The long-awaited conclusion to Philip Pullman's trilogy, His Dark Materials, has arrived, bringing with it a host of expectations. Pullman has set the bar almost impossibly high for The Amber Spyglass. Along with fulfilling the destiny of the brave and irascible Lyra Belaqua, whose story began in The Golden Compass (1996), and that of her stalwart, loving companion, Will Parry, Keeper of the Weapon, who was introduced in The Subtle Knife (1997), the book must tie up a thousand loose ends, some as thick as rope, others as ephemeral as gossamer. Sometimes the work is seamless; at other times, the labor shows. Like the Dust (shadows or quantum particles with the power to bring self-awareness) that is so vehemently fought over in all three volumes, this book is full of intention and promise, but the writing can be elusive, amorphous-as hard to hold onto as, well, dust. The Amber Spyglass in no way stands alone. Those who haven't recently read the previous books--especially the second one--will be lost. The story picks up moments after Will and his long-lost father, John, have met and fought. John is killed by a vengeful witch, just as father and son recognize each other. Meanwhile, Lyra is being hidden by her mother, Mrs. Coulter, who keeps her in a drug-induced sleep. In pursuit of Lyra is the Church, which sees the girl as a threat to its very existence. What is only hinted at in the previous books--Lyra's role as the new Eve--is fully realized here. The church hierarchy now understands that Lyra will be tempted; how she responds, the choices she makes, will affect not just her world but also the myriad worlds that overlap each other--worlds that Will is able to enter through windows he carves with his magic knife. So this book is the battlefield on which the war between evil, represented by the Church, and good, which is found in the consciousness of Dust and in people's ability to think, plan, hope, and love for themselves, is to be fought.Like overlapping worlds, the story's many plot lines are complex and sometimes tangled. Suffice it to say that Dr. Mary Malone, the scientist Lyra met in The Subtle Knife and a seeker of Dust, is sent by that consciousness through one of Will's windows to help the young people. She finds her way to a land where small-horned, elephant-like creatures called mulefa ride on wheels made of seed pods. But their Dust is leaving them, and it is Mary's role to find out why. To do this, she fashions the amber spyglass, which allows her to see and eventually save their Dust. But Mary has another task. Unbeknownst to her, she is also to play the role of biblical serpent, the creature who will bring about the Fall. The church hierarchy sets out to murder both Lyra and Mary, but other battles are being fought as well. When Lyra and Will are reunited, they are compelled to overcome death and must travel to a blank, hopeless Sheol to do so. Meanwhile, above ground, the Battle of Armageddon rages, as Lord Ariel, Mrs. Coulter, renegade angels, bears, witches, and God's regent, the angel Metatron, fight for the soul of all worlds.The witches and wizards in the Harry Potter books will seem like cartoon characters compared with those in Pullman's religious pantheon. The first two books in the series exposed the Church as corrupt, bigoted, and evil. Now Pullman takes on Heaven itself. The Authority-who is alternatively identified as El, YHWH, and God--is not the creator, as his acolytes (including Mrs. Coulter) believe. He is the first angel, who convinced the rest he is the Source. Millennia ago, he passed his power on to the angel Metatron. Now, the Authority is a demented old spirit, hardly aware of who he is, much less of his world, and Metatron, a power-hungry ruler, more devil than angel, is determined to put an even tighter choke-hold on those who believe. There is no room for compromise in Pullman's world: the teachings of religion have kept people from knowing their true nature, abused their trust, tortured their souls. This is heady stuff for a children's book, though that appellation is almost meaningless when it comes to The Amber Spyglass. Yes, young people will read it, but teenagers and adults, who can understand (or argue with) Pullman's sometimes obscure theories, will find it the most rewarding. For some, wrestling with the book's philosophical issues will be the most exciting part of the experience. Readers will need to do some thinking here, and for all the book's diversions, delving into one's own belief system can be the most intense of all explorations. Nor does Pullman shy away from Lyra's role as the new Eve. Mary does tempt Eve and Will with a story about her own burgeoning sexuality, and later, the two young people, by now in love, also make love (for Pullman's views on this matter, see the interview opposite). There is nothing explicit here. It's all stars and beating hearts, but it won't be easy for some readers to forget that Lyra is still 12 and Will a bit older. It would be pointless to say that Pullman shouldn't have taken the relationship this far; the whole series has been leading up to this moment, and it paves the way for an ending that is touching enough to bring tears. The problem nonfantasy readers often have with the genre is getting straight the conventions of new worlds. This problem is compounded here, as Pullman invents multiple new worlds, each with its own structures. The details may make readers skip pages, and not because they can't wait to see what happens next. Pullman also has gone overboard with the many battle scenes. There are so many clashes, skirmishes, and wars throughout the series that when Armageddon arrives, it lacks the power of a final struggle. What Pullman does do uncompromisingly well is delineate each of his characters. Everyone--people, witches, mulefa--is drawn with exceptional nuance and understan

