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  • 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 (13,724 ratings)

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His Dark Materials: The Subtle Knife (Book 2)

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

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 #1
New York Times Bestseller
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

Don't miss Philip Pullman's epic new trilogy set in the world of His Dark Materials!
** THE BOOK OF DUST **
La Belle Sauvage
The Secret Commonwealth

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)

Featured Article: The top 100 series of all time


The feeling of discovering that your favorite new listen is actually the start of a series is euphoric. That you can immediately hit play and re-enter a beloved new world, or love story, or era from history is a gift to the devoted listener. But how to pick just 100 of these unique and immersive listening journeys? We defined a series as having a minimum of three books, and—after some debate—we decided the titles had to be anchored in fiction. From YA to horror to historical fiction, from fresh voices to seminal tales, hours of discovery await.

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

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    1,856
  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Couldn't pull it out of my ear

I adored this second book. It introduced a new character which added more flavor and dimensions to the already inviting plot. It made me want more. The similarities to Bible stories was a little nervy and might be disturbing for younger readers,in my opinion. Still, an excellent and involving story that appealed to this adult reader tremendously. I reccomend that parents read it first if concerned about Biblical aspects.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

beautiful story with universal themes of today

Lovely book with many things that are enduring throughout human history and should be examined in today's context with the rise of the church and conservative powers in our society.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

very interesting sequel.

looking forward to the next book. interesting characters. perfect mix of joy and sadness with mystery mixed in

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Exceptional

Well written, brilliant cast, and voice acting.
The story is magical, puzzling, and dark.
Easy listen, but hard to stop.
Would definitely recommend.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love it but

Loved everything but the terrible music between chapters. Startling and Broke my concentration every time.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

this book went so many cool places

lots of fun and buying the whole serise such s fun novel. well worth the time and money on to book 3!!!!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Not quite as good as the first...

.... but still an excellent book. The full cast is perfect for the characters. A little scarier than THE GOLDEN COMPASS, but, again, great for young adults.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book

The actress who played Lyra was a bit annoying at times, but overall it was great.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

i listen to this every couple of years

one of the best audio books i have ever listened to. of course it didnt hurt that the book is great, but the performance, the cast, the production is excellent as well. this aoplies to the whole trilogy and cannot wait for the new one in october.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I cry over book deaths! Wanna fight about it?

RIP. You'll know who I'm talking about QQ. Why did it have to be so?!

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