La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust, Volume 1

 La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust, Volume One by Philip Pullman, 449 pages

After finishing the "His Dark Materials" trilogy by this author, I've now gone back to reread the first in this companion series, in anticipation of reading the newest in this series for the first time! And it was never a struggle to reread any of these books, as I love them all.

Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon were the main characters of the "His Dark Materials" trilogy, and this series begins with Lyra's "origin story" as an infant, when she was already being sought after for the part she is destined to play in a mysterious prophecy. Powerful forces work for against Lyra's safety, and it's difficult to know who is on the side of good. Malcolm Polstead, a boy living and working at the inn owned by his father, meets Lyra when a group of nuns become her caretakers. Malcolm has befriended the nuns, who live close to his father's inn, and he is fascinated and charmed by the infant Lyra. When a dangerous flood and sinister people threaten Lyra's safety, Malcolm escapes with Lyra and Alice, a girl close to Malcolm's age who also works at the inn, to the relative safety of the flood. The rest of the book is non-stop daring and adventure with bits of mythology and mysticism thrown in to keep the pages turning.

Pullman writes wonderful young characters who are distinct and likeable in their own ways, and Malcolm and Alice are as engaging and relatable as the characters of Will and Lyra in the previous series. We also encounter some of the adults we met in the previous series and get to know a bit more of their stories, and this book, like the others in the series, is action-packed, thought-provoking, and compelling. I can't wait to read the next one!