Subtle Knife

I had been taking about 3 weeks for me to finish this book. The Subtle Knife is second sequel of His Dark Material, a novel written by Philip Pullman. It's a great novel even it doesn't explain satisfying conclusion. The conclusion of the whole story would be mentioned on the last sequel, Amber Spyglass which I hadn't read it yet.

On this book, Lyra continued her journey. She passed through the way to another world as had been told previously on The Golden Compass. Here, she met Will who discovered incidentally a doorway to the world Lyra had passed through.

The story continued.. Telling some conflicts before they finally found the Subtle Knife. It's a powerful knife. It could only work if it used by the bearer. Will was the bearer. The knife was able to cut anything in the world, including the smallest particle of matter and the most hardest thing in the world. It could make a 'window' used as a doorway to pass through between world.

On the other hand, Lyra's father, Lord Asriel was creating a formidable fortress and preparing a huge and enormous armies against the Authority. I conceive the Authority itself is God. So crazy, irrational, and insane. It told about rebellion of the angels. How could? Inconceivable how Philip Pullman could have this idea to his book.

Anyway, Lord Asriel armies wouldn't be able to defeat the Authority even its huge armies and formidable fortress unless he could obtain the Subtle Knife itself which means Will had to join his armies. It wasn't mentioned what's the reason this Subtle Knife could become the key to defeat the Authority. I believed, every undiscovered part of the first and second book would be answered on the last one. Ahh.. It is so tempting to read the Amber Spyglass. I'm a little bit curious about the conclusion of the whole story.

Back to the story.. There were Lee Scoresby, aeronaut who decided to find Stanislaus Grumman who knew something about the Dust. Moreover, as the story ran, it became obvious that Grumman came from different world who initially didn't have a daemon. Grumman was Will father who lost in the arctic when discovering it. He intuitively passed the 'window'. And because the landscape of his world and the new world were basically same -everywhere he saw, it was just only snow-, he didn't realize when he passed through it. Next, he couldn't find the way back to his world. In his new world, he got his daemon and became a shaman.

Finally Lee met Grumman and he was startled as he realized he came to Grumman because Grumman had summoned him using Navajo ring. Nice.. :P Here.. Grumman had waited Lee Scoresby to accompany him finding the knife bearer. He supposed to tell the knife bearer what to do. So, both of them teamed up and cross the world where the Ci'gazze was in.

Meanwhile, Lyra's mother, Mrs. Coulter were seeking Lyra. She, accompanied by Lord Boreal who lived in the same world as Will did, but he came from Lyra's world. While Mrs. Coulter was seeking Lyra, Lord Boreal was seeking for the Subtle Knife. I have no idea about what they did. As far as I know, the book don't mention what Mrs. Coulters purpose was on seeking Lyra, even from book one. Somehow, I was puzzled yet, why Lord Boreal desired the knife. Even I knew how powerful it was, it wasn't explained (as I know so far) what Lord Boreal would do if he had got the knife.

Morover, the queen witches, Serafina Pekkala was seeking Lyra as well, for in her witches world, this child would determine the whole world's destiny. She was so important that Mrs Coulter would seek her passionately. Because of the prophecy, Serafina Pekkala would help Lyra, following what the alethiometer told her. At last, she met Lyra when she and Will needed some help for both of them were pursued ferociously by the children of Ci'gazze and they wanted to kill both of them. Next, the queen witches found them and helped them.

At the end of the Book Two, Lee Scoresby was dead defending against the Imperial Navy Army who chased him through the doorway. Finally, Will met Grumman. As Grumman recognized Will was the bearer knife, he told Will what to do with the knife. He had to go to Lord Asriel and told him that he had the one weapon he needed above all others. They met in darkness so Will couldn't recognize his father. As soon as he could see Grumman's face, he recognize that he was his father who was so far he had been seeking to. As he recognize his father, Grumman was killed by one of the witch who used to loved him but he neglect her love which was on the witch point of view, it's the same as a scorn to her. Anyway, not long after killing Grumman using her arrow, she committed suicide using her own knife. Then, two angels visited upon him. Spoke to him that they need to bring him to Lord Asriel. But, Will wouldn't go without Lyra. Unfortunately, he couldn't find Lyra. I guessed, Mrs Coulter had found her and kidnapped her. Yeah.. It's the conclusion. I'm not satisfied about it and I'm eager to know what the story after that. Hhh.. I estimated, I could finish the third book in one month..