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As a huge fan of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, I am quite prepared to read anything else from that universe he is kind enough to write for us. Once Upon A Time In The North is no exception - of course I'd have liked it to be longer, but then I could read these characters forever and never be bored. It's quite obvious when you see the book that it's short, and it doesn't get longer simply because you're enjoying it! I often think, however, that short stories are more difficult to write than novels, and I appreciate the hard work and talent that has gone into producing such a lovely little book.

The hard cover, the beautiful illustrations, the wonderful boardgame tucked away inside the back cover... this all enhances the work, and also it's the way more books should be produced, with obvious care and attention. It's a book you could keep forever and pass down to children, grandchildren, and they would enjoy it as much as you did.

This is because Pullman's tales are timeless. They are full of adventure, fun, loyalty, friendship, intelligence - qualities that just don't date. The story here is no exception. It tells of the first meeting between Lee Scoresby, the Texan aeronaut (and one of my favourite trilogy characters!) and Iorek Byrnison, the armoured bear. Pullman's gently descriptive writing coupled with the reader's imagination brings these two allies to life in ways films can't. I loved the Wild West theme and all of the motifs that go with it: the pretty girl, the gun-slinging showdown, and Hester (Lee's daemon) provides an excellent witty companion.

Yes, the story is short, but it's action-packed and interesting, and I would recommend it to anyone who has previously enjoyed the trilogy. If you're new to Philip Pullman, I'd read those novels first, but this stands alone in its own right as a great example of first-class writing.

Again you find yourself reading a review written by a fan of Philip Pullman's work. I must say, if you are a fan as well - BUY IT! Yet be aware of a slight disapointment, because it is far to short! Bear in mind that I myself am a passionate reader, and I need at least 50 pages to get started, and since this funny little book only contains about 96, I was left with a the small disappointment because I just (like so many others) wanted more. It was gone within the hour that I had recieved it. But if you are searching for a small quick read, a collector's object as a fan or you just want a bit more of Pullman's universe - this is it.

I have to say though, that this is the second pocket book which has been given to us by Pullman so why shouldn't he make a third? Well I hope so. This second one certainly deserves 5 stars, and compliments to the quality and design of this book .

It's too short.
It doesn't tell you much more about the dark materials universe.
It's just a straight forward story the two main characters meet and sort out a problem and that's it.
You get a bit more of an insight into Lee Scoresby the aeronaut but nothing of Iorek Byrnison which would have made the book far more interesting.
If you want a really good Pullman adventure story read the Sally Lockhart books first.
The game at the back is good fun but I didn't get the book for that.

Let's get this straight. The His Dark Materials trilogy is one of the best things in literature and wipes the floor with Harry Potter (much as I enjoy them). This is the second in a series of spin off books which are short stories using the original characters. The first, Lyra's Oxford deals with the heroine, Lyra Silvertongue. The second, this book, deals with a prequel in which we find out how the aeronaut Lee Scoresby and the bear king, Iorek Byrnison first meet each other.

The writing is crisp, dark and funny/sad, just as in the original books and the woodcuts, the game and all the additional letters etc, make this cloth bound, pocket sized book a thing of great beauty and a needful addition to any bookshelf. The characterisation is excellent, and these are two of the best characters in the trilogy to meet again.

So, why disappointing? Because it is too short. Because there has been nothing in the way of a real meaty adventure issuing forth from Pullman's pen for too long, and because I'm greedy and I want more. Pull your finger out Philip, there's a dear.

After the slightly disappointing Lyra's Oxford, Once Upon A Time In The North came as a great relief to me. It was as if Philip Pullman had learned from his last short story from the His Dark Materials universe all the lessons he needed to in order to make this second spin-off the perfect gift for any fan of the trilogy, people who have only seen the film, and even any adult or child who has never even heard of Lee Scoresby or Iorek Byrnison before.

Serving as a companion or even introduction piece to His Dark Materials, the short story part of the book (there are other surprises, though if you have read the product description you probably know what they are by now) is a genuinely exciting account of Lee's (and, of course, Hester's) first meeting with sentient and honourable Polar Bear Iorek Byrnison. What makes this exciting is that both were already fully fleshed out characters, and firm friends, in the novels, yet the details of their first meeting were never revelled - until, of course, now.

I honestly have never read a short story I enjoyed more than this one. Whether that was influenced by my already existing love of the characters, I don't know - but the story was gripping from start to finish.

As for length - I felt it was exactly the right length for a good short story. As someone who has written a number of short stories as a hobby, I know that that is something it is very difficult to get right.

If you are a fan of the series, there's also a nice twist waiting for you in the supplementary material at the end.