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joe_hh98's review against another edition
4.0
My consideration for the strongest novel in Philip Pullman’s ‘His Dark Materials’ series is the second entry, ‘The Subtle Knife.’
‘The Subtle Knife,’ is the standout in this trilogy for many reasons. Unlike its predecessor, it does not have the burden of creating a world to draw the reader in; this has already been done. Whilst, we are introduced to an alternate universe; its introduction is corresponded by the vast action at the start.
This story also introduces one of the series’ best characters, Will. Like Lyra, Will is an immensely likeable protagonist. However, Will stands out, as his journey feels a little bit more human compared to Lyras’s. In fact, so does the entire story. ‘The Subtle Knife,’ maintains the gripping fantasy components that enthralled readers in ‘Northern Lights,’ but it combines it with a sprinkle more humanity.
It’s a rare case of the sequel truly eclipsing the original
‘The Subtle Knife,’ is the standout in this trilogy for many reasons. Unlike its predecessor, it does not have the burden of creating a world to draw the reader in; this has already been done. Whilst, we are introduced to an alternate universe; its introduction is corresponded by the vast action at the start.
This story also introduces one of the series’ best characters, Will. Like Lyra, Will is an immensely likeable protagonist. However, Will stands out, as his journey feels a little bit more human compared to Lyras’s. In fact, so does the entire story. ‘The Subtle Knife,’ maintains the gripping fantasy components that enthralled readers in ‘Northern Lights,’ but it combines it with a sprinkle more humanity.
It’s a rare case of the sequel truly eclipsing the original
heddas_bookgems's review against another edition
4.0
“He dared to do what men and women don't even dare to think. And look what he's done already: he's torn open the sky, he's opened the way to another world. Who else has ever done that? Who else could think of it?”
In The Subtle Knife we meet the twelve year old Will. When Will discovers that his mother, who seems to have delusions about being watched, might not have been delusional after all. In search for the truth he stumbles on Lyra who also is in search of the truth about dust. They decide they could help each other out while they explore new worlds in search their truths.
In September I read the first book in the series His Dark Materials. As I enjoyed this book enormously, especially with these stunning illustrations by Chris Wormell, I couldn’t wait diving back into this whimsical world again with part two. And it didn’t disappoint one bit. Yet again I enjoyed this wonderful quick paced fantasy young adult. It was stuffed with action. I jumped from one surprise to the next and in the meanwhile got a lot of answers about the last cliffhanger.
The only downside of this book is that I wasn’t ready for the heartbreaking that this book yet again delivered. Thought you would be save by reading a young adult? Nope! Be ready to get your souls crushed (if you know, reach out, I want to cry about it some more).
Nonetheless I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves Narnia and is in search for a new read.
In The Subtle Knife we meet the twelve year old Will. When Will discovers that his mother, who seems to have delusions about being watched, might not have been delusional after all. In search for the truth he stumbles on Lyra who also is in search of the truth about dust. They decide they could help each other out while they explore new worlds in search their truths.
In September I read the first book in the series His Dark Materials. As I enjoyed this book enormously, especially with these stunning illustrations by Chris Wormell, I couldn’t wait diving back into this whimsical world again with part two. And it didn’t disappoint one bit. Yet again I enjoyed this wonderful quick paced fantasy young adult. It was stuffed with action. I jumped from one surprise to the next and in the meanwhile got a lot of answers about the last cliffhanger.
The only downside of this book is that I wasn’t ready for the heartbreaking that this book yet again delivered. Thought you would be save by reading a young adult? Nope! Be ready to get your souls crushed (if you know, reach out, I want to cry about it some more).
Nonetheless I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves Narnia and is in search for a new read.
lootgoblin's review against another edition
4.0
Solid 4.5 stars. I enjoyed it much more than the first. Full review to coming soon.
laurenlgray's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
vievit's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.5
erinkav's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
sidhes_reading_again's review against another edition
adventurous
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? It's complicated
4.75
bigolarlocat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
A rather drastic turn from the rather self-enclosed story of the first book. Pullman's second installation in this series charts it's own course into a much larger story, that at first feels daunting and disconnected from the first novel. The pacing for the first few chapters is a bit slow and I struggled to get into it but when I did this book really delivered on the excellent fantasy and action provided by its predecessor. This book tells an imaginative, captivating and fulfilling story while continuing to develop the world and plot for the series finale. Highly recommend.