- "Lyra Silvertongue, you're very welcome... Yes, I know your new name. Serafina Pekkala told me everything about your exploits"
- —Martin Lanselius to Lyra Silvertongue[src]
Serpentine is a companion book to the His Dark Materials trilogy and a sequel to the series, written by Philip Pullman. It was released on 15 October 2020 and takes place five years after The Amber Spyglass, one year after Lyra's Oxford, and two years before The Secret Commonwealth, following Lyra Silvertongue and her dæmon as they travel to the North in search of answers. The announcement of the book - on 9 July 2020 - coincided with the 25th anniversary of the publication of Northern Lights.
The novella is illustrated by Tom Duxbury and the audiobook is narrated by Olivia Colman.[1] The book will have a length of 80 pages and a signed version is available on Waterstones.[2]
Plot[]
Lyra and Pan return to the town of Trollesund in the North with an archaeological team sponsored by Jordan College where they locate Martin Lanselius in search of answers to their questions about separation.
History[]
The novella was originally written at the request of Nicholas Hytner (who directed the His Dark Materials play) for a 2004 National Theatre fundraising gala. The manuscript and typed text were auctioned to Glenn and Phllydia Earle. Despite Pullman never thinking it would be released, he stated that, in the second novel of The Book of Dust, there was a change in how Lyra saw herself, and that it was prefigured in this short story.
References[]
| Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials | |
|---|---|
| Main Trilogy | Northern Lights • The Subtle Knife • The Amber Spyglass |
| The Book of Dust | La Belle Sauvage • The Secret Commonwealth • The Book of Dust Volume Three |
| Companion Books | Lyra's Oxford • Once Upon a Time in the North • Serpentine • The Collectors • The Imagination Chamber • Green Book |