Rating: 
Summary: Not for the weak of heart or mind
Review: This trilogy starts off tranquilly enough, by introducing a young girl that you are not sure that you actually like all that much. The tale takes off from there, however, as Lyra is gradually sucked into a whirlwind of events from kidnappers to soul-stealers to a battle against heaven.The first question to enter my mind after finishing this trilogy was "how is this a children's book?" Other than the main characters being two pre-teens, I did not see how these books offered more to children than adults. The major themes are heavy indeed, from God and consciousness to the discovery that intentions, good or bad, often have unforeseen consequences. While the more metaphysical aspects of the story may pass by the younger reader this dazzling tale offers much to young and old a like. The adult characters are inherently flawed (which makes them believable) and the children, though flawed themselves, have powers that help them achieve their great purpose. Interestingly enough, their strength lies in the very fact that they are children, Lyra's penchant for lying gets her out of many a scrape and her unknowing state of grace provides her with the ability to see truth. It is their unconsciousness that allows these children to do what no others can. Pullman has invented characters from Lyra and Will to Iorek Brynison (an armored bear) and Serfina Pekkala (a witch) that leap off the page and will live in the hearts of readers everywhere. Admittedly, this story has much that would disturb certain people, mainly issues such as the sexuality of children, the fallibility of the "Church," the corruption of the kingdom of heaven as well as violence and homosexuality. If you are more open-minded and are ready to be entertained by this amazing tapestry of unique ideas and unforgettable characters, I recommend that you pick up a copy of these books. As for the Harry Potter comparison that everyone is so eager to make, other than the two series both being written by British authors catering to a generally younger audience about amazing events, they truly stand on their own having nothing in common, though (in my opinion) both stand as exemplars of the finest of storytelling.
Rating: 
Summary: BORING
Review: This is a very confusing book that does not keep a reader entertained. I have to read this book for school, and i am making myself read this. I usually don't have to do that with books. The book throws names at you and doesn't even explain what it is one bit. I would not reccomend this book for anyone, except a kid with alot of time on his hands.
Rating:
Summary: uncomparable... unbelievable.
Review: for those of you who think that all seriously religious-minded people are too close-minded for these books and that 6th graders can't handle this stuff... you're way too wrong. i consider myself a committed christian, and i personally didn't take this trilogy as offensive. it's a story. it's not religious or anti-religious.. it's just philosophical and complex. it makes you think, and it fully engages you to the "war". the ideas in this book are seemingly too far-fetched yet basic to think that Pullman is trying to make a religious statement here. and as for the age thing.. i read the Golden Compass the summer after 6th grade, and the other two books as soon as they came out. i have repeatedly read the books since (it's been 6 years) and i can't get enough of it, like many of my other friends who also started reading this trilogy when i did. So many of you (mainly adults, i should think) are comparing this trilogy to HARRY POTTER... that is a CRIME. the writing style of harry potter itself is childish, and though it MIGHT prove to be just as complex as His Dark Materials, it is not as condensed or mind-challenging. the characters of His Dark Materials also exceed the characters of Harry Potter. (i just read the 5th book, and it obviously lacks the necessary character development that you would think would come with an 800+ page book.) the 3rd book is by far the best since it ties everything in together. the 1st is great for pure adventure thrills. Pullman is one of the few authors that truly know how to write a series. (and yes, Rowling knows how to do it too.. i think.) you plan the entire series out before writing it. authors that try to ADD on will always lack something, either the little foreshadowing hints or a more-than-satisfying storyline. get the full set. you WILL read the entire trilogy and you'd want to read it repeatedly 'till you have to buy another set to replace the faded pages.
Rating: 
Summary: Flawed
Review: Oh, dear! It seems the arbitors of religous morality have really got it in for Pullman!! Reading through the other reviews I am once again wont to ponder why some members of the religious right don't invest their considerable energy in doing good in the world rather than waste their time in slagging off an author who holds a contrary opinion. My criticisms of this book are literary not religious - though I feel I must tip a nod in the direction of the reviewer who suggested I might be "shocked" by the "Gay" Angels. What? Shocked that an Angel could be gay and good and heroic? (Hello!! And welcome to the 21st Century!!) I was not shocked. Neither was I particularly impressed given that the main "Gay Angel" conforms to the prissy queen sterotype. Book three failed. And it failed dismally. And most dramatically in the form of continuity. I spent all of book one and two hoping that Mrs Coulter would get her just deserts. And what happens in book three?!?! Is it the same character??? The through line is completely lost! And the resolution struck me as totally unsatisfactory. I would recommend Harry Potter. I wouldn't recommend this.
Rating:
Summary: the inevitable weight of imperfect action
Review: This trilogy is a masterful retelling of Paradise Lost, intended as much for the actively engaged, open-minded adult as for the precocious middle reader. Intense and vivid, these three novels challenge preconceived notions of religion, faith, truth, and institution. They embrace a world wrought with ambiguity and allegory, with the living and the dead. Woven with destiny and ardor, Pullman re-imagines the sanctity of youth through parallel universes, the inexorable bind between love and loss, and the inevitable weight of imperfect action.
