Book Review - His Dark Materials Trilogy
Courtesy of Random HouseAuthor: Phillip Pullman
Move over Harry Potter, there's a new kid in town. Lyra Belacqua and her demon friend Pantalaimon have some serious adventures ahead of them through The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. Read on for more about the amazing trilogy behind the movie The Golden Compass.
His Dark Materials - The Golden Compass
Lyra discovers a plot to
kill her uncle, Lord Asriel, and in the process she learns of the discovery of "
Dust." Dust particles are
magical and mysterious and somehow related to the disappearance of children. It's up to Lyra and Pantalaimon to
head north and figure out what all of this is about. This book tells an amazing story and deals with some pretty
thought-provoking stuff, like the death of God and the
destiny of mankind. The writing is brilliant but Pullman can get a little long-winded at times. Hang in there through the
sleep-inducing ramblings about
Dust, though, it's worth it in the end.
His Dark Materials - The Subtle Knife
Will Parry comes from
our world and he's is a bit of a
troubled kid. His mom has some
mental-health issues and his dad is
MIA (Missing in Action - for those of you who don't watch war movies). He gets a hold of a knife that allows him to
cut holes into different worlds. Will ends up meeting up with Lyra and Pantalaimon and they team up to try to stop an upcoming
war that may destroy all the worlds - including Earth! This is another
well-written adventure that moves at
a better pace than The Golden Compass.
His Dark Materials - The Amber Spyglass
Lyra is
captured at the end of The Subtle Knife and now it's up to Will to
rescue her (with a little help from some new characters). However, Will isn't the only one looking for Lyra! The third book in the His Dark Materials trilogy brings together
all the elements from the other books (demons, Dust,
numerous worlds) and ties them together. There are tons of
crazy characters (some might even say too many) and tons of unexpected twists and turns. Pullman's writing is so energetic and detailed that it
transports you to Lyra's world.
His Dark Materials - Final Verdict
The His Dark Materials trilogy is for you if you
love fantasy or if you just dig reading books that will make you think. These books are
beautifully written and take you on an adventure so epic, it makes
Harry Potter seem as interesting as grandma's
tea-cozy collection. However, if you're looking for a
light and breezy read, this is not the series for you. Try the
Baby-sitters Club instead.
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