Book 1 - The Ruby in the Smoke - Sally Lockhart Trilogy

Straightforward teen historical mystery, as Sally Lockhart must overcome her orphanhood, her enemies, and Victorian ideas about what is and is not suitable, to figure out the mystery surrounding the death of her father.
Pullman is a powerful storyteller, and one can feel that engine purring along just below the surface of this book. Yet there is not the depth as in the "His Dark Materials" series. He's not making any major point (other than, perhaps, that Victorian England could have used a good dose of feminism). Perhaps Pullman had not yet realized that teens could be told a story with adult ideas and concepts. Still, there are flashes of brilliance.
Pullman's Victorian England is well-researched, but there is the occaisonal gaffe, as when he has a character in a cheap dockside pub drink a GLASS of gin--it would almost certainly have been made of pewter, due to breakage and the expense of proper glassware.
I'm always a bit disappointed in historical novels when characters introduce concepts from later times. Sally does so, both with feminism, and with introducing marketing concepts unheard of in Victorian times. In a way, she acts like a character in a time travel novel, and it is a bit grating.
Worth reading to trace the development of Pullman's writing.

After reading His Dark Materials, The White Mercedes and The Broken Bridge and enjoying them quite throughly, I ventured forth into the deep unknown of "Ruby in the Smoke", expecting something equally well written, insightful, and entertaining... what I found was below par to my standards.

First of all, the character development was practically non-existant, I put down this book feeling that I didn't really know any of the characters at all. Sally Lockhart is your average every day Mary-Sue; uncommonly pretty, quiet, strong, independent, and as flawless as the Ruby that she is destined to find. The emotions displayed at the death of her father are bland and un-grounded, and it's hard to believe that she has emotions at all at certain points of the story. There are hints of romance that never follow through, statements that are never really explained, and mystery that is...kind of unintriguing.

Setting aside the flatness of the characters (Jim was the only one that I think I liked at all, simply because he had some flicker of a personality) there are many things that just don't go smoothly in my mind with this novel. A girl wandering alone in England in the 19th century for one--although she is rumored to be independent, there really is no way that she could have been -that- independent, given the context. Her strength is too faltering to really give credibility to the fact that she wanders the streets alone in her free time in an era where those sorts of actions were not even tolerated.

Furthermore, the plot is too formulatic. It follows the Hero Motif to the T, with absolutely no bells and whistles. The heroine is perfect, the companions are as following: the charming one, the mischevious boy, the fiery maiden, the kindly old man, Ms. Scarlet with the candlestick... ok, well you get the picture. The villian is flat, cookie-cutter evil, without the dimentions that Pullman gave to his Mrs. Coultier in His Dark Materials. It's an ugly old woman that wants to kill little girls for fame and fortune. I know that this book was meant to be a cliche--but there could have been a little bit of development thrown in to make it, well, more fun.

The action is a little under-described to make anything truly interesting. It's a bit of tell-not-show writing with a dryness that doesn't go down well enough, and an ending that leaves you thinking "is that really it?" Who knows, perhaps the other books in the series are more engaging than this one--but the way "Ruby in the Smoke" reads, theres really nothing encouraging me to go on with the series.

Overhyped? Yes. Make room on the shelves for a better mystery--this is something that reads better if you don't have to pay for it, I'm sure.

After the second paragraph, I was hooked. I would have to say that The Ruby In The Smoke was the most exiting book I have ever read. It was full of surprises and interesting twists in every chapter. The end left me needing to read the next book in the trilogy. The heroine, Sally, was so instantly likeable that I had to know what happened to her. I definitely recommend this book for someone getting a little bored with romance novels or non-fiction

I'm really looking forward to reading the other two books in the trilogy. I love this book so much because, you just don't turn a page and "poof!" your in the scene of a clue. This incredible book stays with Sally and her freinds who help her along the way. This great book is one of a kind and is worth while reading. I'm in 4th grade and reccomend this book to students in my grade as well as students in higher grades.

