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The Subtle Knife: His Dark Materials, Book II
by Philip Pullman
Only 3 left in stock at $7.50!
Powells.com Staff Pick
The second book in the fantastic His Dark Materials trilogy, this is also the spookiest. It involves abandoned cities, orphans, soul-sucking ghosts, physicists, angel armies, zeppelins, parallel universes, arctic explorers, academic intrigue, witches, and scheming priests, among other things. Seriously.
Recommended by Ben
Synopses & Reviews
Publisher Comments:
The universe has broken wide, and Lyra's friend lies dead. Desperate for answers and set on revenge, Lyra bursts into a new world in pursuit of his killer. Instead, she finds Will, just twelve years old and already a murderer himself. He's on a quest as fierce as Lyra's, and together they strike out into this sunlit otherworld.
On this journey marked by danger, Will and Lyra forge ahead. But with every step and each new horror, they move closer to the greatest threat of all — and the shattering truth of their own destiny.
In this stunning sequel to The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman continues the His Dark Materials trilogy and confirms it as an undoubted and enduring classic.
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)
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)
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)
Review:
"Though this second volume almost succumbs to middle book syndrome, Pullman...avoids it, adroitly, by force of theme....Phillip Pullman measures up; his work is devilishly inventive....Put Philip Pullman on the shelf with Ursula K. LeGuin, Susan Cooper, Lloyd Alexander..." Gregory Maguire, The New York Times Book Review
Review:
"Nearly as good as its predecessor....Many fantasy writers fail to appeal to a more general audience because they get so caught up in invention that they neglect to create compelling and complicated characters. Pullman strikes an excellent balance between imagination and verisimilitude, and his major characters are as interesting and human as anyone we would meet in a decent realistic novel.....The Golden Compass has a more original structure than this book does, but Pullman is a skillful writer who doesn't rely on stock elements to do his work for him, using them instead in creative and unexpected ways. Indeed the overarching moral and religious pattern, once revealed, is so shockingly subversive that I was amazed — and intrigued — to find it in a mainstream novel for children." Rachel Pastan, Salon.com
Review:
"As in the first book, the stakes are high and the action is rapid and occasionally violent....The Subtle Knife ends with even more of a cliff-hanger than The Golden Compass, and fans will eagerly await book three for the final resolution." School Library Journal
Review:
"The powerful second installment....[V]intage Pullman..." Kirkus Reviews
Review:
"Just as quick-moving and unputdownable as [The Golden Compass]....The mysteries deepen and the wonders grow even more extravagant." The Washington Post Book World
Review:
"These first two volumes of [the] His Dark Materials trilogy are, simply, magnificent. Pullman has the power of a master fantasist. He imbues an age-old classical struggle with a new mythic vision, the depth and realization of which are staggering." Jennifer Fakolt, VOYA
Synopsis:
In Book II of the Dark Materials trilogy, Lyra finds herself in a shimmering, haunted otherworld. New cover art and chapter-opening illustrations by Pullman himself highlight this new paperback edition.
About the Author
Philip Pullman is the author of The Golden Compass as well as the highly acclaimed trilogy of Victorian thrillers featuring heroine Sally Lockhart: The Ruby in the Smoke, Shadow in the North, and The Tiger in the Well. A graduate of Oxford University with a degree in English, he teaches literature at Westminster College and has written novels, plays, and picture books for readers of all ages. He lives with his family in England.
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Product Details
- ISBN:
- 9780375823466
- Cover artist:
- Ericka Meltzer O'Rourke
- Publisher:
- Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
- Author:
- Location:
- New York
- Subject:
- Action & Adventure
- Subject:
- Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
- Subject:
- Children's 12-Up - Fiction - Fantasy
- Subject:
- Fantasy
- Subject:
- Action & Adventure - General
- Copyright:
- 1997
- Edition Description:
- Paperback
- Series:
- His Dark Materials
- Series Volume:
- 02
- Publication Date:
- September 2002
- Binding:
- Paperback
- Grade Level:
- Elementary and junior high
- Language:
- English
- Illustrations:
- Y
- Pages:
- 352
- Dimensions:
- 801x526x90 81
- Age Level:
- 13-17
