Rating: 
Summary: Fabulous as both literature and theological speculation
Review: Starting off, I'm 14 and I happened to read the first two books in early September '00 because I had no other fantasy books around (my genre). I found them to be fabulous books (meaning I had to wait in agony for a whole month before the final book came out) , and I was furthermore incredibly surprised to find that these books were filed under childrens books! It's not that I'm suprised because they seem too much of an adult plot, but that a child could not possibly understand the entire plot and all of its theological ideas. The ideas of the Dust, dæmons, and multiple worlds can be difficult to understand for a child. Also, the biblical references might be too subtle for some children. But in any event, I think it was a superb piece of writing that can be enjoyed on multiple levels, as much if not more by adults than children. Philip Pullman also did an amazing job of juggling many difficult concepts and keeping them from invalidating each other. These concepts, however, forced certain issues near the end. I'll try to be obscure enough here that no one who has not read it would understand and spoil the end ( I hate it when reviews do that ). I think that Pullman's concepts of possibility for existence in multiple worlds was nescesary for certain parts of the book, to keep various themes and all working, but towards the end, these same precepts forbade what I had hoped might be. Anyways, about Pullman's ideas on divinity, death, dæmons and Dust, I greatly admired the novel way in which these all fit together. I was eager for the 3rd book not only for plot, but also to find out more about dust and what it has to do with age and dæmons. All in all, I beleive Pullman's works will be admired for a long time to come as fabulous literature for its novel approach to metaphysical ideas, its solid plot with stunningly well written character developement, and its provocation of emotions and immersion of the reader.
Rating:
Summary: Amber Spyglass
Review: Amber Spyglass was a wonderful end to an amazing trilogy. Bill Pullman is perhaps one of the only authors who have been able to make me want to live in the world of his characters and exist as them. This is definately his strongest book of all three, although I enjoyed all of them. Whoever has not read this yet, the ending is very suprising! You will not believe what you are reading. This is one of the few times have have been possesed to both laugh and cry (my eyes were horribly puffy the morning after reading this book, just to warn you ) and I enjoyed every minute of it. The travels of Will and Lyra and the development of their relationship was so beutiful. To anyone who wants a good read, pick up this book, you will be very glad you did!
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Summary: Blakean cosmology, heartbreak, joy ... what's not to love?
Review: Given the time and delays involved in the writing of THE AMBER SPYGLASS, I was initially afraid that it wouldn't live up to the huge expectations raised by the first two books. The first hundred pages or so, too, seemed slower and less tightly written than the previous volumes. Fortunately, this turns out to be only a building of tension before the near-apocalyptic events the book describes, and Pullman carries off his conclusion in brilliant theological, emotional, and literary fashion. Pullman shows his normal invention throughout The two-layered ending of the book is both joyous and painful, and is a masterpiece of the art of writing for both children and adults; nothing is explicitly sexual, but the finale is deeply erotic nonetheless. Much mention has been made of the book being a kind of sequel to PARADISE LOST; undoubtedly true, but remember that it also makes great use of the works of that other prophet, William Blake (whose MILTON, of course, is a sequel to PARADISE LOST in itself.) The joy of the body and the mind, unchained by religion, is one of the main themes of the book. The book is, of course, deeply religious, even mystical, in its imagery, language, and feeling, but its overall message is one of a powerful imaginative atheism. Some readers might be disturbed by this message. After all, this is a book that says, quite clearly, that "Christianity is a very powerful and convincing mistake." Myself, I'm all for it, and I think that Christian parents should allow their children to be challenged by the message of the book, but, if you feel strongly about such things, be warned. The one element of the book I would question is the subplot involving the mulefa (diamond-wheeled creatures in an alternate ecology) which seems disconcertingly science-fictional, and which lack the fantastical resonance of the other creatures in the trilogy. They seem included largely to make a point, not by virtue of their own interest, and those sections, while necessary to the overall plot, slow the book down. Still, it's a minor flaw in what is probably the greatest sequence of novels, for adults *or* children, published in the last decade or two.