This book is okay, nothing memorable. The characters are wondreful, the plot confusing, the ending a little upsetting. I had high hopes for this book, because of " The Golden Compass" but it let me down. After it was done I thought it was readable, it went fast and could be fun. I didn't feel the characters learned any better, but if you have nothing else to do, go to your library and get this book. I wouldn't buy it.

Everything was very well written, but it does not go in depth with every issue; so that leaves me sort of confused. The first five chapters were incredible!, but as it got further, it got boring and it sort of got off the subject. The Sally Lockhart triology is amazing! But this one is one I don't reccomend. "Shadow in the North" and "The Tiger in the Well" is what Pullman's work was meant to be.

Fans of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series will find Ruby in the Smoke very different, but in many ways just as pleasurable to read. It opens with sixteen-year-old Sally Lockhart visiting her deceased father's shipping firm and accidentally causing one of his associates to die of a heart-attack when she ask him if he knows of the Seven Blessings. The phrase was on a piece of paper dictated by her father before his death and sent to her in secret.

Fearing that her life is in danger, Sally seeks to unravel the mystery of why her father died, who would like to see her dead, and where to find the famed ruby of an Indian maharajah. Set in Victorian London, the Ruby in the Smoke takes the reader into the dark underworld of the times, where opium dens, disreputable boarding houses and seedy characters abound, while poverty forces many into a life of crime. Pullman keeps us guessing right up until the end, when the facts of several mysteries building during the story are revealed.

A good read, strong women character, the plot never drags. Kind of a combination of Dickens, Sherlock Holmes, and Nancy Drew. Readers who liked this book will also like "Cecilia and the Enchanted Chocolate pot", by Patricia c Wrede.

This series is probably fine for adolescents. It is definitely not as adult friendly as the great "Dark Materials" series. I read the first two in this series and thought they were okay. There is some sense of London in a different age. There is also some excitement. There is not, however, the depth of a book like "The Golden Compass."

A good book for its intended audience.

In the "His Dark Materials" trilogy the author seemed to have started with a great but fixed quantity of ideas and proceeded to exhaust them. Well, this is what you have left: some pretty good wordsmithing. A twisty plot, a detailed setting, action, adventure, mystery -- but ... nothing else.

Sally and her friends (and enemies) are like detailed mannequins. They go through their paces and events occur, but it's all pretty schematic. Where there is depth, there is something unpalatable, as though the author has forgotten that the grim is not the same as the fascinating, it needs to be balanced with the imaginative. Go into dark places, but bring a light. We all see enough of the other, that's why we turn to art.

The opposite but no less annoying defect also appears. All the good guys are just so *super* you have little doubt they were constructed from lists of admirable human traits. Let's see, smart, brave, honest, attractive dah dah dah ... did I miss anything? Sally for example can add up figures in her head better than an idiot savant, and knows more about marketing than Andy Warhol. Not bad for an orphaned waif. And moreover she's a blond! (This is so incongruous it cannot be mentally imaged.)

Her new love interest is no better, a genius inventor who needs someone who can add figures and market his products, because in that department he's an utter moron! What a coincidence! Why, they were *made for each other*, literally and literarily. No surprise I guess that he would risk almost certain death to protect her, even though he only met her Wednesday before last!

If such simplicities are on behalf of young adults, then the whole thing should be played for laughs. Instead you're supposed to suck this up along with some really grim stuff which is just as unpleasant as the rest is unbelievable. If you're American, I think you'll find something distinctly British in this, which does make a weird sense in their culture, just not in ours.

3 stars because it still contains just a tinge of his old funhouse style. There are better YA books out there though.

i read this book hoping for something similar to Pullman's later work, his dark materials. It isnt that. Its pretty dry, just a regular girl who happens to come into several bouts of both good and bad luck. Ill give it three stars because it kept my attention long enough to finish it, and I'll probably read the other two. hopefully they will be better.

