Once Upon a Time in the North

Written by Philip Pullman · Illustrated by John Lawrence

A young aeronaut uncovers a deadly Arctic conspiracy involving a killer and an armored bear.

3.9/5 Goodreads · 18,765 ratings

144 pages· 22,190 words· Est. 3 hour read

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Bookroo's summary

Lee Scoresby, a daring young aeronaut, wins a balloon in a poker game and drifts to the Arctic island of Novy Odense. There, he faces a deadly plot with an oil magnate, a corrupt politician, and a notorious killer. To survive, Lee must ally with an armored bear, leading to a thrilling showdown. Can Lee outwit his enemies and unravel the conspiracy? Discover the origins of a legendary friendship in this gripping prequel to His Dark Materials.

From the publisher

A not-to-be-missed 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 an oil magnate, a corrupt mayoral candidate, and Lee’s longtime nemesis from the Dakota Country, 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. 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. Don’t miss Philip Pullman’s epic new trilogy set in the world of His Dark Materials! THE BOOK OF DUST La Belle SauvageThe Secret Commonwealth

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