故事发生在不同于现实的异世界中。在这个世界中,所有的人类均拥有被称为守护精灵的动物同伴,这些动物是人类灵魂的具象体现。女主角莱拉·贝拉奎亚成长于英国牛津的约旦学院。在她前往伦敦寻找失踪的朋友罗杰的过程中,莱拉发现一系列儿童失踪事件与神秘物质尘埃有所关联。随着故事展开,她还发现了涉及到阿斯瑞尔勋爵和玛莉莎·库尔特的危险秘密。His Dark Materials is one of the supreme works of imaginative fiction for both children and adults published in the 20th century. Northern Lights introduces Lyra, an orphan, who lives in a parallel universe in which science, theology and magic are entwined. Lyra's search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children, and turns into a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. In The Subtle Knife she is joined on her journey by Will, a boy who possesses a knife that can cut windows between worlds. As Lyra learns the truth about her parents and her prophesied destiny, the two young people are caught up in a war against celestial powers that ranges across many worlds and leads to a thrilling conclusion in The Amber Spyglass.