His Dark Materials Reread: Joint Review of The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman

Welcome to the next post in the His Dark Materials Reread with me and Britt from Please Feed the Bookworm.  Britt and I decided we wanted to do a reread of the series because it had been awhile since we had read the books after we heard that BBC is making a TV show out them. So the reread was born! We have a bunch of great stuff planned including these joint review, mood board, and more. If you didn't get a chance to see our review of The Golden Compass, you can check it here.

Britt and I both decided to listen to the audiobook again because we liked it so much the first time. And because the joint review went so well the first time with the conversational format we decide to do that again instead of a traditional review. Hope you enjoy. And don't forget to come back every Monday for more content from the reread and check out my crossover recommendations if you enjoy this series.

But before you do that, check out our joint review of The Subtle Knife....

Title: The Subtle Knife Series: His Dark Materials #2 Written By: Phillip Pullman  Published: July, 1997 by Knopf (Random House) (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible) Synopsis: Will is twelve years old and he's just killed a man. Now he's on his own, on the run, determined to discover the truth about his father disappearance.  Then Will steps through a window in the air into another world, and finds himself with a companion - a strange, savage little girl called Lyra. Like Will, she has a mission which she intends to carry out at all costs.  But the world of Cittàgazze is a strange and unsettling place. Deadly, soul-eating Spectres stalk in its streets, while high above, the wingbeats of distant angels sound against the sky. And in the mysterious Torre degli Angeli lurks Cittàgazze's most important secret - an object which people from many worlds would kill to posses.

So how long has it been since you first read the book? 

B: Hmmmm. I was preggers with my son so it had to be 2010.

C: I read it immediately after finishing The Golden Compass, so seven years ago.

What did you think about the book when you read it the first time? 

C: I loved it just as much as I loved The Golden Compass. I think it’s a really great expansion of the series and the world. Plus the way this one ended is really what hooked me on the series.

B: I wanted to pinch myself in the face. After the first book in 1997 I never continued since I chalked this series up to being childish and this book proves it is anything but.

C: Yes, anything but a kids book. I can't believe how serious things get in this book. I read it at a time where I was mostly reading Literary Fiction and it made me realize that YA and MG could be just as complex.

Do you like it more or less than the first book in the series? 

C: Probably about the same amount. I love the way it ends but along the way I think there are less interesting parts. There is a lot more exposition and new characters which is really interesting but I miss the action and for some reasons the stakes don’t feel as high to me. I think maybe it takes more time to get to the “good stuff.”

B: This is a really a tough call for me. I think Cassi hit the nail on the head. There is a TON more info to get so that always takes some time. It is all done in a really great manner. I think this might be my fav by a tiny smidge more because Will is just a fantastic character. He is totally the quiet calm to Lyra’s storm. It's kind of like a bomb goes off and blows this plot wide open. What you thought was happening in The Golden Compass is just the trendiest top of the iceberg.i know Cassi loves Will as much as I do.

What’s your favorite part? 

B: *see below* Once again my girl nailed it. The ending is just killer. There is kind of this kind of crescendo that makes you want to just keep on reading (or listening) which is exactly what I did. :-)

C: The ending. I’m still not over how it ended! The last couple chapters are super intense and so much happens in such a small amount time. It just really escalates and has this huge ending with crazy twists and emotional moments and oh man I had so many feels. Like I said this is when I really got hooked on the series. It’s so freaking epic.

Do you have a least favorite part? 

C: Maybe the stuff in Citta’gazze. There are so many trips there and really only one of them is interesting. I mean I like that it’s the place where Will and Lyra meet but other than that I could do without it. And I know I should find the Spectres scary or interesting but I don’t really.

B: One name that I despise….Mrs. Coulter. She is a total “C” word….. Cotton headed ninny muggins.

In this book the characters use the subtle knife to move between worlds. If you had a subtle knife what world would you visit? 

C: The obvious answer for me is Hogwarts. I would definitely want to visit there so if I could use use it to get there I would definitely want to go. Or maybe Luthadel from the Mistborn series but that’s mostly because I want to do allomancy.

B: Well after going with Cassi to Hogwarts and drinking our fill of butterbeer I would take a tour of Narnia. Also Westeros perhaps but I would have to find a dragon first. Ohhhhh and of course I would then move myself permanently to Wonderland. Sense is such nonsense.

So which world so you think you would reside in Cassi? 

B: I'd like to think I would come from Lyra’s Oxford. I think I just really want a daemon. Knowing my luck I'd end up in Citta’gazze with the soul sucking specters.

C: I want a daemon too. Being from Lyra’s Oxford would be amazing but I doubt I would be that lucky either. I’d probably be from that other world that Lord Asriel is in. He’d plotting to take over the world and doing other evil things for good reasons and I’d be like, “hey maybe, don’t do that? Your call though.”

