I couldn't resist the second part of the His Dark Materials trilogy any longer.

Pullman does not slow down in this second book. The bigger picture becomes more apparent, but there is still much mystery. He delves deeper into class structure and religion. This book certainly feels darker than Northern Lights. We are introduced to Will, a boy around Lyra's age who lives in our world. He is more savvy of the adult world, as he had to grow up quickly. Their paths soon cross and they help each other deal with pernicious foes, as the tapestry is woven around them.

The cast of characters has increased greatly. Although armoured bears do not feature, bar an occasional reference to Iorek, we do gain insights into witches and daemons.

Cittàgazze provides an intriguing backdrop. Although, Pullman does not play as much on the Lord of the Flies-esque situation, as I expected. What would you, aged 12, do if you had free run of a city?

Seeing where this story is going, it is very hard to refrain from reading the Amber Spyglass immediately.

• Northern Lights
• The Subtle Knife
• The Amber Spylgass