The Golden Compass
A clever orphan girl races north to rescue kidnapped children and uncover a secret that links souls, science, and power.
First published 1999 · His Dark Materials
FantasyYoung Adult
More about this book
Story
Lyra Belacqua grows up among scholars at Oxford in a world much like ours, except every person has a living animal companion called a dæmon. When children begin disappearing and strange truths about Dust, the Church, and her own family surface, Lyra is pulled into a dangerous conflict.
Her search sends her north into a harsh, fantastical landscape of witches, armored bears, gyptians, and secret experiments. Along the way she relies on her wit, her truth-reading instrument, and her dæmon as the stakes keep widening from one missing friend to a much larger struggle over knowledge and control.
As Lyra uncovers betrayals and hidden motives, the story moves toward revelations about her world, her parents, and the forces shaping the fate of children. The book ends with a major turning point that pushes the wider story forward rather than neatly resolving it.
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More by Philip Pullman
In the His Dark Materials series
Shown by first publication year; this may not be reading order.
Details
- Authors
- Philip Pullman
- First published
- 1999
- Genres
- Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Classics, Steampunk
- Subjects
- Political theology · Polar bears · Kidnapping · Adventure stories · Children and adults · Open Library Staff Picks · Juvenile fiction · Fantasy · Experiments · Witches · Missing persons · Fiction · Belacqua, Lyra (Personaje literario) · Bien y mal · Children · Experimentos · Ficción juvenil · Good and evil · Imaginary places · Lugares imaginarios · Lyra Belacqua (Fictitious character) · Magia · Magic · Niños · Novela fantástica · Novela fantástica inglesa · Novela juvenil · Parry, Will (Personaje literario) · Personas desaparecidas · Quests (Expeditions) · Secuestro · Traducciones al español · Will Parry (Fictitious character) · Artic regions · Belacqua, Lyra (Fictitious character) -- Juvenile fiction · Missing persons -- Experiments -- Juvenile fiction · Kidnapping -- Juvenile fiction · Young adult fiction · JUVENILE FICTION -- Action & Adventure · JUVENILE FICTION -- Fantasy & Magic · JUVENILE FICTION -- Social Themes -- Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance · Belacqua, Lyra (Fictitious character) · Missing persons -- Experiments · Missing persons -- Fiction · Kidnapping -- Fiction · Fantasy fiction · Arctic regions -- Juvenile fiction · Arctic Regions · Arctic regions -- Fiction · skjønnlitteratur · adventure · Amitie · Romans, nouvelles, etc. pour la jeunesse · Magie · Personnes disparues · Merveilleux · Romans · Enlevement · Reading Level-Grade 11 · Reading Level-Grade 10 · Reading Level-Grade 12 · Children's fiction · Belacqua, lyra (fictitious character), fiction · Large type books · Science fiction, fantasy, horror · Orphans · Uncles · Action & Adventure · Action & Adventure - General · Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic · Children's 12-Up - Fiction - Fantasy · Children's Books - Young Adult Fiction · Children: Grades 4-6 · Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12) · Children's Books - Young Adult · Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9) · Science · Demonology · Geographical myths · Mythical Animals · Carnegie Medal · Spanish language materials · General · Teens · Fantasy - General · Fiction - General · Spanish: Adult Fiction · Teenage fiction · Survival, fiction · Spanish language, juvenile literature · Spanish language, readers · Livres en gros caractères · Large print books · The Marvelous · Amitié · Dämon · Entführung · Imaginärer Schauplatz · Kind · Menschenversuch · Mädchen · Zigeuner · Great britain, fiction · Teachers, fiction · English Fantasy fiction · Children's stories, English · Familiars (Spirits)
- ISBN-13
- 9780679879244
[DEV NOTE: Eventually use our own synthesized data.]