Rating: 
Summary: The Weaving of the Web
Review: If "The Golden Compass" was a more or less children's book that introduced the reader to Lyra and her world, "The Subtle Knife" is much more than that.One of the first things I said was "Ahhh" with a feeling of admiration, when I realized that Pullman included our world, daemonless and Oblation Boardless in the story. While in the "Golden Compass", one might think that the world Lyra is in is just a fantasy replica of our world, in the "Subtle Knife" one realizes what it's really like. Throughout the whole story, Pullman weaves the complex web of the story. The plot of "The Golden Compass" was more or less straightforward and simple, but "The Subtle Knife" introduces new ideas and many of them, too. He turns a simple story into a complex epic, where the problems of all the worlds intervine and another major problem of all the worlds put together arises - the problem of Dust. And while Pullman explains some of the concepts that the reader could only believe in before, he introduces so many more, unanswered and mysterious that you get trapped in the web that he is weaving. By the end of the story, it is just impossible to resist to get the next book. It would be the same torment as the torment of being pulled away from your daemon. The Pullman-spider has caught you.
Rating:
Summary: Another amazing read
Review: The Subtle Knife is another amazing addition to the trilogy. Lyra is much more mature in this boo, and it is much more serious than the first. Another main character is introduced in the book, Will. The two have many adventures and become great friends. This book gets you even more attached to the series.
Rating: 
Summary: Cutting into the new world
Review: Aside from a few slow chapters, this had some of the same action-packed excitement as the first. However, there were some issues that greatly cut down my enjoyment of it.
We step aside for a moment from the quest of Lyra to introduce Will, son of a lost explorer. He stumbles into another world after killing a thief, and there meets Lyra, journeying from her world. They team up to discover the secrets of Dust and the Subtle Knife, what Lyra's uncle is trying to do, the purpose of the mysterious angels, and what the witches helping them want out of all this. In the meantime, Lee Scoresby looks for a shaman and passage to Lyra's new world.
"Filler" sums the plot up. There are many moments that spice it up, but some of the action comes from vague sources of danger. One of the central characters, Lord Asriel, is almost entirely ignored, and without Lyra's search for him, the book is directionless. When Lyra very quickly changes from the firebrand scamp into a meek lady around Will, her character was almost ruined.
I do like seeing a fantasy story that takes place partially in our time, our world. While it's nothing like Gaiman's urban fantasies, Pullman does make for a healthy mixture of science and fantasy, something many modern fantasy writers don't even try to cope with. There should have been some kind of explanation for how Will's hole appeared, though.
There were a few points, though, where the narrative just derailed and broke my entire enjoyment of the book. When the kids mentioned the hot weather and started talking about the Greenhouse Effect, out of nowhere, it was nothing but a less-than-sneaky bit of ideology. But much worse was the speech of Lord Asriel, which not only does no one refute or even seem aghast at, but most actually support him to one degree or another. He claims that he is going to kill God, and that he knows how; his reasoning was simply that God is evil because his followers perpetrate great crimes in his name. The illogic in this is breathtaking - ignoring the good his followers have done, equating fallible and corrupt humans with clear understanding of the will of God, and ignoring all of the millenia of argument about this (Luther, Leibniz, etc), so that Pullman appears to be more of a febrile five-year-old more interested in pushing his atheism than using examples from peoples' lives to show how it would apply. (I feel the same way about trite Christian childrens' books.) The only Church presence in the book is the very cruel and oily Mrs. Coulter, and the cardinals who condone her actions. His efforts to vilify the Church seem one-sided and mean-spirited enough to turn me off from the book.
It is an exciting book, and at several points I felt very sad over events. But I will never read it again. The overt hatred of spirituality turns me off too much. I certainly hope the third isn't as harsh.
Rating:
Summary: Sequel Continues to amaze
Review: The book I read is called The Subtle Knife, 2nd book in the His Dark Materials trilogy, by Phillip Pullman. In this book, Lyra Belaqua goes through the aurora to another world, and sets off with her newfound friend, Will, on a journey through many worlds, as her father, Lord Asriel prepares to war upon the Authority, Himself.
This book is pretty much adventure/science fiction, although it strays away from that form sometimes. And this science fiction isn't filled with gadgets and science, but there is a strange substance called dust that everyone wants to know more about. This book reminds me of The Two Towers, by J. R. R. Tolkien. In the first Lord of the Rings book, the characters are together, but in the second, having split up, they are all in different locations, allowing for different subplots that tie into the storyline. That happens in this book as well. I believe if you like the first book in the His Dark Materials trilogy, (I certainly did) then you'll love this one. I think it is best if you read the 1st and second without a break, but wait a day or so for the 3rd.
I would not recommend this book to younger children as it can be confusing, disturbing, deep, and have hard words. I would recommend this book to anyone from an older child to an 80 year old man. It is very compelling, and Pullman is a wonderful storyteller. He draws you into his story, and when it ends, you still can't get out of it for the rest of the day.
