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

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)

Could do without the annoyingly obscure fantasy music in between chapters

Of course the story is great, but having a full cast is dramatic enough without having to listen to the annoyingly obscure fantasy music in between chapters. Different for every chapter, but just as annoying every time. It’s way too loud, especially when listening to it with headphones. Just be warned.

narration style doesn't fit the story

I was truly shocked that the author was the narrator. The sound and feel of this audible book is too much like a children's book for the complexity of the themes. Also a bit concerned with the casual mention of destroying God as one of the main objectives of our heroes. I'm not religious but I do think it deserves more explanation than the connection between the institution of the church and God. Hope to find one in the next book!

one of the best ever.

this has been one of my favorite books for over ten years. The villains are the perfect villains and the heroes are as unique as they are iconic.

Great story well acted

What made the experience of listening to The Subtle Knife the most enjoyable?

Active story with interesting story. The voice actors were weel played.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Subtle Knife?

There are many memorable moments throughout the story.

Have you listened to any of Philip Pullman and Full Cast ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, the Golden Compas (book 1). The flow from 1 to 2 was seemless.

Much better than Book 1

This is a fun book some great new characters are introduced, and a lot of things are answered. I can't wait to hear the third book.

amazing story

loved it, easy to finish. the character's development were meaningful and very memorable. the spectrum of characters and their employment is so creative. the end was so sudden, but now I'm all set, looking forward to how this all ends.

Really hits its stride in this one.

All the character and environment development of the first book starts paying off in this second book. Many authors have attempted to convey Dust Theory in a compelling form, and failed miserably to connect with the average universalist reader. The ideological divide is just too wide; a lifetime of hierarchical indoctrination cannot be overcome in a single book, or even in a series. Yet, The Subtle Knife does not require the reader to convert, merely to suspend disbelief for a little while for the sake of enjoying a good swashbuckling tale. If you want Dust Theory explained logically in a fictional format, read Permutation City, but I doubt anything could beat His Dark Materials for getting to its heart.

The actors are phenomenal

It was very easy to get sucked into the story. The actors did a great job.

Voices. Voices. Voices In My Head

Too many voices. I'm not used to that in audio books. For me, it's very distracting. I have all kinds of sounds in my head... An old time radio station. an acopla choir. A kazoo band. Also the ring from regular tinnitus. anyway, it was a little hard to listen to.

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.