Will Parry's father entrusts him with a mission: deliver the powerful and dangerous knife in his possession to Lord Asriel. A war is brewing, and it is essential he deliver it soon. But how can he do so without Lyra? Lyra is missing, and Will knows he must find her before the two great powers of the worlds unleash open warfare.
465 pages. Book #3 in the His Dark Materials trilogy.
Lyra finds herself in another world, this one known as Cittagazze, where Spectres haunt the streets, hunting for adults or those nearing adulthood, and the distant beat of angel wings can be heard in the air. There she meets Will Parry, fleeing from his world after taking another's life, and they become allies. As they move from one realm to another, nearing their destiny, they discover a weapon with extraordinary and fearsome power.
370 pages. Book #2 in the His Dark Materials trilogy.
Lyra is seeking hurried passage to the freezing North, land of witch clans and armored bears, where her friend Roger has been taken hostage by Gobblers. Her brilliant, formidable uncle is also far North, attempting to build a bridge to a parallel world. There is a link between all the children who have suddenly disappeared and this bridge, and only Lyra can put a stop to all of it.
399 pages. Book #1 in the His Dark Materials trilogy.
"Will is the bearer of the knife. Now, accompanied by angels, his task is to deliver that powerful, dangerous weapon to Lord Asriel - by the command of his dying father.
But how can he go looking for Lord Asriel when Lyra is gone? Only with her help can he fathom the myriad plots and intrigues that beset him.
The two great powers of the many worlds are lining up for war, and Will must find Lyra, for together they are on their way to battle, an inevitable journey that will even take them to the world of the dead..."
This book might be my favorite of the trilogy. I loved seeing Dr Malone interacting with the new world and exploring their language and culture. The heartbreaking moments were so well done, I wanted to hold Pantalaimon and tell him it will be okay and the ending wrecked me. Listening to the author read the Audiobook version was amazing and I always love when they have a voice cast for the characters. Definitly would recommend to anyone who enjoys adventure and audiobooks.
"Lost in a new world, Lyra finds Will—a boy on the run, a murderer—a worthy and welcome ally. For this is a world where soul-eating Specters stalk the streets and witches share the skies with troops of angels.
Each is searching—Lyra for the meaning of Dark Matter, Will for his missing father—but what they find instead is a deadly secret, a knife of untold power. And neither Lyra nor Will suspects how tightly their lives, their loves, and their destinies are bound together... until they are split apart."
This series is really starting to feel more like a science-fiction adventure. Lyra hops to different dimensions that are similar to each other, but have different rules. She meets another boy, Will, who is also moving between dimensions on a different quest. But they both work together as their ultimate goals are related to an epic war that is about to begin once again. They keep hinting at the origins of this war and more powerful artifacts that only they can use are appearing. I do miss the characters left behind in the first book, I hope a particular bear re-appears in the final book!
"Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal--including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world.
Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want--but what Lyra doesn't know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other."
I am not sure if this fits in the genre of Science Fiction or Fantasy as elements from both were blended together in this book. I read this when I was younger but re-reading it I pick up on more details. I think this book could be enjoyed by both children and adults, though it is geared towards a younger audience. The audiobook was amazing with the host of great voice actors and the narrator's voice is so soothing I fell asleep listening a few times.
I love Will. And I love how much he loves Lyra.. He protect. I'm fine. I'm just going to focus on that and not all of the....yeah.
So I definitely am liking The Subtle Knife better than The Golden Compass.
I wish my brain wasn't constantly trying to figure out how this world worked...because my Catholic theology is like "that is not correct."