Rating: 
Summary: A Children's Series with Broader Appeal
Review: Following in the literary tradition of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, Philip Pullman creates an alternate reality in the His Dark Materials trilogy composed of The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. Pullman reveals this world through the eyes of Lyra, a young child with a very serious role to play in the battle between good and evil that threatens to destroy her world and others. In Lyra's world Calvin became Pope, other universes exist on the other side of the Northern Lights, and the search for the cause of original sin leads her on a life and world-changing journey. Pullman's crisp, evocative writing style, precise attention to detail, and regard for the great philosophical mysteries of our world combine to give this "children's" trilogy universal appeal. In The Golden Compass, Lyra's life changes forever when she eavesdrops on a conversation between Oxford scholars and her uncle, Lord Asriel. She embarks on a series of adventures that not only reveals the true identity of her parents, but take her to lands she never dreamed existed. The second book, The Subtle Knife, introduces us to Will who will become Lyra's friend and companion for the rest of the series. Will's search for his long-missing father leads both children closer to understanding their part in the battle between Good and Evil. The third book in the series, the Amber Spyglass, not only lived on the UK bestseller's list for months, but nabbed the coveted Whitbread Book of the Year in 2001, the only children's book ever to receive such accolade. The action carefully set up in the first two books plays out in this, the finest book of the three. If you're tired of waiting for Book Five of Harry Potter, want to consider the intricacies of Original Sin and the human condition, or are just looking for a beautifully-written and action-packed saga, read Pullman's His Dark Materials. You won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Subtle Knife better than Golden Compass.
Review: Lord Asriel has passed through to another world, with the intention of finishing a conflict that had been unsuccessfully fought before. This time, the good guys might win because of his passion and determination. But he is without a decisive weapon, which mustn't fall into the hands of the enemy. Lyra has followed Lord Asriel and encounters a boy called Will, who has found a way, by chance, into this new world from a world almost the same as her home-world. She has the Alethiometer, and Will - by virtue of further happenstance - becomes the bearer of the Subtle Knife. The Subtle Knife is the decisive weapon that Lord Asriel requires to determine a victory, and it is up to Lyra and Will to deliver it to him. And Lyra is important, too. The Subtle Knife was a more agreeable read than The Golden Compass / Northern lights. This was mostly due to the longer sections that gave the various characters and associated events pages, instead of a couple of lines or a short paragraph to play out, in relation to the unfolding plot. Even so, Philip Pullman's use of mixed viewpoint in multi-character scenes is a distraction that robs the story of useful energy and quality of character association. The endorsements compare Philip Pullman to J R R Tolkien, proclaiming him to be his successor in the pantheon of greatness. In terms of the story this isn't really an issue for debate, but Tolkien's more skilful writing, with respect to maintenance of viewpoint, means that Philip Pullman has a little way to go. This subtle and decisive weapon should be less difficult to obtain. Next up... The Amber Spyglass.
Rating:
Summary: Buy it NOW!
Review: I think that even if you hate the genre of fantasy or science fiction, or how ever you feel that this book should be catergorized, that you should go and buy the whole series right now. Philip Pullman spins a remerkable web of characters and events that will make your head spin. I think that I have never read a book so many times or a whole series for that matter. This book is amazing from the idea of daemons, to dust, to Lira and Will which are the best characters in any literature I have ever read. If you can group characters as 3-D, 2-D and so on. I think that Mr. Pullman has effectively created a new dimension of depth and perspective. I feel like I have known these characters all my life. This is not an ordinary series that will deal with things already talked about, no this series enters uncharted places. It doesn't matter if you are just learning to read, 80, 20, 10, or anywhere in between. Read this book or you will be missing out on something extraordinary. Do yourself this favor.
Rating:
Summary: Harry Potter, Watch Out!!
Review: After reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy (possibly the greatest fantasy story of all time) I was convinced that there would never be another book or set of books in my life as great as Tolkien's masterpiece. How wrong was I. When I took my mom's suggestion to read "His Dark Materials" I became entranced within the first chapter. I was amazed at how the books kept my attention throughout the entire story. Pullman's vocabulary and imagination was excellent as well.
