"We're going to the land of the dead and we're going to come back" Will and Lyra, whose fates are bound together by powers beyond their own worlds, have been violently separated. But they must find each other, for ahead of them lies the greatest war that has ever been - and a journey to a dark place from which no-one has ever returned...
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Amazon Review
Philip Pullman brings The Amber Spyglass to the spellbinding His Dark Materials sequence, which dazzles everyone who reads it, children and adults alike. After the original Northern Lights, he kept up the quality in The Subtle Knife, the second title in the trilogy. Now he brings the series to an extraordinary conclusion. Will and Lyra, the two children at the heart of the books, have become separated amidst great dangers. Can they find each other, and their friends? Then complete their mysterious quest before it's too late? The great rebellion against the dark powers that hold Lyra's world, and many others, in thrall is nearing its climax. She and Will have crucial parts to play, but they don't know what it is that they must do, and terrible powers are hunting them down.
The pace of the book is compelling, the writing powerful. Pullman's plotting is intricate and cunning, surprising the reader again and again. Perhaps what is most striking of all, however, is the depth of the characterisation. Lord Asriel, Mrs Coulter, Iorek Byrnison the king of the armoured bears, a host of minor characters, most of all Will and Lyra themselves: the book is a library of beautifully drawn, remarkably convincing characters walking in worlds of marvels.
In this volume the cosmic dimensions of the story become more prominent, as a great conflict across many universes comes to a head--how well the narrative sustains such immensely weighty resonances is a question critics may well disagree on. The author's beliefs also come more into the open, and with them a polemic anti-religious theme that will please some readers and alienate others.
Philip Pullman's writing commands immense respect; more than that, it is raising the profile of the best children's books among adults, as demanding critics of all ages fall in love with this remarkable trilogy. --David Pickering --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
'This is fantasy for the millennium - fantasy at its most ambitious and most serious' - Times Educational Supplement
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 24 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
When reading the 1st 2 books of this trilogy i thought i would never read a better book in my entire life- that they could not be improved on in any way- but Phillip Pullman has just performed a miracle. This book is the most heart-wrenching, soul crushing book i have ever read and ever will read without a shadow of doubt. I experienced feelings so intense i never thought them possible- i had never imagined a love so passionate and all engulfing could possibly exist- its beyond anyones imagination and probably even pullmans before he wrote it. I would just like to say that whatever Phillip Pullman does with the rest of his life he should know that his life has definitely not been in vain- he has changed the life of many many people in this world- not least of all me. Since finishing this book i have become a much happier fulfilled person- although i was depressed and cried alot for a few days afterwards- the ending is so sad you can't imagine it until you have read it. It leaves you drained and all you can think is WHY? Why does life have to be so cruel- can life be so cruel? Can anyone love with that much might? Is it possible? Mind you the ending is totally different to what i expected. I don't think anyone could percieve it.If you have not read this book you are missing out on the book of your lifetime and the reading experience of a lifetime. It beats every book i have read, and thta includes Lord of the Rings and War and Peace, all the classics, not a patch on this. This comment does it no justice at all, its a masterpiece. All i can say is read it. The only flaw is any other book i ever read will seem like nothing in comparison, never will anything as good be written ever again. Its not possible. This book will still be the best book in history when the universe ends, and Phillip Pullmans name will go down in history as the greatest writer of all time.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
If you've read the first two books in the His Dark Materials trilogy and have been dying to read this one,you won't be disappointed! This book is a wonderful mixture of fantasy, adventure, and many more. Phillip Pullman is the master of suspense and manages to wrap the whole story round one idea. The two main characters are Lyra,who has the power to read the alethiometer,a strange object used to tell the future, and Will, who can use a fantastic knife which can cut through into other worlds. Together they go on an adventure through many different universes, meeting many friends and enemies on the way, including the mulefa, - creatures who can see Dark Matter, or Dust, - the tiny Gallivespians, Iorek Byrnison the armoured bear, and the deadly soul-eating spectres.The story has many surprises and you'll want to read it all in one sitting (I did!). This is a book for anyone aged ten or over. READ IT!!
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Let there be no qualms about this - "The Amber Spyglass" is an awe inspiring piece of fantasy literture, encaptulating every aspect that makes a good book for both adults and children; lovable characters, gripping plot and deep undercurrents for the more astute.
Reading through many of the reviews, there seems to be massive discourd over the way Pullman has apparently critisised Christianity. This is not so. Pullman, as far as I can see has no objections to religion (Christianity) but the way it has been institutionalised by the "Church", and what it/they has done to the base message of Christiainity - subverted it to their own devise.
This is summer up in the last few paragraphs where Pullman says, through Lyra, that the idea of a Kingdom of Heaven (ruled by God, with Eouchs etc) is ultimatly flawed, and that a much better idea would be a republic of heaven, with no Authority to watch over and control. In this, the moral views of Christianity would be upheld. For example, "be good to others" not because God will punish you if you don't, but because it's the right thing to do.
Anyway...kind of went off topic there...
Who ever you are, this is a book to read, and you can connect to it at any level you want - either an amazingly beautiful story, or a more thought provoking read on religious (and scientific) views/theories.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The unforgettable conclusion to an epic series, which remains uniquely...
Philip Pullman's HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy, which began with the outstanding `Northern Lights' (since made into a motion picture: The Golden Compass) is a simply stunning series. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Lucinda
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant ending to the Trilogy
So, this is the last(and longest) installment in the His Dark Materials Trilogy and every bit as heart wrenching as the first two, maybe even more heart wrenching. Read more
Published 21 days ago by Rebecca
2.0 out of 5 stars
Poor - mars the trilogy
The Amber Spyglass is the third and final part of the His Dark Materials trilogy. There are many many strands to the tale, too many to explain here and by not doing so I suppose... Read more
Published 27 days ago by Mr. J. M. Haines
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant Series, awesome last book
I literally cannot put this book down.
It is the last in the series, very sad times.
I read it before bed, on the way to work, during my lunch break whenever I get... Read more
It is the last in the series, very sad times.
I read it before bed, on the way to work, during my lunch break whenever I get... Read more
Published 2 months ago by jhorgan
1.0 out of 5 stars
Vastly overrated!
I have just struggled through to the end of this awful book, like a daemon trying to pull away from its human. Reading this was just as painful and nauseating. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Bic Parker
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rather good.
After reading the previous two books in the series I was expecting a good read and looking forward to a happy ending that tied everything together......... Read more
Published 4 months ago by jeffo
1.0 out of 5 stars
Incredibly disappointing end to the trilogy.
I absolutely loved 'Northern Lights' - one of the best things I've read, thought the 'Subtle Knife' wasn't as good but still a good read but this book was a terrible... Read more
Published 4 months ago by C. Goodall
1.0 out of 5 stars
Over-involved mishmash laced with bile
Afre I had finished this book, I threw the entire trilogy away. I felt that giving them or selling them to anyone would be doing them a disservice. Northern Lights is pretty good. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Enquirer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fabulous
I read the trilogy and thoroughly loved being transported into another world. I don't usually gravitate to this genre of fiction. But absolutely loved it. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Hazy days
3.0 out of 5 stars
Okay
The summary as written on line prepared one for this book. No great surprises. Enjoyable to read if this is your taste in literature
Published 6 months ago by pat neale
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