Part of His Dark Materials, book 0.5
First published 2008
Twenty-four-year-old Lee Scoresby has just won a hot-air balloon in a poker game when he finds himself drifting north into Arctic waters. The Texan aeronaut lands on Novy Odense, a remote island where he and his dæmon Hester stumble into a web of corruption. An oil magnate and a crooked mayoral candidate have hired a deadly assassin to eliminate their opposition. The killer turns out to be someone from Lee's past in Dakota Country, a nemesis who knows exactly how dangerous the young balloonist can be. Lee must choose between keeping his head down and moving on, or standing up to powerful enemies who control the island. When he forms an unlikely partnership with one of the despised armored bears, Lee commits himself to exposing the conspiracy. The alliance will test both his courage and his loyalty, forging bonds that will shape his future adventures.
Genres: science-fiction, historical-fiction, adventure, fantasy
Vibes: atmospheric, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Arctic, Dakota Country, Novy Odense, Texas
Period: 20th-century
104 pages · Hardcover · Alfred A. Knopf