Customer Reviews
A Good Mystery Ride! 
2008-08-02
Looking for mystery and intrigue? The twists and turns in this book will keep you on edge! Love, responsibility, and courage are just a few of the key ideas in this book. Small text might deter initially, but really good content. Another great addition to my classroom library.
"There's Three Men I Might Have Loved..." 2004-10-23
"The Tin Princess" is the forth book in the Sally Lockhart series - though it doesn't actually star Sally herself. Perhaps a better description of this book would be to call it a spin-off, as it is has several characters from the previous Sally books as its protagonists, and solves a mystery that has been brewing since book one. In the first book "The Ruby in the Smoke," a young street waif named Adelaide Bevan disappeared into the streets of London, and only now has she been found. Readers who may be unwilling to continue with this series due to the absence of Sally are instead rather forced to - it's the only way to find out what happened to that young girl.
Jim Taylor, the amateur detective (among other things) has finally managed to track her down, following the trail of young Rebecca Winter who has been employed in the service of a nobleman to teach a young woman in his household how to read and write. The two collide almost immediately, and soon it becomes apparent that the young woman in question is none other than Adelaide herself. But her situation has greatly changed - she is married to Prince Rudolf of Razkavia, making her a princess of that small country squished between Austria and Germany. Rebecca is appalled at the unlikelihood of the match, especially since she herself is a native of Razkavia.
And now things are about to heat up. With the assassination of Rudolf's older brother, Adelaide and her husband now find themselves heir to the thrones of Razkavia - but whoever was behind the conspiracy to topple the royal family is not going to stop till they control the country. Now with Becky as her translator and Jim as her bodyguard, Adelaide is travelling with her husband to the country she now rules - a country watched over by the Red Eagle flag. Legend says that so long as the Eagle flies over the Rock of Eschtenburg, Razkavia will always be free. Now in a strange land, with strange customs, and a plot against them, Adelaide, Jim and Becky must juggle politics, public relations, personal safety, betrayal within the court, assassination attempts and a mysterious missing member of the royal family. Needless to say (of any of Philip Pullman's books), it's a very exciting ride.
Pullman beautifully creates an entire country with vivid realness - its customs, economy, language, history, all of it comes across with perfect realism, but also a sense of intrigue that he can invoke so well: "The streets are so crooked and narrow that they have no names...the Devil went there once, and couldn't find his way out. Which means of course, that he's still there." Likewise, the characters are vivid and immensely likeable, and his themes of power and corruption (which appear in all of his books in one way or another) are in place. Of our main characters, only Becky is initially unfamiliar to readers of the Lockhart books, but she soon becomes an interesting figure, who wields her own type of power in being Adelaide's translator (often stating her straightforward opinions to Princess Adelaide in the course of conversations, or rewording Adelaide's informal slang to the listener).
But it's Jim and Adelaide that really take centre stage in the course of this story - passionate, strong, out of their league, star-crossed and determined, I have to say that I think they are Pullman's best romantic couple (disagree with me if you must, but that includes Sally/Fred and even Lyra/Will). Adelaide definitely foreshadows Lyra for the "His Dark Materials" trilogy - willful, spoilt, cunning and yet with a strange sense of innocence about her. Glancing at some of the other reviews, it's unfortunate to see she's rather unpopular - I thought she was a wonderful character, and every inch a queen.
Of those that are disappointed at the lack of Sally, there's no reason to completely despair. She is present at both the beginning and end of the story (as is Goldberg, her husband - sadly, no Harriet or Trembler) and is mentioned throughout by several characters. And in her own way, she plays a very big part in the course of the story - just watch how useful the knitted jersey she makes for Jim turns out!
Although this is not my favourite book in the series (that would be "The Tiger in the Well") it is the most re-readable, the most intriguing and the most poetic - the final passage in particular is beautifully written. I won't give it away, but I often find myself picking up the book just to read it again, and the images that Pullman invokes, especially in the escape from the old palace through the snow, are just beautiful. There is a certain amount of cynicism, but the barest touches of hope in the conclusion of the story. But whether you like it or not (because it *is* rather different from the first three books, and not just in the shift in characters) it is a necessary part of the series, to complete Adelaide and Jim's story.
A Complete and Utter Letdown -- Deserves Zero Stars 
2003-11-15
It is difficult for me to believe that the author who wrote such wonderfully rich books as "The Ropemaker" and the "His Dark Materials" trilogy could write such drivel as "The Tin Princess." Pullman's artistic ability is apparent in his descriptions of political intrigues and cunning plots, but these wonderful descriptions are sadly hidden by the boring, monotonous, one-dimensional characters. Adelaide's coldness, selfishness, and almost shrewish behavior makes it impossible to believe that she could be so beloved by everyone in this novel. Becky, the one character in the book that could have had potential, is shunted to the side and allowed only to play the part of the eager sidekick whose only purpose is to serve the main character.