Philip Pullman has created a new character that readers can empathize with and root for during this suspenseful mystery. Sally Lockhart is a sixteen year old orphan girl that receives a strange note about the death of her father. As soon as she begins her investigation, more deaths occur. Sally becomes entangled in a web of mystery involving murder, illegal opium trading, and a stolen ruby. Sally has many nightmares, which she is unable to understand until she uncovers more pieces of the puzzle. The suspense builds as new characters are continually brought into the mystery, making it difficult to know who can be trusted.

The Ruby in the Smoke is a suspense filled mystery with descriptive characters and settings. Mr. Pullman paints vivid pictures, of the settings and characters, which draw the reader into the book. The continuous introduction of new characters and the changes in settings all add to the suspense of the book. This is a well written and intriguing story that is worth reading.

I loved this book. Pullman sets a great illusion for the reader, and a wonderful backdrop. Pullman also creats a story that goes into two different books "The Tin Princess" and "The Shadow in the North" I'm absolutly thrilled with the intensity of the book, and I'm hoping other authors will follow his foot steps.

Honestly this book surpassed my expectations. The way the author describes the characters makes you feel like you know them and better then that, they seem realistic...not artifical like many characters in novels do nowadays. I thought this book was compelling, intriguing, and I couldn't put it down (I finished it within hours). I thought Pullman kept the reader guessing to the end and I think that is what puts this series up there with the likes of Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew. If your looking for a good historical fiction/mystery go and pick up this book!!!

The 3 Sally Lockhart books, beginning with 'The Ruby in Smoke' are set in London in a time Sherlock Holmes reader's will recognize. All the evil and intrigue are present plus some twists that Conan Doyle never thought of. The difference is a heroine who is not at all typical of the times. In the first book she is a teenager who survives life threatening situations with luck and the help of the loyal friends she makes along the way. In the later books, she develops into a savvy young woman succeeding in a man's world. The villains she faces are darker and more evil than you'll see in young adult books of a few years ago. The books are all very absorbing and leave you hungry for the next one. Don't let the book cover fool you, this is an adult read.

This book was ssssooo good. Imagine a girl,living only with her father(no mother). Then picture her finding out that her father is dead, uncovering the truth about her past, falling in love, battling an old,evil hag, and making tons of new friends. Finally, imagine her screaming from a nightmare about the death of her father, that only happens when she smells opium and picture her standing with a ruby worth her life. You can only imagine these things if you read this extordinary book.

A strange facade of Philip Pullman's writing is displayed within the pages of the novel, The Ruby in the Smoke. The style of writing is very different from most others, and this story is a very different branch form the Dark Materials. The Ruby in the smoke is a historical fiction, with no fantasy. Yet it was brilliant.

Sally was a great, and well put together, character. She was very real, and easy to follow. The plot, two mysteries entwined with each other, was interesting, and fit the story very well. Philip Pullman could have presented the solving of the mysteries with a bit more "Kapow," but other than that this was a great read.

This is one of my favorite books. I especially love mysteries, and this is the perfect example of one. The suspense was so great, you could hardly stand it. Everything was so well described that is left not much up to the reader's imagination. Not too difficult of a read, but absolutely wonderful! Please read it, you won't be sorry! And be sure to check out the following two.

A gutsy young woman who finds brave and loyal friends; what more can one ask. This is no mild kids book and there are plenty of evil characters and violent death. But it was an enjoyable story and I admit being curious to see where it goes from here.

