Lyra's Oxford

Last week on weekday, I spent my time after office hours to PIM. I needed a little bit moment to refresh myself by walking around and buying some books. I really enjoyed going to PIM on weekday, since it's not too crowded of peoples. So I could walking around quietly.

When I went to Kinokuniya, I saw a Pullman's book. Yeah, it's Lyra's Oxford, a book which I had been looking for after finishing The Amber Spyglass. I accidentally found it. I recognize the book from it's red cover. I was so surprise that the book was only contains about 50 pages. And it's shape is far smaller than His Dark Material collection. I felt quite disappointed. Moreover, it's more expensive than HDM books. Nearly 100 k rupiahs. But I didn't care. I had to bought and read it.

Even it has no direct relation with the HDM series. It told the stories related with Oxford, witches, Will, Lord Asriel's war, etc. It's even told that the plot was taken 2 years after Lyra and Will were parted. About the witches and hers daemon which has the power of separation. And about Will's characters: encouraged and brave.

The story itself told about Lyra's life in Oxford. One time, there was a kind of bird which later was a witch daemon came to Lyra and asking for her help to find an elixir for his witch. The witch daemon told Lyra that there was a new disease which both of them were suffering from. When a witch died, her daemon remained alive, alone. Too horrible and miserable for daemon.

Along their journey of finding someone who could make the elixir, there were several uncanny things. Whenever the witch daemon met a flock of birds, he would have been attacked by them, begin with the starlings, pigeons, and swans.

At the end of the story, it was told that the witch and her daemon intended to trap and kill her and all the blame would be addressed to the one who in the book could make the elixir. They're all lying about the disease and the elixir. Finally Lyra was saved by a swan. And eventually she and her daemon realized the reason why the birds always attacked the witch daemon. They are all protecting Lyra. Yeah, and I had just realized why the chapter title is Lyra and The Birds.

I was quite satisfied of the book. HDM lovers should read this book I guess. Not too bad, but not too good. I would give 3.5 of 5 stars rating. The minus from this book is it has only around 50 pages, too short I think. The story is not profoundly explained. Moreover, I didn't understand why it's price is higher than HDM collection.