In the story the main character, a girl named Lyra is drawn into an epic quest far greater and important than she could imagine. During her adventures and struggles she faces Gobblers and stolen children, witch clans and armored bears and later, in the second book befriends a boy named Will. Together Lyra, Will and a host of other characters fight for freedom, for life and humanity. The endings are the last things you could ever expect and much, much more.
My recommendation is to read these books! Read them, read them, read them. Don't hesitate. Go out there and by them right now! You won't regret it!! Here are some other great fantasy books for those who do and don't like these ones:
-The Lord of the Rings [books] - by J.R.R. Tolkien
-Redwall [books] - by Brian Jacques
-Harry Potter [books] - by J.K. Rowling
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Trilogy
Review: This book does not even compare with Harry Potter. It's much better. In a world of many different realities and strange worlds, one girl must save everything. It is obviuos that lots of time went into the creating of the setting of this story. The characters are also extremly complex. By the end of the trilogy the author has asked questions about society, theology, and the development of our culture. Not only does this book have an engrossing plot, it has interesting and daring conflicts with higher beings. The book comes to a glorios finally in which Lyra must take on the kingdom of the Angels. i recommend this book to everybody. It is a classic and an amazing trilogy.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning - What Else is to be Said?
Review: This is THE most amazing series I have ever read. I have read many books including the Xanth series, the Book of Three, Harry Potter, Virtual Mode, and many other fantastic books. But, I HAVE to say that this is the best book, best trilogy out there. A girl named Lyra and her daemon innocently get involved, through an eavesdropped conversation, in what will eventually become THE ultimate battle. Who can she trust? Where will she go? But most importantly WHY? WHAT is a 12-year-old girl doing in a horrifying battle between good and evil? Which side is good, and which side is evil? Fascinated? You should be. The plot is remarkable, the story thrilling, and you are helpless. Once you start, all you can do is turn the page. You cannot put the book down, eat a snack, or even glance up. The plot is enthralling, unpredictable, you can never tell what is going to happen next. You also grow to know and love the characters. I feel as though I am living this book. The quality of writing is high, the characters realistic, the plot almost believable, and the story astonishing. These three books not just talk about magic, I could swear that they ARE magic. Reading these three books leaves you not with just the satisfaction of finishing a terrific book, but also with something, a lot to think about. For several days after I finished The Amber Spyglass, I went around like a zombie in a kind of daze. All I thought about was those three books. In class, I paid no attention, I did not participate, and my friends thought that I was insane because I didn't say a word to them for almost a week. I can not, in words discribe this book. It is too good to be described with words. Anyone who has read this book will understand.
The effect this story had on me is startling too. I actually had several dreams involving these characters, some interesting, and one terrifying. When I read this book, I was frightened, or happy, or relieved, and at a couple places I cried. You see, this isn't just a book, just a dream, just a fantasy. It is real, in your mind. The characters are there, as are the places. In time, memories from the story, and your personal history mingle, and eventually, they are one. You have not READ this story, you have LIVED it.
Rating:
Summary: Fine Fantasy
Review: Philip Pullman certainly captured my imagination with his trilogy His Dark Materials. Unfortunately in Finland, at least, the books have been overshadowed by Harry Potter. Pullman has created a mythical world, or should I say worlds, in which he explores human behaviour and states his view of the world. Little Lyra's adventures were worth waiting for - our local bookshop keepers knew me finally by the looks, so often I went to ask after the final book last autumn.
Rating:
Summary: His Dark Materials
Review: My brother first got this book for christmas in 97, he was never into books and it took him a year to get round to reading it. He said it was really good so I decided to have a read, and qute simply this is the best book I have ever read. Having finished all three I can say this trilogy is an amazing read and far better than similar books such as Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.
The book adresses so many different aspects that younger children may find it a bit overwelming, but for the more mature youth there is intregue, mystery, fighting, you name it, its here.
