Photographer Rankin Designs new covers for Pullman Trilogy

Scholastic UK will be publishing new editions of His Dark Materials this September with breath-taking new covers, creatively directed and photographed by the legendary Rankin

In a post yesterday through social media, Philip Pullman discussed his excitement at Rankin’s interpretation with these bold covers.

The covers are portraits of main characters with their respective daemon - Lyra and Pan for Northern Lights, Mrs Coulter and Golden Monkey for the Subtle Knife and Lord Asriel with his Stelmaria for Amber Spyglass.

On the inspiration behind these three beautiful covers, Rankin said:

“I wanted to create this amalgamation of the dæmon and the person. It’s really trying to embody the darkness of the series.”

Embody the darkness of the series he definitely did, so let’s take a closer look.

Rankin’s Northern Lights

When Lyra's friend Roger disappears, she and her dæmon, Pantalaimon, determine to find him.

The ensuing quest leads them to the bleak splendour of the North, where armoured bears rule the ice and witch-queens fly through the frozen skies - and where a team of scientists is conducting experiments too horrible to be spoken about.

Lyra overcomes these strange terrors, only to find something yet more perilous waiting for her - something with consequences which may even reach beyond the Northern Lights...

This portrait naturally depicts the heroine of the series Lyra with her sensible daemon Pan. I was surprised at how close this resembled my own interpretation of the character.

Rankin captures that childlike innocence, but still the darkness surrounding her is definitely a clever foreshadowing. The casting for this character is great because she does look like a rebellious girl running around Oxford and Rankin definitely doesn’t confuse innocence with naivety.

Rankin’s The Subtle Knife

She had asked: What is he? A friend or an enemy?

The alethiometer answered: He is a murderer.

When she saw the answer, she relaxed at once.

Lyra finds herself in a shimmering, haunted otherworld – Cittàgazze, where soul-eating Spectres stalk the streets and wingbeats of distant angels sound against the sky.

But she is not without allies: twelve-year-old Will Parry, fleeing for his life after taking another's, has also stumbled into this strange new realm.

On a perilous journey from world to world, Lyra and Will uncover a deadly secret: an object of extraordinary and devastating power.

And with every step, they move closer to an even greater threat – and the shattering truth of their own destiny.

For the second book, Rankin choice this portrait to star the notorious and ruthless Mrs Coulter.

This incarnation of one of the darkest characters in the series is an interesting choice and Rankin really brings out her characteristics through this photograph.

The casting is of course fantastic, this model actually reminded me of both incarnations of Mrs Coulter that has been portrayed on screen. Although reminiscent of Nicole Kidman in looks, this model captures the devious and vindictiveness of Wilson’s Coulter in one look.

This is actually a really effective creative choice. While Lyra’s Northern Lights cover portrays loss of innocent, this cover captures just how dark and sinister the second book gets.

Rankin’s The Amber Spyglass

Will is the bearer of the knife. Now, accompanied by angels, his task is to deliver that powerful, dangerous weapon to Lord Asriel - by the command of his dying father.

But how can he go looking for Lord Asriel when Lyra is gone? Only with her help can he fathom the myriad plots and intrigues that beset him.

The two great powers of the many worlds are lining up for war, and Will must find Lyra, for together they are on their way to battle, an inevitable journey that will even take them to the world of the dead...

The third and final book in the trilogy, the Amber Spyglass depicts a bearded and brooding Lord Asriel.

I was actually initially expecting a possible Will (played by Amir Wilson on screen and Daniel Anthony on the radio adaptation) portrait for the final book, as he is the second protagonist. But that could go into spoiler territory for new readers and therefore, Lyra, Coulter and Asriel are good choices - as all three are introduced very early on in book one.

However, I really like this interpretation of Asriel. Rankin steers clear of the clean shaven gentleman mannerism of Daniel Craig and even the mad scientist vibes of James McAvoy. Instead, we see A haggard and tortured soul that appears dead behind the eyes. It lets the viewer see what becomes of a man who sought greatness and how much it has had a toll on him in the final book, both physically and mentally.

Needless to say, I will definitely be preordering these from my local bookstore. These are definitely a must have for die hard His Dark Materials fans.

These will be available in September, but all three are available for preorder from UK book shops and retailers.