Rating: 
Summary: A masterful ending to an entirely absorbing trilogy
Review: Our entire family (two adults and a thirteen year old daughter) have been waiting eons for this last book to be published - and it was worth the wait. Pullman's use of language is awesome, the twists and turns of the plot are spell-binding and his moral ferocity comes out quite clearly - a welcome addition to the literature of the 20th century. What an exciting book! In addition, I welcomed his mature, sober, yet upbeat, stand on relationships and responsibility. While there are many beautifully written books available these days, most are very dark and depressing. This bitter-sweet book may break the hearts of teenage readers as well. However, it displays some of the benefits that come from heroic sacrifices some choose to make for the greater good. We had the privilege to meet Mr. Pullman at a book signing in Santa Rosa, CA, and he was everything we had hoped for. He was funny, wistful and told multiple great stories about the inspiration for his books. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful reading experience. There is no doubt that these three books will withstand the ultimate test of time.
Rating: 
Summary: So Disappointing
Review: This is a book that has some truly wonderful moments, but to end this wonderful trilogy like this, is a tragedy. I would never recommend this series again, simply because the ending is so awful. The last third of the book almost made me cry because it dropped the ball on so many levels. If you've read the first two, stop there, it will just disappoint you.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but missing something
Review: I really enjoyed the first two books, and liked part of the third, but I was disappointed that The Amber Spyglass fails to fill the symmetry set up by the other books. They create the clear expectation that the amber spyglass and its bearer will join the other sacred objects and bearers in an equal balance of power to bring an end to the evils going on in the world. But the spyglass enters the book late, and does not seem to have any effect whatsoever on the plot. Dr. Malone, rather than filling the final space in the structure of power, does almost nothing of any significance. Her actions, it seems, have very little effect in the end. I think that this book got off to a good start, but did not go as far as it should have. I really liked the final role of Coulter and Asriel, and the fact that the final death of The Authority had no effect whatsoever.
Rating: 
Summary: The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials, No 3
Review: The three books are well written, exciting, keeping you on the edge of your seat. I read them and enjoyed them. However, if you are a Christian, in my opinion, it is a church bashing book. I was disturbed with the concepts of God is dead, and the church is evil,and we were lied to. I felt that Mr. Pullman did not have to get into his philosphy to such an extent to make the book a success. In my opinion,if you have young Christian minds, I would not let them read this.
Rating:
Summary: Fitting end to a beautiful series
Review: Wow. I loved this book. Read it, buy it, treasure it forever, because that's what it is, a treasure. Each book in this series is, in fact, such a treasure. When I first read The Golden Compass, I had no idea what I was getting into. When I finished, it was all I could do to contain myself before getting my hands on and devouring The Subtle Knife. And now here is The Amber Spyglass, which takes everything the reader learned and gathered and hoped and wished about with Lyra - and then Will - in the first two books, and ties them all together. Such a satisfying end I could not have hoped for, or predicted! I wish I could shake Philip Pullman's hand. I wish i could tell him what a gift these books are! How many times I am going to read and re-read them i can't tell, but it will definately be numerous. And to to those of you who are getting all upset about the underlying christian message, etc.etc... why can't you have open minds? Everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course - it's just too bad that sometimes it prevents people from enjoying things like this book. And the sad thing is, those people will never be able to read this great book whole-heartedly. The Amber Spyglass made me laugh, cry, gasp, hold my breath, and, when i'd finally finished, realise that this was the perfect beautiful, sad, and above all, -right- ending to one of my favorite book series ever (no matter how much i wish it didn't have to end).
Rating:
Summary: A good book, but not as good as tiger in the well
Review: I personally liked this book a lot. There are other books of his that I liked more, like Tiger in the Well, The Golden Compass, and most all of his childrens books. I thought overall it was a well written book, I had problems with the last chapter, it seemed a little over done in some ways, but it took me like two seconds to get through the entire thing. I think that if you read the first two books with your children, then this a perfectly fine book to read with them now. I personally believe that Pullman just wanted to have a big bang to his ending, so how can you get the biggest bang but to go up against God. I don't believe that this book was meant to be anti-christan in anyway. I personally think that you should read it and make up your own mind, instead of listening to what people have been saying in these reviews so far.
