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His Dark Materials: The Amber Spyglass (Book 3) Paperback – May 27, 2003
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Throughout the worlds, the forces of both heaven and hell are mustering to take part in Lord Asriel's audacious rebellion. Each player in this epic drama has a role to play—and a sacrifice to make. Witches, angels, spies, assassins, tempters, and pretenders, no one will remain unscathed.
Lyra and Will have the most dangerous task of all. They must journey to a gray-lit world where no living soul has ever gone and from which there is no escape.
As war rages and Dust drains from the sky, the fate of the living—and the dead—comes to depend on Lyra and Will. On the choices they make in love, and for love, forevermore.
A #1 New York Times Bestseller
Winner of the Whitbread Award
Winner of the British Book Award (Children's)
A Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book of the Century
Published in 40 Countries
"Masterful.... This title confirms Pullman's inclusion in the company of C.S. Lewis and Tolkien." —Smithsonian Magazine
"Pullman has created the last great fantasy masterpiece of the twentieth century. An astounding achievement." —The Cincinnati Enquirer
"War, politics, magic, science, individual lives and cosmic destinies are all here . . . shaped and assembled into a narrative of tremendous pace by a man with a generous, precise intelligence. I am completely enchanted." —The New York Times Book Review
"Breathtaking adventure . . . a terrific story, eloquently told." —The Boston Globe
Don't miss Philip Pullman's epic new trilogy set in the world of His Dark Materials!
** THE BOOK OF DUST **
La Belle Sauvage
The Secret Commonwealth
- Reading age10 - 12 years
- Print length560 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Grade level5 - 9
- Dimensions5.19 x 1.31 x 7.56 inches
- PublisherYearling
- Publication dateMay 27, 2003
- ISBN-100440418569
- ISBN-13978-0440418566
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The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials, Book 3)Hardcover$16.39 shippingGet it as soon as Monday, Nov 3Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
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From the Publisher
His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass (Book 1)
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His Dark Materials: The Subtle Knife (Book 2)
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His Dark Materials: The Amber Spyglass (Book 3)
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The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage (Book of Dust, Volume 1)
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The Book of Dust: The Secret Commonwealth (Book of Dust, Volume 2)
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| Customer Reviews |
4.5 out of 5 stars 16,079
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4.5 out of 5 stars 10,386
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4.5 out of 5 stars 9,792
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4.6 out of 5 stars 23,198
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4.6 out of 5 stars 18,630
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| Price | $7.34$7.34 | $6.40$6.40 | $7.34$7.34 | $12.18$12.18 | $15.87$15.87 |
| Enter the world of His Dark Materials | The modern fantasy classic now streaming on Max – HIS DARK MATERIALS! | The second book in the HIS DARK MATERIALS series – now streaming on Max! | The third book in the HIS DARK MATERIALS series – now streaming on Max! | Set in the same world as HIS DARK MATERIALS - meet Lyra before the events of The Golden Compass! | Set in the same world as HIS DARK MATERIALS - discover what happened to Lyra after The Amber Spyglass! |
Editorial Reviews
Review
–Newsweek
“A LITERARY MASTERPIECE . . . [that] caps the most magnificent fantasy series since The Lord of the Rings and puts Harry Potter to shame. . . . A page-turning story that builds to a powerful finish.”
–Oregonian
“IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT DOWN, SO FIRMLY AND RELENTLESSLY DOES PULLMAN DRAW YOU INTO HIS TALE . . . [A] gripping saga pitting the magnetic young Lyra Belacqua and her friend Will Parry against the forces of both Heaven and Hell.”
–Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“Breathtaking adventure . . . terrific story, eloquently told.”–The Boston Sunday Globe
From the Inside Flap
Along with the return of Lyra, Will, Mrs. Coulter, Lord Asriel, Dr. Mary Malone, and Iorek Byrnison the armored bear, come a host of new characters: the Mulefa, mysterious wheeled creatures with the power to see Dust; Gallivespian Lord Roke, a hand-high spymaster to Lord Asriel; and Metatron, a fierce and mighty angel. So, too, come startling revelations: the painful price Lyra must pay to walk through the land of the dead, the haunting power of Dr. Malone's amber spyglass, and the names of who will live--and who will die--for love. And all the while, war rages with the Kingdom of Heaven, a brutal battle that--in its shocking outcome--will uncover the secret of Dust. Philip Pullman deftly brings the cliff-hangers and mysteries of His Dark Materials to an earthshattering conclusion--and confirms his fantasy trilogy as an undoubted and enduring classic.
