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sians's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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
4.0
italorebelo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
daumari's review against another edition
4.0
It's fascinating coming back to this series as an adult- when I last read it, I was just a little older than Lyra and Will, but about at the same point in life where the fixing of a daemon's form would be fresh, and coming of age still felt overwhelming to my feelings. I know this is something I shelved long after the fact and didn't write a review then because it wasn't fresh, but I do feel it's more meaningful than 3, probably.
The first two His Dark Materials books seemed to go by quickly, and maybe because the pacing felt more in that cusp between middle grade and YA. I'm most familiar with the first book, and maybe because that's the one I owned a copy of, and The Subtle Knife moves pieces around the board but its shorter than the other two. The Amber Spyglass feels like a full-grown novel, perhaps because the first almost entirely follows Lyra but here we shift from both her and Will's perspectives to that of Dr. Mary Malone, Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel, Iorek Byrnison, and a wider array of characters. I also remembered this book the least, maybe because of everything that happens in it.
Arguably, the series is not kind to organized religion but considering the damage done in the names of those institutions over the centuries, it's not an invalid critique to make the fantastical version look into taking drastic measures. The nature of Dust and its presence in living beings honestly speaks to a viewpoint in finding the divinity in people around you which I find to be considerably more comforting.
Really not sure where the Book of Dust series is going to go with these worlds because it ends so perfectly (maybe that's why they're prequels...)
The first two His Dark Materials books seemed to go by quickly, and maybe because the pacing felt more in that cusp between middle grade and YA. I'm most familiar with the first book, and maybe because that's the one I owned a copy of, and The Subtle Knife moves pieces around the board but its shorter than the other two. The Amber Spyglass feels like a full-grown novel, perhaps because the first almost entirely follows Lyra but here we shift from both her and Will's perspectives to that of Dr. Mary Malone, Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel, Iorek Byrnison, and a wider array of characters. I also remembered this book the least, maybe because of everything that happens in it.
Arguably, the series is not kind to organized religion but considering the damage done in the names of those institutions over the centuries, it's not an invalid critique to make the fantastical version look into taking drastic measures. The nature of Dust and its presence in living beings honestly speaks to a viewpoint in finding the divinity in people around you which I find to be considerably more comforting.
Really not sure where the Book of Dust series is going to go with these worlds because it ends so perfectly (maybe that's why they're prequels...)
daisymayduck's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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? It's complicated
3.5
Not my favourite of the series but still a great read and definitely some very emotional bits
shelbymarie516's review against another edition
1.0
The knock off Narnia, but make it passionately atheistic. Honestly this was one of the worst series I've had the displeasure of hearing. Had to start another book half way through this one cause I couldn't stand it. Got it on low volume now and it's just noise at this point.
felixfelicis's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
outcolder's review against another edition
5.0
What was that bit about the history of the world is the history of the struggle of wisdom versus stupidity? There were some wonky moments here but I actually really dug the adolescent romance and the denouement was deliciously bitter-sweet.
asriram's review against another edition
1.0
An utterly boring, meandering, and dull end to a series that had a strong start. I struggled to get through this book due to the pondering nature of the book. While the other books felt engaging, particularly the first book, the finale to the His Dark Materials series squanders all of the potential avenues the story could have gone.
amydanielle02's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
3.5
bittersweet_symphony's review against another edition
4.0
This story dragged a bit more compared the second book. It confronts the sexual repression endemic to the Christian Church's take on the Adam and Eve story, providing an interesting counterpoint to the ideas of original sin and what it means to be human.
It may actually be my least favorite book of the series.
It may actually be my least favorite book of the series.