Page 3 | The Rose Field - come over here once you’ve finished !

CalmConfident · 2025-10-27T21:18:43+00:00

Hi all, a place for us to discuss once we’ve finished reading the book!

kickingcabbages · 27/03/2026 11:41

I will never acknowledge this trilogy as ‘true’ or canon or whatever the word is.

It’s such a disappointment that one of the most wonderful storytellers alive today delivered something full of very essential issues with the story.

As someone who works in children’s publishing, clearly everyone is too scared to edit him properly now and it shows.

pollyhemlock · 27/03/2026 16:01

The thing I can’t get over is the fact that there are still open windows between our world and Lyra’s despite the fact that they were all closed at the end of Amber Spyglass. It is this that makes the ending of AS so complete and moving. I like La Belle Sauvage which works as a prequel. The other two sequels I will not revisit.

RestitutionGranted · 10/05/2026 15:28

RockaLock · 18/11/2025 23:13

Ugh. Just finished it. What a disappointment. I was prepared to be disappointed, but this sadly exceeded my expectations.

Completely agree with all the points already made.

So many plot lines started and hinted at and not followed up at all.

A complete u-turn from the HDM sequence re: the windows. The angels were going to help close all the windows, so why were there so many left open in Lyra’s world? Surely they would have started there!

And yes, 100% Lyra would surely have gone looking for Will once she discovered that the ending to The Amber Spyglass was a in fact pack of lies and that the windows were fine. Especially when she realised that she had her own subtle knife. Or did Pullman just forget what he had written at the end of HDM?

I can’t really forgive him for not bringing Will back at all, he was such a great character. Even if it was just to see what he was doing in his life. And what was the point of killing off Serafina Pekkala? It added absolutely nothing to the story!

The magisterium plot bits, I just skimmed over. So dull. The world through the red building, all the “money is bad” stuff right at the end - the way it was written just seemed so contrived, as if Pullman was trying too hard to be clever - “oh, look, what is happening in this imaginary world is just like what’s happening all over the world in real life!”

I too was confused about the whole needing-to-separate thing to go into the red building, which was a Big Thing all the way through the books until they all got there and it wasn’t a Thing at all.

No idea why/how Ionides suddenly turned up in the other world at the end.

Literally the only thing in the whole book that I was happy about (other than Lyra and Pan happily reuniting, of course) was that Malcolm and Lyra didn’t get together after all. The thought of that just gave me the massive ick, it was like a middle aged man’s fantasy that every young woman must secretly lust after an older man.

I could (and do) re-read HDM over and over, but this trilogy and The Rose Field in particular is a one-time-only read for me, I think 🙁

So glad I found this thread! I’ve been trying to wade through this book since I got it at Christmas and only now on holiday have I succeeded.

Totally agree re the middle aged man fantasy thing which is just urgh. I saw a hilarious TikTok the other day which said something like “it’s well known the bloke you dated when you were 19 was the worst of anyone so why is it older men boast about being with a 19 year old woman?” 😂😂😂😂

The thing that irritated me the most was the bigging up of Lyra being older than Malcolm. But explained by pp above thread that he had to change the ending, so grim grim grim what he was planning and laying the foundations for and hopeless on behalf of the editors.

Am so annoyed I’m leaving it behind in the hotel library to frustrate another holidaymaker.

RestitutionGranted · 11/05/2026 07:32

Also - Henry and Ethel made zero sense and felt like a scene from the start of “Up”.

shoehorned in as if was important to tie things up at the end but just created even more questions.

why would Lyra give them her gold that Malcolm made? So they have something of value where they are going? Gobbledigook.

24 hours on from finishing it and still raging

OneGladCrow · 23/09/2026 17:39

Very late to the party and probably one of the contrary ones, but the Malcolm/Lyra thing actually didn't give me ick (did you know Mr Darcy is 8 years older than Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice fyi? I also know other happy couples with big age gap relationships, but I'm sure I'll get a lot of angry comments in response). I think it's worse trying to set him up with the woman who shagged him when he was 16 to get some grief out of her system. And said so quickly, like hey ho let's do that to tie up that plot line up, all good.

What annoyed the hell out of me was the huge amount of loose ends, the total volte face on the windows, and how abrupt the ending was. A previous poster put in all the list of plot gaps/loose ends and reading them here has annoyed me more. Are we seriously not going to tell Coram that he has a daughter he never knew about? Are we not going to hear more about Oakley Street people who were by far amongst the most interesting characters in the trilogy?

I really enjoyed La Belle Sauvage, felt it worthy of HDM trilogy, Secret Commonwealth was so-so, but Rose Field just leaves a foul aftertaste in my mouth. I feel like the time spent reading this trilogy was a waste.

NorWouldTilly · 23/09/2026 17:55

If only I’d hidden this thread I wouldn’t now have all my disappointment dragged up again …

NorWouldTilly · 23/09/2026 17:58

I did spend most of the heatwave sitting on Lyra’s bench. Or often the one behind it because so many people wanted to take photos in front of the famous one. Doesn’t make for a peaceful afternoon.

Civilservant · 23/09/2026 18:41

Is it a nice place to visit? (Sorry to add to the number of tourists!)

@OneGladCrow it’s not the (11 year?) age gap in itself, it’s additionally that Malcolm has known Lyra since she was a baby and was her tutor. Plus the writing of their story. All icky.

NorWouldTilly · 23/09/2026 18:52

Oxford Botanic Garden is completely delightful, @Civilservant. Well worth an hour or two if you’re in the city.

https://www.obga.ox.ac.uk/visit-garden

Civilservant · 24/09/2026 05:14

Thank you @NorWouldTilly !

SquishyGloopyBum · 24/09/2026 06:47

OneGladCrow · 23/09/2026 17:39

Very late to the party and probably one of the contrary ones, but the Malcolm/Lyra thing actually didn't give me ick (did you know Mr Darcy is 8 years older than Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice fyi? I also know other happy couples with big age gap relationships, but I'm sure I'll get a lot of angry comments in response). I think it's worse trying to set him up with the woman who shagged him when he was 16 to get some grief out of her system. And said so quickly, like hey ho let's do that to tie up that plot line up, all good.

What annoyed the hell out of me was the huge amount of loose ends, the total volte face on the windows, and how abrupt the ending was. A previous poster put in all the list of plot gaps/loose ends and reading them here has annoyed me more. Are we seriously not going to tell Coram that he has a daughter he never knew about? Are we not going to hear more about Oakley Street people who were by far amongst the most interesting characters in the trilogy?

I really enjoyed La Belle Sauvage, felt it worthy of HDM trilogy, Secret Commonwealth was so-so, but Rose Field just leaves a foul aftertaste in my mouth. I feel like the time spent reading this trilogy was a waste.

I agree re Lyra and Malcolm.

this popping up again has given me the rage. I couldn’t read a book for a good while after as I was so disappointed in this one - it cut to my core!!