A Waterstones Exclusive Hardback Edition.  The third volume in Philip Pullman's incredible His Dark Materials trilogy, re-issued with a striking newly-designed cover by Chris Wormell to celebrate the publication of La Belle Sauvage, the first volume in The Book of Dust You said I was a warrior. You told me that was my nature, and I shouldn’t argue with it. Father, you were wrong. I fought because I had to. I can’t choose my nature, but I can choose what I do. And I will choose, because now I’m free. Will is the knife-bearer and his instructions from his father are clear: find Lord Asriel. But Will and Lyra have been separated and Lyra is the sleeping prisoner of Mrs Coulter and her vicious golden monkey daemon. They must find each other, for their fates are bound together by powers beyond their understanding and ahead of them lies the greatest war that has ever been. Across the worlds their friends are scattered. Each will have their part to play, for good and ill, in the battle to come. The days of childhood are ended and as Will and Lyra come to understand the true meaning they have been searching for they face a journey that will test the very limits of their endurance. A journey in the dark to a dark place from which no one has ever returned. Forces are amassing, the time of reckoning approaches, a battle that will demand the ultimate sacrifice. ‘Without stories, we wouldn’t be human beings at all.’ - Philip Pullman ‘As always, Pullman is a master at combining impeccable characterizations and seamless plotting, maintaining a crackling pace to create scene upon scene of almost unbearable tension. This glittering gem will leave readers of all ages eagerly awaiting the next instalment of Lyra’s adventures.’— Publishers Weekly About His Dark Materials: Published by Scholastic between 1995 and 2000, the His Dark Materials trilogy is widely regarded as a modern classic and is probably the series Waterstones’ booksellers most frequently cite as their favourite. Its heroine, Lyra Belacqua, frequently tops polls as an all-time favourite character, appearing in the Top 10 Favourite Heroes on World Book Day 2016. The New Statesman wrote of the trilogy: “Once in a lifetime a children’s author emerges who is so extraordinary that the imagination of generations is altered… The most ambitious work since The Lord of the Rings, [His Dark Materials] is as intellectually thrilling as it is magnificently written.” Individually, the three books of His Dark Materials – Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass – have won several literary prizes, counting amongst them the Carnegie Medal (1996) and Carnegie of Carnegies (2007) and the Costa Award (2001). The books have been adapted for stage and screen countless times, including Nicholas Wright’s acclaimed 2004 stage adaptation of His Dark Materials, directed by Nicholas Hytner at the National Theatre. His Dark Materials will appear once again in a BBC One adaptation in 2018, adapted by Jack Thorne and produced by Bad Wolf and New Line Cinema. The BBC called the upcoming adaptation “a drama event for young and old - a real family treat that shows [the BBC’s] commitment to original and ambitious storytelling.”