Reviews

The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman

johanna_dombrowski's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

rosadrinkbooks's review against another edition

4.0

A very chunky book and very well thought out world . I really loved Lyra and how she was going through a slight identity crisis rather than the need to make her same fearless child that she had been in Northern lights.
I liked that she alike many people in her early twenties is going through a wobbly patch and trying to find her own voice / opinion.

I am wondering if this was highlighted by a need to find Pan ( her daemon ) who is often refered to as a spirit self / the opposite thoughts that we have.

Am looking immensely forward to the next book

HOWEVER
There was a slight Tolkien need to ramble on and on about politics with too many side characters.

The book itself could have also been at least 200 pages shorter and felt as if there was too much “ filler “ rather than “ plot”.

kingsamong's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious sad tense slow-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

4.0

purple_nep_shooter's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

laura_storyteller's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

heyhayitssarah's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-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? Yes

4.0

skltnq33n's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective 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

4.5

gambo's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

morpmeep's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

2.5

as many of the other reviews have echoed, this book became a bit of a slog after the first quarter. all I kept wanting from it was more Alice and Malcolm and Lyra and Pan, but the book was very frustrating in that it kept these characters very distant from each other, and they spend their time in various parts of the world. 

Philip Pullman spent far too much time on the political landscape of this world, and with characters who are not very substantial and were not around for very long.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but this one did not do it for me.

chouchter's review against another edition

3.0

It was a journey...

I do hope that the third book pays off (because this one didn't).