Once Upon A Time In The North by Philip Pullman
Once Upon A Time In The North is a prequel to Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. The story is set many years before Lyra’s birth and follows the young Lee Scoresby as he pilots his recently won hot-air balloon to the Arctic. There, he becomes embroiled in a deadly confrontation between the government, an oil baron, a crooked politician, a ship’s captain, and a hired killer from Lee’s past.
Even though the novella is only 100 pages long, Pullman manages to work in underlying themes concerning corruption, power, and lies – forces exerted by powerful corporate organizations over the political and legal landscape.
What I Liked
The His Dark Materials series, along with Chronicles of Narnia, are my absolute favorite children’s novels. I cannot wait to read them to my kids. It’s an incredible world with amazing characters. This novella was a fun and worthwhile addition to the original trilogy.
What I Did Not Like
Nothing!
