From Barnes & Noble
This abundant prequel opens the door to Philip Pullman's bestseller The Golden Compass. The adventures begin with an enthralling story about the first encounters of aeronaut balloonist Lee Scoresby and brave Panserbjørn Iorek Byrnison. Once Upon a Time in the North is embellished throughout with art, notes, and ephemera that illuminate Pullman's His Dark Materials universe. The book is further enhanced by a fold-out map and a board game (complete with cards) to give readers even more access to this mythical realm.
From the Publisher
In this new prequel episode from Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials universe, Lee Scoresby--Texan aeronaut and future friend to Lyra Belacqua--is just 24 years old, and he's recently won his hot-air balloon in a poker game. He finds himself floating North to the windswept Arctic island of Novy Odense, where he and his hare daemon Hester are quickly tangled in a deadly plot involving oil magnate Larsen Manganese, corrupt mayoral candidate Ivan Poliakov, and Lee's longtime nemesis from the Dakota Country: Pierre McConville, a hired killer with at least twenty murders to his name.
It's only after Lee forms an alliance with one of the island's reviled armored bears that he can fight to break up the conspiracy in a gun-twirling classic western shoot out--and battle of wits. This exquisite clothbound volume features the illustrations of John Lawrence, a removable board game—Peril of the Pole—on the inside back cover, and a glimpse for Pullman fans into the first friendship of two of the most beloved characters in the His Dark Materials trilogy: Lee Scoresby and armored bear Iorek Byrnison.
The New York Times -
Julie Just
This trim novella may lack the grandeur of Pullman's "Dark Materials" triology, to which this is a prequel, but it gives a new tough-guy adventure to one of its unforgettable characters, the pistol-packing ballonist Lee Scoresby.
Publishers Weekly
Fans of the His Dark Materials trilogy will get a kick from this wisp of a novel, which immediately introduces "a lean young man with a large hat, a laconic disposition, and a thin mustache": Pullman offers up the backstory about that legendary Texan, the aeronaut Lee Scoresby, his jackrabbit daemon, Hester, and their first encounter with that other series favorite, the armored bear Iorek Byrnison. But this story reads as a stand alone, too, accessible to those unfamiliar with The Golden Compass and the rest. Bringing in his signature talents for rich scenic description and dramatic action, the story begins as Lee arrives on the island of Novy Odense, looking for work, and instead finds adventure. Notably, Pullman tells the story from Lee's perspective, trading in trilogy heroine Lyra's point of view for that of an adult man. Lee and Iorek team up to help a sea captain save his ship's cargo-unfairly embargoed by a corrupt local politician (he harbors a deep prejudice against armored bears)-and square off against the politician's bodyguard, a hired killer. Readers will appreciate this story's larger-than-life tenor, so fitting for the heroic Lee Scoresby. Kids will enjoy the extras, such as the pull-out board game Peril of the Pole ("for four to six players and their daemons") and "newspaper" clippings. Illustrated throughout with small engravings; final art not seen by PW. Ages 12-up. (Apr.)
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Children's Literature
Lee Scoresby certainly knows how to make an entrance. The first page finds him in a battered cargo balloon over the White Sea. He and his daemon hare Hester are in peril, as the gas valve is stuck. But—just as may be expected by a hero such as he—Scoresby manages to throttle it loose and land the balloon. He and Hester disembark in a tense town, where conflict is a frequent occurrence and guns are quick to fire. Readers who have not yet read Pullman's other works may find themselves confused by the world, the daemons, and other details. Still, readers of Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" series will be thrilled to find out the details of the Texan balloonist's first meeting with his ally, the armored bear known as Iorek Byrnison in this slender prequel. This book belongs alongside those works in a library collection. Reviewer: Heidi Hauser Green
VOYA
AGERANGE: Ages 11 to 15.
This rip-roaring novella, a prequel to The Golden Compass (Knopf, 1995/VOYA June 1998), centers on the Texan balloonist Lee Scoresby, his daemon Hester, and their first meeting with the armored bear Iorek Byrnison. All three are still quite young. Scoresby, who has only recently won his balloon in a card game, can barely land it without crashing, and Iorek has not yet made his armor, making do with a mere helmet. When Scoresby reaches the northern island of Novy Odense, he is looking for nothing more than a short-term job, but what he finds is a case of injustice that he cannot ignore. A crooked politician named Ivan Poliakov and powerful mining business Larsen Manganese have joined forces to take control of the island and corner its oil rights. Poliakov is running for mayor on a hate-filled platform aimed at exterminating the local armored bears and is also trying to force a ship's captain into bankruptcy by impounding his cargo. Moreover he has hired the murderous Pierre McConville, whom Scoresby previously encountered back in Dakota country, to kill anyone who gets in his way. Featuring appealing characters, an exciting gunfight, insightful political commentary, a variety of mysterious documents similar to those included in Pullman's previous novella, Lyra's Oxford (2003/VOYA June 2004), and a Chutes-and-Ladders-like arctic adventure board game attached to the back cover of the book, this exciting tale should strongly appeal to the author's many fans. Reviewer: Michael Levy
April 2008 (Vol. 31, No. 1)
Kirkus Reviews
In his characteristic compactly rewarding prose, Pullman offers another glimpse into the world of His Dark Materials, less heady than Lyra's Oxford (2003) but somberly satisfying. It's 35 years before the trilogy, and young aeronaut Lee Scoresby has put down on Novy Odense in the North, looking for work and adventure. He finds the latter in spades. A corrupt corporation and a sleazy politician are obstructing a schooner's Captain from claiming his own cargo. Lee throws himself recklessly onto the side of good, operating on instinct and fearlessness. A bear-whom Lee thinks is named York Burningson-joins the deadly skirmish, shoving an enemy tanker-gun into the harbor while Lee engages in a gunfight in a warehouse. Scrawny, sardonic Hester-Lee's daemon-plays a key role in defeating a vicious hired gun. This small, neat volume won't hook newcomers, but its delving into beloved characters' backstories will please trilogy fans of all ages. Elegantly decorated with Lawrence's engravings and faux-realia, it is both understated and lovely. (foldout game) (Fantasy. 12+)
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