The third and final book of Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy is a wonderful conclusion to one of the best fantasy series ever written. For the uninformed, His Dark Materials is the story of Lyra and Will, two young teens from two different worlds who must choose sides in a war between Lyra’s father, Lord Asriel, and the Authority, or God.
As I mentioned before when I reviewed the second book, Pullman is no fan of Christianity, or at least no fan of the Catholic Church, who in his opinion has committed far too many atrocious acts over the ages in the name of God. Yet despite Pullman’s personal belief’s I wouldn’t call the books anti-Christian by any means. They’re books of fantasy. They’re not books of religion. If it bothers you that leaders of the Church are villainous murderous, then perhaps this isn’t the book for you.
The characters are pure magic and include talking polar bears who wear impenetrable armor, witches, angels (both good and bad), small people who ride dragonflies and attack normal-sized adults with poison-tipped spurs, ghosts,and the list goes on and on.
Pullman is a master of world creation, and since His Dark Materials feature so many worlds, the read is a fascinating one. It makes you wonder how one person could have an imagination so immense. Comparisons to J.K. Rowling are fitting. Like Harry Potter, His Dark Materials is sure to delight anyone hoping to escape into a yet imagined world of wonder.
A brilliant book and a fascinating read.
