Editorial Review

In the epic trilogy His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman unlocks the door to worlds parallel to our own. Dæmons and winged creatures live side by side with humans, and a mysterious entity called Dust just might have the power to unite the universes--if it isn't destroyed first. The three books in Pullman's heroic fantasy series, published as mass-market paperbacks with new covers, are united here in one boxed set that includes Read more

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Reviews (529)

Wonderful novels, and deeply spiritual
These novels are wonderful: an astonishing concept, utterly believable characters, great plot-lines, and beautifully written.
after His Dark Materials.... (from my blog)
I cannot paraphrase the story in any way that would do it justice. Pullman is beyond me; the story was too rich, too powerful, too complex and subtle and ambitious, and it had to be to be equal to what I now sit here wishing I could convey to you.
A grand metaphysical journey with convincing characters and details
I just finished reading this grand trilogy to my kids, aged 8, 10, and 12.My wife ended up sitting in on almost the entire series, and all of us were riveted from Oxford to the World of the Dead and back again.These books are incredibly ambitious: they set out to stitch together a religio-political history of the multiverse with deep, informed reference to physics, religious history, adolescent psychology, Nietzschean heroism, etc. etc. etc.The result, as I read it, is one of the most compelling indictments of church and state ever written for a broad audience.Author Philip Pullman concludes, without didactic hamfistedness, that the first purpose of churches and governments is self-perpetuation through maintaining the ignorance of their adherents and citizens.The greatest wisdom and joy, in Pullman's worlds, comes of full, mortal, bodily engagement with the physical world per se: with domestic comforts, food, sex, art, aesthetic involvement, work well done, craft, cleverness, etc.The well-earned consciousness of a human adult, earned through Blakean experience, is the crowning moment of all creation.Antithetical to this wisdom and consciousness is dogmatic narowness, asceticism, monasticism, self-denial, narrowness of experience.
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Subjects:  1. Children's Books - Young Adult Fiction    2. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    3. Fantasy - Epic    4. General    5. Juvenile Fiction    6. Fiction / Fantasy / Epic   

Editorial Review

Some books improve with age--the age of the reader, that is. Such is certainly the case with Philip Pullman's heroic, at times heart-wrenching novel, Read more

Reviews (1264)

There are maybe... no, wait, I'm wrong.
There is nothing better than this, my all time favorite book. With great characters, and a wonderful plot, there is very little more a good reader could want. It has emotion, action, and still maintains great writing. You have a main character who is easy to fall in love with, for all her faults, and her other half, the other main character, who you also come to love with all your heart. The story keeps moving, and doesn't get boring for a second, because even in the less interesting parts, it's not boring, just less interesting than the brilliant other parts. The story itself is great and amazing, and every other synonym.
Interesting storyline
Fantasy not being my favorite, I found this one very good.I listened to it on audio CD, and it is read by a whole cast, not just one person doing different voices.A young girl is thrust into a harrowing adventure that she never expected.She lives in a world where each human has a demon, and civilization seems to be run by the "church".This story is very tense and exciting, going from one unexpected incident to the next with a very flowing narrative.

This's been my favorite book for 8 years
If you're an easily offended religious fanatic who's always looking for the vaguest insult or contradiction to your beliefs... I guess you shouldn't read this. (Actually, you could probably read this one and just skip the sequels.)
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Children's Books - Young Adult Fiction    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12)    4. Fantasy    5. Fiction    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Kidnapping    8. Missing persons    9. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    10. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Editorial Review

Attention all serious book collectors and fans ofPhilip Pullman'sRead more

Reviews (48)

A Bon Bon for Readers of HIS DARK MATERIALS
It is after the events told in the HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy. Lyra Belacqua (now Lyra Silvertongue) is back in the Oxford of her world -- the one with Jordan College and a zeppelin station and personal daemons.
Short and Sweet
It is a condensed version of Lyra's thrill-seeking mannerism. She is still the same girl that was caught in a turmoil caused by her own parents some years back - an aggressive child with a lot of wits about her. The story is simple and there are extra materials that come with the book that will keep a child's curiosity honed and satisfied. Even with a tiny adventure Mr. Pullman succeeds in entering enough trickery to hold his readers' attention. Not including the additional reading material, the book could be finished under three hours. Nevertheless, the narration is still interesting and the book fits in a pocket easily.

