The amber spyglass

You finally have it, a book I didn't like! OK, the story was fine and I discovered what was missing from the subtle knife... IOREK! He's back! Yes, the talking polar bear from the Northern Lights book... Hi Iorek, can I be your friend? I mean really, I want an armoured bear. It would be so Am-a-z-ing!!!! I would ride him everywhere and he would smite my enemies with his razor pointed claws :D (Yes, I've been reading Dan blogging twilight lately)
OK, so Iorek is awesome but there are some things that are stupidly annoying about this book.
1. The head angel (after the "authority") has the stupidest name ever, Metronon... He sounds like a freaking transformer!! I couldn't take him seriously, every time he was mentioned it made me giggle.
2. Pullman is the worst explainer ever... He is attempting to describe things like angels, and diamond shaped people, and ermm yeah. I just didn't get it! Diamond shaped people, who ride on wheels and have trunks... Hmmm picture would have been helpful here Phil!
3. The authority dies erm and no one notices... in fact, not even me until I re-read the chapter title "The Authority's end" or something similar!
4. Lyra and Will kiss... and fall in love... They.Are.12. TWELVE!!! They aren't in love! We are supposed to be all sad and upset that they can't live in the same world, blah blah blah... oh grow up!!! It also seems a bit purvey the description of two CHILDREN KISSING and being described as LOVERS. Just plain wrong...
5. There is a war and no real fighting... we don't get a big description of the fights and we don't really get to know what's going on. You have to kind of infer it, and hmm no. Don't like it. Please Mr. Pullman, next time, try to actually describe what's going on and explain whether or not the republic won, this is a Kids novel, not a deep philosophical tombe.
6. It's contradictory, Seffenapeckala tells Mary that humans in our worlds can't see hers and Will's daemon... hmmm why could they see Lyra's in the subtle knife?Mark this as "Does not make sense" and leave it to that.
7. Dark matter... is dust... is shadow particles... is Angels? nah, I don't buy it. I can buy that there is a three part body. I can believe in a land of the dead, and that we become atoms when we die. I just can't believe dark matter is angels... hmmm. The Shadow particles and dust being what we are made of, our consciousness if you will is also a bit twee... "All we are is shadows and dust" ring any bells? Maybe something you wouldn't pick up on if you were 12. The particles being consciousness and attracted to experience but also able to condense and form angle. I don't buy it, it's a bit odd.

My favourite part of this book was the land of the dead. I think it was well written, and thought provoking. What does happen when you die. I like the telling stories to feed the harpies in return for guiding you to the new world... Almost like paying the ferryman. I like the idea of becoming part of everything; the consciousness throughout the whole world, the leaves on the tree and the stir of the summer breeze.

Overall I liked the Dark materials story, but it all went down hill from Northern Lights. The other books just didn't stand up to it, and it's certainly not something I would re-read.