The Subtle Knife: No.2 (His Dark Materials S.) - Softcover

Philip Pullman

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0439994918 ISBN 13: 9780439994910

Publisher: Scholastic, 2000

Synopsis

A breathtaking epic, the award-winning His Dark Materials trilogy spans a multitude of worlds. The second instalment, The Subtle Knife, introduces Will Parry – a young boy in search of his long-lost explorer father. Will’s discovery of an extraordinary ‘window in the air’ near the Oxford ring road leads him out of our world and into the strange and unsettling Cittàgazze. There he meets Lyra, a girl who is herself searching for something: the secret of the mystical substance Dust. Moving back and forth through the portal, Will and Lyra join forces in their quest. As they make allies and enemies along the way, they also learn of the subtle knife. An object which many would kill to possess, the knife has incredible powers, and Will finds himself reluctantly in a fight for its possession. Ray Fearon, Emma Fielding, Peter Marinker and Jack Klaff are amongst the cast in this gripping dramatisation.

2 CDs. 2 hrs 30 mins.

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--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 some odd characters have started asking questions about him. Will has managed to accidentally kill one of them and 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 are her courage and her quick mind. She finds she must use them constantly--not to put too fine a point on it, she must lie and steal to keep herself and Will out of danger. However, she must also know when to tell the truth and when to trust. She does not yet know--though her friends the witches do, and so does the reader--what a huge part she will have in the upcoming battle between Good and Evil. (Age 9 and over) - -Amazon.com

Review

"I'm delighted that His Dark Materials is being done on the radio. I've always loved radio drama – it can move from the epic to the intimate in a moment. The sweep of the whole thing seems to have been very well maintained; and the cast is great, especially the two leads, Lulu and Daniel. The makers have used all the resources of my favourite medium to create a vivid and atmospheric production." (Philip Pullman BBC press release)

"Fans of Pullman's original book will love this audio drama which helps to bring the characters vividly to life." (Pete Boomer http://www.sci-fi-online.com)

About this edition

• Publisher: Scholastic
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0439994918
• ISBN 13: 9780439994910
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 352