review - the anti-narnia

today i finished the his dark materials trilogy, and i must say it lived up to the hype. although not as famous as either narnia or the lord of the rings, i realized what a hugely popular series this was once i started asking around about it.

my interest was piqued after reading an article in the new yorker where the author, philip pullman, discusses narnia (and a little tolkien) in a religious context. "his dark materials" could easily be a counterpoint to the underlying christian tones of narnia, however the book is so well-written with a compelling plot that the religious argument takes the back seat.

if you're a fan of fantasy, and can be patient enough to let a storyline filled with scientific details and a large cast of characters develop, pick this series up. you won't be disappointed.