Rating: 
Summary: Get it right, please
Review: I'm not going to waste your time telling my opinions of this book by rephrasing the glowing reviews, but I am going to correct an error in the less positive ones: many people say that the spirits' being called "daemons" is Satanic. I wish people would get their facts right before they criticize such a wonderul piece, because it is not true: the word "daemon" spelt with a break between the a and the e means soul in Greek, and "daimon," in the same language, means spirit, friend and guardian angel. I thought I would clear that up.
Rating: 
Summary: hmm...
Review: The Amber Spyglass lacks a certain quality...intrigue maybe?? Unlike the first two books in this series, TAG is relatively easy to follow and nowhere near as fast paced. The plot is simple. Although Pullman does write a great deal about spirituality and Christianity in this book, the topics are more serious (a modern take on Adam and Eve). Also, Mrs. Coulter has much large role in this book than in the previous books. If you didn't like her before, get ready to want to [really not like her]. However, the beginning and middle of the story, as true to The Dark Materials tradition, is execellent. This book will definately change your views on many things in life, science, and religion. The end, however, is weak, bland, and predictable. ... The book was worth the wait and to any young sci-fi or Harry Potter fan, I would recommend that you read The Dark Materials series, starting with The Golden Compass. These books will blow your mind!!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I read The Golden Compass when I was 16 and loved it. I told everyone who would listen that it was my favorite book ever. I didn't enjoy The Subtle Knife quite as much, but I cut it some slack as the middle book in a trilogy, and still eagerly awaited the Amber Spyglass. I immediately bought the book when it came out, and read through it quickly. It did keep me reading and hold my interest.At the end, though, I had to admit I was sorely disappointed. I found the blatant declaration that the Christian religion is a very comforting and convincing "mistake" offensive -- and I am an agnostic! I find discussions about religious beliefs and the problems with religious zealotry fascinating, and I thought it was great that this was explored in The Golden Compass, but please, Mr. Pullman: let us come to our own conclusions! We don't need it spelled out for us. I found Pullman as preachy as any Christian zealot. On an unlrelated note, the emotional dilemma and Lyra's choice at the end of the story could have been charming, but the way it became the central focus at the end struck me as anticlimactic. This, I admit, is just my own taste for a certain kind of epic climax, so I could easily see someone disagreeing with me. Personally, though, Pullman did not convince me that this emotional dilemma could tie up the epic stakes he set in the first two books. (And I certainly hope that the fate of the Universe does not depend on such a choice made by a young adolescent -- what a frightening mess we'd be in if it did!) I gave the book two stars rather than one because Pullman's imagination does continue to impress, though not to the lengths it did in The Golden Compass. The Mulefa are fascinating, and the Gallivespians are intriguing. I missed, however, spending time with Lyra and Pan, as they were what made me love The Golden Compass. (Sadly, they seemed to lose a bit of their charm as they became more "mature." I liked the spunky, bratty Lyra!) Overall, I found the book disappointing in its ending based on my personal taste, but more importantly, insulting in its blatant, closed-minded declaration on the worth of a religion. Even if I overlooked the other things about it that disappointed me, the book's refusal to allow readers to decide for themselves what they will make of the religious themes is its Achilles' heel.
Rating:
Summary: smart, adventurous, and thought-provoking
Review: I've been moved to write this view by reading over the one-star reviews, most of which are by people who are overly literal-minded and object with the subject matter and let their difficulties and dislikes spill over onto the book (and series) overall.
I could gush and use all kinds of superlatives followed by many exclamation points, but instead I'll only write that here is a series of books that dares to be about something, which is rare enough. And what's more... he succeeds. This has to be one of the most upsetting and necessary endings (after the shock wears off, think about it -- the story is heading there the entire time) to a series in memory. A complicated and satisfying ending to a masterwork series of fantasy fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Best in the Series!!
Review: This book is most definatly the best in the series, though I do have to admit that some parts do lag. (Namely for me, Mary and the mulefa) But the plot twists more then make up for the these rare occasions, you will be floored when the truth comes out about each character, and you'll come back begging for more. In my opinion, only Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy surpasses the scope of this novel. Fit for someone of adult age as well as for children (I'm 20 years old and only stumbled across the series when the Golden Compass was presented to me as a gift. Right afterwards I went out and bought the last two installments, and words cannot describe how unbelievably good the finale is) A perfect gift for the reader in your family!!
Rating:
Summary: to be quite frank...
Review: One of the best, if not the best, books I have ever read. And I've read a lot. It seems to be simple story of a boy and a girl, and essentially it is. But there's love and death and all the things that matter in life. This book completely toppled down everything I had previously believed in and then showed me a belief so much better, so much more beautiful that I laughed at the squalor my mind used to inhabit. The characters seem more than real; they are real. They live and breathe and laugh and love with you, as you, because of you. The most brilliant thing I've ever had the pleasure to read. Applause for Phillip Pullman.
Rating:
Summary: Okay, how do I describe this book?...
