Subtle by all accounts

The second installment in the His Dark Materials trilogy is The Subtle Knife. The whole purpose here is to move the story along, bridge the gap between the first and third installment, and keep the reader interested. So, how'd it do?

Using Merriam-Webster's definition for "subtle", I'm inclined to go with "highly skillful" or "cunningly made or contrived." The author is juggling a lot of balls at this point and manages, in my opinion, to keep it all reigned in while ratcheting up the suspense and making me wonder how it's all going to turn out.

When we left Northern Lights, Lyra was leaving her world. When we start out here, we're picking up in a world that is a crossroads between the one she left and countless others. It's here that she meets up with Will, a boy a bit older than herself who has his own collection of problems. The two kids' destinies are woven together and they proceed on a voyage of discovery that neither would've chosen, but that neither can now refuse, all of which seems to be leading to an inevitable war-to-end-all-wars between those who would seek to control and oppress, and those who seek ultimate freedom.

I'm thus far enjoying the story and would still recommend giving these a read.