It's just the first volume of the Book of Dust that's a prequel, Jeri. The second is a sequel to Dark Materials. I don't think the third is out yet.

And, yes, I know just what you mean about them marrying up. I am a big Tolkein fan. The Lord of the Rings films were pretty close. The Hobbit films, while very entertaining, were far enough away from the book to annoy me!