Northern Lights by Philip Pullman follows Lyra and her Daemon Pantalaimon travelling to the North to rescue her best friend Roger as a greater plot comes to light all linking to Dust.
The start of the trilogy is an incredible start to a series set in a fantasy world. Pullman creates a solid society that is built upon throughout the book and the trilogy, with a set societal system and diverse cultures. Lyra Belacqua is an interesting protagonist, with her desire for adventure and knowledge driving her character to help her best friend and others in her path. Mrs Coulter is a well written and complex antagonist for Lyra, with deep connections with the driving political force within the world.
The world of Daemons bears a strikingly similar resemblance to our own world with direct comparisons with religion and technological advancements. However, with the inclusion of Daemons in the world of ‘His Dark Materials’ there is clear deviation between their history and our own. Pullman uses the childish nature of Lyra to further develop interest in the world and her journey, with her natural good heart and ability to learn and integrated within different cultures. This introduces us into the many varying peoples of the world, like Witches, Armoured Polar Bears, and Gypsies adding to the world building further. The story itself is well done, with adventure elements being largely light-hearted at the beginning but progresses to become darker with the higher stakes being revealed towards the end. The whole trilogy is represented perfectly within the first novel, with a core element being how Lyra is maturing and growing into an adult and the dangers of the world.