His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

4 1/2 STARS

A classic series for all occasions! His Dark Materials is a wonderfully written trilogy beginning with The Golden Compass – yes, there was a terrible movie adaption – and followed by The Subtle Knife and the finale, The Amber Spyglass. The delicious plot Pullman spins throughout the trilogy is streaked with darkness and nail-biting adventure. Pullman has wound tinges of Christianity into the novels, which have been extremely controversial. However, he is never explicit. For those who may take offence to any sort of religious criticism, it is best to read the book for what it is: a fantasy novel. And it is just that, fantastical.

The Golden Compass follows a young girl, Lyra Belacqua, who was brought up in the secluded world of Jordan College, in Oxford, England. Her uncle, Lord Asriel, has discovered a strange particle called Dust. But, the Magisterium – the powerful Church-like organization – believes that Dust is related to the Original Sin. 
For some reason, Dust is less attracted to children than it is to adults. Thus, the Magisterium begins conducting experiments in the North, carried out by the Magisterium’s scientists. To find out why children are less attractive to Dust – and to keep them from acquiring it – the Magisterium kidnaps young children and their daemons. Daemons are what we would call familiars. Everyone has a daemon, but it seems as though they attract Dust as well. When Lyra is entrusted to a woman named Mrs. Coulter, Lyra begins to understand exactly what is afoot. Armed with a rare “alethiometer” – a “truth teller” – in the shape of a golden pocket watch, Lyra begins her journey to fight in a multi-dimensional battle.

It is a brilliantly written novel, which will have you hanging onto every word. I flew through the book! Lyra is a very likable main character, in my opinion. Despite Lyra’s age – 11 – this is a very adult book. I would suggest His Dark Materials for anyone old enough to understand it – 4^th or 5^th grade and up, perhaps. The series is a timeless classic! It’s beautifully written and very rarely has a dull moment. In my opinion, it’s a masterpiece. I give it 4 ½ stars, purely because … in book 3 … well, you’ll see!

Happy Reading!

-- Isabel