Philip Pullman The Amber Spyglass

Entering the world of Lyra and her friend Will is not a singular task,
nor a single world as the children frantically cut through from one
world to the next, using the magical knife introduced in the second
of Pullman's trilogy, The Subtle Knife. If listeners persevere, they
are likely, eventually, to sort out what is happening within the many
layers of plots and the metaphysical explorations, not to mention the
fast-paced action of battles and escapes. The best approach may be what
children do so well--just hold on to what interests you and let the
rest go. You can enjoy the armored bear, Iorek Byrnison, played magnificently
by Sean Barrett, or the daemons, each character's soul or spirit or
perhaps alter-ego. For science fiction/ fantasy buffs, the elephant-like
"mulefa," who get about on wheels, may hold your interest. The production,
recorded with so many characters, and with such care and sureness, is
a masterwork. Don't even try to drop into this world unprepared; start
with The Golden Compass and savor every word.

The Amber Spyglass brings the intrigue of The Golden Compass and The
Subtle Knife to a heart-stopping end, marking the final volume of His
Dark Materials as the most powerful of the trilogy.

Along with the return of Lyra and other familiar characters from the
first two books come a host of new characters: the Mulefa, mysterious
wheeled creatures with the power to see Dust; Gallivespian Lord Roke,
a hand-high spymaster to Lord Asriel; and Metatron, a fierce and mighty
angel. So too come startling revelations: the painful price Lyra must
pay to walk through the land of the dead, the haunting power of Dr.
Malone's amber spyglass, and the names of who will live - and who will
die - for love. And all the while, war rages with the Kingdom of Heaven,
a brutal battle that - in its shocking outcome - will uncover the secret
of Dust.

Philip Pullman deftly brings the cliffhangers and mysteries of His Dark
Materials to an earth-shattering conclusion and confirms his fantasy
trilogy as an undoubted and enduring classic.