This book is marvelous. I have been reading it over and over even when I am finished. The chapters are reasonable lengths, and the whole book is three-hundred and twenty-six pages. Phillip Pullman is my new favorite author.
Rating:
Summary: a great book for the open minded
Review: The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman is the second book of his dark materials trilogy. I wouldn't say that this one is better than the first book, The Golden Compass. If you have read the first book than you pretty much know what to expect from the author. He has a big imagination, which produced a great plot with colorful characters. The second book is about how Lyra and her new friend Will, search for his father. The plot is full of twists and turns and will keep you guessing until the very last page. This is a story, which is dramatic, mysterious, an adventure and science fiction all in one package. I would recommend this book to middle school students and up because the vocabulary and plot might be too intense for younger children.
Rating:
Summary: The war against the Authority has begun.
Review: The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman is the stunning sequel to The Golden Compass. It's as great, if not greater than the first. The first thing I'm going to say is if you read the first one and liked or loved it read this book. If you hated the last one read through it so you can read The Subtle Knife. Trust me. You'll be glad you did. Do NOT read this book before reading The Golden Compass or you won't understand the story. Will is a twelve year old boy who runs away after killing someone who broke into his house. He stumbles into a world called Citagazz'e, a world plauged by soul eating specters. There he meets Lyra Silvertongue and gains control of a knife with the power to cut through from one world to the next. Now Will must make a choice that will save or destroy all worlds.
I liked the book The Subtle Knife because of the stunningly realistic charcters with vast ranges of personality and feeling that gives them a human-like quality and believability. This book also has a great quality of difference from world to world. No two worlds are alike ,but they all have a certain feeling of being bound together. If you like adventuring or fantasying with all the fixing of a great trilogy, The Subtle Knife is for you.
Rating:
Summary: best book of the series
Review: I had a problem with this book for one reason really, it was the girl Lyra. I loved her in the golden compass, although i didnt really like the golden compass. But she was in charge and a very strong little girl who could do pretty much anything and i thought that was wonderful. In this book when she meets Will that changes and she becomes almost inferior to him and she says she will do whatever he wants, blah blah. That was quite irratating. other than that though,it is the best book in the series. I only
read it because i read the golden compass and it had a fairly
interesting ending, but the rest of the golden compass was not
up to par with this wonderful book. I dont feel like Pullman is attacking Christianity or religion, he is more or less making an observation. But this book is NOT for children none of the books in this series should be read by children in my opinion. It is although,a very good adult book. It has a lot of sustanance and the author is attempting to give it a purpose. Alot of times it seems a little corny or not well thought out, his theories and all, but it all fits into a really interesting story.
Rating:
Summary: The Subtle Knife
Review: This book The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman was a semi- interesting book. This book is about two young kids on a perilous journey from world to world. The main character is Will Perry, and he is very peculiar about going from one world to another with his friend Lyra. The worlds' have specters stalking the streets and distinct angels sounding in the sky. Will and Lyra discover a deadly secret about an object with an accelerating power. The more they get closer to the end of the quest the object gets stronger. If you like the kind of books that keep you guessing this is the book you should read. It is very exciting at some points in the story, but it is overall pretty boring. Read this book and maybe you'll like it because it is too your taste.
Rating: 
Summary: All out hatred and attack on Christianity
Review: I read this book throughout despite my misgivings concerning the first book. In this volume, the author continues his tirade against God and Christianity. It is a story of hatred and intolerance and it is aimed at Young Adults. The author may argue that it was not specifically written for children...However it is obvious from the writing that the author is gearing toward a younger audience and toward the less educated. I had a Journalism teacher who told me that in order to reach the widest audience as possible that one should write at an 8th grade level. The author has done this if not aimed a little lower. It may be that he wrote these for his own children. But these stories are definitely trying to teach these young minds the author's own worldview. One in which the Church, God and Christianity are dangerous and not to be trusted. I have read elsewhere that the author has defined himself as an Atheist. I think that this book has shown that he more than this. I have never thrown away a book that I have owned. I have always sold them or donated them to the local library system. I have always been horrifed at the thought of a book burning but these books deserve just that. I will not be reading the third book. And the copy I own will not be read. All three volumes are ending up where they deserve to be. There will be some readers who will be aghast at this action. As Mr. Pullman has said of his Christian critics, I will pray for you.
Rating:
Summary: Talk about a sequel of a book
Review: This book was at first quite different, and this made it a great sequel. Then it became, only partly, like a traditional sequel. Not in the sense of the story, because there are plenty of great new adventures with some great character development, including a key new character. I mean that it just seems to build up to the third book, maybe another reason to read it, huh? I still highly recommend it. Although I liked the first one better, this one is still five-star material.
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