Author(s): Philip Pullman

Audio

Philip Pullman's thrilling fantasy comes alive in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation. The award-winning His Dark Materials trilogy is a breathtaking epic adventure spanning a multitude of worlds.

Northern Lights, the opening instalment, sees Lyra and her shape-changing daemon embark on a dangerous quest. In Oxford, Lyra learns that children are being kidnapped by the mysterious Gobblers. When her friend Roger vanishes she determines to find him, and is given a powerful alethiometer which can reveal the truth in all things. After discovering that the adults around her are not what they seem, Lyra and Pantalaimon join forces with a band of gyptians. Travelling north they encounter witch-queens and armoured bears, before being captured and taken to Bolvangar - where children are being used in terrible and secret experiments.

Gripping, full of suspense and often funny, Northern Lights has an all-star cast including Terence Stamp, Emma Fielding, Bill Paterson, Kenneth Cranham and Ray Fearon. It is now also a major motion picture, The Golden Compass, starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig.