I enjoyed this sequel much more than The Golden Compass. TGC seemed, to me, to be a fairly straightforward children's fantasy novel, featuring a young heroine whose attitude bothered me at times (her uppityness, not unlike Harry Potter's occasional temper tantrums, can be offputting). These two strikes against it led to a prolonged reading (it took me several weeks to finally finish a book that should've taken days to read).
TSK, on the other hand, had a lot more to offer. First of all, the plot was more nuanced and therefore more interesting; the various subplots as told from different characters' points of view similarly widened the book's scope. I appreciated that the novel was set in three distinct worlds (Cittàgazze, in particular, was a fascinating and terrifying world), and placing the Dust in a scientific context made that aspect much more compelling to me (since I always prefer sci-fi to fantasy).
I was also glad that the novel spent a good deal of time not only with Lyra and Will but with Lee Scoresby, Stanislaus Grumman, and Dr. Malone as well. (In an unusual twist for a children's book, I found the adult characters to be much more likeable than the kids.) Will and Lyra's constant "I will KILL them!" attitudes were a bit unsettling coming from a couple of adolescents (albeit adolescents in extreme circumstances); in comparison, Lee's loath yet stalwart defending of Grumman's retreat near the end of the book was an emotionally mature counterpoint to the children's thirst for violence.
Which is not to say that I hated the book every time Lyra and Will were on the page. Though I must admit that I preferred Will to Lyra, even if he was a bossy son-of-a-gun most of the time.
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
There's a lot here to like. The two kids, finally, became more likable, and although some of the plot/character resolutions were less than perfect, I can see why so many people consider this trilogy to be great young adult literature. I'm pretty sure I would've gotten more out of it if I'd read it as a teenager than I did reading it as a guy in his mid 30s. But some parts really affected me (such as the descent into the land of the dead--brrr). An interesting, complex story and an ending in which not everyone lives happily ever after make this book worthwhile.