From the Hardcover edition.
From the Back Cover
Along with the return of Lyra, Will, Mrs. Coulter, Lord Asriel, Dr. Mary Malone, and Iorek Byrnison the armored bear, come a host of new characters: the Mulefa, mysterious wheeled creatures with the power to see Dust; Gallivespian Lord Roke, a hand-high spymaster to Lord Asriel; and Metatron, a fierce and mighty angel. So, too, come startling revelations: the painful price Lyra must pay to walk through the land of the dead, the haunting power of Dr. Malone's amber spyglass, and the names of who will live--and who will die--for love. And all the while, war rages with the Kingdom of Heaven, a brutal battle that--in its shocking outcome--will uncover the secret of Dust. Philip Pullman deftly brings the cliff-hangers and mysteries of His Dark Materials to an earthshattering conclusion--and confirms his fantasy trilogy as an undoubted and enduring classic.
"From the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
The Book of Dust, Pullman’s eagerly anticipated return to the world of His Dark Materials, will also be a book in three parts. It began with La Belle Sauvage and continues with The Secret Commonwealth.
Philip Pullman is the author of many other beloved novels. For younger readers: I Was a Rat!, Count Karlstein, Two Crafty Criminals!, Spring-Heeled Jack, and The Scarecrow and His Servant. For older readers: the Sally Lockhart quartet (The Ruby in the Smoke, The Shadow in the North, The Tiger in the Well, and The Tin Princess), The White Mercedes, and The Broken Bridge. He has written a magnificent collection, Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm, and his essays and lectures on writing and storytelling have been gathered in a volume called Dæmon Voices: On Stories and Storytelling.
Philip Pullman lives in Oxford, England.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
In a valley shaded with rhododendrons, close to the snow line, where a stream milky with meltwater splashed and where doves and linnets flew among the immense pines, lay a cave, half, hidden by the crag above and the stiff heavy leaves that clustered below.
The woods were full of sound: the stream between the rocks, the wind among the needles of the pine branches, the chitter of insects and the cries of small arboreal mammals, as well as the birdsong; and from time to time a stronger gust of wind would make one of the branches of a cedar or a fir move against another and groan like a cello.
It was a place of brilliant sunlight, never undappled. Shafts of lemon-gold brilliance lanced down to the forest floor between bars and pools of brown-green shade; and the light was never still, never constant, because drifting mist would often float among the treetops, filtering all the sunlight to a pearly sheen and brushing every pine cone with moisture that glistened when the mist lifted. Sometimes the wetness in the clouds condensed into tiny drops half mist and half rain, which floated downward rather than fell, making a soft rustling patter among the millions of needles.
There was a narrow path beside the stream, which led from a village-little more than a cluster of herdsmen's dwellings - at the foot of the valley to a half-ruined shrine near the glacier at its head, a place where faded silken flags streamed out in the Perpetual winds from the high mountains, and offerings of barley cakes and dried tea were placed by pious villagers. An odd effect of the light, the ice, and the vapor enveloped the head of the valley in perpetual rainbows.
The cave lay some way above the path. Many years before, a holy man had lived there, meditating and fasting and praying, and the place was venerated for the sake of his memory. It was thirty feet or so deep, with a dry floor: an ideal den for a bear or a wolf, but the only creatures living in it for years had been birds and bats.
But the form that was crouching inside the entrance, his black eyes watching this way and that, his sharp ears pricked, was neither bird nor bat. The sunlight lay heavy and rich on his lustrous golden fur, and his monkey hands turned a pine cone this way and that, snapping off the scales with sharp fingers and scratching out the sweet nuts.
Behind him, just beyond the point where the sunlight reached, Mrs. Coulter was heating some water in a small pan over a naphtha stove. Her daemon uttered a warning murmur and Mrs. Coulter looked up.
Coming along the forest path was a young village girl. Mrs. Coulter knew who she was: Ama had been bringing her food for some days now. Mrs. Coulter had let it be known when she first arrived that she was a holy woman engaged in meditation and prayer, and under a vow never to speak to a man. Ama was the only person whose visits she accepted.
This time, though, the girl wasn't alone. Her father was with her, and while Ama climbed up to the cave, he waited a little way off.
Ama came to the cave entrance and bowed.
"My father sends me with prayers for your goodwill," she said.
"Greetings, child," said Mrs. Coulter.
