Sadlands

Book excerpt: The wonder of Philip Pullman’s ‘His Dark Materials’, infused with the imagination of ‘The Edge Chronicles’ creates the perfect book for lovers of fantastical adventure. Happiness, Despair, Excitement, Hope: If you can feel it, they can bottle it... Phi is a purveyor of bottled emotions. When the factory providing the world’s emotions is sabotaged, Phi’s own world goes up in smoke. He’s one of the few people left who can feel anything at all, and the relentless, Hate-fuelled Gaspers are closing in. Phi embarks on a quest to restart the factory. It’s his only chance for the girl he loves to love again. The journey will take him deep into the heart of the Sadlands, where the very act of breathing can paralyse you with your own Fear. In a place where beasts can use your own Courage to lure you into deadly traps, you can’t even trust your own feelings. Yet, Phi must place his trust in three unlikely companions: a valiant orphan who throws herself headfirst into danger; a rival who Phi has never seen eye-to-eye with; and a mysterious traveller struggling to keep a secret…