Monday, February 27, 2006

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

Aeeeiiiieee! This guy really knows how to end a book. I am very glad indeed that I didn't discover this trilogy while it was still in the process of being written, because the wait between books right now is agonizing enough (and it looks like the final two books were published 3 years apart!)... I am forcing myself to wake up, take notice of the world around me, and take care of a few mundane tasks like feeding my children and washing dishes before I move on to the final book, The Amber Spyglass.

What can I say about the actual content of this book that wouldn't give away any of this perfectly splendid story? Well, I can tell you that it picks right up where The Golden Compass left off, and doesn't pause for breath at all. To quote one of the reviews on the back cover, this book has "scene upon scene of almost unbearable tension." Talk about keeping you on the edge of your seat!

In this book, Lyra is joined by a boy, Will, from "our" world, who stumbles upon a portal into yet a third world where he meets Lyra and the two children begin to walk together on the still obscure path of their joint destiny. There's the same mix of fantasy, theology, science and just plain great storytelling that made The Golden Compass so incredibly compelling. Could I possibly use any more superlative adjectives here?

Wow.

I have got to go do the dishes now so I can go read the next one.

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