The Amber Spyglass, the third book in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series, can be a bit… divisive. I loved it because it broke my heart. Other people did not love it. Also, it’s a book for young readers that is about waging war against God—er, I mean, The Authority. It’s a lot.
So is the trailer for the third season of HBO’s His Dark Materials adaptation, premiered at NYCC, which clearly learned a few things from the show’s lackluster second season. Alas, some of those things were maybe not the right lessons; this trailer really sidelines Lyra (Dafne Keen) in favor of James McAvoy’s Lord Asriel. But, as ever, it’s just a trailer—and if you know what Lyra goes through in this book, well, you know. Tissues will be necessary.
Lord Asriel is now “gathering the greatest from every world to help me wage war,” though he seems elusive when pressed on who, exactly, he is waging war against. The trailer gives us a glimpse at this world’s angels; spends some time with the nefarious Mrs. Coulter (Ruth Wilson); does not give us enough Mary Malone (Simone Kirby) or Serafina Pekkala (Ruta Gedmintas); shows the harpies who guard the entrance to the Land of the Dead; and if you still around after the title, you’ll see a familiar (if drastically miscast) face—one of the lost friends Lyra and Will (Amir Wilson) encounter in said world.
His Dark Materials returns for its presumably final season on December 5th.
Buy the Book
Lost in the Moment and Found