People who are interested in Pullman's works would do better to read his fantastical novels and leave his clumsy attempts at 'reality' fiction on the shelf.
Is there more? 2003-07-31
When my ex-husband went to London, he brought back the Sally Lockhart Trilogy, along wih the Tin Princess for our twelve year old daughter. I just finished the Tin Princess and although I really liked them all, I don't really feel that they are appropriate for a child. The love making and the various accompanying emotions are irrelevant to them. I would, however be interested to find out if there is another addition to the series that I might read. I felt let down at the end and thought that this did not resolve everything...what a cliff-hanger!
OK only.... 
2003-02-28
I didn't like this book as much as I did all the Sally Lockhart books. The plot was pretty interesting. I loved Jim and I wished there were more of his points of view. I wish there was also more Sally in the book. I also would have loved to see a scene with both Sally and Dan together to see how they're getting along. One of the things I loved best about the Sally series was the wonderful relationship between her and Jim. The scene that moved me the most was when Sally showed up near the end of the book to see Jim. I really liked Becky as well. She was such a spirited and interesting character. If only her character was expanded a little more. The one character I could not like was Adelaide. I understand that she had a tough childhood and everything, but I just couldn't get used to the fact that she was queen and all that. I didn't like her attitude or her personality. I found it unbelievable that Jim would be in love with her forever, because the last time he was in real contact with her was when she was about 9 and he was about 13 or 14. Who falls in love that young and only knowing each other for a few days? But I liked the whole Razkavia thing and I loved the parts with Sally in it. So if you want to continue on with some beloved characters it's worth reading.
Pullman, kind of repetive? Will and Lyra Jim and Adelaide... 2003-02-20
Days after she witnesses a mysterious explosion in 19th-century London, 16-year-old Becky Winter is on her way to a small country In Central Europe, as a companion to Adelaide, a Cockney commoner who'd rather play board games than be a princess. But after an assassination makes Adelaide ruler of Razkavia, she rises to the occasion and her new station, gleefully playing international politics with the help of Becky and Jim Taylor, a dashing young detective.
Pullman, kind of repetive? Will and Lyra Jim and Adelaide... 2003-02-20
The politics in TheTin Princess were absolutly magnificent. They were intriguing and twisted. The first few chapters had me hooked. As the book moved along, I could see the relitionship developing between Jim and Adelaide which was extremely similar to the one between Will and Lyra in The Amber Spyglass. These things set aside, it was a very good book.
Good, but not the best 2002-11-17
First of all, id like to say that this book did NOT have too many details. If you want details read Lord of the Rings. Anyways, i couldn't believe Jim could fall for Adelaide, she was just a snobby brat most of the time! Becky was the best, and I liked the university students. One major thing that disappointed me was that Sally wasn't in it enough, two parts, thats it! Overall, it was a good book, but hes had better ones.
Tin Princess 
2002-10-31
I loved the strong description, which built clear images in my mind of all the Characters. It is a complex plot with lots of characters and I praise it highly for having numerous characters without being boring or hard to keep up with.
A solid, but not exceptional, Lockhart Crew adventure 2002-10-26
At the end of "Tiger in the Well," one could tell that Phillip Pullman was becoming less interested in Sally Lockhart and more interested in her crew. With "The Tin Princess," Mrs. Goldberg disappears almost altogether, and Jim takes the stage along with the long lost Adelaide and newcomer Becky.
Set in a minor European kingdom, the action of this story takes place both in the palace and the bar. Jim travels in the seedy underbelly, while Queen Adelaide takes on the court. Intrigue, plots, romance and history are all present in droves, as one has come to expect from Pullmans Lockhart books.
A few of the plot points seem more convenient than natural. Jim's sudden overwhelming love for Adelaide does not suit the Jim that I am familiar with. It does, however, work for the story once it has been accepted. It is nice to reunite with Adelaide, although I always enjoyed her disappearance at the end of "Ruby in the Smoke." I saw it as Mr. Pullman's way of saying that not everything turns out well, and not all mysteries are solved. But her she is.
"The Tin Princess" is not the strongest book to come out of Phillip Pullman, but the nostalgia for the characters and his enjoyable writing is enough to make it a good book, and one worth reading.
