Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman  (7)  £4.99

His Dark Materials Boxed set (His Dark Materials) by Philip Pullman  (45)  £10.95

The Ruby in the Smoke (Sally Lockhart Quartet) by Philip Pullman  (8)  £4.19

The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials) by Philip Pullman  (327)  £4.79

The Firework-maker's Daughter by Philip Pullman  (12)  £4.49

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Amazon.co.uk Review
Attention all serious book collectors and fans of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. This undoubtedly beautiful package, cloth-bound in a classy red and adorned by numerous illustrations by master engraver and illustrator John Lawrence, is sure to be a must-purchase. A pint-sized pocket volume, Lyra's Oxford packages together a short story set in the same universe as his famous trilogy, a fold-out map of the alternate-reality city of Oxford which Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon inhabit, a short brochure for a cruise to The Levant aboard the SS Zenobia and a postcard from the inventor of the amber spyglass, Mary Malone. Pullman, in his introduction, suggests that the peripheral items within "might be connected with the story, or they might not; they might be connected to stories that haven't appeared yet. It's difficult to tell."

The story, "Lyra and the Birds", begins when Lyra and Pantalaimon spot a witch's daemon called Ragi being pursued over the rooftops of Oxford by a frenzied pack of birds. The daemon heads straight for Lyra and is given shelter. The creature was given Lyra's name as somebody who might help. The daemon is seeking one Sebastian Makepeace--an alchemist living in a part of Oxford known as Jericho. Together Lyra and Pan try to guide the daemon to the home of this man, but it is a journey fraught with more danger than they had at first anticipated.

Somehow, this is a book that puzzles and fascinates all at the same time. It's very sumptuous and lovingly crafted but tantalising brief. The fourth volume in Pullman's award-winning sequence is The Book of Dust and despite the author's reputation for taking his time in writing each of his longer works, it is now just too far away in the future to be funny anymore. (Age 10 and over)--John McLay

Book Description
A new short story from master storyteller, Philip Pullman, set in the Oxford of Lyra's world in His Dark Materials trilogy, bound with a beautifully illustrated map.

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Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman  (7)  £4.99

Lyra's Oxford by Philip Pullman  (4)  £3.99

The Firework-maker's Daughter by Philip Pullman  (12)  £4.49

The Ruby in the Smoke (Sally Lockhart Quartet) by Philip Pullman  (8)  £4.19

His Dark Materials Boxed set (His Dark Materials) by Philip Pullman  (45)  £10.95

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37 Reviews 5 star:  (7) 4 star:  (13) 3 star:  (6) 2 star:  (5) 1 star:  (6)           Average Customer Review (37 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   47 of 50 people found the following review helpful: A Little Goes a Long Way..., 15 Jun 2006 By  L. Otto "iPod? Sure, I'll take two." (Surrey, England) - See all my reviews          Firstly, I've really wanted to review this book. I recieved it earlier today and I thought I'd share my input. It must be said that this book is very small, it's smaller than a normal novel, and it has far less pages, in total I think there may be around 70 pages to the book, though I have not officially counted. The book itself is presented very well, and Pullman's writing is on top form once more. The story is set 2 years after the end of 'The Amber Spyglass', and so it is best that you have read the first three books, although not necessary, however if you haven't, then it will be very confusing. Having being said, this book seemingly has nothing to do with the previous three, however a new character - in the form of an alchemist with a secret - has been introduced, and a likely new plot could unfold as the book does end with a cliffhanger. Previous reviews have slated this book as being 'confusing' and 'pointless', I would strongly disagree, I may be wrong but this book seems a very likely 'starting point' for the next novel, if indeed there ever will be another. I myself very much enjoyed Pullman's His Dark Materials set, and I hope this review aids anyone in the choice of buying, and I shall be eagerly anticipating the film-adaptation next year. Thank you.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   20 of 21 people found the following review helpful: a good little book, 11 Jun 2006 By  C. M. Botham (england (manchester)) - See all my reviews    i got this book after reading the dark materials trilogy. i decided to look at some of the reviews people had wrote about it on here and all i can say is that i disagree with quite a few. i enjoyed this book and thought that it was a great little short read which i can see myself picking up and reading again and again. yes the book is short but that only adds to its appeal as a book you can take anywhere and ease boredom. the fold out map and other little pieces in the book were interesting and fun to look at. all in all this is a nice little book to read but dont buy it if you are after a book that you can sit and read for hours or days.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   30 of 32 people found the following review helpful: A bridge of dust, 5 Nov 2003 By  Nick Barlow - See all my reviews With the earlier publication of The Amber Spyglass, it seemed that Philip Pullman had finished his involvement with Lyra and the other characters of His Dark Materials. Thankfully, Lyra's Oxford shows that is not the case, and far from being just a tacked-on addition to that series, it's a full story in it's own right and also possibly a tantalising teaser for The Book of Dust, whenever it finally arrives. The story within the book ('Lyra And The Birds') is an interesting tale of itself, excitingly detailing Lyra and Pantalaimon's dangerous trip across Oxford to help a witch's daemon. It's similar to the early chapters of Northern Lights, with Lyra front and centre, surrounded by fascinated descriptions of Pullman's strange alternate Oxford. However, it's the other ephemera that really make the book a must-read and turn it from being just a story into a true mystery. Children and adults alike will have lots of fun looking over the map and the other items, looking for little clues that cast new light on both the story and His Dark Materials, making this book into a bridge between His Dark Materials and The Book Of Dust.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this) › See all 37 customer reviews...		Most Recent Customer Reviews