The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials, Book 2)

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Summary: A third book?
Review: Ive heard this isnt a book for children but when I read it I was 9 and I still loved it. I cant wait for the next book! This one keeps you waiting.

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Summary: A great book full of action, suspense, and imagination!
Review: This is my favorite book that I've ever read. I stayed up till 5 in the morning reading it. I think that this book is a bit better than The Golden Compass. Maybe I'm crazy for saying this, but I find it much more exciting than The Golden Compass even though it does have a few slow parts and a little less imagination put into the storyline. Perhaps I like it so much because I often have dreams where I am on some sort of adventure like the kind in The Subtle Knife. I think that the whole "dust" theory is quite impressive and that Will is a very interesting character; as well as what he has to go through to become the bearer the knife--although he doesn't necessarily want to have it in his posession. He really adds to the story even though he makes Lyra appear to be a "weaker" character than in the last book. I think that this trilogy would make a really cool anime (Japanese animation) series or movie. Over all, I think that this book has a superb storyline that I would recommend to several people. I can't wait for the next one to come out!

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Summary: I'm 13, and I loved it. Phillip, finish the 3rd quick!!!
Review: Some preople think this is a not a children's book. I read it, I loved it, I'm 13 and so are all my friencs who followed me and read it. We even started our own role playing. I play pantalemon. I'm anxious for the 3rd. The ending to the 2nd just left you hanging there!

Rating:
Summary: Great book, I liked it a lot, can't wait for the next one
Review: I liked this book a LOT I really found it wonderful I just can't wait for the third book

Rating:
Summary: Supurb!
Review: It is very good but not quite as good as the GOLDEN COMPASS.The plot quickly devloped& what it lacked in imagination it made up for in adventure.It was very amusing when Lyra got a taste of our world.I very much liked the ending were it left you hanging & dying for more. I would defenaty recomend this to a friend.The bulding tension between good & evil gets you pumped up with adrenelen only to find it's the end of the book. The way you never know what is going to happen next makes it very exciting. I can't wait for the third book.

Rating:
Summary: Not as good as The Golden Compass, but a five-star rating!
Review: *First off, if you have not read The Golden Compass then you may not want to read this.* The Subtle Knife is the excellent sequel to The Golden Compass, which simply ends after Lyra Silvertongue walks into the new world through the hole that Lord Asriel has created. You expect it to begin right where The Golden Compass left off, but that is not the case. Instead, it starts by introducing Will, a lonely twelve-year-old in the world that we know. He discoveres a strange hole along one of the roads near Oxford, and walks through it to find himself in the world of Cittagazze, where children roam the streets while the adults are hiding from the soul-eating Specters. It is here that he comes across Lyra in one of the abandoned homes, who is at first frightened to see that he has no daemon. The mystery only deepens in this book, which makes it all the more interesting and waiting for the third book even more (for it ends in a real cliffhanger that is even worse than The Golden Compass). Unfortunately, this book had a slight diminish in quality. It does not establish as much identity for Lyra as it does in the first book, and does not get very exciting or important until about two-thirds through. But a five-star rating nonetheless!

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Summary: A creative and captivating book.
Review: The Subtle Knife is one of the few books that has the ability to engage a reader completely within the first two pages. Much like The Golden Compass, book one in His Dark Materials, it has an extraordinarily captivating, mysterious, and at times, very scary plot. Though all of Lyra's adventures night seem wonderous and amazing, they are but building blocks, securing the walls for the battle yet to come. The battle of the heavens is one that is mentioned routinely towards the later half of the book. According to the witches, it will be the biggest battle ever, one in which Lyra will either save or destroy the world. I personally can't wait until the third book comes out, so that I can read further about this destined battle.

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Summary: Not for children or people who hate bad allegory
Review: Like much of the known world, I loved THE GOLDEN COMPASS. Despite a few grisly scenes that needed to be toned down when read aloud to our children, it was a wonderful read, though I remember asking at the time who the intended audience was. THE SUBTLE KNIFE raised that question again, but without the beautiful narrative of its predecessor. The story is unduly dark and ugly, the preachy moral theme and pretentious Biblical allegory downright irritating. On top of that, the violence and horror has escalated into something utterly unsuited for children, and even young adults, while the story is too banal for grownups. I was bitterly disappointed and could barely finish it; it took me more than two weeks of reading it while waiting to shift clothes from washer to dryer, because it was not compelling enough to interrupt any other task. I think Phillip Pullman has talent as a writer, but when he slips into that Oxford University pretension it disconnects. Everything that made THE GOLDEN COMPASS wonderful is missing in its sequel. All the critics who praised the second book should give it to their children and see if they still think so after a night of screaming terrors.

Rating:
Summary: The saga heats up!
Review: Pullman has improved on The Golden Compass, brilliant in its own right. The terrific story continues to develop and will keep you on the edge of your seat. The best part of this book is that it appeals to fantasy lovers and people with no imagination(me). Don't be scared off just because it is a fantasy. I was skeptical, but I enjoyed this book greatly. This is a good bet for all readers. I can't wait to read the third book.

Rating:
Summary: GREAT!!!!!!
Review: I loved this book !!!!!! It RULES!!!!!!!it has so mush suspence that I read it faster than any other book. I wonder who will win the Batle of whatever its called. I cant wait for the third book to come out to come out!!!!its sush a cliff hanger