Any new characters that you like or want to talk about? 

C: Will. I love Will so much. When he was first introduced I was fangirling so much. He and Lyra are so different which is why I think they work so well together. Lyra is so emotional sometimes where Will is more calculating and cautious. But they look out for one another and help the other person get out of the hard places they’ve gotten themselves into.

B: See I told you she loves Will as much as I do! Def him. Of course I am really loving my Lee Scorsby and his daemon rabbit Hester. I don't like him as much on the audio as I did in the book though. I also and very drawn to Stanislaus Grumann. He has led such an interesting life and where he started to where he ended up was quite a journey.

C: Yes, Grumann is so interesting. I loved meeting him and learning about his past. He’s a character I forgot about entirely and it was a really great to meet him all over again.

What about the characters from the first book? They’re still awesome right? 

C: Oh totally. Lyra is just as wonderful here. She’s definitely a little vulnerable at times which I like. She’s always a little bit at risk but here I think the difference is that she is in a vulnerable position because of her own mistake. I love a heroine who’s not perfect and that’s Lyra. Plus like Britt mentioned earlier, Mrs. Coulter is still evil and manipulative and I love to hate her.

B: Even more so!

What did you think about the audiobook? 

C: It was so perfect again. Full cast man, that’s where it’s at. Will was perfect. Like I instantly loved the actor who plays him. He absolutely understood Will for me. I also really like the voice for Grumann and Mary Malone.

B: I agree the only person I am not too thrilled with is Lee, but I think it's in my interpretation. I wanted his Texan accent to be a bit more spot on. I am not loving Iorek. How do you feel about his actor Cassi?

C: I agree. I think maybe I’m used to Lee now but I definitely wanted him to sound more southern in the first one. Also it’s hard for me because I think that Sam Elliott who plays him in the movie for The Golden Compass is so perfect that anyone else almost doesn't work.

So this was a reread, did you get more out of the book? Notice things you missed the first time? 

B: I am blown away by how complex this book truly is. We are teetering on the edge of some seriously personnel topics such as theology and spirituality and dare I say religion. There was at least 3 huge plot lines that slipped my mind.

C: Always. I notice with all the rereads I have done lately that I always forget most of what happens in the second book. I remembered so little about this book and it was almost like I was experiencing it for the first time which was really cool. Like there’s a big reveal that happens about two-thirds of the way in maybe and I forgot about it completely so when there was a clue that reminded me I was so excited.

Excited for the last book in the series? 

B: I couldn't stop reading so yes! I only meant to listened a bit and needed up 5 hours in immediately after finishing TSK. This is where things get crazy

C: YES! Oh my god, yes! The way this book ended I need to keep reading. I can’t wait for the ending.

There you have it. Or review of The Subtle Knife. I hope you all enjoyed it. These joint reviews are so much fun and I hope you all are liking it as much as we are. Be sure to head over to Please Feed the Bookworm and show Britt some love too. Don't forget to come back next week for the next review and more fun stuff after that. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Celebrating Banned Books Week with Before I Blogged I Read: His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman

(I first saw the idea of Before I Blogged I Read from Jamie at Perpetual Page Turner)

I'm sure that many of you know that this week is "Banned Books Week" here in the US. The week where we celebrate all those books that get challenged for their content and themes which are "unsuitable" and should therefore not be taught in schools or even for sale according to some people. Many of the books which have shaped my upbringing and view of the world are in fact "banned books" so for today's Throwback Thursday and in honor of Banned Books Week I have decided to review one of my favorite banned books/series...

The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman (Published 1995 by Scholastic UK) 

Amazon Goodreads

The Subtle Knife by Phillip Pullman (Published 1997 by Scholastic UK) 

Amazon Goodreads

The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman (Published 200 by Scholastic UK) 

Amazon Goodreads

His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman. You may also know this as The Northern Lights trilogy or by the first book in the series which became a movie, The Golden Compass. It is an incredible Middle Grade/Young Adult Fantasy series with interesting and complicated characters, a thrilling and mysterious plot, and a complex and interesting world that develops with each passing book.

One of the things I love about this series is that with each book it takes on a very different tone as it explores a different subgenre or trope in Fantasy novels. In The Golden Compass the series seems like it's your typical YA/MG High Fantasy adventure story. Our plucky heroine Lyra Belacqua goes on a mission to find her lost friend with the help of some interesting and unlikely characters (more on them later). Then at the end of the book we are left with a cliffhanger. This leads us to book 2, The Subtle Knife, which takes a more Science Fiction feel as it takes place in multiple worlds. Then in the final book in the series, The Amber Spyglass, we get the end of the world epic fantasy vibes that the Fantasy genre has been known for. But this is not your typical story of good versus evil.

