Even though it took me quite a while, I finished these thousand pages and ‘three books in one novel’ in one go. I didn’t revert to other books between the three stories in this ark, and that says a lot. I’ve enjoyed the rich world(s), story arcs and narrative perspectives throughout His Dark Materials. From the first pages I was swept away and I couldn’t let go of Lyra and Pantalaimon.

The introduction slightly warned me as a reader that part two could me perceived as a bit slower paced or harder to read. In contrast to part one, The Golden Compass, book two (The Subtle Knife) doesn’t set off in a world full of witches, armored bears and animal companions, but in our world or at least a world like our own. I didn’t experience any struggle reading book two. Perhaps because there is still an ample amount of fantasy elements with the narrative perspective switching between characters and world. I do suggest not to wait years before reading The Subtle Knife, as you’ll have forgotten details which the story expects you to remember. Once those details have been lost to you, the switching between worlds and narrators and the bulk of information can be confusing.

His Dark Materials deserves four stars alone for making me read it in one go. If I could, I’d give 4,5 stars. I thought one of the ‘plot solutions’, or the way in which several major plot lines are resolved/tied together, was quite underwhelming. It felt forced and not fitting with the prior development of the involved characters. The whole arc is so rich and well built, that this part felt like ‘Okay, this is what has to happen, one way or the other’ and that left me with a slight unsatisfied feeling. The ending made up for it though.

It will take a while before I’m able to let Lyra, Pantalaimon and Will go. And that is, for me, what great stories do.