Was disappointed that this was not a Sally Lockhart mystery. After reading the other Lockhart mysteries. ( )

After “The Tiger in the Well” I was anxious to read another Sally Lockhart mystery, but sadly “The Tin Princess” did not deliver as its three predecessors did.

“The Tin Princess” is billed as the fourth book in the Sally Lockhart series, although a better description would be “spin-off”, as few characters from the series feature prominently; Sally herself only has brief cameo appearances.

In “The Tin Princess” Philip Pullman solves the mystery of Adelaide, the little street urchin from the ending of “The Ruby in the Smoke” and he places her center stage as a most unlikely queen of the small kingdom of Razkavia (nestled between Germany and Austria), where conspiracy and murder abound. By her side is Jim Taylor, continuing his detecting activities, and Becky Winter, a young exiled Razkavian, acting as Adelaide’s language tutor and confidante.

There were occasional nice touches in description and imagery that I found very enjoyable, "The streets (of Eschtenburg) are so crooked and narrow that they have no names...the Devil went there once, and couldn't find his way out. “ But unfortunately they were not enough to grab my attention and I had to struggle to get through.

Some brief explanation is given as to Adelaide’s life in the intervening years since her disappearance, but it did not seem plausible in preparing her for her new station in life and I felt no emotional connection with this main character, nor did she with anyone else in the story, which makes her even less likeable.

I felt a spark of interest when the conspiracy began to unfold itself, but I think ultimately the storyline fell flat and it felt contrived, because Adelaide, as an outsider, has no real connection to Razkavia. Maybe a better choice of heroine would have been Becky.

Overall this story was a disappointing read, especially since the previous titles were so sharp and tightly plotted with terrific characters which this one lacked. I wanted to like it, really... ( )

first line: "Rebecca Winter, gifted, cheerful, and poor, had lived sixteen years without once seeing a bomb go off."

While this addition to the Sally Lockhart series isn't as compelling as those featuring Sally herself, The Tin Princess is still a recommended, entertaining read. And it's Philip Pullman, so of course the characters are well-developed, the story is imaginative, and the writing is top-notch. ( )

Folks have said they didn't care for the story as it doesn't include Sally (except for cameo appearances at the beginning and end). I disagree, preferring it to the two Sally "sequels", which I found rather heavy-handed and political. ( )

Moderately successful attempt to go back to the milieu of Philip Pullman's Sally Lockhart trilogy. What I like about Pullman's books is their core of emotional toughness -- there are no easy choices, no safe paths. Jim Taylor, previously one of Sally's sidekicks, here the hero, is a gambler, a private detective, a writer of penny dreadfuls, interested in excitement, danger, and violence -- rather meaty stuff for YAs. The plot resembles The Prisoner of Zenda in its presentation of the political tribulations of an imaginary Mittel European country. Unfortunately, Sally is only present in cameos, and 16-year-old Becky, while fine in her way, is not a compelling substitute; and although entertaining, the character of Adelaide is not remotely plausible. ( )