His Dark Materials Trilogy Book Review

Author: Phillip Pullman

Move over Harry Potter, there's a new kid in town. Lyra Belacqua and her daemon 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.

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.

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.

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.

The Bottom Line

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.

His Dark Materials Trilogy Rating:

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