Lyra’s Oxford by Philip Pullman
I like that most short stories have a beginning, a middle and an end. The pacing of the plot, the scene setting, the detail in descriptions of a journey as well as character development should all be comparative to the size of the novel.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case in this short story. When the action does get moving it is gripping but it feels like there could have been so much more squeezed into the pages.
The book even finishes before it explains who one of the main characters are and what they are doing that’s supposedly so important. The whole plot (it turns out) revolves around them though! Lyras Oxford reads like exciting excerpts from a much bigger novel, rather than a self contained short story
The book contains a map of Lyras Oxford, although not really necessary I did think this was a cute addition. It also contains a short explorers guide.
Overall I found Lyras Oxford to be an informative glimpse into Lyras new life. As expected it was imaginative and compelling in places. Frustratingly, it felt rush toward the end and needed more plot and character development overall.
Vamp It Up 