The Amber Spyglass - His Dark Materials 3 - Philip Pullman Book Review

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Review Summaries

"Lyra has been caught by her mother, Mrs. Coulter, who keeps her in a drugged sleep in a cave in the Himalayas (on their world). The Magisterium, provisionally Mrs. Coulter's ally, is not sure what she is up to, and sends out an assassin to kill Lyra because of the threat she poses to the world order. Will searches for and rescues Lyra, but accidentally shatters the subtle knife in his confrontation with Mrs. Coulter. Lyra decides she wants to travel to the land of the dead to make peace with her friend Roger, to whose death she feels she directed, and Will can finally speak to his father there. The two kids are accompanied by a pair of tiny Gallivespians, who ride dragonflies and serve as spies for Lord Asriel -- but no one has ever come back from the land of the dead! Meanwhile, Dr. Mary Malone, the physicist and ex-nun, has stepped through a window to a world of creatures with diamond-shaped legs that travel on seed pods that roll like wheels, and gets to know their ways before meeting her destiny in Lyra's and Will's fate. And the Magisterium and Lord Asriel gather up their forces for all-out war that will decide the fate of their world . . . and perhaps settle the problems that have unsettled the multiple worlds from which Lyra, Will, and various other characters and creatures hail. The conclusion of Pullman's trilogy is masterful, spellbinding, and unforgettable."
David Loftus, Resident Philip Pullman Scholar

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Overall Review

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 20%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 30%

Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Coming of age Yes
Youngster becomes - guardian of justice
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Type of couple: - Both human, she has mental powers

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - student
Age: - a kid
Has magical/special powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character: - can see into the future
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - magical being
Profession/status: - mastermind
Has magical powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - fire/thunder/weather cntrl - can fly
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant

Setting
Terrain - Mountains - Domed/Underground City
Earth setting: - 20th century
Takes place on Earth? Yes
Not Earth, in Solar System? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only) - some scientific explanation
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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