About the Book: Picking up immediately after The Secret Commonwealth, Lyra finds herself alone in the ruins of a deserted city, her dæmon Pantalaimon having fled in search of her lost imagination. Meanwhile, her loyal friend Malcolm Polstead journeys along the Silk Roads to find her. Their quests converge eastwards in a world aflame with fear, power and greed—towards a mysterious red building, the secret of special roses and the true nature of Dust.