I was worried going into it that there was no way that this book could possibly meet 17 year's worth of expectations but I'm happy to say that I was wrong.

Yes, it's a touch slow at times and the story didn't progress quite so much as I hoped. However, having read it, I'm glad he took his time. The prose is perhaps even better than the original trilogy, the dialogue between very likeable and relatable characters is flawless and Pullman has successfully created a villain who gave me the extreme creeps. Sinking back into Lyra's world felt just as wonderful as I had hoped.

My only complaint is having to now wait for book two!