Gorgeous, sad, inspiritional, lush, emotive,… Phillip Pullman’s novel – the third and final installment of the His Dark Materials series – is the best book I’ve read in a year. It’s an entertaining story and an inspiring novel. Pullman’s imagination (except the stuff he pirated from Stephen King’s Dark Tower series) and literary craftsmanship restored my faith in contemporary fantasy fiction.

Throughout, I kept wondering who he intended his audience to be, and the fact that I couldn’t pin one down galvanized my opinion that The Amber Spyglass is an excellent novel worthy of the attention of more than just escapism-loving fans of fantasy and reactionary protectors of Christian morality.

Pullman’s clever characters and imaginative plot breathe fresh air into the lungs of those debating the details of human belief systems. Who (or what) is God? Why are we here? What is good and what is evil? What does it mean to love? What is worth fighting for? Is anything worth dying for?

Pullman’s characters, seen through his Amber Spyglass, are smart, brave, and beautiful. What more could a reader ask for?