The Book of Dust: The Secret Commonwealth (Book of Dust, Volume 2)

When I finished The Amber Spyglass as a teenager, I felt as if I'd lost an old friend, and wished I could stay lost in Pullman's world and characters forever. Few things I've read since have had quite that impact, but this book is one of them. It's an incredibly rich story centered around Lyra, who I think is arguably the most compelling protagonist of 21st century literature. Just as in the original trilogy, Pullman has so much to say about religion, power, and belief here. Where His Dark Materials spoke about the abuse of religion to control and manipulate, the Secret Commonwealth adds to this message a warning that we should be equally weary of the power of cynicism and the tyranny of rationality - there is value in opening ourselves up to a world beyond the factual. This book is so rich in character exploration and ideas that I really do think there's something here for readers of almost any age and background to have a dialogue with.

I found some of this shocking, I found some of it painful or heart-rending...I spent about half the book tearing up, or just outright crying. But don't misunderstand, I found all of it beautiful. The Book of Dust series has grown up some from His Dark Materials and that's not a bad thing at all. After all, Lyra has grown up some since then too. I may not have enjoyed waiting 10 years for this series, but I can 100% appreciate that we waited those 10 years for Lyra to grow up, the books are growing wit her.

I think this book will haunt me for some time. Lyra and her companions (and their respective dæmons) face extraordinary times and challenges. Some of these would have seemed unimaginable in His Dark Materials. But it becomes clearer with The Secret Commonwealth that dæmons and Dust figure prominently in this new series, with fascinating relationships explored, and terrifying new realities unfolding with alarming speed. Lyra’s intense suffering resonated with me on a level I didn’t expect. Yet her tenacity remains unmatched as a modern heroine. And while I can’t imagine what trials she’ll face in the final volume, I know I cannot wait to find out. Bravo, Sir Philip Pullman.