The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials, #3) by Philip Pullman

Title: The Amber Spyglass
Author: Philip Pullman
Published: September 2003
Pages: 480
ISBN: 9780440238157
Source: personal copy

Description: In the astonishing finale to the His Dark Materials trilogy, Lyra and Will are in unspeakable danger. With help from Iorek Byrnison the armored bear and two tiny Gallivespian spies, they must journey to a dank and gray-lit world where no living soul has ever gone. All the while, Dr. Mary Malone builds a magnificent Amber Spyglass. An assassin hunts her down, and Lord Asriel, with a troop of shining angels, fights his mighty rebellion, in a battle of strange allies—and shocking sacrifice.
As war rages and Dust drains from the sky, the fate of the living—and the dead—finally comes to depend on two children and the simple truth of one simple story.

I Give This Book 3.5 Stars!

I wish I could say that this was one of the best series I had ever read.  Sadly it isn't.  And I had such high hopes for it.  I watched the movie of The Golden Compass first and it intrigued me.  So I looked into the book and discovered it was a triology.  I really like that first book, but it's been downhill since then.  First and foremost, The Amber Spyglass was long.  And the funny part is I'm not really talking about the number of pages, because I've obviously read much longer.  There just seemed to be too much of everything in this book.  Too many characters to keep track of along with too many worlds that seemed to be interacting.  And the story was too complex even for me.   I've noticed that people seem to love or hate this book, but I'm firmly in the middle.  I don't dislike it for the reasons that most people do.  I don't think it's anti-god or anti-religion.  I just found some of the ideas presented in the final novel to be way out of the realm of reasonable thought.  And, I would love to talk to a preteen who has read these and understood them.  These books don't present the same way the say The Harry Potter Series does.

The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials, #2) by Philip Pullman

Title: The Subtle Knife
Author: Philip Pullman
Published: September 2002 (first published in 1997) by Alfred Knopf
Pages: 352
ISBN: 9780375823466

Description: In this stunning sequel to The Golden Compass, the intrepid Lyra finds herself in a shimmering, haunted otherworld --- Cittàgazze, where soul-eating Specters stalk the streets and wingbeats of distant angels sound against the sky. But she is not without allies: twelve-year-old Will Parry, fleeing for his life after taking another's, has also stumbled into this strange new realm.
On a perilous journey from world to world, Lyra and Will uncover a deadly secret: an object of extraordinary and devastating power. And with every step, they move closer to an even greater threat --- and the shattering truth of their own destiny.

I Give This Book 3.5 Stars!

I liked this book for the most part.  It's extremely imaginative.   Not only did the author create worlds separate from our own, but he makes them seem entirely believable.  My issue is the confusion.  This story is so complex at times, I have no idea what is going on.  I reread passages, and hope for the best.  If I have a hard time understanding (and I consider myself an educated adult), what in the world does the targets audience think?  Do they just skim over the passages that are trying to explain dust, or angels, or spectors (for example).  I applaud Philip Pullman for what he is trying to accomplish with this story, but it just feels like to much.