SPOILERS SPOILERS sign in here if you have FINISHED La Belle Sauvage

[newtlover]

what do we think?

I had trouble with the supernatural bits of this book. They didn't feel right. The bits from HDM did. I can't explain myself!

Ha ha Diana I had the same thought.

I'm not sure why I'm bothered by fairies and giants in a series of books where people are travelling between different worlds. Witches and armoured Bears I have no problems with.

I have finished as well. I loved it.

The pre-flood chapters were more hard-hitting for me, too. I do not remember Homer's Odyssey in enough detail to enjoy the rest fully.

Although the island of forgetting was quite sad. Did they represent people on mood-altering medications?

When Malcolm sees the halos, it is obviously a message from the Dust. What was the first message when he was looking at the map and saw a letter C?

Thank you for all the explanation in the previous posts.

The next book is already titled The Secret Commonwealth

I enjoyed it though I listened to it rather than read it - I think maybe I'd have struggled to keep focused on the later chapters if I'd been reading it. So many questions raised and I'm going to have to go back to the three previous books and read Lyra's Oxford to try and pick up on anything I missed!

Don't forget to read ONce Upon A Time In The North as well! It's a short story prequel about Lee Scoresby.

Elena are we supposed to be familiar with The Odyssey?! Because I'm not and I don't fancy having to read it either.

I thought those weird stopovers like the fairy woman were references to the Odyssey, but I may be wrong. I'll check.

I loved it. Have read it twice and the 2nd reading was better. Plenty to think about in there. Looking forward to the next one.

I couldn't resist returning to The Subtle Knife this weekend. (Not so keen on Northern Lights.) It's still so magnificent. And Will just the greatest hero ever. There's lots going on but it's - quicksilvery. La Belle Sauvage seems ponderous by comparison.

I have restarted the Northern Lights.

I didn't lobe it as much as I'd hoped. For me it didn't stand up as a book itself. That's what's so great about the first trilogy that each book is good in it's own right. This read like a prologue.

I liked the pre flood a lot, and I didn't mind that it turned into homers odyssey but then it just cut off so abruptly

It would barely have taken a chapter to wrap up better, maybe have a wee chat about the aura/aurora? Spend an evening with Asriel maybe? Catch up with Hannah?
The end was just so weak

I'm almost at the end of The Northern Lights. Loving it as much as the first time I read it.

La Belle Sauvage, Malcolm and Alice, just seem so insipid by comparison. They're just so ordinary. I do love Lyra though.

I think part 1 would have stood up as a book. It promised so much, and then they just floated down the river and changed the baby a lot.

Finally finished so I can join In! Gave up waiting for the library copy so downloaded to kindle instead. I actually really enjoyed it but did find the 2nd half a bit repetitive in terms of environment - I guess it would have been in the flood but still, there are only so many hills with convenient landing spots for a canoe you can get excited about.

The ending annoyed me greatly. Where was Dr Relf, did Malcolm's parents (and the other peacock!) survive the flood, what became of the nuns, how was Bonneville managing to keep chasing them etc etc. With the 2nd book being set 20 years later I don't know how the 2 stories will weave together. Anyone know how much longer we'll need to wait for it?

Finally got round to reading it today, took me just over 5 hours. I really loved the beginning, very strong, lots going on, but then it just peters out into a dull repetitive journey. Like above, I was very frustrated by the ending, so many unanswered questions, I don't expect everything to be answered, but having the characters collapse onto a carpet wasn't in anyway a satisfactory conclusion.

The fact that Alice's Daemon was still able to change shape was very surprising, as I thought they became fixed as puberty hit. 15 seemed very late, although I suppose it's not entirely impossible. Also, sticking with daemons Bonneville's character confused me, I thought pain felt by a daemon was also felt by the person connected to them. therefore the hitting the hyena made sense as it was a form of self harm. However, I don't quite understand why if this is the case, his daemon loosing a leg didn't affect him.

Finally Lyra must be the most well behaved baby ever, she sleeps when they do, never throws up, happy to be left lying in a canoe for hours at a time.

I really liked half one, but agree with others all the supernatural fairy stuff was not great at all. I didn’t really think that world had ‘magic’ in it, although obviously it has the witches but they are a bit different. And why did hyena man not die after stabbing/second leg disabled in daemon? Can’t understand how he was able to chase them all the way. Although I guess it was all part of the fairy dreamlike thing.
Still, overall enjoyable, but mainly for the extra insights into that world, rather than as a story for itself I think

Still, overall enjoyable, but mainly for the extra insights into that world, rather than as a story for itself I think

I agree, as a look into the history of some of the characters we already knew it was fascinating. However, I don't believe the book is strong enough to be a stand alone story. Which is a shame, as the beginning had so much potential.

Enjoyed it a lot, had some hardcore content for a children’s book, particularly the implied rape 😨 and Malcolm killing Bonneville. Felt he resurrected Bonneville too many times!

Like others, not keen on the fairy realm or giants stuff.