We are BACK to reading and it feels so good. Your Materialists cannot get enough of Pullman's prose and discuss his controversial "big idea".
At the opening of The Amber Spyglass, we find that Mrs. Coulter is keeping Lyra in a cave in the Himalayas of Lyra’s own world. Pretending to be a holy woman, Mrs. Coulter relies on the help of a little servant girl named Ama to bring her food and other necessities. Ama tells Mrs. Coulter that, while they are happy to have a holy woman in their care, the villagers are frightened of her rumored companion, who they fear is dangerous and powerful. Mrs. Coulter shows Ama that her sleeping companion is simply her young daughter, Lyra. After Ama leaves, Mrs. Coulter feeds Lyra a sleeping potion to keep her unconscious during which Lyra dreams she is speaking to Roger. Back in the world of Ci’gazze, Will and two angels, Balthamos and Baruch, argue over what to do. They insist that Will come with them to Lord Asriel, but Will says he has to first find Lyra. Baruch agrees to fly ahead to look for her, and Will and Balthamos make their way down the mountain. While practicing with the subtle knife, Will learns that each world has a different “feel” to it, and he is able to accurately open portals to his world, Lyra’s Oxford, and the world of Ci’gazze. Baruch returns, having discovered where Mrs. Coulter is hiding. As they make their way towards Lyra, Metatron, the Lord Regent of God’s angels, attacks Will, Baruch, and Balthamos. There is a brief struggle but they are able to escape. Afterwards, Balthamos tells Will that angels are made out of Dust. He also tells Will that God was not the creator of the universe, but was rather one of the first angels. When he gained power, he started telling the other angels that he had created everything. Another angel eventually found out the truth, so God banished her and all the angels that followed her. God is old now and Metatron rules in his place. The trio agree to part ways; Baruch decides to go to Lord Asriel alone and talk to him, while Balthamos agrees to pretend to be Will’s daemon and to help Will find Lyra.