Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Penguin (2023), 176 pages
Description
In a time before Lyra Silvertongue was born, the tough American balloonist Lee Scoresby and the great armoured bear Iorek Byrnison meet when Lee and his hare daemon Hester crash-land their trading balloon onto a port in the far Arctic North and find themselves right in the middle of a political powder keg.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Smiler69
In this prequel to the [His Dark Materials] trilogy, we meet the young 24 year-old Lee Scoresby, Texan aeronaut, shortly after he's won his hot-air balloon in a game of poker. He and his daemon Hester are in the Great North at a place vaguely reminiscent of Russia called Novy Odense where a local
The audiobook version of this short novel is highly recommended, with Philip Pullman doing the narration along with a full cast of actors who bring the story to life.
Show More
politician is making election campaign speeches promising to get rid of the bear population, which is treated like vermin. Since he can't help but take a stand when he sees injustice, Scoresby and Hester get quickly tangled up in what could become a deadly skirmish. Though of course we know he survives, or he couldn't later go on to become Lyra's friend, could he? For those who've enjoyed the trilogy, this is like the cherry on the Sundae. The audiobook version of this short novel is highly recommended, with Philip Pullman doing the narration along with a full cast of actors who bring the story to life.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jasonlf
This novella is set in the world of the His Dark Materials trilogy. It tells the story of how Lee Scoresby gets his balloon, comes from Texas to Europe, and joins up with the bear Iorek. It hints of much greater things to come, but itself is a relatively simple story about Scoresby helping a
Worth reading if you've exhausted everything else, including Lyra's Oxford, which in some ways is better than this book.
Show More
captain escape from the harbor where he has been trapped at the behest of an evil corporation in league with a mercenary politician and an assassin.Worth reading if you've exhausted everything else, including Lyra's Oxford, which in some ways is better than this book.
Show Less
LibraryThing member rodrichards
It was a pleasure to return to the world of Dark Materials, and I enjoyed the story okay, but it was one of those that, in retrospect, was pretty light (as in: no substance). I've come to expect a little more from Pullman. Hope he doesn't keep pawning off little airy short stories as real books.
Show More
(Too harsh?) Show Less
LibraryThing member edgeworth
The reason Northern Lights was the best book out of the entire trilogy "His Dark Materials" was the world it was set in. Philip Pullman weaved one of the most complex and enjoyable alternate universes I've ever read: a 19th century-style world on the brink of an industrial revolution, dominated by
As short as it is, Once Upon a Time in the North gives us a welcome return to that world - in particular, to the rugged and dangerous Arctic wilderness that was the setting for most of Northern Lights. The story is set thirty-five years before the trilogy, and details the first meeting of the Texan aeronaut Lee Scoresby and the armoured bear Iorek Byrnison. Lee crash-lands his balloon on a frozen Russian island in the midst of a mayoral election, and is quickly pulled into the web of politics and power struggles between the Russian customs agency and the security forces of the local mining corporation.
This is mostly a short adventure story, with a nice setting and nifty action scene. The only part I disliked was the actual meeting of Lee and Iorek itself, which supposedly the entire book revolves around. Lee agrees to help a Dutch ship captain battle the unjust ruling of the harbourmaster, and Iorek joins them simply because he was nearby and wanted to help for no apparent reason. The rest of the story is solid, though - I especially liked the worldbuilding for North America that was detailed in Lee's past, since the alternate New World never really got a look-in during the main trilogy.
As with Lyra's Oxford, the previous supplement book, the text is scattered throughout with "fragments" relating to the storyline: a few pages from a navigation manual, a label from a bottle of cognac, a cargo receipt and so on. These add welcome touches to the book, as do the frequent illustrations done in an appropriate Nordic woodcut style.
Overall, a nice little addition to the collection, albeit at an exorbitant price. I just wish he'd hurry up and finish the Book of Dust already.
Show More
a Calvinist Church. A world of adventure and antiquity, where university professors discuss scientific expeditions from the comfort of Oxford smoking rooms, where the outskirts of civilisation are ruled by witches and sapient polar bears, where every human is accompanied by an animal spirit representing their inner soul.As short as it is, Once Upon a Time in the North gives us a welcome return to that world - in particular, to the rugged and dangerous Arctic wilderness that was the setting for most of Northern Lights. The story is set thirty-five years before the trilogy, and details the first meeting of the Texan aeronaut Lee Scoresby and the armoured bear Iorek Byrnison. Lee crash-lands his balloon on a frozen Russian island in the midst of a mayoral election, and is quickly pulled into the web of politics and power struggles between the Russian customs agency and the security forces of the local mining corporation.
This is mostly a short adventure story, with a nice setting and nifty action scene. The only part I disliked was the actual meeting of Lee and Iorek itself, which supposedly the entire book revolves around. Lee agrees to help a Dutch ship captain battle the unjust ruling of the harbourmaster, and Iorek joins them simply because he was nearby and wanted to help for no apparent reason. The rest of the story is solid, though - I especially liked the worldbuilding for North America that was detailed in Lee's past, since the alternate New World never really got a look-in during the main trilogy.
