Amazon.com: Customer reviews: His Dark Materials: The Subtle Knife (Book 2): His Dark Materials, Book 2

Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2019

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.

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brenda

All is not as you see

Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2018

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This is the 2nd book of the Dark Materials trilogy. Lyra has escaped Mrs. Coultar, she has escaped with her daemon (we would call it our spirit) intact. Her father had killed Lyra's friend Roger by cutting his daemon away from him. Now she finds a strange boy that doesn't have a daemon that she can see. His name is Will and he is running from strangers that want some letters his father has written.
The two if them find that neither comes from the world they are in. So, they work together to accomplish a task that neither child understands. They fight for the life of an old man, only to find Will is now the bearer of a special knife. He is suppose to fight in a war he knows nothing about . His father is killed by a witch that is suppose to protect him and Lyra. As he approaches the camp where Lyra is suppose to be sleeping, he sees Lyra has been taken there are angels there to guide him to his destination.

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PBI

A fast-paced bridge volume with lots of action

Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2020

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In the second volume of Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy, "The Subtle Knife", we are introduced to Will Parry, a young boy from our own world. Will is only 12, but he is wise beyond his years, having lost his explorer father when he was a baby, and caring for his mentally ill mother for several years already. When we meet him, Will is on the run from sinister men who have harassed his family and even broken into his house in search of letters his mysterious father wrote during his last expedition.

Seeking a place to hide, Will discovers an open window to another universe, and steps through. There, in a city abandoned by adults and populated by children and Specters, he meets Lyra. The two of them recognize each other as kindred souls, even as they realize that the men chasing Will are tied to Mrs. Coulter and the people pursuing Lyra. News comes that Lord Asriel has torn asunder the barriers between worlds, and that both Lyra and Will have crucial roles to play in the coming conflict with The Church and The Authority.

"The Subtle Knife" is clearly a bridge book between the first and third volumes of the trilogy. There is plenty of action and much is revealed about the inner workings of the plot that propels the story. Not quite as thrillingly original as the book it follows, "The Subtle Knife" also seems to be written to favor Will a bit more than Lyra, who was headstrong but smart in "The Golden Compass" but now somewhat more stubborn and foolhardy in this volume. It remains, however, a compelling read.

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rhs

Ambivalent

Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2019

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I know that this series is supposed to be classic, loved by one and all, but I must be missing something. I feel very ambivalent about the series and I don't even like Lyra Silvertongue even though she's the heroine.
In this book, Lyra meets Will in a world that neither of them come from. It's a world made up only of children although it's obvious that grown-ups were here not too long ago. They learn from the children that the Specters take over the adults until finally they just disappear.
Will is searching for his long lost father who never came back from an expedition to the North that he joined many years ago. Lyra consults her althiometer and determines that it is her job to help Will. In the end, Will is summoned by Lord Asriel, Lyra's father.
I guess the final book in the series, The Amber Spyglass, will determine whether I like this series enough to continue on to the author's next series starting with The Book of Dust. For now I'm in a wait and see mode.

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purplehaze

Pullman continues to enthrall readers with the fantastic sequel - The Subtle Knife!

Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2018

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The Subtle Knife opens in a world called Cittagazze, where human consciousness is preyed upon by vampire like creatures called Specters. And from there on, the story alternates between Lyra's world (that had been introduced to us in Book 1 of Pullman's His Dark Materials), Cittagazze, and Will Parry's world which is much like our modern world.
This book is where the plot widens... where Lyra's role as Mother Eve becomes clear, in waging a war on Authority, the Creator, alongside the fallen Angels, Lord Asriel and Will Parry - the subtle knife bearer...
Pullman has created a truly sublime plot by tying in theoretical physics, theology, and anthropology as his protagonists travel across multiverses, a step closer to preserving human consciousness!
I am looking forward to reading the next book - The Amber Spyglass.

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DaveL

An ambitious, imaginative and refreshingly original story

Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2013

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The second book of a fantasy trilogy can be by far the slowest. Surprises about the new world have largely been told. We've met most of the characters, and they've left their world of comfort behind for a more dangerous quest. The third book is the final, ultimate confrontation. But the second is often a kind of travelogue with a few obstacles thrown in to hold our interest while the characters get from here to there.

Not so with The Subtle Knife. While The Golden Compass introduced us to a fascinating alternate world with many imaginative characters, Mr. Pullman's bag of tricks is by no means exhausted. In this second book, we learn there are an infinite number of parallel worlds, including our own. He introduces us to many more creative characters, like the spectral beings that eat people's souls and the various levels of good and bad angels. And all of these are connected by a common thread, though known by different names in each world--the mysterious dust, dark matter etc., the source of what makes us who we are.

