Book Reviews of The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials, Bk 3)

A great ending to the trilogy. This story is magical and not all happiness and sunshine- great drama. I loved it.

I enjoyed this series. Although it is aimed at a young audience, the character development is rich and the story has integrity. It's a quick, interesting read, good for the beach.

Awefull, God hating, filled with sorcery, and completely unlike the movie.

DO NOT BE FOOLED! Our family listened to the audio of The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife - enjoying the action, while still having an uncomfortable feeling in the gut. When we got to the third book in the trilogy, The Amber Spyglass - we stopped listening. For the Christian - this is NOTHING SHORT OF BLASPHEMY. The entire series is about "killing God" in the author's own words. The third book in the worst - but all are bad....trying to set the trap to ensnare kids into the fantasy world of believing all this stuff. No, the demons, witches, spectors and talking animals didn't freak us out. It was the out-and-out lies of an athiest author that turned us off. So, IF YOU ARE CHRISTIAN....DON'T BOTHER WITH THIS SERIES.

I found this book enjoyable, though not as much as I enjoyed the first book. I like that the author didn't tie everything up in a neat little bow by the end with a happily ever after.

I had mixed feeling about this series as a whole, starting with this book. On the positive side, the characters were complex and well-written - even those with the most dark and twisted natures weren't seen as entirely evil, but merely flawed in major ways, while those with the best of intentions weren't lily-white either. The religious undertones, though, struck me as less of an athiests point of view than your typical angry ex-Christian - one who was more angry at God than entirely unbelieving as one. The bitterness grew in this book, and came to a full head towards the end. Stylistically, it was extremely well done - descriptive and engaging enough in the first book to compel me to finish the series, even when I was disagreeing with it's message.

Philisophically, though, I found it overwhelmingly preachy and overly-bitter, unable to keep the writers own bias regarding religions as a whole from clouding an otherwise wonderfully crafted tale.

If you have religious concerns about His Dark Materials, The Amber Spyglass is the title that can draw the most criticism. (i.e. The cover depicts the main character in purgatory with lost souls.)

I LOVED the first two books in the series. The Subtle Knife (2) ends in such a way that you have to keep reading the 3rd! But I almost wish I hadn't started the series because the only way to end it was with this book. It was literally the ending (last 50 or so pages) that destroyed the whole series for me. I felt bitter and betrayed, why had I decided to get so attached to these characters if it would end like that?! If maybe you can find a way to read this and be ok with stopping once you get that feeling in your gut that it is going in a direction that you don't like, then for sure read it! The beginning is still way interesting and attention grabbing, it's just the end. Oh the end.

This book is not for the faint of heart. It actually had me tempted to flip ahead to make sure...you know so and so were going to make it past the well...read the story!

It is thoroughly engrossing, and will keep you turning the pages. But it is Dark, just as the title describes, but it is of course being the climax to the series the darkest by far.

Lyra and Will’s adventures take them on journeys that will break your heart right along with the children’s. It again is brilliant writing and you feel, hear and see everything. It is J.K. Rowling's magic meets Stephen King gripping scares, in a child's (preteen/teenager's) story. Yes, it will ruffle a few Christian feathers but the entire story is wonderful!! You could even say it might make some people think.