As with Lyra's Oxford, the previous supplement book, the text is scattered throughout with "fragments" relating to the storyline: a few pages from a navigation manual, a label from a bottle of cognac, a cargo receipt and so on. These add welcome touches to the book, as do the frequent illustrations done in an appropriate Nordic woodcut style.
Overall, a nice little addition to the collection, albeit at an exorbitant price. I just wish he'd hurry up and finish the Book of Dust already.
Show Less
LibraryThing member hayleyscomet
This was a longer story than Lyra's Oxford, which I thought was a good thing--although I'm still glad that it's not any more than a short little companion piece. The story is of the first meeting of Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnison, though it focuses more on Lee. It's fun to read about Lee when he
Like Lyra's Oxford, this also came with bits of extras thrown in--the best of which is an actual board game, folded up in a pocket in the book's cover! I will have to play Peril of the Pole at some point, although due to the fragile paper material of the board I can't imagine it will get much play. (I love the rules: "This game is for four to six players and their daemons... Normal game courtesies apply and players may only consult with their daemons.")
Show More
was young--the aeronaut as a youth was reckless, of course; and he is just as brave and intelligent if less perceptive and scrupulous as when we meet him later in The Golden Compass. It's good to get another story of him, as he was one of my favorite supporting characters in the trilogy.Like Lyra's Oxford, this also came with bits of extras thrown in--the best of which is an actual board game, folded up in a pocket in the book's cover! I will have to play Peril of the Pole at some point, although due to the fragile paper material of the board I can't imagine it will get much play. (I love the rules: "This game is for four to six players and their daemons... Normal game courtesies apply and players may only consult with their daemons.")
Show Less
LibraryThing member rodrichards
It was a pleasure to return to the world of Dark Materials, and I enjoyed the story okay, but it was one of those that, in retrospect, was pretty light (as in: no substance). I've come to expect a little more from Pullman. Hope he doesn't keep pawning off little airy short stories as real books.
Show More
(Too harsh?) Show Less
LibraryThing member frankbaxter
A novella set in the world of Pullman’s great trilogy His Dark Materials, starring Lee Scoresby, the Texas aeronaut, in his younger days. The story involves Scoresby settling his balloon in an Arctic town, picking through the local politics and personalities, and deciding which side deserves his
Show More
help. Though set in the far north, this resembles a rousing, action-packed western, albeit a western with talking bears and rabbits. Recommended for all fans of the trilogy, and pretty much incomprehensible to anyone else. Show Less
LibraryThing member Prop2gether
This short novella about the meeting of Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrinson is a nice adjunct to the rest of His Dark Materials, but is certainly much lighter in tone and content. It also really only makes sense if you've read the trilogy.
LibraryThing member princessponti
A nice complement to His Dark Materials, but not as rewarding to read. It gives a bit of back story of Lee Scoresby, its nice to be back in the universe again but its not really a 'must read'. - Good stocking filler though, especially as this edition is beautiful, fabric covered hardback with
Show More
wonderful engravings. Show Less
LibraryThing member Stevil2001
The story in this volume is nearly twice as long as that in Lyra's Oxford, which is nice. And what's better: it's about probably my two favorite supporting characters in the trilogy, Lee Scorseby the Texan aeronaut and Iorek Byrnison the armored bear! Despite being long-standing friends in the
Show More
trilogy, they actually don't have all that much interaction, so it's nice to see how they came to be acquainted, which involved political conspiracies and tense shoot-outs, of course. It's a treat to revisit both of these characters; I love good double-acts, and these two are among the best. This is an excellent little addition to the His Dark Materials saga, and I really hope that we get more prequel adventures featuring these two someday. The included boardgame is a charming piece of fun, too. Show Less
LibraryThing member amysisson
This is another little companion to Pullman's His Dark Materials, much like Lyra's Oxford. It's essentially a single but significant episode in the life of Lee Scoresby and his daemon Hester. For its length, I thought the politics were a little dense, but Lee and Hester are such fun characters, and
Show More
I enjoyed "hearing" Kathy Bates' voice as Hester as I read, due to the "Golden Compass" movie. This book is also a lovely little object to hold, with its quality cloth cover, pull-out board game tucked in a pocket inside the back cover, and fun little facsimile snippets sprinkled throughout the text. Show Less
LibraryThing member davidpwhelan
Excellent short book about Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnison meeting for the first time, well before they reappear in Philip Pullman's Northern Lights/Golden Compass. Any fan of His Dark Materials will enjoy reading this story, compiled as if written by Lyra "Silvertongue" as her Master's thesis.
LibraryThing member yarmando
I will gladly take whatever sips of narrative Pullman wishes to give us from the "His Dark Materials" worlds, including this delightful if inconsequential story of a young Lee Scoresby learning to pilot his balloon and meeting Iorek.
LibraryThing member abbylibrarian
This novella set in Pullman's His Dark Materials world tells the story of a young Lee Scoresby and his first encounter with the armored bear Iorek Byrnison. Although I love HDM, I'm not a super huge fan of the subsequent novellas. Scoresby is an intriguing character and this book gives us some more
Show More
tidbits, but what I love about HDM is that it's a saga you can get lost in. With the novellas Pullman's added, I feel like as soon as I really get into the story, it's over. Show Less
LibraryThing member MeriJenBen
I love the Lee Scoresby character so much, this book would have had to suck mightily for me not to embrace it.
