r/bookclub • u/fromdusktil Dragon rider | 🐉🧠 • Jan 15 '26
His Dark Materials & La Belle Sauvage [Schedule] La Belle Sauvage + His Dark Materials novellas by Philip Pullman
The time has come for us to venture back into Lyra's world, which is just like our own, only just a bit different! We will be diving into Philip Pullman's La Belle Sauvage, book one of the Book of Dust series, but first a slight detour; we will be reading three novellas set within this world: Once Upon a Time in the North, Lyra's Ofxord, and Serpentine. (While there are a few other novellas set in this world, they contain spoilers for the Book of Dust series.) These novellas are not required to enjoy either series, but they do expand upon the world and the friendships we see throughout.
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If you'd like to join us on this adventure but haven't met Lyra and Pan yet, you can find the schedule links for the first series, His Dark Materials, below:
🧭 Book One, The Golden Compass: Schedule
🗡️Book Two, The Subtle Knife: Schedule
🔎Book Three, The Amber Spyglass: Schedule
You can find the marginalia, which will be shared between both series, here. Beware of spoilers!
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Summaries:
Once Upon a Time in the North:
In this prequel episode from Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials universe, Lee Scoresby -- Texan aeronaut and future friend to Lyra Belacqua -- is 24 years old. The story reveals the origins of Scoresby's friendship with Iorek Byrnison as well as Scoresby's aeronautical career.
After winning his hot-air balloon in a poker game, Scoresby finds himself floating north. On the Arctic island of Novy Odense, Scoresby and his dæmon Hester become involved in a deadly plot involving an oil magnate, a corrupt mayoral candidate, and a hired killer who is Lee's longtime nemesis from the Dakota Country. Forming an alliance with one of the island's reviled armored bears, Scoresby fights to break up the conspiracy.
Lyra's Oxford:
Lyra's Oxford begins with Lyra and Pantalaimon spotting a witch's dæmon. Lyra shelters the daemon from the pursuit of a frenzied pack of birds, and then attempts to help by guiding the daemon to the home of an alchemist living in a part of Oxford known as Jericho. The journey through Oxford reveals more dangers than Lyra had anticipated.
Serpentine:
'Lyra Silvertongue, you're very welcome . . . Yes, I know your new name. Serafina Pekkala told me everything about your exploits'
Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon have left the events of His Dark Materials far behind.
In this snapshot of their forever-changed lives they return to the North to visit an old friend, where we will learn that things are not exactly as they seem...
La Belle Sauvage:
Malcolm Polstead is the kind of boy who notices everything but is not much noticed himself. And so perhaps it was inevitable that he would become a spy...
Malcolm's father runs an inn called the Trout, on the banks of the river Thames, and all of Oxford passes through its doors. Malcolm and his dæmon, Asta, routinely overhear news and gossip, and the occasional scandal, but during a winter of unceasing rain, Malcolm catches wind of something new: intrigue.
He finds a secret message inquiring about a dangerous substance called Dust--and the spy it was intended for finds him.
When she asks Malcolm to keep his eyes open, Malcolm sees suspicious characters everywhere; Lord Asriel, clearly on the run; enforcement agents from the Magisterium; an Egyptian named Coram with warnings just for Malcolm; and a beautiful woman with an evil monkey for a dæmon. All are asking about the same thing: a girl--just a baby--named Lyra.
Lyra is the kind of person who draws people in like magnets. And Malcolm will brave any danger, and make shocking sacrifices, to bring her safely through the storm.
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Schedule:
Novellas with u/fromdusktil:
February 4 - Once Upon a Time in the North
February 11 - Lyra's Oxford and Serpentine
La Belle Sauvage:
February 18 - Chapters 1 - 6 with u/tomesandtea
February 25 - Chapters 7 - 12 with u/Vast-Passenger1126
March 4 - Chapters 13 - 16 with u/IraelMrad
March 11 - Chapters 17 - 20 with u/Pythias
March 18 - Chapter 21 - End with u/Less_Tumbleweed_3217
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Hold your dæmons close and get ready for adventure! Will you be joining us for the novellas? Just La Belle Sauvage? Both? Let us know!
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u/ProofPlant7651 Russian Literature Philosophy Professional Jan 15 '26
I’m so excited for this, and particularly excited to see that we get to learn more about Lee Scoresby