can't wait for the book of dust!
until then, this will have to do!the people who complain about it's shortness and the apparant randomness of it's contents need to read the beginning of the book where it is explained that these things may have something to do with things to come.
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Subjects:  1. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - Fantasy    2. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    3. Fantasy    4. Fiction    5. General    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Oxford (England)    8. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    9. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Editorial Review

"Her name was Sally Lockhart; and within fifteen minutes, she was goingto kill a man." Philip Pullman begins his Sally Lockhart trilogy with a bang inRead more

Reviews (147)

The Ruby In The Smoke
The Ruby In the Smoke is a good mystery, and exactly what I would expect from Pullman. The characters are intriguing, and the sudden deaths make it very suspenseful. I felt very connected with Jim and Adelaide, as they showed quite a bit of personality. A good book is one in that you can't tell whether or not a person is actually good or will betray sometime.
The Ruby in the Smoke, July 14, 2006
Philip Pullman has created a new character that readers can empathize with and root for during this suspenseful mystery.Sally Lockhart is a sixteen year old orphan girl that receives a strange note about the death of her father.As soon as she begins her investigation, more deaths occur.Sally becomes entangled in a web of mystery involving murder, illegal opium trading, and a stolen ruby.Sally has many nightmares, which she is unable to understand until she uncovers more pieces of the puzzle.The suspense builds as new characters are continually brought into the mystery, making it difficult to know who can be trusted.
Some of the most realistic charcters you will ever have the pleasure of reading about...
I shall admit that upon reading some of these reviews I felt my heart sink, for I believed this book better then those of His Dark Materials - if that is even possible.
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Action & Adventure - General    3. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - Mystery    4. Fiction    5. Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories    6. Mystery and detective stories    7. Orphans    8. Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure   

Editorial Review

From the very start of its very first scene, Read more

Reviews (779)

The most uneven, least compelling, and most macabre entry in the trilogy
The Golden Compass was an exciting, straightforward adventure. The Subtle Knife introduced more characters and more storylines. The Amber Spyglass, the third and final installment, is the most complex and sophisticated of the books, but it is also the least compelling (and the most macabre).
Started great, ended terrible-- read Eoin Colfer Supernaturalists instead!
Great first 2 books, absolutely amazing. The last one got weird and nasty and depressing and anti-religious for no good reason I could see, and the series ended badly.So... if you want to read something as good as the first two books in Pullman's series, read Eoin Colfer's the Supernaturalists instead.

Gets tangled in its own feet.
I loved the first two books in the trilogy. I was expecting to love this one. I did not. What happened?
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - Fantasy    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12)    5. Fantasy fiction    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Juvenile Science Fiction / Fantasy    8. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    9. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Editorial Review

With Read more

Reviews (581)

The story continues...
The 'Subtle Knife' is the second book in Pullman's His Dark MAterial trilogy. The story of Lyra continues in the book, picking up where 'The Golden Compass' leaves off. To begin, this book would be hard to follow if the reader has not read the preceding volume. There are characters and story lines in 'The Subtle Knife' that began in 'The Golden Compass'. I believe this book would be a bit confusing and the reader would not enjoy it as much without the preceding book.
Lyra, new adventures, another mission and more friends...
"The subtle knife" is the second book in Phillip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" triology. The first book in the series is "The golden compass". If you haven't read it, don't continue reading this review because it has some spoilers. In case you have read "The golden compass", and are understandably eager to know how the story continues, I will give you some hints.
Excellent Sequel
Few sequels live up to the predecessor, but THE SUBTLE KNIFE does exactly that. In this volume, Pullman dives deeper into the themes,settings and characters presented in THE GOLDEN COMPASS. As in the first installment, the setting is well realized and the emotions are deftly rendered. As inall of Pullman's works,the characters are vibrant and engaging, and will leave an inprint on readers memories. I can only hope the third book will be as good as the first two.
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Subjects:  1. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General    2. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    3. Fantasy    4. Juvenile Fiction    5. Science Fiction / Fantasy (Young Adult)    6. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    7. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Editorial Review