These books are a must read and no mistake!!
Rating:
Summary: Golden Compass is too sloppy.
Review: By way of a spying expedition Lyra overhears her uncle ( her father actually ), Lord Asriel, address a group of scholars about a strange phenomenon in the northern wastelands. Shortly afterwards her kitchen-boy friend Roger and a few others are kidnapped by a group of child snatchers. Lyra almost meets the same fate, but is rescued by a group of concerned Gyptians who are the parents of some of the disappeared. Equipped with an Alethiometer - an instrument that can reveal future and past events.. and more - Lyra embarks upon rescue mission. I was asked by my pre-teen nephews what I thought of Philip Pullman's Dark Materials books. I told them that I didn't know, and wasn't too keen on finding out after soldiering through the tiresome Harry Potter quartet. Then a short documentary appeared on the BBC a couple of months later featuring Philip Pullman and a focus on the Dark Materials books... it didn't look too promising. But my curiosity was piqued. So I bought the troika and started with The Golden Compass / Northern Lights to see how it would go. Your attention is immediately drawn to the gushing accolades on the cover and first group of pages by people who have won prizes and are - in many cases - professional magazine or book publishers / editors, making a reasonable person assume that there is indeed a rich harvest to be reaped from the narrative within. And, to a reasonable degree, you won't be disappointed. Unfortunately this book really ambles along, with an occasional burst of energy that saves it from being gracefully retired. Some of the reasons for this are as follows: Lyra and her daemon, Pantaliamon, are suddenly introduced in the first page with no indication as to what a daemon is. And a contradiction is suggested as to why Lyra's daemon and the servant's daemon aren't aware of each other and so give Lyra away as she and Pantaliamon hide from the servant's normal view. This matter is - later on - taken a stage further when Lyra, hiding from her pursuers aboard a Gyptian boat, has to be secreted within a cedar-wood box so that Pantaliamon is suitably subdued and rendered invisible to the pursuers' daemons. This sense of vagueness permeates the Oxford section of the book. the world in which the characters inhabit a kind of Victorian / Edwardian version of our own, but is actually intended to be a slightly skewed, parallel version. I found this to be annoying and distracting until I simply ignored the matter as an idea that hadn't been tidied up. There are too many characters, which simply give an 'everything and the kitchen sink' quality to the story, their use being justifiable only in that they are used to convey some background information or to make a point. This, in conjunction with Philip Pullman's loose narrative style, robs the story of the energy I would have liked to have seen. But his writing is very consistent and more agreeable than J K Rowling's, so I'll be getting on with The Subtle Knife. I know this is meant to be a book for kids, but its contents and the aforementioned endorsements make for a very bad example.
Rating:
Summary: Dark and icily beautiful fantasy world
Review: Other reviews have compared The Golden Compass to the Harry Potter books. I agree that these books compare well in literary finesse, complexity of plot, and interest value. They are both wonderful fantasies, and both settings occur in a world parallel to England, yet they are really very different! For me, Harry Potter is lighter in mood; the scary beings are more cartoonish in feeling, making them entertaining and "delightfully scary". The Golden Compass has a darker feeling, with intimidating characters with mysterious, sinister plans. There are kidnappings of children, battles with gore and bloodshed, and even children die. This is not to say that one series is better than the other; just to note the differences. I personally favor Harry Potter, and enjoyed its lightheartedness, but I thoroughly have enjoyed The Golden Compass, and so have my two young teenagers I've been reading it to. In fact, they prefer it to Potter for its greater sophistication. For them, HP was too childish. The Golden Compass has its light and funny moments, but seems to carry a commentary about religion and the forces of good and evil... a dark fantasy. Yet I've mostly savored it for its rich vocabulary, letting it create for me fantastic visual images of ponderous old buildings and crypts in London, icy northern strongholds where experiments are carried out on children and their daemons, where talking, armored bears live, and hordes of raven-shaped witches fly overhead. It's potential material for the next great fantasy movie.
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