Rating: 
Summary: A mind boggling sequel to "The Golden Compass!"
Review: As I already have stated in my Amazon.com review of "The Golden Compass," Phillip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy is a fantastic, amazing, mind-boggling, exciting, moving, heartbreaking, brilliantly written classic at the level of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" (and believe me, I'm a huge Tolkien fan and I NEVER thought I'd be saying that!!). Also, it is important to reiterate that this is NOT a "children's book" in the sense that it is strictly for - or about - children (although certainly, it can be read by intelligent young people!), and it is absolutely not "fantasy" in the usual sense of the word (Phillip Pullman has stated that he can't read "fantasy" books, because they don't "tell [him] anything interesting about being a human being"). Instead, this trilogy is Phillip Pullman's dark take on Biblical Creation and an extended riff on many of the themes raised in John Milton's "Paradise Lost." The bottom line: if Phillip Pullman is mainly "fantasy" for children, than so are John Milton and the Bible! I don't think so....Anyway, the second book in Pullman's trilogy, "The Subtle Knife," continues his exploration of themes like courage, love, free will, sin, God, the Church, and, of course, swirling around all of this, the ever-mysterious dark matter, or "dust." Plus, the terrifying Mrs. Coulter is back, as are many of the other characters we have become acquainted with in Book 1 (plus some new ones too, especially former nun and current "dark matter" scientist, Dr. Mary Malone). And just as the "The Golden Compass," can be thought of as being about Lyra (and her beloved daemon, Pantalaimon), "The Subtle Knife" is mainly about a powerful and fascinating new character, Will Parry. To my mind, "The Subtle Knife" is really the key book in the entire trilogy, and possibly the best of all. As soon as Will steps through the window into Città gaze, the beautiful yet terrible "city of magpies", where only children and horrible soul-sucking specters live, Pullman's themes begin to really kick into gear. Perhaps the turning point in the entire trilogy occurs when Will gains possession of the "subtle knife" (again, a parallel with "Paradise Lost," in which the Archangel Michael has a sword which "was given him temper'd so that neither keen nor solid might resist that edge") in the Torre degli Angeli, and learns how to use it, allowing Will and Lyra (his soul mate who immediately trusts him because he is a murderer!) to cut windows through into different universes (the knife has MANY more powers than that, including - possibly - God destroyer!), and opening up a whole range of amazing possibilities for this gifted author -- and his readers... All in all, "The Subtle Knife" is even richer, more complex, more exciting, and more mind boggling than "The Golden Compass." And extremely complex morally, although some have (falsely) accused Pullman of being anti-religion (Catholicism in particular). But, really, this is NOT a simple book at all, and Pullman is a great enough author to basically leave it up to YOU to decide whether you agree with statements such as ''every church is the same: control, destroy, obliterate every good feeling." In my opinion, at least, Pullman is not preaching or didactic, but just laying out a view of things, which I basically find very satisfying, but which of course some will disagree with... To summarize three points I made in my review of "The Golden Compass": 1) this is far darker and more disturbing material (especially if you have a closed mind towards explorations of God, religion, the Church and the nature of man - all the interesting and important things, in other words) than the perfectly serviceable "Harry Potter" books, to which the Pullman trilogy inevitably is going to be compared (this trilogy is far, far greater than Potter!!); 2) Pullman is a master of language, and his use of names (among other things) is fascinating.. "Lyra," for instance, is a constellation in the NORTHERN Hemiphere, plus of course "Lyra" sounds awfully much like "liar," which is Lyra Belacqua's main skill (besides reading the alethiometer), and one in which she takes great pride. (Coincidence? Hmmmm...I don't think so!); and 3) Pullman has borrowed freely from this all-time classic poem by John Milton, "Paradise Lost," in creating his own take on Genesis, God, Satan, free will, the temptation in the Garden of Eden, and the "Fall" of man into "Sin" (among other things). In interviews, Phillip Pullman has confirmed that the biblical Creation story, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and "Paradise Lost" are major sources for "His Dark Materials" trilogy, and that the title itself comes from the following quote: "Unless the almighty maker them ordain / His dark materials to create more worlds." But don't forget that there is real science behind "dark matter" - scientists right now are investigating this as a possible sub-atomic force which could help hold the universe together! Anyway, I strongly recommend that you read Phillip Pullman's magnificent book, "The Subtle Knife" (and the other two books in the trilogy) whether you want a great story that you won't be able to put down, or whether you want to be challenged, amazed, intrigued, and deeply moved. And OF COURSE you should read it if you're curious to know more about the ever-enigmatic, but ultimately all-important "dust" ("From DUST thou art....").