Six years after solving the mysteries surrounding the death of herfather (in Read more

Reviews (76)

Not ultimately satisfying
Having read the HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy, I turned to this, the first so-called "Sally Lockhart" novel I have read, but the second in the series.There's a complex plot which, in its final analysis, doesn't make a whole lot of sense. There's a strange, irrational mixture of the supernatural and the mundane. There are two important female characters that are not brought to any kind of life, so that they are fundamentally voids in the page: Sally and Isabel. There's a villain who always seems to think two or three steps ahead of our (apparently nearly completely mindless) heroes, who basically just sit around or parade around waiting for someone to try to kill them, or succeed in killing them.And the villain himself is vanquished by a moronic, suicidal strategy that wouldn't trick or disarmeven a tiny child in our universe. Precisely all these problems are also found everywhere in the DARK MATERIALS trilogy, so I suspect these problems will be found in all the books Pullman has written.
Shadow in the North
Pullman, Philip. (1986). Shadow in the North.
Not at all what I expected
This book was a disappointing sequel to The Ruby in the Somke, which was excellent. This second book lacked the plot coherency of the first andthe characters were far less likeable.
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - Mystery    3. Fiction    4. Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories    5. Mystery and detective stories    6. Romance - Historical    7. Romance: Historical    8. Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure   

Reviews (47)

A delightful book!
This was my favorite of the Sally Lockhart books. The plot was fascinatingly real, and the ending was fast-paced and exciting. I really enjoyed the interrelated plots of Sally's predicament and the Jewish immigrant story. They were seamlessly combined to create an outstanding read.
Best of the Trilogy
I stayed up until 3 a.m. reading this book on a night before I had to go to work. It was worth every minute: a page-turning thriller that would put any of the "adult" novels of the genre to shame.

Interesting portrait of immigrants in Victorian England
This book is quite different from the previous Sally Lockhart Mysteries for a couple of reasons: The story really doesn't involve the characters we'd come to know and enjoy in The Ruby in the Smoke and The Shadow in the North, with the exception of Sally herself. It seems to be more of a political/social history of the "Jewish Question" and the prejudices of and persecutions by the lower classes against the new immigrants from eastern Europe who came to settle and build a new life for themselves in London. Too, the identity of the Tzaddik was pretty transparent. I figured out who it was less than half-way through the book. Now I'm not saying it wasn't a good, fast-paced, exciting read...it was. I just think it was different and less of a YA type novel than the previous two. I think older YA readers (and adults) would be able to understand it more than the younger ones. It's a shame Mr. Pullman didn't continue with the Sally Lockhart series after The Tiger in the Well. I learned quite a bit about the times and the people of 19th Century London and am interested in learning more. Fortunately, I just received a copy of George MacDonald Fraser's latest novel Flashman on the March from amazon.uk. so I can continue my education about Victorian England and laugh at the misadventures of Sir Harry as he lies, cheats, and tries to get as far away from anything that hints of danger as possible...unless there is a beautiful woman somewhere to be pursude, wooed, and abandoned. Tally ho! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Action & Adventure - General    3. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - Mystery    4. England    5. Fiction    6. Jews    7. Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories    8. Mystery and detective stories    9. Animals    10. Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure    11. Lockhart, Sally (Fictitious character)    12. London (England)   

Reviews (2)

A powerful blend of science and magic
This is one of the most powerful fantasy stories since Lord of the Rings. Blending science and magic, myth and even theology into a complex and thrilling adventure story that takes the reader on a journey through worlds that are both strange and familiar. Lyra and Will are two endearing heroes and Lyra's daemon is a wonderful creature, not a pet, but part of her soul. This is imaginative fiction at its very best, with rich characters, exciting conflicts and a story building towards a grand and thought-provoking climax. Heartily recommended to anybody who likes to become absorbed in their reading. Like Harry Potter, Mortal Engines or Hecate's Child, you might not notice time passing as you read it!

