The Subtle Knife

Philip Pullman
The Subtle Knife Cover

The Subtle Knife

Badseedgirl
6/20/2015
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This review contains a major spoiler for this novel. Do not read further if you don't want to know. I mean it, I just spilled my guts!! You have been warned!

Ok I see it now. After reading the first novel, I could not understand the hoopla accusing the author of having a grudge with religion. Well after finishing this second novel, I can see it. Philip Pullman clearly has a distain for organized religion, not just Catholicism. That said, this did not deter me from reading and enjoying this novel. I might have even better than the first one.

I was devastated by the death of Lee Scoresby and Hester. I felt the loss of the characters on a deep level. The scene of their death, the true and pure love these characters felt towards each other was magically written, and unlike some reviewer criticism, I found the simple line "And then they died." to be a fitting ending, because after what I was experiencing reading that scene, anything else would have been just plain wrong.

This second novel has made me want to finish this series, something I did not necessarily feel after the first novel.

4 of 5 stars.