The Subtle Knife, Deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition (His Dark Materials, Book 2) by Philip Pullman Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Subtle Knife, Deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition (His Dark Materials, Book 2)
Book Review: don't listen to others
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a good book and a good trilogy. The people that are saying these are anti Christian are being ridiculous. It's just a book. If you don't like to read about other's ideas, DON'T READ BOOKS. If a book can change your beliefs, you are WAY to easily manipulated. Book Review: Classic children's fantasy gets better with Book 2
Summary: 5 Stars
Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy kicks off with a bang with "The Golden Compass" and shows no signs of flagging with volume II, "The Subtle Knife." Just as "The Empire Strikes Back" elevated the "Star Wars" series into the pantheon of great film series, "The Subtle Knife" builds upon the brilliant foundation of Book I and dives deeper into Pullman's rich tale of courage, love, and the battle for salvation.
Lyra, 12-year old tomboy, was the heroine of "The Golden Compass," and in Book 2 she finds a worthy hero to share the spotlight in young Will, a twelve-year old murderer. Lyra's alethiometer tells her that he's a murderer when they cross paths, and it is due to Pullman's brilliant writing that Lyra takes that as a sign that she can trust Will - and it makes sense. For Lyra is still in grave danger as she struggles to find her father, Lord Asriel, after he murdered her friend Roger in order to advance his own ends, which are known only to him.
All Lyra and Will know is that their worlds have been torn asunder, which is what brings them together. Will occupies a world much like our own, and unlike Lyra, he does not have a daemon flitting about beside him. Lyra overcomes her initial disgust of Will's deformity, and soon they are allies as they explore a new dangerous world, where soul-sucking Specters, angels, and witches vie for supremacy with humans.
Will, like Lyra, searches for his father, but unlike Lyra, Will wants to find his father not for revenge, but for love and answers. Unlike Lyra, whose evil mother Marisa Coulter wants to kill her, Will's mother is defenseless and sick, so Will must shoulder the burden of protecting her as well. Pullman balances these dark storylines - that would crush so many children - with realistic depictions of these two kids. For all their heroics, neither Lyra nor Will ever ring false.
Look for plenty of action, joy, loss, and abject sorrow in "The Subtle Knife." The title comes from another wondrous Pullman creation, a knife that can cut through the fabric in between parallel universes, but only in the hands of someone who knows how to use it. Will and Lyra narrowly escape danger after danger as they proceed toward their common destiny, one that will shake the fabric of all the worlds of creation.
This 10th-anniversary edition is a handsome hardcover edition, but is probably not essential to enjoy the series. It's high-quality, complete with placeholder ribbon and special illustrations in the appendix, but Pullman's story is so darn good that a mass-market paperback would do you just fine. This edition is best-served so you can proudly display this novel on your bookcase so you can introduce your friends to this wonderful series of books.
Book Review: Atheist Propaganda
Summary: 1 Stars
This atheistic diatribe, along with other so-called fiction books like Harry Potter Boxset Books 1-7 and Rabid: A Novel, will destroy the soul of America if not stopped immediately. I call upon Amazon to stop selling them, for they are teaching people that Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ does not exist or is not relavant to today. This is wrong! Protect your children from these books! Book Review: Beautifully written!
Summary: 5 Stars
That as well as the other books in the trilogy are a must read! Awesomely written. Great plot, character development The odd thing is that so many had made reference to this bashing Christianity and I only see that from those who are non-believers. To make the correlation between their religion and our form of Christianity is bashing Christianity in of itself. There is one reference to the Catholic church and that is from a character who is from the same world as Will. I have forgotten her name, but that was in a different world than Lyra and the tyrannical government that ruled her world. It is called Fantasy and not called a Reality based book. I loved it!. I can not think of a better fantasy writer than Philip Pullman. Beautifully written!Book Review: A Great Sequel...
Summary: 5 Stars
A Great Sequel which follows on from "Northern Lights/The Golden Compass". It features great storytelling, great characters, and keeps you turning the pages to a terrific finale that leads us to the third book, "The Amber Spyglass". A series of books that I have so far enjoyed and I highly recommend to young adults of 13 and upwards and adults too.