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polyanarchist's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
tense
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? No
3.75
dragonflymorning's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. The writing was quick paced and memorable, the characters perfectly flawed, the situations unbelievable, but still credible enough to make you think. I’m hopeful that the rest of the series will be equally well written as I also adored The Golden Compass and each following book less and less. Fingers crossed!
bbrassfield's review against another edition
4.0
The return to Lyra's world doesn't disappoint. Pullman's first in a new series based on events earlier in the His Dark Materials timeline feature a baby Lyra and mostly a very heroic lad named Malcolm and equally awesome heroine Alice, who are responsible for saving Lyra from the CCD, seeing her through a flood of the century to the safety of academic sanctuary (with Lord Asriel's help) at Jordan College. They are pursued by the nasty Bonneville and his fucked up daemon, a three-legged hyena who will lose another leg as the story progresses.
All of this has to do with Dust and prophecies regarding Lyra, much like we see in the original stories, but here these developments are in their infancy, much like Lyra. The affection Malcolm has for Lyra when she is a babe being cared for by the nuns is truly heartwarming. Philip Pullman is a skilled writer and nothing in the story feels out of place, especially when he's hinting at the horrors that can come with fervent religious belief in the supernatural. Well done sir. I am looking forward to the next installment later this year.
All of this has to do with Dust and prophecies regarding Lyra, much like we see in the original stories, but here these developments are in their infancy, much like Lyra. The affection Malcolm has for Lyra when she is a babe being cared for by the nuns is truly heartwarming. Philip Pullman is a skilled writer and nothing in the story feels out of place, especially when he's hinting at the horrors that can come with fervent religious belief in the supernatural. Well done sir. I am looking forward to the next installment later this year.
jcoryv's review against another edition
4.0
Listened to this on Audible. Fun listen. Pretty entertaining.
jdkieft's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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? No
4.25
anteus7's review against another edition
4.0
I loved being able to re-enter the world of His Dark Materials. I love the wold building, the characters, the writing, and how things are just a little off from each other in those worlds that come close to touching in Pullman's cosmology.
This book was a solid 5/5 for me up until the last couple of chapters. I don't like when things don't add up, especially if everything leading up to the point where I think things don't add up has been solid. There is one encounter at the end of the book that does not make any sense to me. From my perspective, it should not have been able to happen, so it shook me right out of my suspended disbelief. I suppose it could be chalked up to the surreality of that entire section of the book.
The flood turned the entirety of England into a kind of British version of the Odyssee where every island the protagonists landed on was another encounter with the uncanny. So I guess it's alright if something out of left field happened.
Perhaps I will come back after reading The Secret Commonwealth and bump that star rating up one and amend my review. I did inhale the book, after all, couldn't put it down, and it is a solid mid-400 page specimen.
This book was a solid 5/5 for me up until the last couple of chapters. I don't like when things don't add up, especially if everything leading up to the point where I think things don't add up has been solid. There is one encounter at the end of the book that does not make any sense to me. From my perspective, it should not have been able to happen, so it shook me right out of my suspended disbelief. I suppose it could be chalked up to the surreality of that entire section of the book.
The flood turned the entirety of England into a kind of British version of the Odyssee where every island the protagonists landed on was another encounter with the uncanny. So I guess it's alright if something out of left field happened.
Perhaps I will come back after reading The Secret Commonwealth and bump that star rating up one and amend my review. I did inhale the book, after all, couldn't put it down, and it is a solid mid-400 page specimen.
katiescho741's review against another edition
1.0
I am so disappointed with this book!
I am a huge fan of His Dark Materials and, when I heard he was releasing a new book set in the same world I was anxious that it wouldn't live up to the hype. It didn't.
The Book of Dust just does not have the same spark as His Dark Materials...and I know you could argue "judge it on it's own merits instead of comparing" but if Pullman wanted it judged on its own merits he wouldn't have based it in the same world with some of the same characters!
Malcolm seems like a sweet boy but he's no Lyra. Everyone else in the book was forgettable...there's some nuns and some people in the pub, and some bad people. With the exception of the Hyena even their daemons blended into one. I was about 1/3 into it and nothing had really happened. There had been a lot of talking and swapping information and various folk from the original books popped up occasionally, and overall this was bloody boring!
I think the book was supposed to be building up to a flood but all the talk of sand bags and how to make shutters held no interest to me.
Such a let down, I should have listened to my gut and avoided this book.
I am a huge fan of His Dark Materials and, when I heard he was releasing a new book set in the same world I was anxious that it wouldn't live up to the hype. It didn't.
The Book of Dust just does not have the same spark as His Dark Materials...and I know you could argue "judge it on it's own merits instead of comparing" but if Pullman wanted it judged on its own merits he wouldn't have based it in the same world with some of the same characters!
Malcolm seems like a sweet boy but he's no Lyra. Everyone else in the book was forgettable...there's some nuns and some people in the pub, and some bad people. With the exception of the Hyena even their daemons blended into one. I was about 1/3 into it and nothing had really happened. There had been a lot of talking and swapping information and various folk from the original books popped up occasionally, and overall this was bloody boring!
I think the book was supposed to be building up to a flood but all the talk of sand bags and how to make shutters held no interest to me.
Such a let down, I should have listened to my gut and avoided this book.