Rating: 
Summary: it was soooo good!
Review: this book was SUCH good book...omg, it was awesome!! but the end...it was so sad!! I NEVER cry at the end of books, but I did at the end of this one!! I guess I was hoping for something different....a HAPPY ending!! it would have been the best book ever *almost!* if the ending had just been more like what I wanted to happen, in my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: What a wonderful tragedy
Review: I know what you're thinking. Tragedy? Last book in His Dark Materials? That doesn't fit! But it does. The book is incredible, just like the rest of the series. The plot is just as complicated, the writing is just as beautiful as the others, but the end just doesn't fit. After finishing the book, I was depressed for about three days. The book was totally on my mind. I couldn't concentrate on anything other than the book. Some like twenty pages until the end, I was sure the ending was going to be happy. Instead, everything in the entire series comes tumbling down. I wish that Pullman would REALLY finish the series and make the ending actually satisfactory. I can't stand the ending. The book was incredible, everything was wonderful, but the ending was heartrending. You must not read this book with your kids. They will totally flip if they've read the rest of the series. They probably will start crying. You should only read this book if you can stand horribly sad ending to incredibly written book. The only hint I will give you about the ending, is that the sadness only has to do with the two main characters. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I do, and I hope this review helped.
Rating:
Summary: Without a doubt the best book I've ever read
Review: Harry Potter? C.S. Lewis? Tolkein? Pullman puts them all to shame, working the magic for a third time with the Amber Spyglass. Ghosts, ghouls, angels, witches, bears, and that evil golden daemon are back again, as Pullman catapults us in to a world (worlds) very different than our own, but eerily parallel. Will, Lyra, and the bulk of the characters from the first two books are back, more developed and lovable than ever, and as determined as before to give us an amazing story. With its theological implications, its amazingly detailed plotlines, and its grand theme of how the simplest things have the most profound consequences, this book is without a doubt worthy of sharing a trilogy with its predecessors. It remains to be seen if this amazing epic will be read by millions, but for those who do read it, you will be as happy as a mulefa (read the book). Eric
Rating: 
Summary: complex, thought provoking, and bittersweet
Review: I ordered this book from the United States, as the release date in Australia is uncertain and I didn't want to wait! I am left amazed at the breadth and depth of Pullman's achievement. I don't personally agree with his worldview, but still appreciated the complexity and further development of his characters, especially Mrs. Coulter, the unexpected and sometimes heart-wrenching twists in the plot, and the skilful pulling together of the various elements from the previous two books in the series. There are powerful passages, gentle passages, sections that make your heart pound; this book runs through a large gamut of feeling, and is written on an epic scale. The whole series is one I will come back and read again someday, and I'm sure I will find something new in them each time. This is not writing for children, in spite of the fact that the main characters are children. Pullman is asking serious questions about being human and the struggle of living in this world. The clarity and beauty of his prose stands out in all three books, and "The Amber Spyglass" is definitely up to the standard of the first two books in the series. I still consider "The Golden Compass" (or Northern Lights) to be the best in the series, but "Amber Spyglass" comes close behind.
Rating: 
Summary: Lost in Space?
Review: This third book in the His Dark Materials sequence is not quite as satisfying as the first two. While waiting for this book to come out, I heard bookstore rumors that Pullman was somehow "stuck" and having trouble making progress on this book. As a writer, I can certainly understand that. I understand it especially well, now that I am reading the book and finding it has an oddly disconnected feel, as if it were too widely flung, too disparate in all the elements it tries to bring together. Something is missing at the heart of this book that was there in the earlier ones. Perhaps there are simply too many worlds to keep track of in this book. You don't feel you are sucked into the book the way you did with The Golden Compass. Still, it's a very enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing end to a otherwise entertaining series.