Rating: 
Summary: Just when you think you know...
Review: Lost children, murderous mothers, hidden fathers, flying Texans, good witches, angels against the ultimate Authority, all make us wonder which side are we on. A sequel that more than matches the first part, and makes us rush to the third. What more can we ask for? Join the quest. This is great story telling that involves the nature of life itself.
Rating: 
Summary: I didn't think that the knife was all THAT subtle...........
Review: This has to be the most BORING book I have ever read. I thought Northen Lights was bad, but this has to be even worse. No excitement at all, and all this stuff with daemons was pointless. People will tell you that this book is the best thing since sliced bread, but reviews are for opinions........
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic...a GREAT continuation of Lyra's adventures!
Review: I have just finished the 2nd book in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials Series and thus far am REALLY impressed with his ability to develop both characters and stories. I'm really impressed with the way he is bringing all the "seperate" worlds together in this book, and am eagerly waiting to read the 3rd in the series. I must say however that unlike the first book, the Subtle Knife leaves you kind of hanging in the end. After reading the Golden Compas I felt that I had read a complete story, however now I feel I have to read the Amber Spyglass in order to complete the story told in the second book.
Rating:
Summary: A worthy continuation (but what is Dust???)
Review: This is actually a continuation and not a sequel, and it's a darn good one at that. When we last left Lyra, she was entering a new world thanks to her father, Lord Asriel. Now... we start the story with Will, who is an inhabitant of our Earth. To say too much about the plot of this story would give too many things away. But needless to say, this is very much its own story. Some familiar characters from the first book do not appear, other smaller characters are given much more depth. We also get the excitement of new dangers and a breathtaking final page that is horifying, yet compelling. I think what Pullman does best in these books is to heighten the sense of danger and terror without resorting to a large amount of bloodletting. The terror is so palpable, that just the idea of it is enough (such as the extremely unsettling scene when a group of fleeing adults are attacked by a bunch of wraithlike creatures who steal their souls.) It's a nice change of pace from this world of violent movies. Pullman shows us horror and death, yet does it in such a masterful way that we feel all of the pain and anguish and see very little of the gore. I am stumped as to which way the series will go from here. The Subtle Knife is indeed a continuation of The Golden Compass, and I wouldn't suggest reading this out of order, but Pullman does what very few writers dare: he creates an entirely new world, and new story directions that take the reader to even higher plateaus. Plus, he keeps us guessing, and that is the most fun of all.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as the first
Review: It amazes me that reviewers keep bandying around terms like "superlative" and "amazing" in reference to this trilogy. While I found the "Golden Compass" to be an intriguing book, it and this book by no means rank up there with Tolkien's "Rings" or Lewis' Narnia series. This second installment, with its murkier character development and inexplicable plot twists (what's with the "Lord of the Flies" murderous children segment?) does not lend credibility to these claims. The first book offered a glimpse into a different world, with an interesting lead character (Lyra, the chronic liar). This second book, with its allegorical hints of Eden and good-vs-evil, and the regression of Lyra's character just left me frustrated. One hopes that Pullman cleans up the mess he created here in the third book.
Rating:
Summary: The Subtle Knife is a great book!
Review: The Subtle knife is a great, but complex book. It is filled with action like the first and second books in the amazing trilogy by the best auther Philip Pullman. Lyra and Will meet in the beggining of the book and go on great adventures together. This is one of the greatest books I have ever read. The subtle knife can do a great deal of damage. It can easily slice metal like slicing butter. I definitely reccomend this fantastic book!
