Product Description

This is a wonderful new episode from the world of Philip Pullman's bestselling trilogy, His Dark Materials, to be published in November 2003. In Lyra's Oxford the reader will share the huge excitement of discovering a small bundle of material that has somehow slipped between Lyra's universe and our own. The book will include a wonderful new story by Philip Pullman, fully illustrated intricate maps and other ephemera from Lyra's universe. The text will be illustrated throughout in beautiful black and white wood-blocks by the highly acclaimed engraver, John Lawrence, together with specially printed three-colour pull out maps of Lyra's Oxford. This publication could have come from a parallel universe. The short story contained within Lyra's Oxford finds Lyra with her daemon Pantalaimon a couple of years after the end of The Amber Spyglass. Sitting on the roofs of Oxford she sees a bird, the daemon of a witch, a storm petrel flying towards her pursued by a huge and angry flock of starlings. Birds play a big part in this story. And gradually a mystery unfolds--A beguiling new episode from the universe of His Dark Materials and other matter never before seen in this world

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #103660 in Books
• Published on: 2003-11-06
• Released on: 2003-10-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 68 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Attention all serious book collectors and fans of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. This undoubtedly beautiful package, cloth-bound in a classy red and adorned by numerous illustrations by master engraver and illustrator John Lawrence, is sure to be a must-purchase. A pint-sized pocket volume, Lyra's Oxford packages together a short story set in the same universe as his famous trilogy, a fold-out map of the alternate-reality city of Oxford which Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon inhabit, a short brochure for a cruise to The Levant aboard the SS Zenobia and a postcard from the inventor of the amber spyglass, Mary Malone. Pullman, in his introduction, suggests that the peripheral items within "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."

The story, "Lyra and the Birds", begins when Lyra and Pantalaimon spot a witch's daemon called Ragi being pursued over the rooftops of Oxford by a frenzied pack of birds. The daemon heads straight for Lyra and is given shelter. The creature was given Lyra's name as somebody who might help. The daemon is seeking one Sebastian Makepeace--an alchemist living in a part of Oxford known as Jericho. Together Lyra and Pan try to guide the daemon to the home of this man, but it is a journey fraught with more danger than they had at first anticipated.

Somehow, this is a book that puzzles and fascinates all at the same time. It's very sumptuous and lovingly crafted but tantalising brief. The fourth volume in Pullman's award-winning sequence is The Book of Dust and despite the author's reputation for taking his time in writing each of his longer works, it is now just too far away in the future to be funny anymore. (Age 10 and over)--John McLay

Synopsis
This is a wonderful new episode from the world of Philip Pullman's bestselling trilogy, His Dark Materials, to be published in November 2003. In Lyra's Oxford the reader will share the huge excitement of discovering a small bundle of material that has somehow slipped between Lyra's universe and our own. The book will include a wonderful new story by Philip Pullman, fully illustrated intricate maps and other ephemera from Lyra's universe. The text will be illustrated throughout in beautiful black and white wood-blocks by the highly acclaimed engraver, John Lawrence, together with specially printed three-colour pull out maps of Lyra's Oxford. This publication could have come from a parallel universe. The short story contained within Lyra's Oxford finds Lyra with her daemon Pantalaimon a couple of years after the end of The Amber Spyglass. Sitting on the roofs of Oxford she sees a bird, the daemon of a witch, a storm petrel flying towards her pursued by a huge and angry flock of starlings. Birds play a big part in this story. And gradually a mystery unfolds--A beguiling new episode from the universe of His Dark Materials and other matter never before seen in this world

From the Back Cover
A beguiling new episode from the universe of His Dark Materials and other matter never before seen in this world

Customer Reviews

Where are they now?
If you have read "His Dark Materials Trilogy" and enjoyed them you might be asking yourself the very question my title asks; where are they now?
Well... If you take a chance to read this book you will get some idea.
Here we look in on Lyra about two years after the end of the book "The Amber Spyglass".
Some people might describe this as a cheap money making ploy, but I think true fans (like myself) that were left at the end of the last book sobbing into their tissues, would enjoy this.
Yes, it might be a bit pricely, let us not forget that this short story is about the same length as a long chapter. But, we get the cool map and other paraphernalia that have fallen out between worlds into ours.

If the trilogy was nothing more than a story to you, you probably won't be all that excited about this, nor will you be very happy at paying a regular book price for a chapter long story. But, if it was more; if you fell in love with Lyra and Pan and all her friends then you should check this book out as it gives you that little bit more of a connection to that world and its magic.
It shows you that even though the trilogy is finished and all's right with the world(s), Lyra may be dealing with the aftermath for years to come!

Rip-off
A complete money making exercise is all this short story is. You can dress it up all you want with fancy maps and illustrations but I think the loyal fans of His Dark Materials trilogy are being seriously ripped off with this.

Hope
With a book like this you are always going to be a little disappointed, as almost all the main characters are missing and it doesn't directly follow the plot lines of His Dark Materials.

But take it is as I did, as a symbol of hope that there would be more books surrounding the same characters.

It's a good story though very short, the hardback version is a beautifully created book, with cloth coverings, maps, postcards. It is a must have for any true fan.