How the new His Dark Materials spinoff series explains the book

Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy was one of the most beloved children’s book series of the 2000s — and one of the most frequently banned, too. Tragic, philosophical, and fervently opposed to classic Christian dogma, Pullman’s series sparked widespread outcry and religious boycotts.

This week, Pullman released The Rose Field, the final volume in the Book of Dust trilogy, a companion series to His Dark Materials. (The first book takes place 11 years before the events of His Dark Materials, and the second two books take place eight years later.) In this new series, the big conflict begins with a book every bit as dangerous as Pullman’s critics used to claim his were. Two of them, actually.

Lyra, Pullman’s scrappy and charismatic heroine, has become infatuated with two books by mo