The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage

Book of Dust, Volume 1

By: Philip Pullman

Narrated by: Michael Sheen

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • DON’T MISS THE EPIC FINALE TO THE BOOK OF DUST: THE ROSE FIELD, AVAILABLE NOW!

Return to the world of His Dark Materials with the first book of a landmark trilogy.

“People will love the first volume of Philip Pullman’s new trilogy with the same helpless vehemence that stole over them when The Golden Compass came out.”—Slate

“It’s a stunning achievement, this universe Pullman has created and continues to build on.”—The New York Times

Malcolm Polstead is the kind of boy who notices everything, and the things he sees trouble him deeply. Enforcement agents from the Magisterium appear in his family’s inn. The explorer Lord Asriel has a precious secret to hide. A gyptian named Coram warns him of a coming flood. A criminal and a beautiful woman, both with disturbing daemons, ask about the same thing—a child, just a baby, named Lyra.

Lyra is the kind of person who draws people in like magnets. Malcolm sees that she is at the center of a great and powerful storm. And he will brave any danger, and make shocking sacrifices, to see her safely home.

Look for the entire trilogy of THE BOOK OF DUST:
La Belle Sauvage • The Secret Commonwealth • The Rose Field

And Lyra’s adventures begin in HIS DARK MATERIALS:
The Golden Compass • The Subtle Knife • The Amber Spyglass

Critic reviews

“Once in a lifetime a children’s author emerges who is so extraordinary that the imagination of generations is altered. Lewis Carroll, E. Nesbit, C. S. Lewis, and Tolkien were all of this cast. So, too, is Philip Pullman.” —The New Statesman

“Pullman is quite possibly a genius . . . using the lineaments of fantasy to tell the truth about the universal experience of growing up.” —Newsweek

Very Engaging

Michael Sheen does a great job creating tension and distinctive characters with his reading style, and the book itself was one of the more engaging I've read this year. I devoured this book, and will certainly be relistening to it. Prepare to fall in love with Mal and to be genuinely invested in his struggles.

A masterpiece

This book does the impossible: it rivals the books that make up *His Majesty’s Dark Materials* in story, style, and significance. It is, quite simply, a masterpiece.

As for Michael Sheen’s performance, it is far and away the very best performance of narrating that I have ever heard (and I have listened to hundreds of audible books). Sheen’s talent for voicing different characters and instincts regarding pacing, rhythm, and inflection are nothing short of astonishing. So gifted is Sheen that I cannot imagine anyone experiencing this marvel of a book except through Sheen’s performance.

Michael Sheen just as noteworthy as Pullman

This book is fantastic! Very relevant for today's "climate". So get used to that, art imitates life and vise versa. I'm sure there are reviews bashing this book for not subtly at all raising a political perspective. Get over it.

It was so fun returning to this world. I read HDM as a kid in middle school. Coming back to this world as a young adult was so refreshing. I forgot how much I missed these books. Reread HDM if you have not already.

My hat goes off to Mr. Sheen, absolutely riveting and flawless performance.

Also, just download "Secrets of the Commonwealth" right after downloading this one, save yourself the time going back.

A Brilliant Performance by Michael Sheen

As wonderful as the novel is, Michael Sheen's reading is a marvel. Don't hesitate to buy.

Loved the book, but many cuss words

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Depends on their age, as verbiage includes many cuss words including the F!#@ word. Other than that issue, the book is well written and as good as all other books in this series