343:, Lyra realises he has stolen her alethiometer. Sir Charles promises to return the instrument in return for a powerful knife that he covets, now in CittĂ gazze. Will defeats a youth who has taken the knife from its holder, Giacomo Paradisi, but loses two fingers in the fight. Paradisi explains that this is a sign that Will is the knife's new bearer, and he explains its power: the ability to cut through any material, even the fabric between worlds. Will and Lyra learn that CittĂ gazze is haunted by soul-eating spectres, which prey on adolescents and adults but ignore children.
1011:
276:, a truth-telling symbol reader. By setting the alethiometer's hands to point to symbols around a dial a skilled practitioner can pose questions, which are answered by the movement round the dial of a further hand. The Subtle Knife of the book's title is a knife called Æsahættr, which can cut windows between worlds.
350:, originally from her own world, and Will hears news of his father, who had disappeared after discovering a window between the worlds. Will and Lyra escape back to CittĂ gazze with the alethiometer and are rescued from marauding children by Serafina Pekkala. She attempts unsuccessfully to heal Will's injured hand.
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made over twice its budget worldwide but was a disappointment in the United States, leaving the fate of its sequel unclear. The international rights were also originally sold to provide financing for the first film, thus amounting to a significant disappointment for New Line Cinema. Producer
Deborah
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Leaving Lyra asleep at their overnight camp, Will walks on alone and finds his father, who staunches his bleeding and tells him to join Lord Asriel's forces. Grumman is killed by a vengeful witch whose love he had once spurned. Will returns to find a pair of angels waiting to guide him to Asriel. He
353:
Sir
Charles visits Dr Malone and offers to fund her research if she will follow his directions. She refuses. At Lyra's suggestion, she uses her computer to communicate with the consciousness of dark matter. It instructs her to destroy the computer and to travel through the same window between worlds
370:. They set off in Scoresby's hot air balloon but are forced to land by soldiers of the Church. The soldiers attack, and Scoresby calls Serafina for help. She leaves Lyra to follow his call, but arrives too late. Scoresby has died holding off the soldiers so that Grumman can complete his task.
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known to the people of that world as Jopari (a modified form of his
English name John Parry): Will's father. Grumman has summoned Scoresby to take him to the bearer of the knife and to assist Lord Asriel, who is assembling an army to rebel against an ancient angel called
29:
373:
Mrs
Coulter tricks Sir Charles into revealing the secret of the knife, and poisons him. She uses the spectres, which she has learned to control, to torture a witch into revealing the prophecy: that Lyra is the second
440:
Forte, however, was adamant that she would finish the trilogy, saying, "I believe there are enough people who see what a viable and successful franchise we have." However, Philip
Pullman later remarked at the
288:, where he cares for his mother who has mental health problems. After accidentally killing an intruder, Will escapes via a portal into another world and finds himself in the city of
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Will returns to his world to seek information about his father, who went missing years earlier on an expedition. Lyra, who has come with him, wants to learn about
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won
Parents' Choice Gold Book Award; American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults; Booklist Editors' Choice; Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year;
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Mrs
Coulter, Lyra's mother, tortures a witch for a prophecy said to concern her daughter. Before the victim can reveal the details she is killed by the witch
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Will uses the knife to cut a window into Sir
Charles's home where he overhears a conversation with Mrs Coulter. Lyra realises that Sir Charles is
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annual conference in 2011 that due to the first film's disappointing sales in the United States, there would not be any sequels made.
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goes to awaken Lyra, but finds that she is missing and that her guardian witches' souls have been drained by spectres.
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is introduced as a companion to Lyra, and together they explore new worlds in the search for Will's father.
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An audiobook adaptation, featuring a full cast and narration by the author, was released in 2000.
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Philip
Pullman receiving the award for services to Humanism, at the BHA Conference 2011
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From 2019 to 2020, the novel was adapted as the first and second series of the joint
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His Dark
Materials Illuminated: Critical Essays on Phillip Pullman's Trilogy
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583:"New Line pulls in pic scribe: Amini to pen second part of Pullman trilogy"
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as Mrs Coulter, and a second run between November 2004 and April 2005.
378:. Mrs Coulter plans to destroy her daughter rather than risk a second
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After accepting a lift from an elderly man introducing himself as
723:"What HBO's His Dark Materials Is Doing Is a Book Reader's Dream"
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used by Will and Lyra, explaining that her role is to "play the
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would go into production only if the first film was a success.
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in December 2003, running until March 2004, and starring
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696:"His Dark Materials cast their magic on BBC Radio 4"
211:, as she investigates the mysterious phenomenon of
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256:dominated by the Magisterium, an international
201:trilogy. The novel continues the adventures of
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454:trilogy, the book has also formed part of a
1312:The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ
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191:published in 1997 and the second book in
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361:Lee Scoresby finds Grumman living as a
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1296:I Was a Rat! or, The Scarlet Slippers
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650:from the original on 12 December 2021
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515:, approved in September 2018, covers
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670:"The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman"
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284:Twelve-year-old Will Parry lives in
157:Northern Lights (The Golden Compass)
328:—mysterious particles connected to
13:
550:The Elements of His Dark Materials
522:
292:where he meets Lyra and her dæmon
14:
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721:Thomas, Leah (29 November 2019).
