When Lyra's friend Roger disappears, she and her dæmon, Pantalaimon, determine to find him. The ensuing quest leads them to the bleak splendour of the North, where armoured bears rule the ice and witch-queens fly through the frozen skies - and where a team of scientists is conducting experiments too horrible to be spoken about.

Lyra overcomes these strange terrors, only to find something yet more perilous waiting for her - something with consequences which may even reach beyond the Northern Lights...

I've been hearing about this series from my cousins for years. When it was nominated for the BBC Big Read I began to hear more and more about it. The more I heard, the more I wanted to read. I really don't know exactly what to expect, other than spectacular adventures and wonderful writing...not too bad a reason to read a book.