The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

** This review contains s spoilers **

I thought that this was a redemptive end to the His Dark Materials trilogy.
I loved the symbolism throughout the book and the pilgrimage-like journey it takes you on. The idea of dust is very much extended and made more tangible and explanations are provided for the mysteries of life.
The mysterious became real in this book and although at times the idea was taken a little too far – with angels becoming beings that were at times almost omniscient (how is Xaphania so sure she is going to be able to defeat the spectres and close off all the worlds!?) and at others almost humanly weak (Balthamos’ struggle with the Reverend).
I did however like the idea presented that angels are real, but that does not mean that God is in any way superior or that the angels have a right to rule.
The mulefa were an interesting addition to the book and the richness you encountered behind the beings such as the development of diagonal skeletons was very nice.
It was a sad ending for Lord Asriel and Mrs Coulter, in fact I found a lot of the book very hard to read and it cannot really be described as a children’s book, although it definitely could still be read by children. The ending was bittersweet and perhaps a little abrupt. Everything seemed to come to an end and work itself out. I felt as though the most tragic thing was the fact that Will and Lyra will never see each other again or be the same again, although perhaps that is a part of the message – that change happens and is not always easy but is for the better. This was also seen when Will and Lyra had to leave Pan and Will’s daemon. In fact, I feared that they would never be reunited.
It is nice to think that the world of the dead has a doorway into this world, which means that the dead can become a part of the entire universe again and be happy, although what would happen if the mulefa tried to go the opposite way through the doorway?
Also, what happens to the dead who are not truthful and do not share their experiences with the harpies? Are they condemned to be in that place forever?
I hope that in the Book of Dust we will see more of Lyra after she has grown and find out if she ever meets Will again. I find it hard to believe somehow that the story of the alethiometer has come to an end, and that travel between worlds will never happen again. Maybe there is hope.