Rating:
Summary: The sound of glass breaking
Review: I have read the trilogy, and was shocked at the disparity between the adventure story and the events unfolding in the background. Although Pullman is a talented author, his contempt for religion and people of faith is pretty clear -- Unless he wrote the entire series "out of character", which I doubt. He may correct me if I am wrong. Many fantasy writers have tackled (or ignored) religion in their works, but few have attacked a system of belief as directly as Pullman does in these novels. It isn't hard to recognize bigotry when you see it. Bigots generally treat the object of their scorn as one-dimensional, stereotyped, less-than human individuals. Hitler painted the Jews that way, and Pro-Slavery Americans did the same in the 1800's. Pullman makes a point of painting everything having to do with God, religion, and religious persons --- as evil. If Pullman had a cause to speak of, I'd call it propoganda. Stereotyping and name calling is not a hallmark of great literature, whether you agree with someone's opinion or not. I don't think it's "courageous", as some have put it, to directly insult the deeply held beliefs of others. It's a cowardly little story, and his defenders should think carefully about what they are saying. For example, if I wrote a wonderful fantasy book that painted Dr. Martin Luther King (or Abraham Lincoln, or Gloria Steinham) as an evil, manipulative, rapist/wife beater/etc., how would people take it? I doubt many would praise me for my "courage" -- regardless of what the rest of the book is about. People in this country are free to read and write whatever they wish, thank God. Religion is an easy target, and there will always be those who rush in to spit on the beliefs of others, especially if those beliefs do not agree with theirs. By villifying religion in the manner Pullman does, he commits the same "sins" he chastises "the Church" for. If Pullman lives in a glass house, "The Amber Spyglass" is a pretty large stone.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not as satisfying as the first two.
Review: After the first two books, I was jumping up and down with anticipation when I got my hands on this one. It has a very clever plot and fascinating characters, but sometimes it sort of, well, lost interest for a while. Whereas with the first two I couldn't put them down, this one I sometimes wanted to skip ahead a few pages when it got boring. Still a worthwile read though. One tip: Re-read the first two books before you start it or you'll be very confused at the beginning.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing and dishonest
Review: After a wonderful beginning in The Golden Compass, and a decent continuation in The Subtle Knife, the "Dark Materials" trilogy falls flat in its confused and unsatisfying end. Reading The Amber Spyglass made clear why its projected publication date had been delayed so many times -- Pullman had no idea how to end his tale and, after reading the book, I wish its publication had been delayed even further so that he might have gotten it right. Characters act completely out of character with no discernible motive; new contrivances are introduced without need and abandoned without explanation; even the Amber Spyglass that gives the book its title seems a meaningless afterthought. All in all, a confused ponderous muddle that, because of its lack of continuity with the prior books, overemphasizes what appears to be the only clear theme in this installment -- a vicious attack on Christianity and the Judeo-Christian God. Pullman's collapse as a storyteller is forgiveable; his waiting until the third volume of an otherwise engaging trilogy of books aimed largely at pre-teens/early teens to make clear the message he is delivering to them is not. Pullman's subtle knife in theology's back aside, those who compare this trilogy to Tolkien's need to read Lord of the Rings again; as a work of literature, fantasy, and morality, it incomparably outshines Pullman's Dark Materials.
Rating:
Summary: Major Disappointment
Review: I was so disappointed in the Amber Spyglass. Poor plot and character development, plus I hated the "God is Dead" theme. I loved the first two novels, and actually bought a the third in hardback cause I couldn't wait for a paperback. I am adult, and have read hundreds of science fiction and fantasy novels, but I would never encourage a young person to read this novel. The anti-Catholic and anti-Christian philosophy was very offensive. I am so disappointed by the conclusion of the trilogy.
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