His Dark Materials: The Subtle Knife (Book 2) - Softcover

Pullman, Philip

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0375823468 ISBN 13: 9780375823466

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2002

Synopsis

HIS DARK MATERIALS IS SOON TO BE AN HBO ORIGINAL SERIES STARRING DAFNE KEEN, RUTH WILSON, JAMES McAVOY, AND LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA!

The spellbinding sequel to The Golden Compass, the modern fantasy classic that Entertainment Weekly named an "All-Time Greatest Novel" and Newsweek hailed as a "Top 100 Book of All Time," continues the epic adventure, catapulting readers between worlds, and toward a devastating discovery.

Lost in a new world, Lyra finds Will--a boy on the run, a murderer--a worthy and welcome ally. For this is a world where soul-eating Specters stalk the streets and witches share the skies with troops of angels.

Each is searching--Lyra for the meaning of Dark Matter, Will for his missing father--but what they find instead is a deadly secret, a knife of untold power. And neither Lyra nor Will suspects how tightly their lives, their loves, their destinies are bound together...until they are split apart.

A #1 New York Times Bestseller
Published in 40 Countries

"Just as quick-moving and unputdownable as The Golden Compass. . . . The mysteries deepen and the wonders grow even more extravagant." --The Washington Post

"Pullman's imagination soars . . . A literary rollercoaster ride you won't want to miss."--The Boston Globe

"The story gallops with ferocious momentum . . . Devilishly inventive." --The New York Times Book Review

Don't miss Philip Pullman's epic new trilogy set in the world of His Dark Materials!
** THE BOOK OF DUST **
La Belle Sauvage--now in paperback
The Secret Commonwealth--coming October 3

About this title

Review

At the end of The Northern Lights, Lyra Silvertongue watched in fear and fascination as her father, Lord Asriel, created a bridge between worlds. Lyra and her daemon, Pantalaimon, are now lost in an alternate universe where they meet Will Parry, a fugitive from a third universe. Will has found a small window between Cittagazze (a place where children roam unchecked but invisible Specters suck the spirit out of adults) and his Oxford, which, with its Burger Kings and cars, is frighteningly different from the Oxford Lyra knows.

Will's father, an explorer, disappeared years ago, but recently some odd characters have started asking questions about him, and now, having accidentally killed one of them, Will is wanted by the police. Armed with the Subtle Knife, a tool that cuts any material (including that which separates universes) and Lyra's alethiometer, the children set out to find John Parry, with adults of various stripes in desperate pursuit.

Lyra's finest qualities, her courage and quick mind, are stretched to the limit as she has to lie, cheat and steal to keep herself and Will out of danger. However, she must also learn when to tell the truth and when to trust, for, though she does not yet know it, she has a huge part to play in the upcoming battle between Good and Evil.

Review

"More than fulfilling the promise of The Golden Compass, this second volume starts off at a heart-thumping pace and never slows down....The grandly exuberant storytelling is sure to enthrall."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The intricacy of the plot is staggering...There is no doubt that the work is stunningly ambitious, original, and fascinating."--The Horn Book (starred review)

"The character development as well as the relentless pace...make this a resoundingly successful sequel...it will leave readers desperate for the next installment."--Booklist (starred review)

Edition details

• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0375823468
• ISBN 13: 9780375823466
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 368