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safuya's review against another edition
3.0
The story didn't grab me as much on this second book. I still found it good, but just not as gripping as the previous one.
alexjstewart's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
jordan_1_1's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sapphicreads64's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I loved the world and concept, but some of the execution felt messy, and I didn't care about all of the characters. Still a very unique and entertaining read, though.
halthemonarch's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those books I wish I had read as a child. It’s hard to explain but it has the same nostalgic quality Harry Potter does for those who read those books in their childhood. There was a warmness to Ma Costa, a fierceness in Lee Scoresby, and nail-biting action during every leg of the journey.
Book two features more of the same! We get POV chapters from beloved characters, and a narrative that moves away from Lyra as the sole protagonist. Lyra and Will, Pullman’s Adam and Eve, in a story now definitely tied in to religion. The Magisterium is a thinly vailed allegory for the authority the church holds; perhaps over its people and the government, both on a grand scale and personal level. The scope of it all is getting wider and slowly Pullman gives us piece by piece, what we need to understand.
I will say, the scene where Will gets the knife from Tulio, and the subsequent scenes where Angelica and Miguel rally the children for retribution felt odd to me. Lyra and WIll talk about it as if they were in the right, as if they were justified in taking Tulio and the Chitegaze children’s only means of defense against the spectors, and were like shocked and surprised when retribution came. They supposed those children were animals and they had a right to the knife because it would have gotten the aleithiometer back, and then later because Will is the Knife Bearer— but never once did they stop to really think about how what they do effects other people.
Then again, they’re children themselves and the most important thing for them must be to carry on with their quest, to protect their friends, and to seek to do the next right thing. I like moral ambiguity in my protagonists, but it wasn’t framed that way
Pullman hits us with another cliffhanger at the end of this book. I enjoyed it immensely (Apart from my man Lee’s death ;n;). It could be argued that the use of cliffhangers is uninspired; a means to use the (current) book like a stepping stone to the next. I don’t see anything wrong with that, of course, but I don’t think any of these books could function as a stand alone. I hope the trilogy ends on a more definitive, and hopefully happier note. I just know Mrs. Coulter sent the spectors to kidnap Lyra, or something like that.
I’m in the waiting list at my local library for the last book!
Book two features more of the same! We get POV chapters from beloved characters, and a narrative that moves away from Lyra as the sole protagonist. Lyra and Will, Pullman’s Adam and Eve, in a story now definitely tied in to religion. The Magisterium is a thinly vailed allegory for the authority the church holds; perhaps over its people and the government, both on a grand scale and personal level. The scope of it all is getting wider and slowly Pullman gives us piece by piece, what we need to understand.
I will say, the scene where Will gets the knife from Tulio, and the subsequent scenes where Angelica and Miguel rally the children for retribution felt odd to me. Lyra and WIll talk about it as if they were in the right, as if they were justified in taking Tulio and the Chitegaze children’s only means of defense against the spectors, and were like shocked and surprised when retribution came. They supposed those children were animals and they had a right to the knife because it would have gotten the aleithiometer back, and then later because Will is the Knife Bearer— but never once did they stop to really think about how what they do effects other people.
Then again, they’re children themselves and the most important thing for them must be to carry on with their quest, to protect their friends, and to seek to do the next right thing. I like moral ambiguity in my protagonists, but it wasn’t framed that way
Pullman hits us with another cliffhanger at the end of this book. I enjoyed it immensely (Apart from my man Lee’s death ;n;). It could be argued that the use of cliffhangers is uninspired; a means to use the (current) book like a stepping stone to the next. I don’t see anything wrong with that, of course, but I don’t think any of these books could function as a stand alone. I hope the trilogy ends on a more definitive, and hopefully happier note. I just know Mrs. Coulter sent the spectors to kidnap Lyra, or something like that.
I’m in the waiting list at my local library for the last book!
thedisfiguredpeach's review against another edition
3.5
I really enjoyed rereading this book, but I did feel like they spent too much time focusing on characters besides Will/Lyra.
cko90's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
50pence's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence and Violence
julia_brandao's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.25
jayseewhy's review against another edition
3.0
This second book really cemented my love for the series. It had a few moments throughout that blew me away and I never wanted to stop reading it.
Comparing it with the first book though and it felt a little disappointing. It felt like a random assortment of different story lines that weren’t particularly well developed. I’m still really excited to get into the third book and I can’t wait to see how HBO adapts this for screen.
Comparing it with the first book though and it felt a little disappointing. It felt like a random assortment of different story lines that weren’t particularly well developed. I’m still really excited to get into the third book and I can’t wait to see how HBO adapts this for screen.