Book Review: "His Dark Materials" Trilogy

Yesterday late at night I finally finished reading the third and final book of the "His Dark Materials" series, "The Amber Spyglass". Of course, most of you know this series because of the movie made earlier this year, "The Golden Compass", which was based on the first book released.

These books and the subsequent movie stirred up a kettle of controversy related to the author's Atheist beliefs and how they were portrayed in the books. Yes - this author is Atheist. And yes - one of the protagonists in these books sets out to kill God, aka "The Authority". Yes - the major religious group of this fantasy realm (read: the HRC) is portrayed as evil and hypocritical.

But anyone who can't read beyond that and open their minds to exotic and diverse thoughts and beliefs don't belong reading any fantasy stories anyway for fear of breaching the line of heresy.

At its heart this book isn't a controversy, it's a sweet and engaging tale about a young girl named Lyra whose destiny is intertwined with the fates of many worlds. She is an adventurer, a traveler, and a self-proclaimed fantastic liar. She is a hero. And I was proud that she was a she. Not many authors have the nerve to portray a girl/growing woman in such a fierce and intelligent fashion.

But Lyra's infectious personality and spirit are the extent of my enthusiasm for these books. The story is so epic with such a large scope that it seems to lack a much-needed attention span. The author, Philip Pullman, is self-indulgent with developing the landscapes of the worlds. Too many new plot threads are introduced without tying them into the main story arc in a timely manor. The result is that I spend hours of my time wondering why I'm investing myself in characters seemingly unconnected with Lyra, and wondering when I'll get to see her again.

The result was that I found little enjoyment in the second book ("The Subtle Knife") or the first half of "The Amber Spyglass". To Pullman's credit though, the finale of the series was able to pull off - with amazing gusto - an intertwining of all the meandering plots and characters. For this feat alone I will remember these stories fondly and the characters will linger with me. That, and well...because I was moved to tears in the last pages.

"His Dark Materials" Overall Rating: B-