The Subtle Knife
About this book
As the boundaries between worlds begin to dissolve, Lyra and her daemon help Will Parry in his search for his father and for a powerful, magical knife. She had asked: What is he? A friend or an enemy? The alethiometer answered: He is a murderer. When she saw the answer, she relaxed at once. Lyra finds herself in a shimmering, haunted otherworld – Cittàgazze, where soul-eating Spectres stalk the streets and wingbeats of distant angels sound against the sky. But she is not without allies: twelve-year-old Will Parry, fleeing for his life after taking another's, has also stumbled into this strange new realm. On a perilous journey from world to world, Lyra and Will uncover a deadly secret: an object of extraordinary and devastating power. And with every step, they move closer to an even greater threat – and the shattering truth of their own destiny.
Reader Profile
4.2/5 · 14547 readers · 367 pages · ≈ 6 h 48 m · Moderate
What order should I read the His Dark Materials series?
Read The Subtle Knife first, then follow the publication order above — Northern Lights, then The Amber Spyglass.
How long does it take to read The Subtle Knife?
About ≈ 6 h 48 m — 367 pages, assuming roughly 250 words per page at 225 words per minute.
How many pages is The Subtle Knife?
367 pages in its most-read edition.
What genre is The Subtle Knife?
It sits on the Classics, Young Adult, Science Fiction shelves.
Is The Subtle Knife in the public domain?
No — it is still under copyright.
Who are the main characters in The Subtle Knife?
The main characters include Lyra Belacqua, Will Parry.
Where does The Subtle Knife take place?
It is set in Arctic regions, Regiones árticas, Ying guo during Xian dai ..
Who wrote The Subtle Knife?
Philip Pullman.
His Dark Materials — reading order
- → The Subtle Knife (1997) you are here
- 1 Northern Lights (1995)
- 2 The Amber Spyglass (1999)
“Will tugged at his mother's hand and said, "Come on, come on..." But his mother hung back.”