Much of this series breaks with the fantasy tradition of good and evil and nothing communicates this more than the characters. What you would usually think of as an evil entity is good in this series like witches and a race of militarized bears (seiously the armored bears are totally kickass!) are supportive and helpful to our heroine and her goals. And those that you would usually think of as good are the more diabolical entities in this world like angels and the Magisterium, the church like entity in the world. And then there are the individual characters, many of whom walk the line between right and wrong and your opinion of them changes often throughout the series. Most, if not all, of these characters are manipulative and care more about their own self-interests than those who they claim to love and care about. In the first book the best example of this is Mrs. Coulter & Lord Asriel who use Lyra to prove their points in their church versus state argument and their science versus religion argument. They put her in all kinds of compromising positions and even attempt to turn her against the other person. Then later in the series we have Balthamas and Baruch, angels who are doing the same thing yet interestingly enough, to characters who had previously been the manipulators. And I can't even begin to talk about the dubiousness about the god-like entity in this series (I'll attempt to later).

Even the main characters, Lyra and Will, are far from perfect. Lyra, the ultimate heroine of the series, is your typical strong female characters. When we first meet her she is a tomboy who would rather be running around the roof with the gyptian children than being a proper "young lady." She is intelligent and curious but she often uses her quick thinking skills to manipulate people and is a notorious liar. Her lies and manipulations do get her out of many a tricky situation that her impulsiveness got her into in the first place. Her Hero's Journey in this series actually leads to more corruption than anything else. It all makes her rather dubious and you guys know how I feel about dubious characters. Will on the other hand is arguably Lyra's polar opposite (comment if you get that pun). He is honest and kind and unlike Lyra who is in a perpetual state of childhood, he has had to grow up too quickly. He has a strong sense of right and wrong but still often does things that breaks with his moral code. But as they say opposites attract and I totally ship Lyra and Will. They are great well-rounded characters that make this series interesting.

Lyra being careless and Pan changing shape!

What is perhaps the most interesting thing about this series however is the world. The Golden Compass begins in a High Fantasy version of Oxford. It's a steampunk kind of Victorian world with zeppelins and interesting gadgets that run via a supernatural force. But there are also daemons! And I don't mean this is the usual sense of the word (just another dichotomy in this sereies). This is the absolute coolest thing about Lyra's world. Every person has their soul manifested as a talking animal that follows you around. As a child your daemon changes shape and then when you become a teenager is settles into something that best represents you. Lyra's daemon Pan is not only one of her best friends but also tries to act like her conscience throughout a lot of the series. As the series goes on we learn more about the larger world. We see how it's connected to our world and we travel between worlds to some interesting places. And then there's this world's view of the afterlife. It is reminiscent of Greek mythological views on the subject and the storyline that takes place there are quite creepy and interesting.

But that probably explains the plot of this book pretty well, interesting and enthralling but quite creepy. I've already given a little explanation about each of the books in the series and some of it's themes. What this series does really well is combine classic fantasy adventure with mystery and plot twists and larger themes about humanity and society.Throughout most of the book, as the reader, you are easily along for the ride as Lyra and later Will go on their missions to save someone or something. You enjoy exploring the world and meeting new characters. But along the way there are so many questions about what is happening in the world and why. It is all a little unsettling at times as it makes you question what you thought was good and real about society as you know it. Phillip Pullman throws in ingenious plot twist after ingenious plot twist keeping you on your toes and questioning things. There's a great sense of mystery with the adventure of the series.

But the really interesting and unsettling thing about the plot and themes of this series is the reasons why it is listed among the banned and challenged books, its themes about science versus religion, biblical allegories, and criticism of organized religion. Lyra is this prophecized girl who will bring about the downfall of the Magesterium, a religious and governmental entity in her world who we learn throughout the series is doing some not so great things in the name of their religion. It definitely takes a very critical look on the subject of religion, pointing out it's flaws and making it and even the higher power working in the world the ultimate antagonist of the story. Pullman expertly crafts an antagonist out of something you usually see as being positive. It's sort of the ultimate contradiction where you are rooting for a person who is probably doing something not very good and while it is unsettling to think you support them, they really do seem to have the right idea. Part of Lyra's prophecy is that she is a "second Eve" or the "betrayer" that will lead to "an end of death" or a sort of second original sin. It is definitely the kind of book that could offend someone who is more religious. However when taken on it's storytelling and as a fantasy novel, it's quite incredible.

I give the His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman series 9.5 out of 10

It's a complex and interesting series with complex and dubious characters, a creative and engaging world, and a interesting and mysterious plot that combines fantasy elements with a criticism of society and religion.

Have you read His Dark Materials? What did you think? If you could have a daemon what form would it take? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. If you haven't read His Dark Materials (or even if you have) tell me what is your favorite banned book? Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!