During the wait for the next and final Harry Potter (ie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), I've picked up some other popular young adult authors, my favourite so far being Philip Pullman. Pullman approaches the genre by resurrecting the Victorian gothic tradition in writing that was popular in the first half of the 20th century . Recently, I've read "Count Karlstein", which features an evil Count, two adorable orphans, a secret heir and a demon huntsman. This is the type of tale that the Brothers Grimm would be proud of.
His "Sally Lockhart, Victorian Mystery Series", begins with "The Ruby in the Smoke" and follows a a smart and daring orphaned girl who is pursued by villains in search of a cursed ruby. The story is rich in historical details and full of the atmosphere of the grimy underbelly of London in the 19th century.
"The Golden Compass" , is the first book in the His Dark Materials series, also by Pullman. The fantasy novel concerns an alternate earth where your soul is visible as a pet-like creature, and children are being captured to experiment upon. All of Pullman's novels feature strong female characters, and 11 year old Lyra is no exception.
These are great books to share as a family, or to curl up with alone.
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hmm, i tried to read philip pullman but i couldn't get through it. i did however enjoy terry brooks "magic kingdon" series. as for harry potter, i like to re-read the previous books before the latest release to refresh my memory. my favourite one is the 2nd in the series...i think the characters and a lot of the story comes together in that one...
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