The alethiometer sends Lyra and Iorek on a new path, leading to a shocking but vital clue in her search to find her friend Roger and the other missing children.

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.