His Dark Materials: Once Upon a Time in the North

By: Philip Pullman

Narrated by: David Harewood

A not-to-be-missed prequel episode from Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials universe.

Lee Scoresby--Texan aeronaut and future friend to Lyra Belacqua--is just 24 years old, and he's recently won his hot-air balloon in a poker game. He finds himself floating North to the windswept Arctic island of Novy Odense, where he and his hare daemon Hester are quickly tangled in a deadly plot involving an oil magnate, a corrupt mayoral candidate, and Lee's longtime nemesis from the Dakota Country, a hired killer with at least twenty murders to his name.

It's only after Lee forms an alliance with one of the island's reviled armored bears that he can fight to break up the conspiracy in a gun-twirling classic western shoot out--and battle of wits. A glimpse for Pullman fans into the first friendship of two of the most beloved characters in the His Dark Materials trilogy: Lee Scoresby and armored bear Iorek Byrnison.

Don't miss Philip Pullman's epic new trilogy set in the world of His Dark Materials!
** THE BOOK OF DUST **
La Belle Sauvage
The Secret Commonwealth

Critic reviews

“Pullman is as fine a writer as there is for young people, and this book is a small gem.” —Booklist, Starred

"An action-oriented mini masterpiece." —Kirkus Reviews

"Exuberant, intelligent fun . . . Once again Pullman has created a work of art that is enchanting for a child but equally appealing to an adult."― The Times (London)

"Tantalisingly short, irresistibly snappy and full of dangerous derring-do." ― Independent

A Nice Fill In

It was nice to have some back story on 2 of the main characters, and how they came to the Dark Materials universe.

Lee Scorseby

Lee and Hester and iorek .... Best characters in the Dark Materials series. This is the story of Iorek and Lee's being

too short!

i love these lee, hester, and iorek and their dynamic and while i thoroughly enjoyed it i felt like i blinked and it was over. i would have loved to see more of them especially the tunguska campaign. this was just enough to wet my whistle and now i’m craving more!

Great story

I love hearing Pullman describe the world and paint unforgettable characters. The universe of dark materials where people souls are the daemon animals near them makes for a new way of understanding

Not Worth the Time or Money

This story stunk. Predictable and boring. If you’re looking for something that has anything to do with the golden compass trilogy than you will be sorely disappointed. Even Hester sounds like an English woman and not like a hate from Texas.