Rating:
Summary: Good sequel, but reads like a middle passage
Review: Some of the magic of the first book is found here, as we meet more characters and the plot thickens. But it reads too much like middle chapters in a longer work, which I suppose it is. The pure magic weaved in the first book gets muddled with a bit of thickness around the center, as this book makes some aspects of the plot too clear (war of angels), and makes us murkier (the eternal or finite nature of Lyra's father). It's good, but I kept waiting for more. When I read the third book, I imagine I'll get it. I still recommend this title highly, but it's better as a stepping stone, not as a self-contained work.
Rating:
Summary: Just when you thought it couldn't get better
Review: The Subtle Knife, by bringing Our world into the wonder-filled story which began in a parallel universe, successfully takes off from where The Golden Compass ended, and manages to bring the story even greater depth and wonders, meeting the high expectations of the fans. Pullman successfully weaves various parallel worlds into a story, making each fantastic and wonderous, without losing direction or tempo. The reader,now familiar with Lyra's world, will see our own world in a new light as she discovers it. Once again, the complexity of the characters, as well as the mythical/mysterious details of the world in which the story takes place makes the story so appealing. Most characters cannot simply be categorized as being "good" or "bad", and the reader must come to terms with the fact that there are various values, morals, and beliefs according to which people behave. What is the value of a good deed done with dishonorable intent? Or a "bad" deed done out of love, or of loyalty and honor? Perhaps only the children are exempt from this complexity, whose innocence makes their motives pure and natural. Good thing I was home with a cold, for I actually read it in one sitting. I braved the elements, out of my apartment, only to seek the Third book "the Amber Spyglass".
Rating:
Summary: Enchanted but with some misgivings
Review: "The Subtle Knife" follows "Northern Lights" and maintains the interesting symbolism and inventive characterisation. The most fascinating creations for me are the daemons which accompany many of the characters throughout their lives. They are in part a sense of identity or perhaps a kind of soul and also a reflection of the character's attitude or emotions. I wonder if Pullman found the idea for them from C. S. Lewis's book "The Discarded Image" in which he discusses how daemons were very much a reality for medieval people. Lewis says that the idea of a daemon developed from being "an invisible, personal and external attendant" (somewhat like a guardian angel)to being the true nature of the person "and then his cast of mind, and finally ... his literary or artistic gifts". Pullman uses it as a literary device that is both fun and revealing of the character. I also loved the elegant, passionate witches and the non-intellectual armoured bears. The use of a thing like a compass as a kind of form of prayer and prophecy created an individualistic style of spirituality. The main character, Lyra, a remarkably self-possessed child, uses this compass to guide her through the decisions that she needs to make. Just as Lyra seems to have no emotional need for parental love or for any real friends, so her spirituality seems to have no reference to any community. Most of us grow and change in interaction with others, but Lyra's path is a very private Pilgrim's Progress where her sense of being valued comes from being a child that has been prophesied about. In that way, she is rather unappealing and unrealistic, despite her rumpled hair and harum-scarum personality. One of the enemies in the book is the Church which seems to be somewhat like the Nazi Party of WW2, experimenting on children and suppressing joy. I suspect that Pullman is yet another embittered ex-Catholic (get over it, guys!) but maybe he is a sectarian Anglican. Whatever! His hatred for the church is too extreme. Where are the kindly, jokey priests that are just as much part of the church as the repressive people of the past? Where are the interesting nuns doing things like helping people with AIDS or disabilities? They exist in this world but not in Pullman's. He seems able to assume no sincerity on the part of Church members. The other gripe I have is that children's books in general seem to find it hard to imagine that conflict can be resolved except through the use of violence. Of course violence is dramatic but ho hum! another battle! And more kings and royalty? Yes, it's simpler to depict than democracy but so out of date! Apart from that, the book is gripping and absorbing. I've enjoyed it and will probably read the sequel.
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