A good read
I found this triolgy to be very good, well written, and good characters. But at times, the story was long drawn out, pullman tried to gain suspense through complex details, but by the time he finishes a scene, its been stretched to the point that all the action leaks out. Overall, a very good book, but not excellent. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    2. Fantasy   

Reviews (1)

Pullman's genius again.
I was so shocked by the fact no one has yet reviewed this book I had to review it myself.This is by far one of my favorite books written.I love the way Pullman sets the tragic love story with one misfortune after another.I'm not sure how many times I've re-read it, but it brings me to tears each time.I cannot recommend it highly enough.If you haven't read Pullman's His Dark Materials, this too is worth your time.You can't spend a better [$]. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    2. Adventure stories    3. Teenage romance   

Reviews (36)

"There's Three Men I Might Have Loved..."
"The Tin Princess" is the forth book in the Sally Lockhart series - though it doesn't actually star Sally herself. Perhaps a better description of this book would be to call it a spin-off, as it is has several characters from the previous Sally books as its protagonists, and solves a mystery that has been brewing since book one. In the first book "The Ruby in the Smoke," a young street waif named Adelaide Bevan disappeared into the streets of London, and only now has she been found. Readers who may be unwilling to continue with this series due to the absence of Sally are instead rather forced to - it's the only way to find out what happened to that young girl.
A Complete and Utter Letdown -- Deserves Zero Stars
It is difficult for me to believe that the author who wrote such wonderfully rich books as "The Ropemaker" and the "His Dark Materials" trilogy could write such drivel as "The Tin Princess."Pullman's artistic ability is apparent in his descriptions of political intrigues and cunning plots, but these wonderful descriptions are sadly hidden by the boring, monotonous, one-dimensional characters.Adelaide's coldness, selfishness, and almost shrewish behavior makes it impossible to believe that she could be so beloved by everyone in this novel.Becky, the one character in the book that could have had potential, is shunted to the side and allowed only to play the part of the eager sidekick whose only purpose is to serve the main character. Is there more?
When my ex-husband went to London, he brought back the Sally Lockhart Trilogy, along wih the Tin Princess for our twelve year old daughter. I just finished the Tin Princess and although I really liked them all, I don't really feel that they are appropriate for a child. The love making and the various accompanying emotions are irrelevant to them. I would, however be interested to find out if there is another addition to the series that I might read. I felt let down at the end and thought that this did not resolve everything...what a cliff-hanger! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Action & Adventure - General    3. Adventure and adventurers    4. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General    5. Fiction    6. Social Issues - Friendship    7. Social Situations - Friendship    8. Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure   

Reviews (13)

The Australian Lewis Carroll?
This book is part of the wonderful new series of republished children's books from the New York Review of Books.Over 80 years old, "The Magic Pudding" describes the adventures of a koala bear, named Bunyip Bluegum - the kind of koala who wears a high collar and spats - who falls in with a crazy cowboy sort of fellow named Bill Barnacle and a penguin named Sam Sawnoff.
Like Roald Dahl's books? You'll love The Magic Pudding.
The Magic Pudding is a fun-and-nonsense tale that has become my nine-year-old son's favorite book.It deserves to be published in the US so that American children can enjoy what has become a classic in Australian children's literature.If you enjoy Roald Dahl's books, "The Phantom Tollbooth," and "Alice in Wonderland" you'll enjoy this.

A magically funny story
Bunyip Bluegum the Koala leaves home because he can't stand the sight of his uncle's whiskers in the soup any more.He meets Barnacle Bill the sailor and Sam Sawnoff the penguin, who own a remarkable pudding.Every time you cut a slice from the pudding, another one grows in its place, you can eat as much as you like, the pudding lasts forever.What's more, you can change the pudding to any kind you like, it can be steak and kidney or plum duff or jam roly poly.The pudding is apt to get discontented and starts complaining if it isn't eaten enough.Such a desirable pudding is naturally at constant risk from pudding thieves, and the three friends have their work cut out trying to outwit the sneaky Possum and Wombat who are always trying to steal it.This is a very funny story with lots of action and a great many fights, it should appeal to anyone who likes humorous fantasy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Animals    2. Australia    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 3-4    5. Fantasy    6. Fiction    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Puddings    9. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    10. Juvenile Fiction / General    11. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic   

Reviews (5)

Delightful Book!
Mr.Pandolfo sits down one day and decides to make a scarecrow.But the night he sets it out it is stolen and carried from place to place. Lightning strikes the scaercrow, mysteriously bringing him to life. He finds an orphan boy named Jack, and the scarecrow and his new friend set out for adventure.
A terrific light read
I too wasn't a big fan of Pullman's work for older readers, but this is really charming.