The girl was carrying a bundle wrapped in faded cotton, which she laid at Mrs. Coulter's feet. Then she held out a little bunch of flowers, a dozen or so anemones bound with a cotton thread, and began to speak in a rapid, nervous voice. Mrs. Coulter understood some of the language of these mountain people, but it would never do to let them know how much. So she smiled and motioned to the girl to close her lips and to watch their two daemons. The golden monkey was holding out his little black hand, and Ama's butterfly daemon was fluttering closer and closer until he settled on a horny forefinger.
The monkey brought him slowly to his ear, and Mrs. Coulter felt a tiny stream of understanding flow into her mind, clarifying the girl's words. The villagers were happy for a holy woman, such as herself, to take refuge in the cave, but it was rumored 'that she had a companion with her who was in some way dangerous and powerful.
It was that which made the villagers afraid. Was this other Steing Mrs. Coulter's master, or her servant? Did she mean harm? Why was she there in the first place? Were they going to stay long? Ama conveyed these questions with a thousand misgivings.
A novel answer occurred to Mrs. Coulter as the daemon's understanding filtered into hers. She could tell the truth. Not all of it, naturally, but some. She felt a little quiver of laughter at the idea, but kept it out of her voice as she explained:
"Yes, there is someone else with me. But there is nothing to be afraid of. She is my daughter, and she is under a spell that made her fall asleep. We have come here to hide from the enchanter who put the spell on her, while I try to cure her and keep her from harm. Come and see her, if you like."
Ama was half-soothed by Mrs. Coulter's soft voice, and half afraid still; and the talk of enchanters and spells added to the awe she felt. But the golden monkey was holding her daemon so gently, and she was curious, besides, so she followed Mrs. Coulter into the cave.
Her father, on the path below, took a step forward, and his crow daemon raised her wings once or twice, but he stayed where he was.
Mrs. Coulter lit a candle, because the light was fading rapidly, and led Ama to the back of the cave. Ama's eyes glittered widely in the gloom, and her hands were moving together in a repetitive gesture of finger on thumb, finger on thumb, to ward off danger by confusing the evil spirits.
"You see?" said Mrs. Coulter. "She can do no harm. There's nothing to be afraid of."
Product details
- Publisher : Yearling
- Publication date : May 27, 2003
- Edition : Reprint
- Language : English
- Print length : 560 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0440418569
- ISBN-13 : 978-0440418566
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Reading age : 10 - 12 years
- Dimensions : 5.19 x 1.31 x 7.56 inches
- Book 3 of 3 : His Dark Materials
- Grade level : 5 - 9
- Best Sellers Rank: #132,678 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

PHILIP PULLMAN is one of the most acclaimed writers working today. He is best known for the His Dark Materials trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass), which has been named one of the top 100 novels of all time by Newsweek and one of the all-time greatest novels by Entertainment Weekly. He has also won many distinguished prizes, including the Carnegie Medal for The Golden Compass (and the reader-voted "Carnegie of Carnegies" for the best children's book of the past seventy years); the Whitbread (now Costa) Award for The Amber Spyglass; a Booker Prize long-list nomination (The Amber Spyglass); Parents' Choice Gold Awards (The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass); and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, in honor of his body of work. In 2004, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
It has recently been announced that The Book of Dust, the much anticipated new book from Mr. Pullman, also set in the world of His Dark Materials, will be published as a major work in three parts, with the first part to arrive in October 2017.
Philip Pullman is the author of many other much-lauded novels. Other volumes related to His Dark Materials: Lyra’s Oxford, Once Upon a Time in the North, and The Collectors. For younger readers: I Was a Rat!; Count Karlstein; Two Crafty Criminals; Spring-Heeled Jack, and The Scarecrow and His Servant. For older readers: the Sally Lockhart quartet: The Ruby in the Smoke, The Shadow in the North, The Tiger in the Well, and The Tin Princess; The White Mercedes; and The Broken Bridge.
Philip Pullman lives in Oxford, England. To learn more, please visit philip-pullman.com and hisdarkmaterials.com. Or follow him on Twitter at @PhilipPullman.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this book to be the climax of the Golden Compass series, praising its rich characters and thought-provoking content that inspires spiritual reflection. The writing is marvelously crafted, and customers consider it one of the favorite trilogies ever written. While some customers describe it as a fast-paced adventure, others find it slow to start.
AI Generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers praise the storyline of the book, describing it as a great ending to the series with an interwoven plot that serves as the climax of the entire Golden Compass series.
