes. Are my objections to that bizarre idea addressed so well that I accept it as normal? Also yes. 

The amount of thought put into the world makes the unreal feel very real, in other words. Yes, there are subtle magical forces, witches, and humans tethered to literal spirit animals…but scientists have studied and invented machines to work… show more.

I loved that this book doesn’t oversimplify challenging themes for a young audience. It mingles magic, action, and fascinating worldbuilding with some heavy philosophical and ethical undercurrents in a unique and compelling way.

The protagonist, Lyra, was a bit of a brat (in the best way), and I loved her mix of naivety and intelligence. I especially enjoyed the portrayal of dust as a conscious particle, and the most fascinating aspect for me was the study of its mysteries.

While I can’t comment on the specific religious undertones—I am not Christian and harbor no negative feelings against the church—I did… show more.

Years ago, this book was handed to me as a gift with a knowing look, like a secret was about to be revealed to me. I gobbled it up and was literally walking to the book store while reading the last chapter so I could start reading the next book immediately.

I was surprised to find the series in the middle-grade section of the store because even though the protagonist is 11-year-old Lyra, the story is layered and sophisticated in a way that goes beyond most middle-grade books. Lyra’s world has a wonderful “out of time period” feel before any… show more.

The first thing that made me adore this trilogy was Pullman’s prose, which to me felt lush, lyrical, and brimming with emotion. I also loved his vision of a world in which people’s souls existed outside of their bodies in animal forms with which they could interact.

Its theme of rebellion against authoritarianism, coupled with the heroine’s heartbreaking journey and its rich Biblical allegories, kept me turning pages faster than any book I had read before (or since).

These books, though categorized as “young adult” fiction, delivered real frights and made me shed real tears. I think it’s one of… show more.

Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series, starting with this book, remains one of my strongest literary influences to date.

The series plays with genres and themes as deftly and easily as the many worlds described in the books blend and bleed together. Magic and quantum mechanics, witchcraft and “atomcraft,” religious allegory, and coming-of-age narrative all merge together here, casting this book into a unique space entirely its own.

Lyra and Will are protagonists for the ages, and the way they form bonds with the allies who help them along their journey—from an armored bear to a cowboy aeronaut… show more.

The assignment was to recommend a book, when, of course, what I’m really doing here is recommending the entire His Dark Materials trilogy, a set of fantasy books that I must have read at least three (if not four) times, totally swept away by the scope of Pullman’s imagination and daring.

The ill-fated lovers in this book are Lyra and Will, two teens from two parallel universes going to war over the right to think, feel, desire, and be. That’s epic.