Oh my goodness, once I started I didn’t want to put it down. The Rose Field by Philip Pullman, third in the Book of Dust trilogy, is the last story about Lyra Silvertongue. I’ve loved these books ever since 1995 when the first, Northern Lights, was published. They’re highly recommended but please don’t start with this one, read Northern Lights first. The six books are a collective masterpiece, as two trilogies they have separate identities. Fantasy, yes, but never fairy stories, the scope is huge. Philosophy. Religion. Myth. Science. Legend. Politics. Economics. War. Emotions. Love, hate, fear and betrayal.
Lyra and her daemon Pan are still separated but independently alive, travelling from Oxford drawn eastwards towards a red building in the desert where mythical roses bloom that may or may not be something to do with dust. The red building is simultaneously frightening and irresistible. The Magisterium is doing what it has done in other books, what all dictatorships do: it aims for total domination via brutality, oppression doctrine and arrogance.
On their parallel journeys, Lyra and Pan each meet new accomplices, humans and creatures; some they trust despite being unsure about their companions’ motivations, others are enemies disguised as friends, some are intimidating but ultimately loyal. There are more witches from the Far North, more scientists, merchants and spies plus magnificent griffons. Pan is searching for Lyra’s lost imagination, Lyra is following Pan and in their wake comes Professor Malcolm Polstead, the same Malcolm who as a boy in La Belle Sauvage, the first of this trilogy, saved baby Lyra and Pan in the Great Flood.
The impetus running throughout this book is the reunion of these characters. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect but what happened was nowhere near what I previously considered. Reading Pullman is challenging, there are no easy answers or happy endings, favourite characters die, hateful ones escape. Pullman’s world-building is impressive, complex, confusing and inspiring. He explores the world that surrounds us, that which we can see and touch, of commerce, politics, law, religion and family, and also the hidden spiritual world, the Secret Commonwealth of myth and ghosts, spirits and fairies. He encourages us to be open-minded about facing the new, the threatening, the unexplored, the different. Lyra must overcome her fears, of dangers on the ground that she can see and touch but also admit new truths that contradict long-held beliefs. It takes courage to admit to yourself that you were wrong, mistaken, cruel, lazy but continue moving forward despite everything. Lyra is physically weaker than we’ve seen her before, the harrowing dangerous journey and separation from Pan are taking a toll, but she’s just as determined, stubborn and inspiring. The alethiometer is gone but she is as inventive as ever, putting the needle to new use.
Once I realised this is Lyra’s story of redemption set within a big picture epic about the world, I settled into the rhythmn of the book. This trilogy is darker, more adult and complex than His Dark Materials. Lyra is a young adult now who, after a damaged childhood, needs to truly know herself before she can begin to live the rest of her life. The ending is enigmatic, there are no easy answers or ideal conclusions, and this is not my favourite book of this trilogy. That’s La Belle Sauvage.
The Rose Field is a huge book about stories. Some are factual, some are imagined, some are based on folklore and myth. Some are lies. For Pullman, and Lyra, stories are about making things up.
Unputdownable. One to read and think about, then read again and again. These books have many levels of understanding, just as the alethiometer has many layers of meanings.

Here are my reviews of the first two books in the Book of Dust trilogy:-
LA BELLE SAUVAGE #1THEBOOKOFDUST
THE SECRET COMMONWEALTH #2THEBOOKOFDUST

 If you like this, try these:-
‘Children of Blood and Bone’ by Tomi Adeyemi #1LEGACYOFORISHA
‘The Girl in the Tower’ by Katherine Arden #2WINTERNIGHT
‘Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane’ by Suzanne Colllins #2UNDERLANDCHRONICLES

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
#BookReview THE ROSE FIELD by Philip Pullman @PhilipPullman https://wp.me/p2ZHJe-92l via @Sandra Danby

COMING SOON… THE NEXT BOOK I REVIEW WILL BE:-