The Golden Compass

Summary

The Golden Compass is the first book in Philip Pullman's trilogy, His Dark Materials. The main character, Lyra Belacqua, lives in an alternate reality where every person has a daemon—an animal that is the physical manifestation of their soul. Lyra learns about the existence of a mysterious substance called Dust, which is connected to parallel universes. She embarks on a dangerous journey to the North to rescue her kidnapped friend Roger and uncover the truth about Dust. Along the way, she is aided by the armored bear Iorek Byrnison, the witch Serafina Pekkala, and the aeronaut Lee Scoresby. Lyra also uses an alethiometer—a golden compass that can answer any question. Throughout her adventure, she encounters powerful enemies and uncovers many secrets that will change her life and the fate of the entire world.