Malcolm Polstead's life in Oxford was marked by routine, even ordinary. He is happiest when he is playing with his daemon Asta in their canoe La Belle Sauvage. But now, as the rain intensifies, the world around Malcolm and Asta is becoming anything but ordinary. When he finds himself connected to a baby named Lyra Belacqua, Malcolm is forced to take on the challenge of his life and embark on a dangerous journey that will change both him and Lyra forever.