Review: La Belle Sauvage

La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For Malcolm, his life is normal. He goes to school and helps with his parents at the inn they own. He helps the nuns across the way. More than anything, he likes to keep to himself. He likes to observe others. Life changes for him forever, when three men come to the inn and inquire about the nuns and whether or not they could hold a baby.

I really enjoyed this book. It takes place in a world I fell in love with with the His Dark Materials trilogy. Lyra is just a baby in this book. Pantalimon is just too adorable! I can't even get enough of it. I mused over the fact that this may have been a book to answer all questions that people wonder about in the trilogy. A way to tie up loose ends so to speak. It was nice. It could have been better, but I enjoyed it a lot.

There were so many amazing characters in this book. I especially adored Malcolm. I didn't care for Alice all that much, but I understood her. I understood why she was the way she was. It kind of becomes obvious later on in the book, but it's really hinted at through the entire book. I related most to Hannah. She's cunning and clever. She's also compassionate and loyal.

This book was published seventeen years after the third book in His Dark Materials trilogy. I do wonder if there was a reason behind the gap. I wonder if the book was originally planned or if the author wanted to come back to the world. I can't wait to dig into the next book. I'm also scared because I know it will be a few years before we see the conclusion of this new trilogy.

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