The fantasy novel The Subtle Knife is the second book in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Scholastic Ltd. first published The Subtle Knife in 1997. It has 341 pages.

At the age of seven, Will realizes that his mother is different and that he has to look after her. He realizes that the monsters that she can see are in her head. Now twelve, Will is taking his mother to a friend to look after her. Then will goes on the run from some men, one of which he killed. On his search for his father, Will meets Lyra and together they acquire the Subtle Knife. With the knife, they reacquire Lyra's alethiometer that she lost. Then they go on a hike with some witches to the top of a mountain where Will meets his father, and then a witch kills his father. Will's mother has always to him that "One day, you'll follow in your fathers footsteps. You're going to be great man too, you'll take up his mantle..." Then Will goes back to Lyra and finds her missing.

Will is an honest twelve year old boy who is the bearer of The Subtle Knife. Will has black hair and straight black eyebrows to match. Will is described as a strong person who has had to act more than his age to look after his mother.

On the front cover there is a picture of a knife that matches the description of the Subtle Knife in the foreground. In the background there is a small fortress with red sky above it.

In conclusion, I think that The Subtle Knife is just as good if not better than its predecessor The Northern Lights. I do not know who I would recommend this book to but I think I would have to search very hard to find someone who really didn't like it at all. I have really enjoyed reading this book and am eagerly waiting to read the third, and last, novel in this trilogy. Phillip Pullman has done a great job writing this book and I would give it a rating of eight out of ten.