The Subtle Knife (1997) by Philip Pullman is the second book in the His Dark Materials trilogy, a daring, multiverse-spanning adventure that deepens the saga’s fusion of theology, quantum physics, and coming-of-age heroism. The novel introduces Will Parry, a fiercely determined 12-year-old from Oxford who flees his troubled home only to stumble through a window between worlds into Cittàgazze, a mysterious coastal city haunted by soul-eating Spectres. There, he meets Lyra Belacqua (protagonist of The Golden Compass), and together they uncover the subtle knife—a blade so sharp it can cut portals between dimensions, wielded by a lineage of child bearers.
Pullman’s breakneck narrative shifts between Will’s quest to find his missing father (a physicist entangled with the sinister Gobblers) and Lyra’s mission to interpret the Alethiometer’s warnings about Dust, angels, and a looming celestial war. The knife’s power comes at a cost: its bearers endure physical and spiritual wounds, mirroring the trilogy’s themes of loss and sacrifice.
A darker, more expansive installment than its predecessor, The Subtle Knife weaves parallel realities, armored bears, and rebel scholars into a tapestry of rebellion against divine tyranny.
