Lyra and Will find allies who can help them in their search for Will’s father. The Magisterium learn something shocking, and Mrs Coulter meets a formidable foe.

Lyra starts her new life in London, determined to find Roger with Mrs Coulter’s help. The Gyptians continue their search for the missing children and the elusive Gobblers.

Orphan Lyra Belacqua’s world is turned upside-down by her long-absent uncle’s return from the north, while the glamorous Mrs Coulter visits Jordan College with a proposition.