The Subtle Knife: His Dark Materials Book II By: Philip Pullman

Every now and then, I find an author who has created a world so far fetched and creative that i'm completely sucked in. Philip Pullman has achieved this. The Subtle Knife is the second book in a trilogy that is currently being put to the screen by the same people who created the Lord of the Rings films. With that in mind, the His Dark Materials trilogy has big shoes to fill.

A friend of mine recommended that I read these books, as he had loved them. So, off i went to the book store and couldn't find them. I eventually looked on the computer and realized they were in the "Young Readers" section. After speaking with this friend again, he explained that he read these books when he was in elementary school. Nevertheless, I bought the trilogy.

Although these books are in a very different world, the only comparison to the Lord of the Rings trilogy that I find, is that these books are building up to something very epic. During the first book, you don't even know what this climax is going to be, but you can feel it between the pages.

Having said that these books were in the Young Readers section. I don't feel they should be demeaned in such a way. There are words within this book that I've had to look up in a dictionary. If I was in elementary school reading these books, they would have been over my head.

This review is aimed at books 1 and 2. Book 1 is a good read, but weak. I felt a climax coming, but, like I already said, I didn't know what that climax would be. Book 2 clears all that up. The hints at the climax are very grand. In fact, I don't think the climax could possibly be bigger. To entice some readers into these books, I'm going to give away the climax. So stop reading here if you don't want to know what it is going to be.

The story follows a girl who's father has discovered portals into different worlds, some that are similar to ours, and some that are on the plane of spirits and angels. The father is building an army from all of these worlds, and is going to war against the "Absolute"; God.

Within these books there are witches, mercenary polar bears who wear heavy armour, spirits that feast on the souls of the living, a souless army, government conspiracies, angels, and much more.

These books are very hard to put down. Of all my reviews within this blog, if I could pick one to force upon you, it's this trilogy. But to be fair, I'm rating each book individually.

The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials Book I - 6/10
The Subtle Knife: His Dark Materials Book II - 9.5/10

I finished book 2 last night, and I'm starting book 3 today. I'm very excited about it all!