Product Description

Jim Taylor, Sally's oldest friend, is engaged as bodyguard to a princess. But Crown Princess Adelaide of Razkavia not what you'd expect. She's the slum-girl Jim has been searching for ever since she vanished ten years ago. Now her life is in mortal danger, and together they must battle against unknown enemies in a country where no one can be trusted. This dramatic story of love, loyalty and adventure is the final novel in the quartet.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7537 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Customer Reviews

A fast, inventive adventure story
After reading Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy I decided this summer to read Pullman's four books about Sally Lockhart set in Victorian England and I'm glad I did. The books are an excellent read, and Pullman has enough changes in each book to stop them becoming repetitive.

This is the final book of the four. It has Jim as the main character, with most of the other characters from previous books (including Sally) hardly appearing. The setting of the story is also changed from the first three books - it is set in a small country in central Europe. The main characters are the upper classes from this small state, and one of the themes of the story is the relationship between Royalty and the Royal Subjects.

The story is expertly written with never a dull moment and an exciting climax.

Ruritania - Pullman Class
"The Tin Princess" is what, on TV, would be called a "spin-off" from the Sally Lockhart novels - there are some familiar characters but the focus is elsewhere.

In reality this is Pullman's take on the Ruritanian novel, and is typically uncompromising. Take a small country stuck between great powers and would *really* happen? If someone who never expected to inherit a throne found himself on it, how well would he *really* cope? Fortunately Pullman's answers include the necessary addition of people with courage and determination, and (necessarily) a great deal more luck than anyone deserves, and you end up with a good story. Good enough to lead this reader to look for sequels, though they would be very difficult to do successfully.

There are disappointments - some readers will be upset that Sally Lockhart hardly makes an appearance. More seriously the character from whose view we see the story, Becky, is not really the heroine - that position belongs to the unlikeliest character in the book, the "Tin Princess" herself, Adelaide once the downtrodden skivvy from "The Ruby in the Smoke". Becky learns about life, romance and herself - a little - but many readers must feel a bit cheated in not having her given a story of her own as well. There is also a problem in that one of the strands of the story - a physically passionate love affair - has to be handled very allusively in a book sold to younger readers, though Pullman does an excellent job.

For fans of the Ruritanian novel, the problem lies in Pullman's unwillingness to suspend the rules of history or psychology for the benefit of royalty - or for little states with good scenery.

So readers need to be warned - put your preconceptions aside before you start. Having done that, you are in for a treat. The writing is skillful, the plotting masterly and the pace breakneck. Pullman's compassion for all his characters - including the unsympathetic ones - remains as persuasive as ever. He also plays fair with the reader - this is a very good story - not a lesson in historical morality.

But it would be nice to have more about Becky - another book maybe, Mr Pullman?

Pulllman Pulls it off again
Philip Pullman has managed to capture readers imagination through his fantastic works and this book is no exception. It has everything a reader could ever want great characters a gripping plot and delightful twists. After I read The Tiger In The Well I thought Pullman would never be able to top it but i was very wrong because once i started reading The Tin Princess I didn't want to stop. I would recommened reading The Ruby In The Smoke, The Shadow In The North and The Tiger In The Well first as they make up the Sally Lockhart Trilogy (They are all great) The Tin Princess is a spinoff from them so it would do well to check them out as well. Any one who is unsure wether or not to buy this book should buy it as it has something for every reader.