His Dark Materials

I saw the movie, The Golden Compass with my friends a few years back. I also found out that it’s quite a controversy on its own that might actually offend me for it sort of attacks my religion. But the movie really left a good impression on me with the armored bears, the flying witches, and most of all: the dæmons, which are basically humans' soul in animal form. I really liked the idea and the next thing I knew, I wanted to read the books. So I went to buy them, and they look awesome.

Synopses:

The Golden Compass

The story takes place in a world pretty much like our own, with a girl named Lyra and her dæmon, Pantalaimon. She doesn't know that she is special, that she is destined to make a decision in which everything is depended on. In a span of a few days, she learned about the mysterious particle called "Dust," her bestfriend, Roger, went missing, and she received the Alethiometer, a truth telling device: The Golden Compass.

Lyra begins her great adventure to rescue Roger from a terrible fate. She was rescued by a society that lives on boats, found out the truth about her parents, helped an armored bear gain back his

honor, met flying witches, and traveled all the way to the north; only to fail ultimately in the end by an unimaginable betrayal.

The Subtle Knife

The second book begins at our world with Will, a boy leaving his mother in order to search for his father, an explorer who went missing years ago. He found a secret window to another world, an

empty city, where he joined forces with Lyra. They met Dr. Mary Malone, a scientist that studies “Dust” and Will got became the bearer of a weapon that can slice anything, even the fabric between universes: The Subtle Knife.

Back at Lyra’s world, Lee Scoresby, a friend of hers was on a quest to find Dr. Grumman who holds the answers about the "Dust." Lee found out that he is from Will’s world, and he vowed to get him back. Even though most of the goals were fulfilled, th

e book ends with tragic losses. All the while, a great army of creatures from different universes is gathering under Lord Asriel’s command to fight the oppressive Authourity (that was built from lies) and its forces.

The Amber Spyglass

Lyra and Will went on to finish Lyra’s goal and traveled to a lot of worlds and ended up their destination: the land of the dead, where they should leave their dæmons behind before they could accomplish their goal. All the while, Dr. Malone learned that the "Dust" are vanishing as she observed on the device that she made: The Amber Spyglass.

The war between the Authority and the rebels began. It turns out in the war that whoever has the kids' dæmons will influence the two kids, and would ultimately end the war in their favor. The answer to the mystery of "Dust" is revealed, and if it not resolved, would mean the end of everything. The only way to save the very fabrics of the universes and everything on it will have great consequences for the two children, the ones destined to make the very decision.

Official movie trailer of The Golden Compass:

Review:

I felt that the whole of Lyra's journey was great. There are just too many adventures. When a goal was finished, there is always another one waiting. I enjoyed reading and following her and Will's story all throughout. Specially in the first book where she went a lot of places and met a lot of friends: most of which will make a pleasant comeback on the next two books. The trilogy also made me tear up more than once. There are a lot of emotional moments, specially the intense, tear jerking moment with Lee on the second book.

The idea of the multiverse amazes me, and from the moment Lyra crossed the bridge to the stars, and when Will acquired the Subtle Knife, we knew that a brand new story just began. I didn't get offended at all about the issue of the Authority, but I can clearly see while a lot will be. It's basically a war against God. It kinda turned me off. So it's a good thing that most part of the books are about Lyra and Will.

A scene from each book from the covers of the British Junior Editions

I also find it easy to get confused when the story shifts to the different minor characters, specially the ones preparing for the war and even Dr. Malone's journey. I know that Lyra's adventure is the main story and the war itself and Dr. Malone's discovery of dust are just part of the bigger picture but when I'm reading those parts, I can't help getting sleepy and bored and putting the book down.

There are a lot of times that a part of a story closes and another one opens all throughout the trilogy. As the last book comes to a close, we find out what should be done and read on wishing that something would come up to have a perfect happy ending. The series got me hooked on that much. I agree that the ending was good, but I admit, I did not like how it turns out.

I loved the Compass and I loved the Knife. The Spyglass? Not as much. All in all? A great Trilogy.