YMMV / The Book of Dust

• Audience-Alienating Premise: Lyra and Pan's affectionate bond was a big part of the first trilogy; they could rely on each other no matter what. In Commonwealth, Pullman makes it clear from the start that now Lyra and Pan despise each other over unresolved grief from Spyglass. It's an adjustment to say the least.
• Diagnosed by the Audience: It's not clear exactly what is wrong with Gerard Bonneville, but it becomes obvious that he's deeply disturbed when he's seen attacking his own daemon.