Aided by her dæmon (a sentient manifestation of a person's innermost self that takes the form of an animal) Pantalaimon, the panserbjørn (armoured bear) Iorek Byrnison, witch queen Serafina Pekkala and Texan aëronaut Lee Scoresby, Lyra's quest to find Roger and Lord Asriel reveals sinister truths about the authoritarian theocracy they're ruled by.
Ultimately science confronts religion in this children's fantasy/steampunk novel that transcends any and all notions of so-called age limitations.
Yes, this is one for the whole family.
And no, you don't need a hard copy — thanks to Audible, you can listen to a reading of the book by the author himself.
Click here for a solid 10 hours and 45 minutes of immersing yourself in the world of Lyra and co — a world that will linger in your mind long after Pullman’s final, richly delivered coda.
Lekker luister!
• From gripping series to watch, to fun crafts to do with your children, we'll be adding a new activity to our “Life in Lockdown” series every day. Keep an eye on timeslive.co.za for tomorrow's instalment.