In addition to the flawed but charming Lyra, we get a second protagonist, Will, a troubled boy from our own world. Together they go on a more complex quest, during which their relationship is deepened by their shared trials and personal tragedies.

This book is richer in plot than the first, more multi-layered and probably better written.(I'm still not a fan of his omniscient, head hopping style, but he has some beautiful turns of a phrase).

All and all, it's a better book than the first, which tended to be more of a children's fantasy (Gyptians and armored bears and witches, oh my!). It is, however, much darker, moving further from what anyone would call a children's book. Yes, it can be read on multiple levels, but The Wizard of OZ, it ain't.

It's difficult to review this trilogy without commenting on the often discussed controversy about Mr. Pullman's anti-religious views. I was led to expect the opposite of C.S. Lewis' Space trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet, Peralandra, That Hideous Strength), which devolved from a darn good space travel story to an outright religious diatribe. I keep looking for that aspect to rear its ugly head. Though I take no position on his point of view, I'm deeply offended by a writer who is so self-righteous that he spoils a good story by sticking a soap box smack in the middle, climbing upon it and preaching. I have to say there was no sign of this in The Subtle Knife.

The Subtle Knife is an ambitious, imaginative and refreshingly original story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

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Angelo Esposito

His Dark Materials

Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2021

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I know there are thousands of people who love the His Dark Materials trilogy, but I found it less than compelling. I felt duty-bound to finish all three volumes, although nothing in the story compelled me to pick up the companion works. Mr. Pullman's writing is workman-like and isn't a sludge, but it can't compare to George R. R. Martin for readability, pacing, and all-out excitement.

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Jack

Still fascinating

Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2021

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Not sure why, but this book didn't enchant me as much as the first in the series. But Pullman continues to create some dazzling worlds, items, and characters to keep the story interesting. Curiously, he has provided more information about "dust", yet I'm still not sure of its purpose. Hopefully book three will pull me out the dark.

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Susan Howson

Top of the List - From a Children's Book Enthusiast

Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2004

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I have been collecting and treasuring children's books since the moment I realized I wasn't a child anymore, so I've been around the block with authors that target a young adult audience. I stumbled across The Golden Compass when a friend of a friend pushed it at me one day saying "You really and truly will not be able to put it down." She was right.

Pullman will probably appeal to a young audience because of the spirit of adventure and richness of characters, but I believe that adults will get the most out of these books. The theory behind his ideas are amazing, and his villains are terrifying in their similarities to real-life human traits. Mrs. Coulter is probably one of the most interesting characters ever created and could have fit in well in Roald Dahl's The Witches. Her cunning, changeability, charm, and ability to turn on her own daughter make her kind of evil one we don't usually see.

The introduction of Will and "our" Oxford make this book probably the most interesting, albeit shortest, in the trilogy. The interplay between Will and Lyra is fascinating and allows us to see our heroine from another perspective. Their personalities complement each other so well, you'll be so engrossed by their cooperative endeavors that you'll forget they're not real people in your life.

After having read so many books for youngsters, both classic and contemporary, it's easy to sort the lasting from the flashes in the pan. The His Dark Materials trilogy reads like Dahl, Barrie, and C.S. Lewis (although it certainly doesn't emphasize fun and subtle humor the way the former two tended to do) in that it is never cheesy, never condescending, and chock full of beautiful, well thought-out details. It's not Harry Potter and it doesn't have to be. Both are completely enjoyable in different ways.

One important note on the edition you buy: You will have a better reading experience with the Knopf edition (preferably hardback). This is especially true with The Amber Spyglass, the third book in the trilogy.

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J. Horvath

Good fantasy for older kids

Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2008

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The Subtle Knife is Vol. 2 of a trilogy, following The Golden Compass and preceeding The Amber Spy Glass. It is an involving tale with many characters and a variety of locations, but it is not for the faint of heart. Torture, death, fear and suffering abound.

Lyra and Will, both about 12 years old, seek to find and fulfill their role in the war against the "Authority". Thay have supporters in their struggles: armored bears, allied witches and angels, and an intrepid balloonist, among others, but they battle against a hoard of antagonists including adults, witches and angels who support the "Authority", soul-eating specters, and their own fears and insecurities.

The book is well written and beautifully produced in the audio version. The voices are clearly differentiated, so there is no question about who is talking; the voices fit the characters; and they are the same voices throughout the 3 book series - no confusion there.

If you like the dark side of fantasy, I recommend the entire series. If you try to jump in with this book, you will be sorely confused.

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4 star		17%
3 star		7%
2 star		1%
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