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Lyra's Oxford

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Editorial Review:

An exciting new tale set in the world of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials saga. This collectible hardcover volume includes a short story by Mr. Pullman, plus a fold-out map of Oxford and various "souvenirs" from the past. The book is illustrated throughout with woodcut illustrations by John Lawrence.
From the Hardcover edition.

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 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, a short brochure for a cruise to The Levant aboard the S.S. 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."

A very sumptuous and lovingly crafted but tantalizingly brief book , Lyra's Oxford 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 (the creature was given Lyra's name as somebody who might help) and is given shelter. Together Lyra and Pan try to guide the daemon to the home of Sebastian Makepeace--an alchemist living in a part of Oxford known as Jericho--but it is a journey fraught with more danger than they had at first anticipated. (Age 10 and over) --John McLay

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0

• No point, no entertainment, overpriced
  I had just finished reading (nay, devouring!) the His Dark Materials trilogy, and thought it was excellent. When I was looking for more from Pullman, the first thing I spotted was Lyra's Oxford, so I decided to get it. Unfortunately, I didn't read the item description closely enough -- I had not realized that this was only a booklet, and not a book. As such, it is outrageously overpriced, even had it been a good read -- and it is not. No spoilers here, but I can tell you that this is a very brief and... more info

• Lyra's Oxford
  Kind of a disappointment. The story was good but way too short for the $$$$

• Really charming after "His Dark Materials"
  After seeing "The Golden Compass," I had to read the trilogy "His Dark Materials." It was a thrilling fantasy that left me thirsting for more, but--guess what?--that is all there is right now. But there was this little jewel of a book. It really is just a short story/chapter and a charming map of Oxford, but it was what I needed to decompress and wait patiently for "The Book of Dust."

• Disappointed
  I really enjoyed Pullman's Dark Materials and so when I saw "Lyra's Oxford" I was excited to read a new one. I neglected to look at the page length. When it came and it was a very small book, I was immediately disappointed. The story itself was okay, but it was so short I just felt short-changed. Pass this one up.

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