SPOILERS SPOILERS sign in here if you have FINISHED La Belle Sauvage

Enjoyed it a lot, had some hardcore content for a children’s book, particularly the implied rape 😨 and Malcolm killing Bonneville. Felt he resurrected Bonneville too many times!

Like others, not keen on the fairy realm or giants stuff.

Still, overall enjoyable, but mainly for the extra insights into that world, rather than as a story for itself I think

I agree, as a look into the history of some of the characters we already knew it was fascinating. However, I don't believe the book is strong enough to be a stand alone story. Which is a shame, as the beginning had so much potential.

I really liked half one, but agree with others all the supernatural fairy stuff was not great at all. I didn’t really think that world had ‘magic’ in it, although obviously it has the witches but they are a bit different. And why did hyena man not die after stabbing/second leg disabled in daemon? Can’t understand how he was able to chase them all the way. Although I guess it was all part of the fairy dreamlike thing.
Still, overall enjoyable, but mainly for the extra insights into that world, rather than as a story for itself I think

Finally got round to reading it today, took me just over 5 hours. I really loved the beginning, very strong, lots going on, but then it just peters out into a dull repetitive journey. Like above, I was very frustrated by the ending, so many unanswered questions, I don't expect everything to be answered, but having the characters collapse onto a carpet wasn't in anyway a satisfactory conclusion.

The fact that Alice's Daemon was still able to change shape was very surprising, as I thought they became fixed as puberty hit. 15 seemed very late, although I suppose it's not entirely impossible. Also, sticking with daemons Bonneville's character confused me, I thought pain felt by a daemon was also felt by the person connected to them. therefore the hitting the hyena made sense as it was a form of self harm. However, I don't quite understand why if this is the case, his daemon loosing a leg didn't affect him.

Finally Lyra must be the most well behaved baby ever, she sleeps when they do, never throws up, happy to be left lying in a canoe for hours at a time.

Finally finished so I can join In! Gave up waiting for the library copy so downloaded to kindle instead. I actually really enjoyed it but did find the 2nd half a bit repetitive in terms of environment - I guess it would have been in the flood but still, there are only so many hills with convenient landing spots for a canoe you can get excited about.

The ending annoyed me greatly. Where was Dr Relf, did Malcolm's parents (and the other peacock!) survive the flood, what became of the nuns, how was Bonneville managing to keep chasing them etc etc. With the 2nd book being set 20 years later I don't know how the 2 stories will weave together. Anyone know how much longer we'll need to wait for it?

I think part 1 would have stood up as a book. It promised so much, and then they just floated down the river and changed the baby a lot.

I'm almost at the end of The Northern Lights. Loving it as much as the first time I read it.

La Belle Sauvage, Malcolm and Alice, just seem so insipid by comparison. They're just so ordinary. I do love Lyra though.

I didn't lobe it as much as I'd hoped. For me it didn't stand up as a book itself. That's what's so great about the first trilogy that each book is good in it's own right. This read like a prologue.

I liked the pre flood a lot, and I didn't mind that it turned into homers odyssey but then it just cut off so abruptly

It would barely have taken a chapter to wrap up better, maybe have a wee chat about the aura/aurora? Spend an evening with Asriel maybe? Catch up with Hannah?
The end was just so weak

I have restarted the Northern Lights.

I couldn't resist returning to The Subtle Knife this weekend. (Not so keen on Northern Lights.) It's still so magnificent. And Will just the greatest hero ever. There's lots going on but it's - quicksilvery. La Belle Sauvage seems ponderous by comparison.

I loved it. Have read it twice and the 2nd reading was better. Plenty to think about in there. Looking forward to the next one.

I thought those weird stopovers like the fairy woman were references to the Odyssey, but I may be wrong. I'll check.

Elena are we supposed to be familiar with The Odyssey?! Because I'm not and I don't fancy having to read it either.

Don't forget to read ONce Upon A Time In The North as well! It's a short story prequel about Lee Scoresby.

The next book is already titled The Secret Commonwealth

I enjoyed it though I listened to it rather than read it - I think maybe I'd have struggled to keep focused on the later chapters if I'd been reading it. So many questions raised and I'm going to have to go back to the three previous books and read Lyra's Oxford to try and pick up on anything I missed!

I have finished as well. I loved it.

The pre-flood chapters were more hard-hitting for me, too. I do not remember Homer's Odyssey in enough detail to enjoy the rest fully.

Although the island of forgetting was quite sad. Did they represent people on mood-altering medications?

When Malcolm sees the halos, it is obviously a message from the Dust. What was the first message when he was looking at the map and saw a letter C?

Thank you for all the explanation in the previous posts.

Ha ha Diana I had the same thought.

I'm not sure why I'm bothered by fairies and giants in a series of books where people are travelling between different worlds. Witches and armoured Bears I have no problems with.

I had trouble with the supernatural bits of this book. They didn't feel right. The bits from HDM did. I can't explain myself!

@PurpleStarInCashmereSky - Lord Boreal. I wondered that too. Lyra first meets him at the party.

It's Mrs Lonsdale who is Simon Parslow's (and therefore Roger's) relative not Ma Costa. She was the nursemaid.

I've started re-reading the Northern Lights again; I have a print copy and have just got a kindle copy for ease as well, although it's called The Golden Compass. I've already noticed a small difference which is an error in my print - Ma Costa is described as having a hawk daemon and then later on a dog. This is corrected.

Not relevant really just thought it was interesting!

(And the Mrs Coulter dark hair thing is still bothering me - it's mentioned all the time!)

Could the man they wanted to tempt Malcolm with be the horrible man with the snake daemon from HDM? The one who can move between Lyra's and Will's world and steals the aleitheometer?

I also preferred the pre flood parts. I echo what people said about the weirdly episodic nature of the second half. It was a bit tedious how they kept being betrayed or let down.

The hyena man felt a bit supernatural towards the end. How did he follow them after getting his daemon disabled, losing his boat and being stabbed? He was described as a shadow in the corner of their eye. Like he had supernatural powers.

I also felt the ending was a little rushed. I would have liked that to be lingered over a little more. A bit more reflection and tying up of ends.

Overall I enjoyed it. Read all at once over an afternoon/evening.

CowPat how about something like The Rusakov Theory?

Finally finished (Its iamdivergent, outlander namechange).

Ok so it took me about 3 days to read part one, then I didn't read for a couple days and now finished part two in an afternoon. I really enjoyed some parts of it and others were creepy...did Bonneville rape Alice at the end...blood on her leg?

Lyra's Oxford is a good short story, but it really is short. Only a long chapters worth tbh. Malcolm is in the story and Asta too obviously, just in passing but they are there Really looking forward to Volume 2 - wonder what it will be called and I assume it will be released this time next year.

Hope the BBC series gets cracked on!

Also- slightly off topic guys- I'm trying to think of a good title for a HDM blog, any ideas would be very welcome!

I got that aspect, was just surprised he did it in a place where it was bound to be heard!