La Belle Sauvage by Philip PullmanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
A stunning prequel to the Dark Materials trilogy, part one in the Book Of Dust trilogy follows the tale of Oxford resident Malcolm Polstead as he inadvertently finds himself protector of Lyra Belacqua as a baby. The importance of Lyra's mere existence even at this early stage is prolific, and Malcolm finds himself teaming up with unlikely companion Alice to save her from things farm more sinister than the biblical scale flood that forces the three, Daemon's in tow, struggle for survival in Malcolm's canoe, where the book finds its name.
In an effort to keep spoiler free I'll leave the plot summary there, but rest assured as both an origins story, and a story in it's own right, La Belle Sauvage is a wholly excellent piece of fictional writing. There is absolutely never a dull moment throughout, as Pullman tale intrigues, frightens, amuses and excites, sometimes all at once.
His knack for description is at all times beautiful, and I never failed to imagine the unique surroundings, characters and creatures in vivid detail. The story feels to constantly be increasing in pace and tension, starting out with a gentle slow intrigue and continually speeding up to it's exciting conclusion, much like the flood on which they find themselves.
As a lover of fantasy fiction, I can't recommend this highly enough for everyone - read it to your kids, read it for yourself and then make everyone else read it, too. It really is that stunning. I'll be starting the next one almost immediately!
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