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Summary: There aren't words to say...but I'm gonna try anyway
Review: His Dark Materials has been more than just tree pulp and squid-spit to me. It has been more than just a story to me. In my mind it is an event, a definition of excellence, a standard that I will compare every other book I have or will read against. What has amazed me about this series is this: When I first read The Golden Compass I was thoroughly amazed at how far above other books the quality and complexity of the tome truly was. The volume of ideas that it presented to me was amazing. The other phenomenal aspect of it was the completeness of the universe Pullman created; from the customs to the vernacular, all of it seemed to have evolved rather than been created. How deep the similarities and disparities between our world and Lyra's Oxford ran was something I savored. To me it seemed that just one facet of that diamond universe in this book was the product of a lifetime of work by a regiment of divinely inspired writers rather than bottled water from one man's stream of consciousness. And then, with the addition of The Subtle Knife, everything that was outstanding in first episode of His Dark Materials increases exponentially. Even though The Subtle Knife blends seamlessly with The Golden Compass, it has a texture and tone that is completely unique. Finally, with The Amber Spyglass, Pulman makes the final transition from classic to masterpiece. This book raises the standard once more and ends the saga more gracefully and more powerfully than any other conclusion I have ever known. If you have the time and means, it would be a travesty not to read these books. The universe contained within these covers is one of the most beautiful things man could create. And for those of you who have read the book and wish to discuss it, feel free to e-mail me at super_gaijin@hotmail.com, as I have found an interesting loophole dealing with the ending that I would like to share, but I don't want to ruin it for anyone reading this that has not finished it.
Rating: 
Summary: It Didn't Stun Me
Review: DON'T READ THIS REVIEW UNLESS YOU HAVE READ THE BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!! I liked this book, but after the first two, I thought it would be incredible (which it wasn't). The end with Lyra and Will just bothered me, though. I was hoping for it not to develope into a love story, even though I could see it coming throughout the whole book. I hope my review doesn't offend anyone, because the first two in the series are two of my favorite books ever, just NOT this one.
Rating:
Summary: An breathtaking finish to one of the greatest series ever!
Review: I read The Golden Compass at the end of 1997, The Subtle Knife at the end of 1998, and have been waiting desperatly for The Amber Spyglass to come out ever since. I have grown up, but the characters were still waiting there for me, as passionate and determined as ever. The entire plot is a rushing force, the characters are perfect in their strengths and downfalls. I give The Amber Spyglass the highest compliment I can bestom, and this is saying that it is even better than the first two books in the His Dark Materials trilogy.
Rating:
Summary: a really great read...I love this book!
Review: The final book in Philip Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy, The Amber Spyglass is an amazing book. It picks up right where the Subtle Knife left off, with Will searching for Lyra, who has mysteriously disappeared. In The Amber Spyglass, many old characters return: Roger, Iorek, Serafina Pekkala, and Mary Malone, and new characters are introduced, like the Gallevespians and the Mulefa. I won't tell you anything about the book itself, because I think you should read it, whoever you are. It is definitely a good read, especially if you've read the other two books in the trilogy.
Rating:
Summary: Great book, Fantastic book, The BEST book EVER
Review: The only books better than this are the other in it's series... I'm not even sure of that... This is a great book, you have got to read it!
Rating:
Summary: Paradise Lost indeed.
Review: I've enjoyed this series immensely. When I first read "The Golden Compass" I was struck by the fact that this was a story told unlike many I had read before. "The Subtle Knife" continued this. This is a remaking of Paradise Lost and it is wonderful. I enjoyed the fact that our heroes do not get everything they want in the end. I felt the pain that was there, the loss. This story was ended perfectly. There were some parts that could have been fixed better. While I enjoyed the whole sequence with Mary Malone and the muelfa, what point did it really serve? Also, Mrs. Coulter, the villianess from the previous few books, am I to believe such a change of heart. There was nothing to gain from her actions here. No advantage except what she was doing for love. A change that was a bit disappointing. But I digress. Buy this book. Read it to your children. Answer their questions. Read it for yourself. This is storytelling at its finest.
Rating:
Summary: spectacular
Review: After waiting for for this book for two years, I was afraid it would be disappointing, but it turned out to be even better than its predecessors (The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife). The ending was perfect - it makes perfect sense and feels entirely appropriate, but I would never have guessed it ahead of time. I stayed up all night reading it the day it was released, and I've rarely been so engrossed. I can't recommend this book more strongly, but presumably anyone who has read Pullman's earlier books doesn't need my recommendation.
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