"Great story!..." Read more
"It was a good conclusion to the trilogy. I was saddened by how it ended, however it was well worth the read." Read more
"...Pullman ties all the characters,plots and suspense to a glorious and exciting end. One of the best books I've read in a long, long time!" Read more
"...I was a little disappointed in the ending, however. Lyra and Will's relationship took an odd turn that, to me, felt a little forced...." Read more
Customers find the book thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining, describing it as a compelling and thrilling read that all people will enjoy.
"Great book ! Classic fantasy book with wonderful character development. You identify with the heroes and the villains. Glad I finally read it!" Read more
"Good read but not a children book. Interesting concept of creation and angels." Read more
"Great read! My favorite in the trilogy. Everything is planned out well, and the plot is fascinating. I couldn't put the book down...." Read more
"Very good book" Read more
Customers love this series, describing it as a favorite trilogy ever written and a great adventure, with the third book serving as a solid middle installment in the trilogy.
"...This is a great series that rises well above most of what we see today in fiction. With a bit more it could have risen to the level of a true classic." Read more
"This book was by far the best book of the series. I really loved all of the various plot lines which were so interesting but yet not hard to follow...." Read more
"The best of the series but I was unimpressed with the world Pullman built...." Read more
"Great series...highly recommend." Read more
Customers appreciate the character development in the book, noting that the characters are rich and well-developed, with one customer highlighting how Pullman effectively ties them together throughout the story.
"...Well paced and well developed characters." Read more
"...Highly recommend this series, compelling story, strong characters, a real page turner." Read more
"Addicted to Mr. Pullman's wonderful stories and interesting characters. Pre-ordered the first book in his new series, "The Book of Dust."" Read more
"...I love these characters, the worlds, and the lessons they taught me. I am a better person for reading these books, and I recommend them to anyone...." Read more
Customers find the book thought-provoking, inspiring them to ponder profound questions and open their minds to spirituality.
"This whole series is thought-provoking. A lot of people think it's strictly Anti-Christian. I feel like it's more so anti-religious corruption...." Read more
"...15 years later this trilogy is just as thought provoking and entertaining. An epic adventure and escape!" Read more
"...Every word has other words hidden behind them. It is very rich and full of wisdom, this book...." Read more
"Controversial, but extremely thought provoking and wonderful! One of my favorite books!..." Read more
Customers praise the writing quality of the book, describing it as marvelously and excellently narrated, with one customer noting how it pulls readers along in suspension and anticipation.
"Beautifully written and interesting, but by far not as good as The Golden Compass...." Read more
"...main characters - Lyra and Will - become even more endearing and well-written. The end, in particular, is superlative and sad...." Read more
"keeps you turning pages,well written, fantasy, with irony and imagination and political-religious sarcasm...." Read more
"...Pullman's trilogy fits into the latter category. He is a fine writer -- balancing multiple story lines that interconnect and support each other;..." Read more
Customers find the book emotionally charged and heartbreaking, with one customer describing it as a deeply felt tragic love story.
"...It was touching and sad and exciting and every moment I wondered what would happen next. This is a great series and i would gladly read it again." Read more
"...The characters are loveable and endearing and very creative." Read more
"...some very strong, and POSITIVE themes involved - like trust, courage, love, and responsibility - however, I won't let my kiddos read this until I am..." Read more
"...Yes, it was heartbreaking, and you wished it could be otherwise for Lyra and Will, but it was the only way it could have ended...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the pacing of the book, with some finding it a fast-paced adventure while others say it drags and is a slow starter.
"...interconnect and support each other; each character is well drawn, complex and believable; situations are dramatic and interesting...." Read more
"...Everything is too forced to where it might as well be the author directly telling you like a lecture." Read more
"...elements that have made the prior books so successful remain - fast-paced adventure, sympathetic characters, and richly-imagined worlds - but there..." Read more
"...in the series, was full off unnecessary side stories and just dragged on and on...." Read more
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Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2001Format: Mass Market PaperbackVerified PurchaseThere are two kinds of great stories -- those that fit seamlessly into the body of thought and make you wonder why no one thought of it before, and those that are remarkably imaginative and compelling and make you wonder how the author thought it up at all. Pullman's trilogy fits into the latter category. He is a fine writer -- balancing multiple story lines that interconnect and support each other; each character is well drawn, complex and believable; situations are dramatic and interesting.
This final installment of Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy is not disappointing. It lives up to the preceding volumes, which is a rarity in serial publications (even Tolkien fell down a bit with Return of the King). I was prepared for a rotten ending after reading many criticisms of it in the reviews here, but I liked the ending -- bittersweet, tragic and hopeful all at once. I would say that the only thing I didn't like was that Lyra slept through one-third of the book! Without giving any spoilers I will say that there are several scenes that are as emotionally packed as anything I've read.
