- Philip Pullman's second volume in The Book of Dust trilogy is a delightful read. It's just lovely to be re-introduced to Lyra and Malcolm again. It's nineteen or so years later. Lyra is 20 years old now and Malcolm 32. She's a student and he's a professor of history at Oxford.
- The series continues the story of Lyra from Pullman's earlier His Dark Materials trilogy. Both are set in a parallel world, modern, yet non-modern, pre-internet times.
- The Secret Commonwealth, as explained by Lyra, refers 'to the world of half-seen things and half-heard whispers. To things that are regarded by clever people as superstition. To fairies. Spirits, hauntings, things of the night'.
- Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon are estranged due to their separation by a witch in the calamitous Arctic wars a decade previously. The human/daemon relationship is explained in more detail in this book. It seems more like friendship and companionship. There are far more conversations, more sharing. Individual humans are frequently referred to as ‘they’ - the human and the inseparable daemon.
- In this volume Pullman's focus - thankfully - is far more on the real, human, political world. There are no fairies, witches, aeronauts, armoured bears or battles, and less freakish, cosmic strangeness. The story of Lyra and Malcolm, and the way Pullman slowly develops their increasingly romantic connection, is powerfully engaging.
- The central storyline is that the ultra conservative, ecclesiastical and authoritarian Magisterium is regrouping. After centuries without papal leadership ambitious men want back total control. This is forcing the Oakley Street organisation (reformists) to re-organise too. Things are also stirring in the distant Levant. The precious resource, rose oil, is becoming scarce and expensive.
- Lyra’s personal struggles as a young woman are front and centre as well. She is grappling with the contrasting notions of reason and imagination. She’s reading books by faddish 'rationalists', and her daemon Pan objects. He demands she rediscover her imagination. One night he deserts her, setting off on his own journey. Lyra simply must follow and search for him. She longs for reconciliation.
- I have one major difficulty with Pullman's trilogies. He can’t help himself at times. He continually introduces strange characters who have only a tangential relationship with the overall plot, like the 'Furnace-Man' and the 'Princess Cantacuzino'. Yet on the positive side, these novels being essentially stories of journeys and adventures, many characters Lyra meets are good natured and kind and offer her names of friends and associates to connect with.
- I really look forward to the final novel in this trilogy. So much will be resolved I'm sure. And in a very satisfactory way. Pullman is a genius.
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