I had started reading The Golden Compass, and for some odd reason I was not into it. So I came across another book: The Ruby In The Smoke. I thought it would not be enjoyable, but I was wrong. It is now one of my favorite books ( Both Of Pulman's trilogies and the tin princess are my favorite books ever!!!!!), and I truely mean it!
I really suggest you read all of these books, ESPECIALLY The Ruby In the Smoke:
The Ruby In The Smoke
The Shadow in the North
The Tiger in the Well
The Tin Princess
The Golden Compass
The Subtle Knife
The Amber Spyglass

Anyone who wants a terrific female heroine, dirty villians, a precious mystical gem, and a charming boyfiend in a 1800 London mystery, you've come to the right place. This book has everything, and was written by my favorite author. :)

I had the feeling Philip Pullman was preparing for the actual story and waited and waited. It was boring but then, wasn't Philip Pullman not that marvellous narrator of His Dark Materials? I would just have to go on, drag myself through the reading so to say and then there would suddenly start a great, great story. So I told myself. Then I had read two thirds of the book and noticed that would never happen. The extraordinary story teller just wasn't present. I still can't believe that this is the same author, who so enchantingly and thrillingly wrote about Lyra's world.

This book was just OK. It started out great! "BEWARE THE SEVEN BLESSINGS!" That was awesome. However, as soon as you find out who the seven blessings are, the book goes downhill from there. I must admit that it's a well written book, but it only keeps you interested until you're three-quarters of the way through. I'd say it's worth reading once but not again.

All of these positive reviews astonish me. Now, I love reading. I loved His Dark Materials. When I read the back of "Ruby in the Smoke" I was pretty excited. I was very disappointed. I honestly don't like giving books negative reviews but I feel like I owe it to the potential readers out there. Don't bother with this one. Really.

-Sally is a very bland character. The whole time it's Sally going, "Oh, I feel so childish," and someone else says, "But you are so intelligent!" and she's like, "I guess I am ridiculously intelligent but I still have zero self-confidence! What a child I am!" Any time she shows any strength of will, it's because she's doing something stupid. None of the other characters, with the possible exception of Jim, are even remotely interesting.

-(Possible spoiler alert): All of the mysteries are solved off screen. Seriously. The whole time there are questions that we are waiting to find the answers to, and when we finally do get the answers, it's either "Oh, yeah, I solved this earlier" or "This is what I remembered during a scene that the reader doesn't get to see."

-(Possible spoiler alert): The ending is horribly contrived. I can't explain it without giving major spoilers, but really, each part of it was either extremely cliche (villains monologuing, etc.) or extremely convenient (wow, what a coincidence that exactly what they needed just happened to show up!)

But the main problem is Phillip Pullman's writing style. Anyone who's ever tried writing has been told "show, don't tell," which basically means to convey information through a character's actions rather than just explaining it outright. I never understood why this is such a big deal until I read this book. As a reader I had no emotional attachment to anything at all in the book. The characters, the story, the big secrets - all of them left me with a resounding "meh." He never writes in a way that speaks to the reader. It's all, "Sally feels sad. Now she feels upset. Now she is thinking about bad things in the past. Now she is having a good day." The whole time I was wondering, "Why do I care?"

I haven't read the next book in the trilogy (I believe it's a trilogy). I have to say, I was tempted to, just to see if the story gets interesting at any point. But really, that's a terrible reason to pick up a sequel.

As an adult reading Philip Pullman for the first time, I was fascinated by the gutsy protagonist and her search for the truth about her past. The plot has lots of twists and turns with so many characters that it doesn't all hang together as well as I would have liked. The ending contains several unexpected surprises and enough interest for me to read its sequel.

Sally Lockhart is the typical "braver, more sure of herself girl" that no one likes in the book but all the readers like. Pullman takes us into her mind, fantasies, fears, and emotions to help us to understand how untipical Sally really is. The life of Sally Lockhart will thrill the preteen mind, because of its fix on expressing emotion, and the adult mind for Pullmans detail. Anyone in there right mind, and not, will enjoy this book.

Pullman is an amazing author with extrodinary talents, but if you have read all of his books, you will see an on-going pattern: "Blonde orphan suddenly stuck in a tough situation". That pretty much sums up this book, though I enjoyed the mystery of the ruby greatly, perhaps Pullman needs to go fishing in an idea bucket.