"In concluding the spellbinding Dark Materials trilogy, Pullman produces what may well be the most controversial children's book of recent years," wrote <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">PW. As he asks readers to examine the ideas of organized religion, "Pullman riffs on the elemental chords of classical myth and fairytale. Stirring and highly provocative." Ages 12-up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(May)

The conclusion to Pullman's trilogy delivers much of what was promised in the preceding cliffhangers. Most of the characters, beloved or bedeviled or both, return to continue their fateful roles in this saga. The book rollicks with a narrative gale force, and Pullman achieves effects that rival the best accomplishments of the earlier books. It will take us all a while to discern the counterpoints and overtones in this massive symphonic accomplishment.

The longed-for third volume in this trilogy ( The Golden Compass , 1996; The Subtle Knife , 1997) satisfies deeply: full of grand set pieces, resplendent language, and glorious storytelling. Lyra Silvertongue at 12, from a world like but unlike this one, is keeper of the alethiometer—the golden compass. She can read its ways to find the truth, but it has been taken from her. Will Parry, of this world, injured by the subtle knife that can cut windows between worlds, will bring it back to her. And in yet another place, an Oxford researcher makes a spyglass that enables her to see the golden patterns of Dust, stuff of the universe. All of the splendid characters of the earlier books make a return, like Pan, Lyra's daemon, part of her very self; Iorek Byrnison the bear king; and Lyra's bewitching parents, Lord Asriel and the terrifying Mrs. Coulter. Whole new races appear: a panoply of angels; the mulefa, whose triangulated legs use the wheel in a new way; the brave and dashing Gallivespians, who live but a decade and are small enough to ride dragonflies. Across this brilliant and vivid canvas, the largest of themes play out: life and death, goodness and evil, self and other, the redemptive power of love. Lyra and Will's quest is hard and heartbreaking: they can only rely on themselves and each other to save their worlds, and the cost is great. There are roaring battles and moments of great tenderness; there are unforgettable scenes—Lyra and Will leading ghosts through the land of the dead, for example—and not a few echoes of Paradise Lost with some deeply unconventional theological implications. What matters at the last are the stories, and the truth of their telling. Readers will be chastened—and warmed—and sorry to see the last page. (Fiction. 12+)

Gr 6 Up-This book starts where The Subtle Knife (Knopf, 1997) left off. Lyra has been hidden away by her mother, and Will is determined to find her. Meanwhile, Lord Asriel is preparing to fight the forces of the Church's Consistorial Court, as well as the God-like Authority's Lieutenant, Metatron, who hungers for ultimate power over all worlds. At the heart of this discord is Dust, the mysterious substance that is linked irrevocably to consciousness; it is streaming away at an increasing rate, causing havoc in its wake. It is Lyra and Will's destiny to determine the outcome of this situation. Knowledge of the previous books is an absolute necessity in order to understand this one. Even so, it will take dedication and passion to unwind the extremely convoluted plot with its numerous characters. Lyra and Will are as noble, grand, and yet as utterly believable as any characters in children's literature, and they are surrounded by a host of memorable personages. The many facets of the story are so encrusted with tiny and arcane details that the narrative occasionally slows down, and the transitions between worlds and plot lines are often hard to follow. Organized religion is portrayed bleakly; the Church is essentially a dictatorship and the afterlife is a "concentration camp" world set up by the Authority. However, the message of the book remains clear and exhilarating; it is vital to use wisely the divine gifts of consciousness and free will. This is a subtle and complex treatment of the eternal battle between good and evil.-Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.