It doesn't suck. I don't know if it could stand alone without the Dark Materials trilogy behind it, but it is an engaging and quick read for those who are interested in further exploring
It doesn't suck. I don't know if it could stand alone without the Dark Materials trilogy behind it, but it is an engaging and quick read for those who are interested in further exploring
Show More
Lyra's world. Show Less
LibraryThing member shanlon
This is prequel to Mr Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, and is an episode from the early life of Lee Scoresby, a balloonist featuring in the original books. In effect, it is a Western, moved to the Arctic. The location has all the frontier wildness of the traditional Western setting and the
Show More
idea works well. The story is simple and fun: Lee stands up to The Man, in the form of big business, a corrupt politician and their lackeys (a bit of politics here? Surely not!) If you were looking to learn a lot more about the world Pullman's books are set in, you'll be disappointed as this book raises more questions than it answers. For example, we see the armoured bears as drunks about town, much as Iorek was when we first met him in Northern Lights, but no explanation for this or how this changed by the time of the first trilogy is forthcoming. Finally, this is a short book. A couple of hours work, max. But tremendous fun for all that. Show Less
LibraryThing member extrajoker
first line: "The battered cargo balloon came in out of a rainstorm over the White Sea, losing height rapidly and swaying in the strong northwest wind as the pilot trimmed the vanes and tried to adjust the gas-valve."
Reading this reminded me of how much I love Lee Scoresby and his daemon, Hester.
Reading this reminded me of how much I love Lee Scoresby and his daemon, Hester.
Show More
(Particularly Hester.) And of how cool armored bears are. (Armored bears!) Like Lyra's Oxford, this book is a companion to Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. However, the events of Once Upon a Time in the North precede those of the other books by many years. Readers get to know Scoresby as a young man and Iorek as a young bear (though not a cub), and witness the birth of their friendship. Just thinking about it now makes me want to go back and read all the other books.... Show Less
LibraryThing member mzonderm
Not much substance here, but a satisfying read for those who liked His Dark Materials.
LibraryThing member bookappeal
A prequel of sorts, explaining how Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnison met when they were much younger, before the days of The Golden Compass. Entertaining and great narration as usual but too short to be as engaging as the rest of the series.
LibraryThing member johnmischief
Lovely little tale about Lee and Iorek's first meeting.
Nice to dip into their world again (even if it's painfully brief).
Obviously not as in depth as the trilogy, but still a good little companion piece.
Nice to dip into their world again (even if it's painfully brief).
Obviously not as in depth as the trilogy, but still a good little companion piece.
LibraryThing member FlanneryAC
This was a really quick listen. I loved the cast of readers, which included the author. The person who read Lee's part was great. I was happy the story included bears but felt bad for Iorek because I know a similar thing happens to him in the first HDM book. I was not the hugest fan of the
Show More
political aspect of the book but I did like the cast of characters and their quirks. The ending with the Customs and Revenue man was pretty sweet--I liked the twist with Victoria Lund. Show Less
LibraryThing member lalalibrarian
short and sweet. It was nice to have an adventure with Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnison again.
LibraryThing member riverwillow
Lovely little companion book to 'His Dark Materials' series of books which details how Lee Scoresby, and his daemon Hester, first encountered the great bear, Iorek Byrnison. Pullman is a master storyteller. My only criticism is that I wanted more.
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
The story of the meeting and friendship that formed from that meeting of Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnison, misunderstanding happens and the two have to help keep justice going. It's an interesting and touching short story with some fine engravings and illustations. This also includes a game.
LibraryThing member isabelx
A small book containing one short story plus some supporting documentation. Set decades before the events of "Northern Lights", it tells of the first meeting between Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnison, at an arctic trading-post, where they join forces to help a sea captain retrieve his cargo from the
It comes with a board game called "Peril of the Pole", in which the player's aim is to be the last player left on the board, since anyone who reaches the North Pole is swept away to their doom down the massive hole that leads to the centre of the earth.
Probably not worth reading unless you have already read and enjoyed "His Dark Materials".
Show More
warehouses of a crooked company.It comes with a board game called "Peril of the Pole", in which the player's aim is to be the last player left on the board, since anyone who reaches the North Pole is swept away to their doom down the massive hole that leads to the centre of the earth.
Probably not worth reading unless you have already read and enjoyed "His Dark Materials".
Show Less
Awards
Locus Award (Finalist — Novella — 2009)
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing (Nominee — 2009)
Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book for Children and Teens (Audiobooks — 2009)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2008-04-03
Physical description
176 p.; 10.04 inches
ISBN
0241509971 / 9780241509975
Local notes
Lyra is studying at Oxford University, she comes across the story of Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnisson's first meeting, many years ago, along with much evidence of the adventure that brought them together.
Beautifully illustrated by Christopher Wormell.
Beautifully illustrated by Christopher Wormell.