The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

It has all come to this: The Amber Spyglass continues and completes the story of Lyra and Will with the greatest climax in all of the trilogy and the final denouement. And no, I didn’t get my happy ending, per se, but I did get a promise.

There are more ambiguities, more philosophical ideas, more complex relationships in The Amber Spyglass than the parts before it.

I was engrossed from start to finish; I could not put it down. When I finished, I had a hard time putting my thoughts to words. From the world of mulefas (ultimately quadruped intelligent people with seed pods for wheels), to the world of the dead, to the world of our own, to Lyra’s — from meeting, despising, and befriending the Gallivespian spies (fairy-sized people with poisonous spurs on their heals), to meeting Lyra’s own death, to falling in love — there was so much to say. All of it was worthwhile, all of it added to the complexity and depth of the characters, all of it made me want more.

This trilogy would be a set of jewels in any collection, especially one for young adults. The progression of the story not only takes place in what happens, but in the ideas expressed and the maturity of the prose. I can’t wait to read all 1200+ pages again. 5/5