Weird , Strange, Illogical . . . but Irresistibly Cute :]
To tell the truth, I'm not much of a fan of His Dark Materials Trilogy. I felt it was a little too dark, especially because it's considered children's material. But the name Philip Pullman still has been carved (possibly for eternity) in my memory, so when I saw this book in the New Arrivals, I had to pick it up.
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Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Adventure and adventurers    3. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - General    4. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    5. Children: Grades 4-6    6. Fiction    7. Humorous Stories    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Scarecrows    10. Juvenile Fiction / Humorous Stories   

Reviews (69)

Well this book is great but...
So I get this "new for you" email from Amazon...a new His Dark Materials book and about plotzed. Only to discover its the original UK title. C'mon Amazon, get it together...I get enough garbage in my email.

Nietzsche for Children
This entire series is intellectually challenging, yet ethically very disturbing.Any youngster below the age of 12 or 13 needs an adult grounded in his or her own philosophy/theology of life with whom to discuss it.There are many frightening situations that can be wonderful grounds for discussion of good, evil,and the gray in between. However,left to their own devices, highly impressionable and imaginative children who are reading beyond their years might find much to persuade them in these books that few adults, even especially those closest to them, are to be trusted, and that life on this lonely planet is the end of the road.Whether this is the parental view or not, no child who hasn't developed the capacity to make a sharp differentiation between fact and fiction should be left to wonder alone.Read it WITH your child, if indeed they tend to read above grade level and get really "into" what they read.

A lot better than Harry Potter
The story is all about a young girl called Lyra who is trying to save her friend, Roger, from a terrible fate. There is also a team of scientists conducting unimaginable experiments which she must stop! This griping tale of witches, armoured bears and more will leave you fastened to your seat, ridged with excitement. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    2. Fantasy   

Editorial Review

"I might have occupied my mind usefully with Improving Thoughts, but the only improvement I could imagine then was a pair of wings, to enable me to fly to freedom. And, of course, a Head for Heights. I cleaned the dust from the window and peered out hopefully, but there was nothing but a Horrid Precipice, with jagged crags several thousands of feet below." Such are the woes of young Charlotte, locked in a tower room of her uncle's gloomy Castle Karlstein in 19th-century Switzerland. Escaping this predicament seems the least of her worries: in a solemn blood pact, her evil uncle, Count Karlstein, has promised to sacrifice his two orphaned nieces, Lucy and Charlotte, to Zamiel the Demon Huntsman--on midnight of All Souls' Eve--in return for his current riches.Read more

Reviews (25)

Witty gothic satire but not Pullman's best
A parody of gothic melodramas,COUNT KARLSTEIN, could beconfusing to the presumed target audience of upper elementary and middle schoolers.The book is told from the viewpoint of several different people and Pullman's writing here is not as well delineated as in his later books.Lots of characters are quickly introduced and I found myself thumbing back to remind myself exactly who was who, especially in the beginning chapters.The plot is over the top and exciting with lots of fun surprisesrevealed in the closing chapters if the reader is patient enough to wade through the rather cumbersome beginning.

Count Karlstein Review
I thought this book was quite good. I liked the uniqueness of it. Not many books are told from more than one person's point of view. Pullman did a good job of not straying away to some other plot with the characters. They all kept to the story. The setting was in mountains in Switzerland. I'd never read a book set there. Pullman did a great job describing it.
wow
It is 19th century Switzerland.Two young sisters, Charlotte and Lucy, are under the watch of Count Karlstein.The young girls' parents died when they were very little; the count was their only relative.He is a mean, cranky old thing and has a very haunting effect to his personality.The whole thing started long, long ago.The count made a deal with Zamiel, the demon hunter, to sacrifice 2 human souls to him in order to keep his own soul and all his riches.So guess whom Count Karlstein chooses- that's right, his annoying little nieces.(They're actually quite sweet; he's just scared he might die if he doesn't sacrifice someone so he resents them.)Hildi, a maid