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1009:
611:"'Compass' spins foreign frenzy"
533:. Wayne State University Press.
609:Dawtrey, Adam (13 March 2008).
581:McNary, Dave (4 January 2007).
501:The second series of the joint
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113:Print (hardback and paperback)
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1304:The Scarecrow and his Servant
1280:The Firework-Maker's Daughter
1170:Once Upon a Time in the North
876:Once Upon a Time in the North
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1375:Scholastic Corporation books
442:British Humanist Association
16:1997 novel by Philip Pullman
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450:As the second novel of the
431:said that an adaptation of
409:Best Book of the Year; and
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1209:The Secret Commonwealth
1081:The Shadow in the North
851:The Secret Commonwealth
279:
1340:British fantasy novels
548:Frost, Laurie (2006).
480:Royal National Theatre
421:Before the release of
1370:1997 children's books
1089:The Tiger in the Well
1073:The Ruby in the Smoke
52:Philip Pullman &
1288:The Butterfly Tattoo
401:Fanfare Honor Book;
1360:1997 fantasy novels
1335:1997 British novels
961:(television series)
494:as Lord Asriel and
484:Anna Maxwell Martin
413:Pick of the Lists.
411:American Bookseller
23:
1264:The White Mercedes
1143:The Amber Spyglass
1110:His Dark Materials
958:His Dark Materials
950:The Golden Compass
942:The Golden Compass
934:His Dark Materials
822:The Amber Spyglass
798:His Dark Materials
782:His Dark Materials
552:. The Fell Press.
512:His Dark Materials
476:two-part, six-hour
474:as Lyra, and as a
452:His Dark Materials
437:The Golden Compass
424:The Golden Compass
405:Blue Ribbon Book;
390:Critical reception
341:Sir Charles Latrom
319:Stanislaus Grumman
233:His Dark Materials
230:television series
198:His Dark Materials
170:The Amber Spyglass
65:His Dark Materials
21:
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1256:The Broken Bridge
1232:The Haunted Storm
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702:. 2 December 2002
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102:Publication place
49:Cover artist
22:The Subtle Knife
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1201:La Belle Sauvage
1191:The Book of Dust
1135:The Subtle Knife
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1097:The Tin Princess
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966:La Belle Sauvage
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815:The Subtle Knife
788:The Book of Dust
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646:. 25 July 2011.
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517:The Subtle Knife
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395:The Subtle Knife
311:Serafina Pekkala
181:The Subtle Knife
165:Followed by
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969:(stage play)
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917:Mrs. Coulter
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732:. Retrieved
728:The Mary Sue
726:
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704:. Retrieved
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97:22 July 1997
63:
18:
926:Adaptations
912:Lord Asriel
594:13 December
468:Lord Asriel
462:, starring
460:BBC Radio 4
456:radio drama
417:Adaptations
348:Lord Boreal
334:dark matter
298:Lord Asriel
294:Pantalaimon
186:young-adult
54:David Scutt
1329:Categories
1178:Serpentine
907:Will Parry
894:Characters
883:Serpentine
734:3 December
706:2 December
680:2 December
654:2 December
568:References
559:0975943014
407:Book Links
290:CittĂ gazze
217:Will Parry
1272:Clockwork
1054:Works by
984:Locations
674:AudioFile
490:as Will,
486:as Lyra,
399:Horn Book
258:theocracy
248:The main
82:Publisher
1015:Category
648:Archived
622:13 March
403:Bulletin
266:sentient
254:universe
146:44058512
644:YouTube
616:Variety
588:Variety
356:serpent
250:setting
244:Setting
1315:(2010)
1307:(2004)
1299:(1999)
1291:(1998)
1283:(1995)
1275:(1999)
1267:(1992)
1259:(1990)
1251:(1987)
1243:(1982)
1235:(1972)
1212:(2019)
1204:(2017)
1181:(2020)
1173:(2008)
1165:(2003)
1146:(2000)
1138:(1997)
1130:(1995)
1100:(1994)
1092:(1990)
1084:(1986)
1076:(1985)
999:Dæmons
945:(film)
676:. 2000
556:
537:
363:shaman
286:Oxford
270:dæmons
262:heresy
172:
159:
60:Series
39:Author
1224:Other
989:Races
977:Other
252:is a
184:is a
118:Pages
72:Genre
994:Dust
785:and
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624:2008
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554:ISBN
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300:(in
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213:Dust
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127:ISBN
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228:HBO
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