Customer Reviews
Bit of a let-down - By: Mr. R. I. C. Reid, 14 Dec 2008 
I was intrigued to see how this story would conclude after I enjoyed The Northen Lights & was rather disappointed by The Subtle Knife. I feel a little like I have wasted my time.
There is no doubting the imagination that has gone into the three books & they do contain some nice chapters, which is why they merit 2 stars. Butin the end, this book just sort of drifts to a conclusion that is all too predictable. I felt a bit cheated at the end. I guess the take home message is that there is just a lot of much better fantasy out there. Nice try but not for me.
Sensational.... - By: Dan osbourne, 08 Nov 2008 
I'll be brief, just to say that this is my favourite book of all time & is unquestionably a book for adults as it really is something special. Wonderfully moving & writen superbly.
Masterful book, sensitively 'adapted' - By: Mr. I. M. Davis, 21 Oct 2008 The gut-wrenchlingly beautiful, exciting, vividly epic finale to the trilogy 'His Dark Materials', this is the most complicated book to cope within terms with its philosophical/fantastical logic, but it does indeed draw together the threads of the previous books & answer their mysteriesin a way that is satisfying, emotionally & intellectually. Whether you view this purely as fantasy or take on board Pullman's atheist views as well as his anti-religious ones, this audiobook works incredibly well. There are just enough recurring character voices to avoid monotony but not so many as to confuse, although this is as much to do with the technique of the book as the audioplay's 'adaptation'. The result allows the story to build to climax, & the aftermath of the action play with just as much intensity. One loses little of the book's meaning & so I heartily recommend this as a substitute or refresher, even with the minor complaints that character voices are occasionally muffled & the (thankfully rare) music links utterly ruinous to the atmosphere.
Mary is the serpent - By: Mary Poppins, 04 Oct 2008 "A good example is Mary's prophesied (but never quite fulfilled) role as a temptress comparable to the serpentin the Garden of Eden."
I was transfixed listening (yes, it was like I was presentin their company) to Mary's tale of her apostasy & 'seduction by marzipan'. It was obvious that Lyra's presentation of the Mulefa fruit to Willin the glade was directly influenced by Mary's story.
Eve was told "you will not die" & Lyra felt like all the doorsin a previously unknown mansion were opening up to her. The introduction of new possibilities...
And yes, I had tearsin my eyes throughout the final chapters.
Excellent beyond expectations - By: Chris Palmer, 23 Sep 2008 The final bookin the trilogy really deliversin terms of story & emotion.
What started off as a reasonably standard young-adult fantasy saga reaches an epic conclusion. Despite the fantasy aspect, the characters are all believable & the reader has a real emotional response to what happens to each of them.
The plot is gripping & presents big, challenging issues to the reader on the nature of religion, god & mortality. I was genuinely surprised at the strength of this book.
Can't recommend enough!
