A review by jacq92s
The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman

3.0

The novel is an epilogue to Lyra's adventures in His Dark Materials.

The reader is introduced to Lyra during her time as a student at Oxford University as she grapples with finding herself and her views on the world. Matters are compounded by her increasingly untenable relationship with Pan, her daemon, and within Jordan College. Old enemies also start to rear their heads. It all culminates in an incredible journey that Lyra, and others, must make and overcome many foes along the way.

I found the quality of writing throughout the novel to be good. However, the plot felt slow moving and a little repetitive, with lots of separate strands that did not tie together in the end since, as it turns out, the novel is a two part epilogue! Without knowing that the book was the first of two parts (until the end!), I found the scene setting and detailed descriptions frustrating, as it never felt as though the plot picked up pace. I also found Lyra's journey almost unbelievably difficult at some points, even within the realms of a fantasy novel. Perhaps when the remaining part of the story is published, there will be a better sense of closure for the reader.