The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

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The Amber Spyglass

(#3 - His Dark Materials)

November 13, 1999 / 480 pages / Fiction

“The most magnificent fantasy series since The Lord of the Rings.” —The Oregonian

Throughout the worlds, the forces of both heaven and hell are mustering to take part in Lord Asriel’s audacious rebellion. Each player in this epic drama has a role to play--and a sacrifice to make. Witches, angels, spies, assassins, tempters, and pretenders, no one will remain unscathed.
Lyra and Will have the most dangerous task of all. They must journey to a gray-lit world where no living soul has ever gone and from which there is no escape.
As war rages and Dust drains from the sky, the fate of the living--and the dead--to depend on Lyra and Will.

A New York Times Bestseller
A Newsweek Top 100 Book of All Time
An Entertainment Weekly All-Time Greatest Novel
Winner of the Whitbread (now Costa) Book of the Year Award.
Winner of the British Book Award (Children's)

"Pullman has created the last great fantasy masterpiece of the twentieth century. An astounding achievement." --The Cincinnati Enquirer
"Breathtaking adventure . . . a terrific story, eloquently told." --The Boston Globe
"War, politics, magic, science, individual lives and cosmic destinies are all here . . . shaped and assembled into a narrative of tremendous pace by a man with a generous, precise intelligence. I am completely enchanted." --The New York Times Book Review
"Masterful. . . . This title confirms Pullman's inclusion in the company of C. S. Lewis and Tolkien." --Smithsonian Magazine

From the Hardcover edition.

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“The most magnificent fantasy series since The Lord of the Rings.” —The Oregonian   Throughout the worlds, the forces of both heaven and hell are mustering to take part in Lord Asriel’s audacious rebellion. Each player in this epic drama has a role to play--and a sacrifice to make. Witches, angels, spies, assassins, tempters, and pretenders, no one will remain unscathed. Lyra and Will have the most dangerous task of all. They must journey to a gray-lit world where no living soul has ever gone and from which there is no escape. As war rages and Dust drains from the sky, the fate of the living--and the dead--to depend on Lyra and Will.   A New York Times Bestseller A Newsweek Top 100 Book of All Time An Entertainment Weekly All-Time Greatest Novel Winner of the Whitbread (now Costa) Book of the Year Award. Winner of the British Book Award (Children's)   "Pullman has created the last great fantasy masterpiece of the twentieth century. An astounding achievement." --The Cincinnati Enquirer "Breathtaking adventure . . . a terrific story, eloquently told." --The Boston Globe "War, politics, magic, science, individual lives and cosmic destinies are all here . . . shaped and assembled into a narrative of tremendous pace by a man with a generous, precise intelligence. I am completely enchanted." --The New York Times Book Review "Masterful. . . . This title confirms Pullman's inclusion in the company of C. S. Lewis and Tolkien." --Smithsonian Magazine From the Hardcover edition.

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Pullman understands the intelligence of children and does not write down to them. Adults reading (or rereading) this series, and the Amber Spyglass in particular, will be provoked by the depth and complexity of books intended for a younger audience. In its religious themes, this book is the anti-Narnia.

Grade: A / Andy / Sep 4, 2013

A compelling and emotional finale to this series. Incredibly well-written and interesting, even with many different story-lines and characters happening simultaneously. I highly recommend this entire series; this book especially was very formative and impactful for me when I was younger.

Grade: A+ / HeathersCorner

/ Jun 15, 2013

So much happens in this concluding volume of the His Dark Materials trilogy that it's hard to condense it into a review. It delivers on the philosophical questions and promises raised by the other volumes, but also packs in the emotional beats—with heartbreak and triumph and catharsis in spades. Does it always make perfect sense? Unfortunately, no. But neither does every human choice, and this book is a champion of humanity's gift of choice. A very worthy, wonderful series.

Grade: A / epaulettes

/ Jan 13, 2020

I loved this series, however I felt that the end was a bit lacking. A few threads were not tied up satisfactorily, and a few seemed to be tied up far too neatly. However this only takes away from the rest of the book a little.

Grade: A– / orion.rooney / Sep 3, 2013

shoulda been a movie series.

Grade: A+ / atom warcock / Sep 4, 2013

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