Customer Reviews
Sad - By: Pilgrim, 09 May 2008 
He's really milking this scrawny old cash cow for all its worth, isn't he. The original books are dull & derivitive. And this isin the same league as Rowling & her 'handwritten' books.
Don't waste your time on this or put moneyin this man's pocket. There are actually well-written & original books out there that are far more interesting & - ooh - controversial.
The greatest storyteller of our time! - By: H. Leigh-Phippard, 30 Apr 2008 
If you ever doubted that Philip Pullman is the greatest storyteller of our time, here's the book to assuage those doubts. This tale of the first meeting of Lee Scoresby between Iorek Byrnison combines adventure, mystery, excitement & humourin one delicious package. Like the other reviewers my only complaint is that I was left wanting much, much more. Having said that, it is the brevity of the story that proves to my mind why Pullman is such a great teller of tales. This is a book for children & adults alike, & while you could read it to your childrenin the course of a rainy afternoon, you will return to it again & again when your children arein bed to enjoy time & again the richness of the descriptions & the humour of the dialogue & to delightin Lee's relationship with his daemon Hester.
The board game that is included with the book is another treasure which subverts traditional board gamesin that it is the "loser" of the balloon race (i.e the last player to reach the centre) who actually wins!
Its grim up north - By: Lazlo Woodbine, 22 Apr 2008 
Don't bother with this purchase Small Mercy by Tom Dawes instead, its the future of trashy literature.
Size Isn't Everything - By: P Lagiarism, 22 Apr 2008 
Those that have read Pullman's trilogy will find this book an interesting expansion upon the character of Lee Scoresby; how he became an aeronaut & how he met Iorek Byrinson. It is the size of a child's storybook, perhaps two chapters' worth of a normal novel - so you will finish this within a couple of hours. As a stand-alone novel I wasn't left satisfied: it would be better included as an appendix text or supplement to a reprint of the trilogy. It's also very expensivein the shops for what you're getting - the price here is more realistic. Nevertheless, a nice supplement for collectors & fans.
Wonderful Short Story - By: H. Pierce, 17 Apr 2008 This book is set around 35 years before the events depictedin His Dark Materials. It gives us a wonderful background of Lee Scoresby, the aeronaut Lyra meetsin Northern Lights. In this new story a young Lee sets out to find adventure after a fortuitous win at poker finds him the proud owner of a balloon.
The fact that Lee is greatly under-prepared for flying a balloon adds to the excitement & amusement of how the tale unfolds. It also is the predominant reason for his crash landing into the middle of a confrontation between a Dutch sea-captain & a mining company! Never one to easily be distressed, Lee leaps into the thick of things. The story has all the essential elements of 'good' versus 'evil', as do all of the Pullman books, but it is far from repetitive.
For those who enjoyed the trilogy that this prequels I think you will be very interestedin this short story. The echoes that resound between this & some of the eventsin His Dark Materials merely add to the charm of it. The good thing is that there is plenty of scope for other tales to be woven, as Pullman has many other characters that could be explored equally well.
My only criticism is that it is too short! Other than that it is a fantastic prequel to the trilogy of His Dark Materials, & this edition is beautifully decorated. The fold-out board game is a nice extra, as are the elegant illustrations. A truly adorable little book! If you are a fan of His Dark Materials, I highly recommend adding this to your collection.
