The Subtle Knife
- 350
- Pages
- about 6 h
- Reading time
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Our view
The second volume of His Dark Materials is darker and bleaker than the first and moves fast: new worlds, new ideas and a tension that rarely lets up. Will, introduced here as Lyra’s companion, is the book’s best addition, and familiar figures gain depth. Some readers miss the Lyra of the first book, who at first hardly seems herself. A strong middle book, though not one to read on its own.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
The Subtle Knife is a young-adult fantasy novel published in 1997 and the second book in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. The novel continues the adventures of Lyra Belacqua recounted in the first novel, Northern Lights, as she investigates the mysterious phenomenon of Dust. Will Parry is introduced as a companion to Lyra, and together they explore new worlds in the search for Will's father.
Reading order · His Dark Materials
Full order & progress →- Northern LightsStart here
7.97.9 / 10 - The Subtle KnifeThis book
8.28.2 / 10 - The Amber Spyglass
8.08.0 / 10
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.3 across 1,589 ratings. With that many, the reader vote carries 92% of the weight and the score stays at 8.2 — the Fantasy average of 8.0 barely moves it.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.0 | 108 | 7% |
| Hardcover | 8.3 | 1.5K | 93% |
Frequently asked
How long is The Subtle Knife?
It has 350 pages — shorter than 89% of the ranked books in Fantasy.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
The same shelf — Fantasy — and a score of 8.2, the closest to this book.