Rating: 
Summary: First one great, second good, third disapointing
Review: The first book immediatly hooked me and I loved it. The plot, the creatures, the new world, the characters.....Everything. The story kept you turning the page after page. I then went on and read the second book. I didn't like it as much as the first, but I still enjoyed it and eagerly went on to the third. I started it and never finished. I geuss that was lazy of me, but it never really got me hooked. It just had way too many sub plots that kept on switching after every page and you had trouble keeping up with it all. Also, the story drifted away from Lyra on to Will, and placed Lyra as a character on the side. And that kind of annoyed me. Maybe, since it has been a while, I would enjoy it all if I read them over again. But I would definiatly recommend you at least read the first book(which I LOVED) and then see for yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastically original, well written trilogy
Review: I found the first book in the trilogy very difficult to get into, with it being set in an alternate universe. The reader made to accept a lot of strange ideas and concepts which do not get fully explained until later on in the book. Devotees of the fantasy genre may absorb the narrative a lot easier than I did. The story of Lyra is a dark one and is richly explored as she makes her way through her world to the North Pole and the end of the story. The second book was much more conventional in its story-telling and I found it easier to follow. The character of Will is introduced (who appears to come from our universe) and joins Lyra in her adventure. The appearance of Will allows questions to be asked from our perspective and the two children are given some freedom from adult characters introduced in the first book. By the end of the book, plot lines are being weaved through lots of different universes and Will's character is firmly established as an important part of the story to come. The Amber Spyglass is, again, completely different to the preceeding book. The story matures with the main characters, Lyra & Will, and explores emotional and spritual concepts to dramatic end. Complex issues relating to religion, life and death are examined rationally and not without reason. Ultimately the story is thought-provoking, which is what a good book should do. Overall, I found the trilogy incredibly "thoughtful". It's remarkably complex, yet very readable at the same time. I would advise parents to read this trilogy before their children, in preparation for the avalanche of questions that will arise from its reading.
Rating:
Summary: Great Writer, Overly Preocuppied With Religion
Review: This man is one of the best writers I have read in years. His writing is almost as good as C.S. Lewis, and better than Tolkiens'. The first two books are pretty good--- dialogue, plot, good, evil, magic---- tailored to the literate reader. The third book kind of lost me, though. I don't particularly mind his anti-Catholicism; I suspect he was once a Catholic himself, or is related to a Catholic. Ex-Catholics are often like ex-smokers. I can forgive that. But he needn't have devoted the entire third book to the refutation of Christianity. What seems to be a personal mission on his part gets in the way of the story. And what kind of an attack on Christianity neglects to mention even once in three volumes the name or message or actions of its founder?
Rating: 
Summary: His Dark Materials - the good, the bad and the ugly
Review: Words of warning - 'The Golden Compass' (1st in the series) and 'The Amber Spyglass' (3rd) are nowhere near as good as 'The Subtle Knife' (2nd). In 'The Golden Compass' we are stuck with Lyra, a dim-witted, uncharismatic girl with no personality. Though Lyra is supposed to be the hero, she posseses none of the qualities that would suggest so. She is not brave, noble or cunning. The more exciting parts of this book do not even involve Lyra. She, in fact, runs away as a reaction to tough situations. Her one redeeming quality is that she quickly learns how to read the alethiometer, an ancient device shaped like a pocket watch that helps her answer difficult questions and sometimes predict the future. Lyra's travel companion, Iorek Byrson, the talking armored polar bear, is a much more interesting character. It is he who is involved in the most exciting part of the book - a high stakes fight with another armored bear. But even with Lyra's shortcomings as a hero, she still garners sympathy merely because she is a kid who has would-be assassins tailing her everywhere she goes. Also, she finds out who her parents are and with sketchy evidence she can't figure out which one is sending out minions to kill her. In the 2nd book 'The Subtle Knife,' it was with great relief to me that Lyra became more or less of a sidekick to the ever-compelling and mysterious Will Parry. With Will cutting openings from one world to another with the instrument called the Subtle Knife, there is no shortage of heart-pounding twists and turns. I have often heard His Dark Materials being compared to Harry Potter, but Philip Pullman is not as consistent as J.K. Rowling is with Harry Potter. While Rowling has continually exceeded expectations with each Harry Potter book (each book being better than the one before it), Philip Pullman is horribly disappointing with the 3rd book, 'The Amber Spyglass.' At 500+ pages, 'The Amber Spyglass' could've used a lot of editing. The action doesn't really get going until at least 300 pages into it. It doesn't help that many of the longest chapters are centered around Dr. Mary Malone and her useless trek into a land where she befriends some mysterious beasts. I thought Lyra was uncharismatic, but Mary Malone is a thousand times worse. Even the enigmatic Will Parry could not save the slow plot. In one last ditch effort to soften readers up to Lyra, Pullman brings back a few of her travel companions from the first book, who by this time have been separated from her and now wish to find and protect her. Though Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnson both express to others that they love Lyra as a daughter, the two showed no affection of this sort while they were with her in the first book. This just seems odd and ill-placed. The end of the series is disappointing to say the least.
Rating:
Summary: A Superb and Wonderful Series
Review: These books were amazing. Phillip Pullman has a great imagination and has written these books wonderfully. They are full of adventure, creatures that are only seen in your imagination, and well written, I would recommend these books. If you love Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, try these out. They are super and really good!
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