Shadow in the North | Plot Summary

Shadow in the North Overview

Shadow in the North is first and foremost an adventure story—fast paced, exciting, and melodramatic. The conflict between Sally's inherently twentieth-century beliefs and the time in which she lives propels much of the story's actions. Within this frame, however, Pullman interjects serious moral questions of right and wrong and good versus evil, as well as social issues that are as relevant today as they were in Victorian England. By having his characters discuss and act upon these issues, Pullman manages to let the reader know his views without preaching or talking down to his audience.

One point Pullman makes in his story remains true in both the past and the present: life is not always fair.

While many authors would not kill off a successful main character in the middle of a novel, Pullman chooses to add this piece of tragic reality rather than write a...
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