Sunday, September 21, 2008

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
Fantasy


The final book of His Dark Materials trilogy certainly leaves nothing back. It certainly wraps up this epic trilogy quite well. This book sees Will and Lyra joining forces with the polar bears, small men and women called Gallivespians, angels, and people to fight against the Church. Except Will and Lyra don't take instruction well and go off on their own to fight their own battles, including going into the world of the dead.

Meanwhile, the doctor that Lyra and Will met also sets out in an attempt to help the children in this multi-world battle. She comes to a world of people that are 4 legged creates with a diamond-shaped body and trunks who communicate with movement and different sounds. Once Dr. Malone learns to communicate with these creatures, she finds that they are distressed by an essential tree not growing like it used to, 300 years ago. She creates an amber spyglass to see what is happening to dust and try to save this civilization.

While in most series, the first book is the best and the second and third books aren't as good, this isn't the case with this series. Each book is as strong as the previous and the story is kept moving along. You care about the characters and want to see good triumph over evil. Although, I was unsure how I felt about Mrs. Coulter by the end of the book.

I am very happy that this series made the BBC Top 100 list because I never would have read these books otherwise. They were fabulous! It was page turning, imaginative, and entertaining. Plus, they weren't predictable. I highly recommend these books!


First Line: "In a valley shaded with rhododendrons, close to the snow line, where a stream milky with meltwater splashed and where doves and linnets flew among the immense pines, lay a cave, half-hidden by the crag above and the stiff heavy leaves that clustered below."


Rating:

(4.5/5)

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