School Library Journal

This exciting second volume of Pullman’s saga lives up to the promise of the first. Lyra and the Gyptians are continuing their northward quest, but first Lyra must recruit a new companion, the ferocious panserbjørn Iorek Byrnison. The party, including the aeronaut Texan Lee Scoresby, are attacked by Samoyed hunters, who apprehend Lyra and take her to Bolvangar. The Gobblers pretend to be caring for the children they have captured, but in fact they perform experiments to remove the connection between the children and their daemons. This volume ends with Lyra leading the escape of the children and the battle between the Gobbler forces and Lyra’s allies, with airborne witches providing much-needed support. As in the first volume, Oubrerie employs muted colors, with notable exceptions (his brilliant blues and greens for the Aurora). His accessible style recalls a young person’s doodling, albeit with greater detail. VERDICT This worthy continuation of the series belongs in all libraries that include Pullman’s works.—Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI