Philip Pullman - The Subtle Knife

Pros: MORE Witches and Angels for Lyra to meet, fight, and ally with
Cons: No Polar Bears! (but her new friends are good too)

I made the recent discovery of a new trilogy that I LOVE. Joining the other book series that I devour (Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Oz, Prydain...) is the "His Dark Materials" Trilogy by Philip Pullman.

The first book was The...

Pros: Delightful new characters
Cons: Can get confusing, deep issues with the Church

It's not really that the knife is subtle; that's just an allusion to Milton's Paradise Lost. But that's a minor infraction from the second book in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series. The first, The Golden Compass, ...

Pros: The suspense, tension, and excitement never cease.
Cons: Avoid cliffhanger frustration by getting a copy of The Amber Spyglass before you begin.

If sequels tend to disappoint you, you're in for a pleasant surprise with The Subtle Knife, Book Two of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. There are no disappointments here. Much to my delight, there are none of those tedious...

Pros: Continues the stunning story, creates strong new characters & expands existing ones
Cons: Slows in the second half; no real start or finish

The Subtle Knife is the second of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, a truly epic adventure embracing religion, science and classic adventure. The series is very much one story broken into three books, rather than a set of interlinked, but ...

Pros: Great characters, complex plot, good writing
Cons: Must read The Golden Compass first; must read The Amber Spyglass after

Warning : if you haven't read Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass (book one of His Dark Materials trilogy) you might want to skip this review, as it contains some spoilers for the first book. Also, I'll be so unkind to assume you've e ...

Pros: More rich imagery and a fierce imagination is the driving force of this novel
Cons: Reading The Golden Compass is required, otherwise, you'll be lost and confused.

If you've not read the first book in this trilogy [His Dark Materials] you will be hopelessly lost by the second chapter. Please do yourself the supreme pleasure of reading The Golden Compass first, to not only gain a wider appreciation for The Subtle...

Pros: Unpredictable, Captivating, Leaves You Wanting More!
Cons: Remember this is the 2nd book of a trilogy and don't skip the first.

The Subtle Knife is Phillip Pullman’s second book of a trilogy that starts with The Golden Compass and ends with The Amber Spyglass. Now that I have finished this second book, I am heading to the nearest bookstore as fast as my car can get me there!...

Pros: critique of religion, story, characters
Cons: ends abruptly

Two individuals (see comments) have suggested I warn people that my summary pretty much reveals the entire story. If you would rather not know how the book ends, skip the summary and go straight to my comments (though there are also spoilers in my ...

Pros: brilliant, face-paced, adventurous story
Cons: the final book won't be out until September 2000

I read the first book in Philip Pullman's trilogy, The Golden Compass, for my bookclub, and I was surprised to find that I loved it! I don't usually read books that are listed under science fiction/young adult. However, I loved it so much that...

Pros: It's really good book that makes you work your brain.
Cons: You must read The Golden Compass first

As soon as I finished reading The Golden Compass I was compelled to send off for The Subtle Knife and I am anxiously awaiting September when the third book is scheduled to be released. Mr. Pullman has plotted out a masterpiece here. He has believable...

Pros: Best children's books for years
Cons: Will probably be burnt by fundamentalists

"...Unjust you say, flatly unjust to bind
With laws the free...."

Paradise Lost

Well, the third part of the trilogy is out now, which I suppose allows us to stand back and look at the thing as a whole.

...

Pros: You'll see.
Cons: You won't see.

Well, well, well. Here I am and I've read this book three times in the last week.
This sequel to "The Golden Compass" is by far as fitting as any sequel could ever be. The twists and turns that took place in the later parts of the first...

Pros: This book is just as good as the first one.
Cons: None

After reading The Golden Compass, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the sequel, The Subtle Knife. After looking all over the place for it, I finally found it in the kid’s section at Barnes and Noble. I gulped the whole thing down just like the first one...

Pros: You can not put this suspenseful book down.
Cons: The villains are so mean you start to hate the book.

This book is awesome! Lyra and her friends are at it again!!!!! This time she meets a new person. His name is Will and he is a major part of the book. If you were to read this than I suggest you read the first of his dark materials the books The...

Pros: It is the best book that I have ever read
Cons: none at all

In this book Lyra finds her self in another world completely and with the help of Pantalimon, her trusted deamon, and Will ,her new found friend she gets rolling on a new path of adventure. Continuing the series "His Dark Materials" Pullman...