Two notes: (1) People who DO put spoilers into their reviews should warn or label them as such beforehand. (2) Frankly, zealotry is tiresome, and it would be nice if commentaries did not have to include reviewers' belief systems. Can't you just relax and read for enjoyment? This book is in the *fantasy* genre. Open your mind a little bit and don't be so threatened by ideas.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2008Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseThe Golden Compass brilliantly invents a fantasy world full of adventure, action and allegorical lessons regarding religion and life. The two sequels smoothly carry on the story line and largely continue to keep the readers absorbed and satisfied, but I cannot say that they are as perfect as the original.
While the author successfully introduces new environments and characters through the series to keep it fresh, I cannot help notice that his preaching of liberal values grows more naked as the series progresses. Make no mistake, I am happy that this series exists to serve as a counter-weight to the typical Christian fundamentalist propaganda parading as young adult literature, e.g. Narnia, but I have to admit that some story elements in this final volume push the envelope a little too far and make the book suitable for mature audience only, which is quite regrettable as the first two books have been great for even very young kids. Specifically, the climax of this book involves the protagonist, 13-year-old Lyra, committing "the original sin" with her boy friend in the woods within the sight of the last surviving bad guy, a zealot priest on a mission to assassinate her. The ex deus machina comes about when the priest is killed just in time by a gay angel sworn to protect the boy. Yes, you read me right. This book features gay angels (as well as horny ones by the way). The author certainly cannot be accused of a lack of imagination.
My other complaint regards plausibility. We are talking about a fantasy series here, so I am not trying to apply real physics to the story. It is the motivation and behaviors of some characters that bothers me. For example, the ghosts and harpies talk, interact and respond in ways totally illogical and unrealistic. But they are minor characters non-essential to the core plot, so flipping quickly past these parts is not difficult.
Despite these flaws, I still enjoy reading it tremendously. This series is truly one of the best in its genre.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2025the golden compass/northern lights in probably my favorite trilogy ever written. i was lucky enough to find all 3 books in large print format, and now i have them for my home library. this is a story that i plan on re-reading annually because it's so magical and whimsical. arrived in perfect condition!
- Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2020Format: HardcoverVerified PurchaseVolume three of Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy, "The Amber Spyglass" begins with Lyra Silvertongue simultaneously at the mercy and in the care of her mother, Mrs. Coulter, who is in turmoil, as she recognizes the love she feels for her daughter is in direct conflict with everything for which she has ever plotted and schemed. Meanwhile, Will Parry, newly devastated by the death of his father, searches for her.
The story that follows finds the two of them reunited, but pursued by malevolence in an increasingly chaotic universe, as the veils between the worlds grows thinner, and a war between Lord Asriel's upstart army and the forces of The Authority itself begins to grow. Lyra and Will will travel to the land of the dead, learn what it is like to live without their daemons, and fundamentally change the forces underpinning all of creation.
There are big ideas within "The Amber Spyglass", taking the story of "His Dark Materials" into realms beyond that of young adult fantasy-adventure. The author takes on the cruelties and tyranny of organized religion, lifts up compassion as the highest of virtues, and ultimately imagines a universe in which there is no Kingdom of Heaven, but instead a Republic. All of the elements that have made the prior books so successful remain - fast-paced adventure, sympathetic characters, and richly-imagined worlds - but there is a lesson here, too, on individual morality, our duty to one another, and doing our best to make things better, no matter who, or where, we are.
Top reviews from other countries
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LucianaReviewed in Brazil on July 24, 20205.0 out of 5 stars Excelente
Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseÓtimo produto
elenaReviewed in Spain on August 12, 20235.0 out of 5 stars Love it!
I have looking for a long time after the Philipe Pullman audiobook, His Dark Materials. I found this one one a bargain and I just bought it. There are 12 CD for the third book, The Amber Glass, and I will look for the other 2 books too. The audio is great, I just love the book and the audio. Phillip Pullman is one of my favourite writers!
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Edmundo Zarate AlanisReviewed in Mexico on August 1, 20215.0 out of 5 stars trepidante y atrapante
Format: KindleVerified PurchaseLa cpnclusión de la saga, que ata todos los cabos sueltos en una narrativa excepcional.
RobertReviewed in Australia on July 20, 20235.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
Just awesome
Laurisa BaerReviewed in Japan on May 17, 20145.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!
My all-time favourite book series. Shipped fast, in perfect condition.