When Philip Pullman was writing this series I think he was experimenting with different genres of book . His writing prowess does not extend into the mystery section and I don't recommend this book. I'm not criticizing him as a writer and if you want a good read I suggest you look into his later novels, For instance His Dark Materials.

Pullman sets up a tight and interesting mystery but it is quite predictable. Though I enjoyed it (Pullman is good at bringing out his characters' weaknesses which lends depth to their personalities), I found myself thinking about what I would be read next.

The Tin Princess is a fabulous book about a young woman's struggle to control a country in a largely male society. Her rough beginnings in London give her the strength to carry on, along with the help of her friends, also the main characters of Philip Pullman's A Ruby in The Smoke. When there is trouble afoot in Razkavia, her courage and upbringing see her through to the end.

This book changed my early adolescence. Sally Lockhart's journey and progression encouraged me to take my own life and decisions more seriously. The rich description and unpredictable plot kept my attention, which I admit is not an easy feat for children who, like me, were raised on TV. I would recommend this novel for any thoughtful, introspective reader.

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.

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!

This book combined history and mystery that kept my eyes glued to each and every page. I would recomend this book to any teen girl, Sally's unshakeable courage is inspiring and each of the books in the series is amazing, each different and even more awe-inspiring. I have read most of Philip Pullman's book and have enjoyed them all...Keep reading!!

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.

I think that the Sally Lockheart books are the most amazing books that I have ever read by far. The characters seem so real to me that I was actually CRYING when Frederick died in the second book. I am now half way through the third book and am again totally hooked. I take on board that the characters may not fit in totally with reality in the 1800's but that just makes, in my opinion, the books even better. The in depth thrill and pace of these books are so amazing, that it just makes me want to go out and wright a fifth! I must applaud Philip Pulman on these books, a masterpiece in my eyes, certainly the best books ever written by him, possiably by anyone ever!

I've purchased from the store itself before, but this was the first time I bought anything from a seller who lists used books on the the store site. I was a bit wary of it, but my order was received very quickly and the book was in great condition.

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.

I think that the Sally Lockheart books are the most amazing books that I have ever read by far. The characters seem so real to me that I was actually CRYING when Frederick died in the second book. I am now half way through the third book and am again totally hooked. I take on board that the characters may not fit in totally with reality in the 1800's but that just makes, in my opinion, the books even better. The in depth thrill and pace of these books are so amazing, that it just makes me want to go out and wright a fifth! I must applaud Philip Pulman on these books, a masterpiece in my eyes, certainly the best books ever written by him, possiably by anyone ever!

I've purchased from the store itself before, but this was the first time I bought anything from a seller who lists used books on the the store site. I was a bit wary of it, but my order was received very quickly and the book was in great condition.

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.

Dreadfully boring. The ending was good, but the beginning is just awful. I only finished it because I was doing a book report on it. Just awful, especially compared to The Golden Compass. 1 Star, and only because I can't give 0.

I won't deny it... Pullman is an extraodinary author. For proof, you need only look to Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy. But this trilogy was dull. Very dull. It is an excellent example of Victorian England, but if that's not what your looking for, save your money. Buy something else. Buy something good.

This book was classroom reading in my daughter's 7th grade Advanced English class. There are many murders, including murders (in self-defense) by two of the main characters. Opium smoking is used as a plot device to recover lost memories, which helps solve the central mystery and move the action forward. Even the heroine smokes opium to enhance her memory. The book was by no stretch a good enough read to excuse this content for this age group. It reads like a cross between a harlequin romance and a Nancy Drew mystery.

This book has more inappropriate for anyone under 16 y o elements than I can count, yet it is marketed as a children's book! I think that this will be the last book I will read by Phillip Pullman. He has a gift for beautiful word choice and creating a creepy setting but uses these to peddle content that is waaaay too unsavory for children's literature. I don't believe that he understands what is healthy for children to read.

Aside from that, the end was predictable and too many events crossed the line of believability. There is little to no character development.

Ugh. (insert shudder here)