Serpentine is a nice little bridge between the end of His Dark Materials and The Secret Commonwealth. Not being a frequent reader of short stories, it's a little hard for me to judge this one - as always, I enjoy any opportunity I get to be in Lyra's world, but this was almost so brief that I felt like I wasn't able to immerse myself properly. The colour that this book adds to Lyra and Pan's relationship is rewarding and meaningful especially for a dedicated fan, and it's also a testament to Pullman's engagement with this world that he has crafted that he could write this short story even before he had any plans to write The Book of Dust, yet have this fit so naturally between the series. Ultimately though, it scratched an itch for me but didn't blow me away. ( )

Still waiting for the next Lyra novel, thought I'd read this very short tale of her encounter with Dr Lanselius in Trollesund (the Arctic) , years after she had first met Lee Scoresby and bargained for Iorek Byrnison. Very well written, very short, and beautifully illustrated in B&W (lino-prints?) by Tom Duxbury ( )

A short story in which Lyra goes North on a college archaeological dig, and meets the Consul of the witches again. It doesn't have much plot, but is mainly about Lyra and Pantalaimon's relationship. ( )

There's no there there. ( )

I enjoyed this, but it occupies a strange space. I don't think it works as a short story unless you know His Dark Materials. The illustrations by Tom Duxbury made it worth buying it in book form as a collectible. It is a bit of a stepping stone from the last book of His Dark Materials to The Book of Dust, wherein Lyra and Pantalaimon are reunited and trying to forge their new path forward. I wanted this as part of a larger story however, so that tension of not knowing what it was like in the events that transpired in The Amber Spyglass (this is my way of avoiding spoilers), would further character development in a way it could only do in novel form. Still, a charming read, and a lovely little vignette of two favorite characters. ( )