Review: Warning, possible "spoilers" if you have not already read this book.Well, I was not expecting to be disappointed in this book. I expected to be thrilled and entertained, but what I got was disturbed and exasperated. First of all, let me suggest that this is not a book for young children. Fans of Harry Potter will not enjoy this book if they are younger than high school-aged. This is for several reasons. One, there is a lot of violence in this book--several characters die. Two, the ending hinges on the protagonists falling madly in love--at the age of 12! (Think "The Fifth Element.") While this is not explicit sex--mostly detailed descriptions of kissing, etc., the imagination wonders what else was going on that was left out since this is ostensibly a book marketed to children. This was the least believable aspect of the book for me. I recognize the symbolism, but really, they're still kids and the image is kind of revolting. Three, if you are at all trying to raise your children with respect or reverance for Christianity then this might be a book you would wish to avoid until your child is a bit more discerning. There is overt hostility to Christianity (see previous reviewer for quote) as basically a bad idea that went too far. Also any child could become confused about the cosmology presented in The Amber Spyglass. God (The Authority) is presented as the first angel who dupes the rest of the angels into thinking he is the creator. He is aged and senile now and not in control any longer and is sort of compassionately euthanized by Will and Lyra. The angels and the Church are the Bad Guys who wish to stop Lyra (the New Eve) from falling to temptation (apparently, the Big Kiss with Will). So it is a very simplistic and stereotypical view of Christianity and no mention or criticism is actually ever made of Jesus (how telling!) but still it might be disturbing to a child of faith. As for the writing, the first third of the book drags, mainly because Lyra is in a coma and not part of the plot. Then there are a lot of side-adventures into the Mulefa world with Dr. Mary Malone, which was interesting, but seemed out of place. And then the interminable adventure into the land of the dead where at last the purpose and dangers of the subtle knife are revealed. This is another passage that will be objectionable to those who believe in a loving God. Basically, the promise of Heaven turns out to be a scam and all souls, regardless of their good or evil natures, are sent to this purgatory of fear and nothingness. Will and Lyra's answer to this is to offer them a window out through the use of the subtle knife, where they can disperse into their component atoms and return to the "dust" from which they were made. Essentially, oblivion. This is a vision of a very cruel god who really isn't God at all and I was disappointed that Mr. Pullman chose to make such a point of his beliefs. Mr. Pullman seems to have an aversion to happy endings (Think Sally Lockhart and Frederick Garland's final union and sudden ultimate separation). While all the plot threads are tied up and it all works logically, it was disappointing that previous characters introduced in The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife (the gyptians, the witches) were mere plot-devices in the gargantuan task of wrapping up the plot in a giant war between Lord Asriel's army and the forces of the Church and Heaven. The Gallivespians, a minute race of spies, were the most interesting new characters and more in the vein of the previous two books. Unlike the Narnia books, this series fails to maintain the same tone throughout. One minute we're having great and fun adventures with Lyra on a gyptians boat and the next we're debating how to release souls from the land of the dead. Even the melancholy of "The Last Battle" was at least relieved by the joy of its ending. "The Amber Spyglass" just seemed like the culmination of a lot of Mr. Pullman's anti-religious diatribe crammed into a previously intriguing story. I'm sorry, I don't mean to insult! But I'm not such a fan of Paradise Lost myself, so maybe I was doomed to dislike it from the beginning. Anyhow, it's interesting and fans of the series will have no choice but to read it, despite what any reviewer says, and they'll just have to make their own opinion of it.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!!
Review: I haven't actually finished the book yet but I'm about half way through and it is FANTASTIC!! It almost seems like Pullman's writing style has improved since The Golden Compass. Every scene is full of detail, and he creates worlds that are so real! I would recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy or science fiction. Only one thing--if you're not the kind of person who is willing to accept a fictional religion that contradicts many aspects of the religions of Earth :) , you might not like that aspect of the book...eh whatever, I think you'll still love it. :) Just be careful. You have to be willing to imagine.
Rating:
Summary: The Amber Spyglass
Review: What a great book. This book bumps The Golden Compass and the Subtle Knife up a knotch. It could have been a bomb out, but it wasn't, it made the trilogy so good that Pullman will go down with the greats. As for comparisons to other fantasy novels, I have just one thing to say; Harry who?
Rating:
Summary: Brilliantly written
Review: This book is incrediblely well done. So many books are called "new classics," but it is really true in this case. Every step of the way was magical and unpredictable. I have only one small quibble with the author. I was saddened by the statement that "Christianity is a lie; a beautiful, strong lie, but a lie, nonetheless." Unfortunately, not all parents are broadminded enough to allow the "willing suspension of disbelief" that a fantasy calls for, and thus many children will not be given access to this fine book. However, it is true that CS Lewis certainly felt free to be strongly pro-Christian in his fantasies;clearly Mr. Pullman has the right to feel otherwise.
Rating:
Summary: Unfair treatment
Review: Pullman's last installment of His Dark Materials is somewhat disappointing. The book is well-written and thought provoking, but unfortunately it goes too far against the grain. To begin with, the book has been heavily marketed as a young adult novel, but with this final installment teachers will be thinking twice about recommending any of the three books. It certainly goes against many of the foundations of Judeo-Christian beliefs, and it will be difficult to convince even the most liberal parents to accept it. I also find it hard to believe that anyone trained in theology, especially a Roman Catholic nun would not know what "play the serpent' means. Someone of Mary Malone's intelligence could certainly figure this out. How insulting to the reader's intelligence. Though the book was enjoyable to read as an adult, I feel as if Pullman duped the education community and dealt a heavy blow to reading teachers everywhere. They are stuck with two outstanding novels that will interest and excite their students, but are unable to recommend or use the third. What a shame.
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