Once upon a time in the North

"This... companion to "His Dark Materials" tells the story of how Texan aeronaut Lee Scoresby and the armoured bear Iorek Byrnison first met. After winning his hot-air balloon in a poker game, Less Scoresby and his daemon, Hester, find themselves floating north. On landing, it's not long before Scoresby is embroiled in a deadly plot involving an oil magnate, a corrupt mayoral candidate and Lee's longtime nemesis - a hired killer. Lee's been in tight spots before, but getting out of this mess will require some sharp shooting and the help of an unlikely new ally - the massive, surly armoured bear Iorek Byrnison."--Publisher's description.