HIS DARK MATERIALS IS NOW AN HBO ORIGINAL SERIES STARRING DAFNE KEEN, RUTH WILSON, JAMES McAVOY, AND LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA!
The unforgettable His Dark Materials trilogy that began with The Golden Compass—the modern fantasy classic that Entertainment Weekly named an "All-Time Greatest Novel" and Newsweek hailed as a "Top 100 Book of All Time"—and continued with The Subtle Knife, reaches its astonishing conclusion in The Amber Spyglass.
Throughout the worlds, the forces of both heaven and hell are mustering to take part in Lord Asriel's audacious rebellion. Each player in this epic drama has a role to play—and a sacrifice to make. Witches, angels, spies, assassins, tempters, and pretenders, no one will remain unscathed.
Lyra and Will have the most dangerous task of all. They must journey to a gray-lit world where no living soul has ever gone and from which there is no escape.
As war rages and Dust drains from the sky, the fate of the living—and the dead—comes to depend on Lyra and Will. On the choices they make in love, and for love, forevermore.
A #1 New York Times Bestseller Winner of the Whitbread Award Winner of the British Book Award (Children's) Published in 40 Countries
"Masterful.... This title confirms Pullman's inclusion in the company of C.S. Lewis and Tolkien." —Smithsonian Magazine
"Pullman has created the last great fantasy masterpiece of the twentieth century. An astounding achievement." —The Cincinnati Enquirer
"War, politics, magic, science, individual lives and cosmic destinies are all here . . . shaped and assembled into a narrative of tremendous pace by a man with a generous, precise intelligence. I am completely enchanted." —The New York Times Book Review
"Breathtaking adventure . . . a terrific story, eloquently told." —The Boston Globe
Don't miss Philip Pullman's epic new trilogy set in the world of His Dark Materials! ** THE BOOK OF DUST ** La Belle Sauvage The Secret Commonwealth
I understand the criticisms of this book as the end of the series - it doesn't feel as cohesive as the previous two, there are a lot of characters to keep track of (some of whom don't necessarily add a lot to the narrative), it's quite a departure from the plot of The Golden Compass, some of the characters are taken to surprising and possibly unrealistic places, the idea of two twelve-year-old children achieving so much is in itself unrealistic...
And yet none of this significantly detracts from my enjoyment of the book and the series as a whole. I don't mind that these are extraordinary children, because the point is that they're the fulfilment of a prophecy - they're not normal kids thrust into a wild situation, they are incredible and that's why they exist. They're still believably children - afraid, stubborn, idealistic, naïve. Pullman captures childhood incredibly accurately; he doesn't underestimate or overestimate their capacity for intelligence, resourcefulness, affect.
Once again, Pullman manages to invoke such strong emotions. The longing I had to experience the languid, gentle world of the mulefa, the sorrow at the world of the dead, the absolute devastation of Lyra and Pan's separation, the alethiometer's sudden illegibility, the revelation that Will and Lyra must part ways. The pain of growing up is explored so beautifully here.
If anything, there are so many different locales explored in this book that I wish I'd had more time in each world. Though this is a long book at over 500 pages, I wanted more development of certain aspects. I'd remembered Will and Lyra's time in the world of the dead as much longer and more drawn out, and though it was painful and dark and scary and sad, it was perhaps too brief for such a fascinating and complex place. And I wanted to know more about Mary, who is such a compelling secondary character.
That said, Pullman's writing is simply beautiful and so evocative that it's hard not to be pulled in to the story, wherever he takes it. This ending is perfect to me - satisfying in some ways, heartbreaking beyond belief in others. That's exactly as it should be.
