The Secret Commonwealth - spoilers

Just finished!

I agree with Loopy that it was much bleaker and darker than HDM and LBS, and doesn’t have the same sense of magic. But I wonder if that’s because in those books, the protagonists are all children, and in TSC they are all adults. Maybe that was deliberate, and similar to the Harry Potter books, the tone shifts and changes as the characters get older?

It did seem very seeped in politics which I found quite difficult to follow in places. I’m hoping this will all be tied up in the final book.

I like Malcolm’s character a lot, I’d be happy if he ended up with Lyra. I really hope we see Will again though in the final book, even if we just see his daemon. I was really saddened by Lyra and Pan’s estrangement

Also, I’m quite pleased with myself as whilst reading LBS I hazarded a guess that Alice was the housekeeper in Jordan who raised Lyra! I doubted myself though due to the different last name and the fact I’d imagined the housekeeper to be much older. But I’m pleased I was right about that!

I did like it but I’m a bit disappointed by all the loose ends. I’m sure Philip Pullman will bring it altogether in the next one but I wish I didn’t have to wait for it (another 2 years?)

I felt so sad for Lyra and Pan and their broken relationship. Oh and when Lyra thought she saw Will, but it was Olivier 😭😭😭😭

Could Will’s daemon be stranded in Lyra’s world? That’s what I thought when Lyra was dreaming about seeing Will’s daemon (or was that when she was using the alethiometer, I can’t remember).

I haven’t quite finished - loved the first part, but agree that once Lyra, Malcolm and Pan go on their separate journeys it gets a bit laboured. Too plot and theme driven for me - not enough character and relationships.

Me too..I like Will more than Lyra 😁

But yes...felt a bit laboured...need the next book!!!

I did not like the Mal in love with Lyra theme either...bit icky

One thing I noticed...lots of going on about Wills ability to “go invisible”. This dovetails with my theory that his mum is a proper witch stranded in our world...and that witches daemons can still separate but are all cats. His cat tripping up the man, that random cat showing the way to cittogazze (and getting hounded by children there later), Jon parry refusing the witch who eventually kills him (already committed/married to a witch ) and of course then wills invisible act and cat daemon. Just needed to get that out my system!!!

Also, the steam ship schedule for the levant is in the Lyras oxford book as well as their encounter with the oxford alchemist..