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bug_lightyear's review against another edition
3.75
Read in 30 hours at 0.65 speed.
Not as good as the first book, a lot of gun violence.
Not as good as the first book, a lot of gun violence.
dariadanley's review against another edition
4.0
Woah.
So first off, this book was very different from the first. Rather than being set in the world of Lyra, it is set in our world. And it is considerably more boring. The atmosphere and mood of the writing seemed to have lost its initial whimsy that I had grown to love.
This book also focuses more on the religious center of this series at large. For some reason, I was not expecting it to take a religious turn and I am not sure if I 100% like it. It seems rather random to put into a series about multiple universes, mysterious objects, and witches.
This book also suffered from Middle Book Syndrome. It was very hard to pay attention to this book simply because I didn't care. Not much happened and you have to read it VERY carefully in order to grasp what is being explained. I also found Will to be a little bland compared to Lyra's very distinct personality. This book was more of a setup for the finale rather than a story of it's own, which is something I don't care for. There should be anticipation, yes, but the whole book should not feel like a prologue to the final book.
So first off, this book was very different from the first. Rather than being set in the world of Lyra, it is set in our world. And it is considerably more boring. The atmosphere and mood of the writing seemed to have lost its initial whimsy that I had grown to love.
This book also focuses more on the religious center of this series at large. For some reason, I was not expecting it to take a religious turn and I am not sure if I 100% like it. It seems rather random to put into a series about multiple universes, mysterious objects, and witches.
This book also suffered from Middle Book Syndrome. It was very hard to pay attention to this book simply because I didn't care. Not much happened and you have to read it VERY carefully in order to grasp what is being explained. I also found Will to be a little bland compared to Lyra's very distinct personality. This book was more of a setup for the finale rather than a story of it's own, which is something I don't care for. There should be anticipation, yes, but the whole book should not feel like a prologue to the final book.
hiimsera's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
shafia42's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
normally i find it hard to love new characters in book two, especially if they're introduced as a main character, but i love will! hes such a sweetheart, i love his backstory and i love how him and lyra interact. this book is set in more than one world, and the writer is so phenomenal, you don't struggle at all knowing which world each chapter is set in. the world building is so immersive, and the story is engaging,. i know this is technically a children's book, but all ages can enjoy this mystery packed story.
nixxstorm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-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
5.0
sgleco's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
odcosta's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
serendipity_library's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.75
tomasthanes's review against another edition
4.0
I was going to do a lengthy review of this book (the second of a trilogy) as well as of the new TV series that has come out based on the first two books in the series but decided to cut it short.
The book itself (and the other two books) are well written. The story and characters are good. The world building is superb and it provides ideas that I've not seen elsewhere (external daemons, the alethiometer, etc.). If this is "YA", then its at the upper end.
The theology of the book (series) is very similar to that of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale: a highly skewed exaggeration of "Christianity" that is then very easy for the story to criticize (a "straw man" fallacy). This is basically the Tower of Babel except that that the "god" and the "church" of the books isn't at all like Christianity (well, it may resemble certain aspects of *medieval* Roman Catholicism like the Inquisition but not historical Christianity as a whole) and therefore just falls apart. It almost sounds like wishful thinking on the part of the author of an otherwise entertaining set of books.
The book itself (and the other two books) are well written. The story and characters are good. The world building is superb and it provides ideas that I've not seen elsewhere (external daemons, the alethiometer, etc.). If this is "YA", then its at the upper end.
The theology of the book (series) is very similar to that of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale: a highly skewed exaggeration of "Christianity" that is then very easy for the story to criticize (a "straw man" fallacy). This is basically the Tower of Babel except that that the "god" and the "church" of the books isn't at all like Christianity (well, it may resemble certain aspects of *medieval* Roman Catholicism like the Inquisition but not historical Christianity as a whole) and therefore just falls apart. It almost sounds like wishful thinking on the part of the author of an otherwise entertaining set of books.
bridgett_b's review against another edition
2.0
How oh how does this have a higher average rating than Golden Compass?!
I flew through Golden Compass in days, what an engaging read. It took me back to the transporting joy of reading from childhood with adventures and supernatural elements and other worlds. I was excited for part II of the series, only to discover that the author tossed out all of the elements that made the first one successful. After slogging through over weeks, I decided to call it quits halfway in. So sad!
I flew through Golden Compass in days, what an engaging read. It took me back to the transporting joy of reading from childhood with adventures and supernatural elements and other worlds. I was excited for part II of the series, only to discover that the author tossed out all of the elements that made the first one successful. After slogging through over weeks, I decided to call it quits halfway in. So sad!