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

Pullman, Philip

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0439994136 ISBN 13: 9780439994132

Publisher: Scholastic, 2001

Will is on the run. He's killed a man and now he must flee Oxfordand attempt to find his father-an explorer who sought the North Pole and who never returned from his expedition. Will's search for his father leads him to another world, where he encounters a girl and her wildcat daemon...Lyra. After crossing the abyss between the worlds, Lyra finds herself thrown together with Will, in a beautiful but eerily deserted city. It is a city haunted by Spectres-soul-destro ghostly forms that prey on adults, leaving aworld dominated by orphaned children. But even in another world Will cannot evade those who seek to destroy him, and thus the journey continues-Lyra and Will's destinies are intertwined and their

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)