The His Dark Materials is a Fantasy / YA Fiction series by Philip Pullman, made up of 3 books published between 1995 and 2000. It begins with Northern Lights (1995), and is best read in publication order. The most recent entry is The Amber Spyglass (2000), spanning 5 years of storytelling.
| # | Title | Year | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | |||
| 1 | Northern Lights 🏆 Carnegie Medal 1995Full award history → 🎬 2 adaptations → | 1995 | Buy from Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 2 | The Subtle Knife 🏆 Audie Award 2001North East Teenage Book Award 1999Full award history → 🎬 Adapted for film/TV → | 1997 | Search on Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
| 2000s | |||
| 3 | The Amber SpyglassLatest 🏆 Audie Award 2002🏆 Whitbread Award 2001🏆 British Book Award 2001🏆 Whitbread Book of the Year 2001Booker Prize 2001Locus Award 2001World Fantasy Award 2001Carnegie Medal 2000Full award history → 🎬 Adapted for film/TV → | 2000 | Search on Amazon U.S / Intl. Buy from Amazon Australia |
His Dark Materials series: frequently asked questions
What order should I read the His Dark Materials series?
Start with Northern Lights (1995), the first book in the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman. Follow the books in publication order for the best reading experience.
How many books are in the His Dark Materials series?
There are 3 books in the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman, published between 1995 and 2000.
What is the first book in the His Dark Materials series?
The first book in the His Dark Materials series is Northern Lights, published in 1995 by Philip Pullman.
What is the latest book in the His Dark Materials series?
The most recent book in the His Dark Materials series is The Amber Spyglass (2000) by Philip Pullman.
About the His Dark Materials series
Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials is one of the most ambitious and beloved fantasy trilogies ever written for young readers — and far more besides. In a world where every person's soul walks beside them as an animal "dæmon," the fierce, lying, loyal Lyra Belacqua is swept into a war that spans parallel universes and questions the nature of innocence, knowledge and authority itself.
Pullman weaves physics, theology and Milton into a thrilling adventure that grows steadily more profound and provocative. It is a story about growing up, told with rare intelligence and emotional power, brought to a wide audience by the BBC/HBO adaptation.
Read in order — "Northern Lights" (published as "The Golden Compass" in the US), "The Subtle Knife," "The Amber Spyglass" — as one continuous, escalating story.