Booklist

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
"Lyra finds herself in a shimmering, haunted underworld — Cittàgazze, where soul-eating Specters stalk the streets and wingbeats of distant angels sound against the sky. But she is not without allies: 12-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 discover an object of devastating power. And with every step, they move closer to an even greater threat — and the shattering truth of their own destiny."*
Transitioning from The Golden Compass to The Subtle Knife, for me, was difficult. I found that I didn't enjoy this story as much as the previous. I understand what is happening to a certain extent but I didn't feel as though the second book stayed on track. I suppose this will have to be measured against the third book which I will read next. For those who have never read the books, skip the rest of this review because spoilers will be present.
The main problem I have with the second book is that it seems to stray off track. I understand that Lord Asriel is preparing to go to war with the Authority and that Lyra and Will have some part to play. Lord Asriel isn't present in this book at all. He is referenced but we are never shown what he is up to. Lyra finds Will and then they hopscotch around finding this and doing that. I could go on and on. I guess it just felt like a middle book. I really hope Pullman ties up all the loose ends in the last book. I sincerely hope to read The Amber Spyglass and finally be able to say, "Aha!"
As for the controversial anti-Christian stuff...it still doesn't bother me. Perhaps it might after the third book but I rather doubt it. I know Pullman has a beef with Christianity and the church but he's also said that this story can be applied to all religions. Even if it was totally aimed at Christianity I wouldn't have a problem with it. There are alot of things about Christianity and the church that don't make sense to me right now. There are some days when I think there is hope for the church and then there are others when I think it should be put down and never heard from again. I think I know where Pullman is headed in the third book but I'm not sure. I'll reserve my final opinion for when I'm finished with the trilogy.

*Source: www.powellsbooks.com