His Dark Materials, Book II

In March I read and reviewed The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. The second novel of this series, The Subtle Knife introduces the two characters that will complete the novel; Will, a boy from our own world who is chosen to be the Knife Bearer, and Mary, a former nun turned scientist who is studying Lyra's Dust, but knows it in other ways. This extraordinary tale of Good versus Evil continues with themes hauntingly familiar. My favorite aspect of the book is how each character must decide for herself if Dust is good or bad, if the Church is for or against Dust, and what side to fight for. The lines of good and evil are not clear, until the very end. The end is one book away. This series makes the reader think, rather than merely entertaining. Identification with all three characters is easily obtained as each speaks to differing aspects of ourselves. I recommend buying all three and reading them in a row.