• His Dark Materials: The Subtle Knife (Book 2)

  • His Dark Materials, Book 2
  • By: Philip Pullman
  • Narrated by: Philip Pullman, full cast
  • Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (13,669 ratings)

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His Dark Materials: The Subtle Knife (Book 2)  By  cover art

His Dark Materials: The Subtle Knife (Book 2)

By: Philip Pullman
Narrated by: Philip Pullman, full cast
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Publisher's summary

Coming soon! A new HBO series, His Dark Materials, based on Pullman’s books.

The spellbinding sequel to The Golden Compass, the modern fantasy classic that Entertainment Weekly named an "All-Time Greatest Novel" and Newsweek hailed as a "Top 100 Book of All Time", continues the epic adventure, catapulting listeners between worlds and toward a devastating discovery.

Lost in a new world, Lyra finds Will - a boy on the run, a murderer - a worthy and welcome ally. For this is a world where soul-eating Specters stalk the streets and witches share the skies with troops of angels.

Each is searching - Lyra for the meaning of Dark Matter, Will for his missing father - but what they find instead is a deadly secret, a knife of untold power. And neither Lyra nor Will suspects how tightly their lives, their loves, their destinies are bound together...until they are split apart.

A number one New York Times best seller.

Published in 40 countries.

“Just as quick-moving and unputdownable as The Golden Compass.... The mysteries deepen and the wonders grow even more extravagant.” (The Washington Post)

“Pullman’s imagination soars.... A literary rollercoaster ride you won’t want to miss.” (The Boston Globe)

“The story gallops with ferocious momentum.... Devilishly inventive.” (The New York Times Book Review)

Listen to the rest of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series.
©1997 Philip Pullman

Critic reviews

"The superb production of this fascinating fantasy epic makes it a heart-thumping listening adventure." (AudioFile)

"More than fulfilling the promise of The Golden Compass, this second volume starts off at a heart-thumping pace and never slows down." (Publishers Weekly)

"A resoundingly successful sequel." (Booklist)

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What listeners say about His Dark Materials: The Subtle Knife (Book 2)

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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

The second book in a fantastic trilogy!

His Dark Materials, of which this is the second book, is a terrific fantasy. While aimed at younger readers, the series holds up brilliantly for adults, as well.

In the second book, Lyra's adventure continues, as she finds herself in another world and discovers Will, a young boy who becomes her companion through the rest of the series. Lyra & Will also find other types of beings in this world, angels and witches; some are helpful, some not so. You'll enjoy taking the journey with them, and the narration -by author Philip Pullman and a full cast- helps pull you into the story.

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34 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful story

I listen to A LOT of books on audible.com. This and Golden Compass received great ratings except for those who wrote a review. I see this often. I guess we have some literary critics who haunt audible.com. :) I found The Golden Compass and this book wonderful stories. The narration on both were great, and the music didn't bother me a bit. I'm starting the 3rd book with great expectation. If you like a well read, great stories then these books are for you.

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Another Terrific Book

This is the second book of the trilogy, and I thought if anything it surpassed the first with the introduction of new and compelling characters and plot developments. The actors and production are superb. Perhaps the best youth recorded book I have heard, including all of the Harry Potter books. Very highly recommended.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Worth continuing

If you read the Golden Compass you have no choice but to continue this series. I wish I could say this was as an enjoyable, but I can't. I can say that it is an interesting, if not a tad confusing. In general the series walks a thin line between young-adult and adult literature. There are times I found it a tad childish, and there are moments when I can't see a child understand the complex story.

Like most trilogies, this is an in between story that mostly sets up the next and final book.

The production is first rate. 20 year of audio book listening I can say it is one of the best on that level.

I am half way through the third book and I can say that I look forward to listen to them all again which is something I seldom do.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Really Fantastic

This book is amazing - the narriator is very good as well. I loved these books when I read them - and I loved them just as much while listening. You won't be disappointed.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Good Book - Bad Audio Quality

Good Book - Bad Audio Quality ...

In many parts it sounds as if someone is having a conversation in the next room, or an annoyingly repetitive chirping sound distracts you from the content.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

an earful

The second part of the trilogy is wonderfully compelling. The musical interludes between chapters are terrible -- ear piercing interrruptions to an otherwise great dramatization.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars
  • d
  • 04-07-15

Good, but then Bla

I was getting into this book , but towards the end I detected the sound of a grinding axe and the book lost its appeal. I dislike stories created to preach at me without warning. I am going to read the next book just to be sure, but I think this guy is upset at other peoples religious views and is trying to poke at them by forcing it into some kind of skewed version of itself. Fantasy created in the mind of a good writer is just better then when a writer has to use a crutch.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

His Dark Material

This is a combined review of the trilogy “His Dark Material” by Philip Pullman.

I just finished these books. I very much wish I had not started. The first two books (“The Golden Compass” and “The Subtle Knife”) are not particularly well written. Not bad, but not great either. However, extensive character development and situations promise a climactic third book (“The Amber Spyglass”). Talk about broken promises! In the end neither the characters nor the situations are relevant to the story and the first two turn out to be a vacuous waste of time whose only purpose is to lure the reader in to reading the third book of this disjointed trilogy.

I am FAR from zealous about this stuff, and thought those who condemned JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books were overreacting at an irrational level, but these books are another matter indeed.

They are truly the most virulent, blasphemous, and obscene things I have had the misfortune to stumble upon. They are effectively the literary equivalent of offering candy to a child to lure them away for some sinister purpose. In fact, that is exactly what one of the characters does in the first book.

The depth of anger and hatred dished out by Mr. Pullman in his anti-God fervor stunned me. The world has not seen this level of extremism since the Nazi’s ravaged Europe. And I do mean anti-God, not anti-religion. His characters literally demonize and seek to destroy God.

Having wasted my time and polluted my brain with this trash, the only good that can come of it is to warn off everyone I can.

So… Be Warned! These books are Pullman’s platform for a many hours long rant of his malevolent hatred of God, and just about anything else to do with objective morals. Any person believing in a higher being, or even the absolutes of right and wrong, should consider this a MUST MISS!!

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyed as much as the first

Great second book. I love the narration in these books. Each character has it's own voice. The books really come alive.

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6 people found this helpful