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adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Murder
Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Stalking, Alcohol, Classism
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wanted to love this but I found Lyra a bit unbelievable at times and some scenes it was clear she being written by a man.
Its very in depth and provides a great wealth of world building but ending on a cliffhanger very much reminded me that this was not a complete book.
Its very in depth and provides a great wealth of world building but ending on a cliffhanger very much reminded me that this was not a complete book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Murder
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence
adventurous
challenging
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Didn't enjoy the kind of creepy romance subplot.
Ended on a cliffhanger
Very much a time of tragedy
Pan & Lyra arguing not entirely explained
Ended on a cliffhanger
Very much a time of tragedy
Pan & Lyra arguing not entirely explained
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Avevo la sensazione che questo libro non mi sarebbe piaciuto e soprattutto avevo paura di rincontrare Lyra e di trovarla troppo diversa da quel bellissimo personaggio della trilogia originale a cui sono tanta affezionata. In realtà mi è piaciuto, decisamente di più rispetto al primo volume "La Belle Savage" che mi aveva lasciata un pò perplessa. Lyra non è più una bambina e la decisione che ha preso molti anni prima di separarsi da Pan per ritrovare l'anima di Roger ora mostra tutte le sue conseguenze. Il rapporto di Lyra con il suo daimon arriva a una vera e proprio rottura in questo libro e ora dovranno cercare di ritrovarsi e riacquistare fiducia l'uno nell'altra per essere di nuovo insieme e completi. Intanto il Magisterium sta cercando di nascondere un segreto che riguarda delle rose che crescono solo nel lontano Oriente e che si capisce essere fondamentali per svelare qualcosa in più sul mistero della Polvere. Lyra, così come Pan e Malcolm, dovrà così affrontare un viaggio molto lungo e difficile da Oxford fino all'estremo Oriente, passando per molte tappe intermedie come Costantinopoli o Smirne. Sicuramente è un libro molto cupo che ha perso completamente l'atmosfera fanciullesca della trilogia originale; in fondo la separazione dal proprio daimon la si può interpretare come una metafora della depressione o comunque di uno scollamento da se stessi, e ci sono delle scene molto forti. Tuttavia Lyra dentro di sè ha ancora quel carattere furbo e vivace che pian piano si mostra durante il suo viaggio in cui dovrà cercare di abbandonare la sua visione razionale e scettica del mondo e ritrovare l'immaginazione che ha perso, grazie anche alle storie dei gyziani sul Regno Segreto; un mondo notturno popolato da creature fantastiche come fate e fuochi fatui e che si può guardare solo con la coda dell'occhio, mettendo da parte la razionalità.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Police brutality
Moderate: Violence
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
Missing the witches ngl 😪😢💔
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
adventurous
mysterious
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
As a second in a triology, The Secret Commonwealth is forced to carry a lot of the set-up and world building, and I do appreciate that it's a difficult task. But we see here a lot of un-making of the world that Pullman so lovingly brought to life in his previous books. There is so much tension and so very little release that it demands the third book, unlike The Subtle Knife, which stood so strongly on it's own.
I enjoy Lyra and Pan's relationship and enjoy the stresses it endures, but I think the book suffers from the weight of it. I realize the entire point is that we miss the old Lyra, but... can the book succeed without her old self? And Pullman has wrote many new rules to Lyra's world, I find it's difficult to believe them after reading and re-reading the first series so many times. Did I come to this series for the adult struggles of missing imaginations, weird romantic tension, sexual assault? Not really. I came for the magic, adventure, politics, and characters of His Dark Materials, and I'm hoping they'll show up yet.
I enjoy Lyra and Pan's relationship and enjoy the stresses it endures, but I think the book suffers from the weight of it. I realize the entire point is that we miss the old Lyra, but... can the book succeed without her old self? And Pullman has wrote many new rules to Lyra's world, I find it's difficult to believe them after reading and re-reading the first series so many times. Did I come to this series for the adult struggles of missing imaginations, weird romantic tension, sexual assault? Not really. I came for the magic, adventure, politics, and characters of His Dark Materials, and I'm hoping they'll show up yet.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault