His Dark Materials - Reading Order
2 reading orders
Publication Order
Read Philip Pullman's complete His Dark Materials universe in the order it was written and published, beginning with Northern Lights in 1995 and continuing through The Book of Dust trilogy. This is the most widely recommended sequence for new readers - Pullman constructed each book with the assumption that readers had experienced what came before, and the emotional and philosophical payoff of The Book of Dust lands with considerably more weight when the original trilogy is fresh. Starting with Northern Lights places you exactly where Pullman intended.
His Dark Materials
1
Chronological Order
Read the His Dark Materials universe in the order events occur within Lyra's world, beginning with La Belle Sauvage - set a decade before Northern Lights - and ending with The Secret Commonwealth, which follows an adult Lyra after the events of The Amber Spyglass. This order rewards readers returning to the universe who want to experience the full sweep of Lyra's world from its earliest documented moments. Not recommended for first-time readers - La Belle Sauvage assumes familiarity with the theology and politics of Lyra's world that Northern Lights establishes far more effectively.