From School Library Journal
Grade 7 UpIn this prequel to the "His Dark Materials" trilogy (Knopf), Texas aeronaut Lee Scoresby meets armored bear Iorek Byrnison for the first time. In this short, fantastic adventure, young Scoresby finds himself on the Arctic island of Novy Odense, a community set in an alternate past world. The rich mining company Lars Manganese is trying to control the town, Ivan Dimitrovich Poliakov is a corrupt mayoral candidate, and Captain van Breda is prevented from unloading his cargo unjustly. Scoresby takes on the captain's cause, resulting in an Old West-style shootout. Many readers will likely enjoy this book because of its quick pace and action-filled plot, but some Pullman fans may be disappointed when comparing this short text to the trilogy. Characters are less developed, and events sometimes happen a bit too quickly. The ending is neat and tidy, though it does leave the door open for future adventures. The inclusion of documents and black-and-white engraved illustrations add a nice touch, and the board game Peril of the Pole is tucked into the back inside cover as a bonus._Jennifer D. Montgomery, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green_
Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From
Starred Review Ashe did inLyras Oxford (2004), Pullman returns to the world of His Dark Materials trilogy in this story of how aeronaut Lee Scoresby meets and befriends bearIorke Byrnison. Pullman is as fine a writer as there is for young people,and thisbook is a small gemliterallyits112 pages and the size of a paperback.The storybegins asLees cargo balloon drifts into the Arctic, landing in the icy environs ofNovy Odense. The town is about to elect a new mayor, Ivan Poliakov, who wants to rid theplace ofbears, and Lee (along with daemonrabbit Hester) finds himself embroiled in localcontroversies. When Lee learns one of Poliakovs allies is a vicious criminal with whom he once had a run-in, he knows he must choose sides. Beautifully crafted and spilling over with action, the novel has the feel of an old western (one can almost see Gary Cooper as Lee). Matching Pullmans carefully calibrated prose is the books thoughtfuldesign. Everything workstogetherfrom the sturdy,blue cloth cover to thethe back matter, which features a miniature board game. Lawrences stamp-sizedink engravings set the tale somewhere between fantasy and history. Grades 7-10. --Ilene Cooper