Review: OK, OK, The Amber Spyglass will probably [upset you] if you are a Christian who is very sensitive about the way people portray God, cuz His Dark Materials gives the (widely accepted) image of him a swift kick in the patootie, believe me. It is the last choronicle in His Dark Materials, a controversial trilogy that tells the Biblical story of the angels that rebelled against God from a different perspective: This time, God and his church are the evildoers; our heroes Will & Lyra must help to defeat him. Really! It is like the coolest thing. Also, do not read this book if you obsess over heart wrenching stories; I cried more than a little bit about the ending.... ...I will say that the armored polar bears (panserbjorne) remain my ultimate favorite part! In a close second are will and lyra (of course) and then Mrs. Coulter.... The Amber Spyglass was chosen as a Young Readers Choice Nominee this year, which I think is really stupid, because to understand it at all you have to read the first two books in the trilogy first. ...
Rating:
Summary: Worth it
Review: A whole series based on "Paradise Lost" by Milton, a Seventeenth Century epic peom. Amazing right? Yes, it is. This is the best book that my eyes have ever laid on to words. It's wonderful, dark, intruiging, intimidating and you just cannot put the book down in fear that you will never live to read the rest and find out what happens. Amazing story!
Rating:
Summary: Amber Spyglass Review
Review: The Amber Spyglass is classified as young adult, but it can be of interest to many other audiences as well. Older people as well as younger children would enjoy the story line and characters. I think the ideal audience would be adults from 18-25. This is an age where you have experienced the world more and could relate to a lot of the subjects that are touched upon in the book. This book really stirred my emotions because it dealt with religion in a very different sense. I've always been unsure about God and other realms, and in this book "God" is portrayed as someone evil who has tricked everyone into believing there is a heaven, when everyone just goes to a dismal place called the land of the dead. It made me really think about what I believed in, and how strongly I felt about my viewpoint. I decided I really do believe in a heaven, but not in a powerful, all knowing being. The characters are original and lifelike, mainly because they are so human in nature, yet so amazingly brave. Lyra and Will, the main children who take on a task beyond impossible, have ferocious courage and determination to do what's right. In one scene, Lyra gives up her heart and soul to go down to the land of the dead to save an old friend. Will also risked his life many times to save Lyra from dangerous situations when foes try to kidnap and kill her. The plot was also fantastic because of all the creative situations Pullman thought up. The children encounter birds of the dead, strange new creatures, and killer priests. I thought this book was awesome because of all the elements Pullman weaved throughout his story. The plot was action filled and made the readers rethink a lot of their own opinions.
Rating:
Summary: Forever Amber
Review: This epic trilogy is closer in tone to Tolkien's _Lord of the Rings_than the _Harry Potter_ books, but religion and philosophy take center stage. It's still a battle of Good versus Evil, where Pullman updates Milton and Blake by questioning a LOT of assumptions. In this last volume, the epic battle of Paradise Lost is restaged, angels clash, and not just our own world is at stake. Written as a fantasy-adventure featuring 2 pre-teens, Lyra and Will, this third volume, with a background including an alternate Oxford (UK) (where everyone has a animal-daemon who stays close at hand), intrigue in our own Oxford and the travel between the two, a dangerous Mediterranean world where soul-sucking wraiths only kill adults, introduces no less than underworld of the dead. Wicked angels proclaiming themselves as moral remind us of many of our own flawed leaders. The last volume of a trilogy has to tie up all the disparate plot points, and Pullman needs a huge loom to do so! Still more characters and places are introduced, battles rage, and all of this leads up to a heartrending finish. Many reviewers raged about the finale, the grief they felt, or the frustration in why this came to pass. But the answer is simple: this is, despite the incredibly rich writing and highly literate and encoded themes, still a YA title, and with this much erotic charge, that's the way YA books have to end. If he'd ended it on a complete up note with fireworks, tea kettles, and steam engines pulling coaches through tunnels, forever and evermore, then it's not YA. And I felt the heartpangs of the ending for days after reading this, too... Pullman clearly detests the evil done in the name of religion, which is why the Good and Evil discussion gets intricate. He is not necessarily anti-Catholic or anti-Christian but anti-authoritarian. Anyone who has studied European history will recognize the characterization of a corrupt and overly powerful Church (denomination never specified in this book, btw). Lyra and Will are bringing The Enlightenment to several worlds who are as politically forward as pre-Reformation Europe, and must defeat powerful forces who have no interest in power-sharing. In her role as both a knowledge bringer and one willing to sacrifice all for others, Lyra takes on several mythic roles. She is tempted as Eve, she brings knowledge like the serpent (don't forget that the serpent was revered by other religions, just look at the caduceus; see, one religion's goodness is another's evil, just as in this book!), and she gave up all like Jesus Christ. Several reviewers complained these books condemn Christianity without any mention of Christ. Hello? Don't you think that was Pullman's point, that organized religion rarely stays on track with its original beauty, falling victim to doctrine, power, and control? With the Catholic Church scandal revealing painful new developments every day, Pullman's work becomes even more timely. Are institutions created to teach morality capable of staying moral? Can moral authorities resist authoritarianism? Which is more important, the integrity of the institution or protecting our most vulnerable citizens? All these issues come to fore in _His Dark Materials_. The books work both as a springboard to All The Big Questions and as an allegory for growing up and finding one's own way.
Literate, informed, evocative, and conceptually brilliant, this supposed Young Adult release will captivate adults as well.
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