The Tin Princess (1994)

I didn't like this one anywhere near as much as the others. I eventually finished reading it, but there wasn't much of Sally, and it just didn't really interest me. I seem to remember it getting kind of ridiculous and much less realistic than the other books. ( )

Fantastic storytelling, highly recommended. This novel is ostensibly a spin-off of the Sally Lockhart trilogy, although it draws little from that series beyond the general atmosphere and a few characters – notably Jim Taylor (now a private detective) and Adelaide (a maid turned Princess turned Queen of Razkavia – a tiny central European kingdom). Sally, now Lockhart Goldberg, also makes brief but important appearances at the beginning and end. But really it should be thought of as a standalone novel.

It is a traditional adventure story set in a mountainous kingdom wedged between Germany and Austria-Hungary, both of whom have designs on it. The kingdom itself is a cesspool of intrigue, warring factions in court mirrored in the halls of the university and the street. An Jim, Adelaide, and her tutor Becky Winter, all arrive from London and shake up the kingdom in surprising ways.

Perhaps the most important way this diverges from stories in this genre (and I’m not sure I’ve read many if any, despite all of it seem pleasantly familiar) is the absence of a they all lived happily ever after ending. ( )

A surprisingly bleak offshoot of the Sally Lockheart series. A very far fetched plot rips through a whole host of middle-European stereotypes, but the ending is only half resolved - the heros come nearer to failing to save the day than I expected. Also, it feels retrospectively fitted - I don't believe that Adelaide had always loved Jim from the minute she saw him when they were both kids and urchins. ( )

Started this over the weekend. I think it's something I will like, but this just isn't the right time for me to read it. Besides, I'm getting a box of books together to donate to North Charleston High School and this might be a good one for that box. Another time, Becky, Adelaide and Jim (and Sally, too, I suppose.)

Summary: Jim Taylor has been searching for Adelaide, the young girl who he and Sally Lockhart rescued from the cruel Mrs. Holland, since she disappeared at the end of The Ruby in the Smoke. Now he's found her... just as she's about to become a Princess! She's been secretly married to the youngest son of Razkavia, a tiny country sandwiched between Germany and Austria. When the prince's older brother is assassinated, he and Adelaide must return to Razkavia, taking with them Jim, and Becky Winter, a bright young lady who will act as Adelaide's tutor. However, they arrive to a country in turmoil, for it seems there is a conspiracy afoot to steal the throne away from its rightful owner. Any internal instability carries with it the threat of invasion from one of Razkavia's powerful neighbors, and Becky, Jim, and Adelaide must do everything in their power to prevent that from happening.

Review: While this book is listed as the fourth book in the Sally Lockhart series, it's not really a direct sequel, and Sally herself only shows up for two brief chapters. While this does mean that this book would be readable without having read the preceeding three (Jim and Adelaide's history is explained well enough for this book to stand on its own), it was also somewhat disappointing: Sally was definitely the best part of the earlier books, and her absence was sorely missed.

Becky could have been a worthy successor to Sally. They're both bright, independent, resourseful, and unwilling to take "no" for an answer just because they're a woman. However, the book split its focus between Becky and Adelaide as its co-heroines, which was unfortunate, since Adelaide didn't work for me at all. I didn't buy her near-overnight transformation from a Cockney whore to a gifted diplomat, and I didn't find her nearly as charming as all of the other characters did, mostly because we're not really given any evidence of her skills or affability, but just expected to take them on faith. This also meant that the romantic storyline between Jim and Adelaide fell flat for me; I spent the whole book thinking that he'd have been much better off with Becky.

Other than that, however, I did mostly enjoy the story, especially towards the middle/end as both the conspiracy and the adventure started to pick up. In some parts, I think Pullman was relying on his readers being more conversant with pre-World War I European politics than I am, but I managed to muddle through well enough, and the main points of the plot were perfectly clear (eventually. It is supposed to be a conspiracy mystery, after all.) Overall, I'd put it about on par with The Ruby in the Smoke; it's got better pacing but less well-developed and compelling characters. The Tiger in the Well is still far and away my favorite, though. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: It's not really a must-read for anybody, but if Victorian mysteries are your thing, or you like conspiracies involving royal successions, then you'd probably find The Tin Princess to be an enjoyable read. ( )