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Women's Fiction
The Ruby in the Smoke (Sally Lockhart Trilogy, Book 1)

The Ruby in the Smoke (Sally Lockhart Trilogy, Book 1)

List Price: $6.50
Your Price: $5.85
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: good, good, good, yet sometimes confusing and tiring
Review: "The Ruby in the Smoke" is the first book concerning the character of Sally Lockhart, a young Victorian woman who knows nothing of needlework, literature or housekeeping, but can run a business, shoot a pistol and ride as well as a man. She was raised single handedly by her father, and now has begun her own investigation into his mysterious death at sea. Told that he drowned when his ship sank, Sally has reason to belief otherwise after receiving a strange note from her father with a jumble of words upon it, including "The Seven Blessings". At the beginning of this story she mentions this to one of her father's business partners, and watches as he dies of fear and shock at the words.

So at the age of sixteen she's just killed a man, and yet this is only the start of her journey into the murky Victorian underworld to unravel the mystery surrounding her. As the author wonderfully puts it "Sally had shaken the edge of a web, and the spider at the heart of it had woken." Moving throughout Philip Pullman's marvellously recreated world of Victorian London, with every twisting ally and misty harbour described in detail, Sally delves into a mystery involving opium, smuggling, blackmail, a secret in her past, and a huge dangerous ruby that more than a few people want to get their hands on.

On the way, she gains several friends such as the cheeky Cockney lad Jim Taylor, and the handsome photographer Frederick Garland and his household/photography shop, which holds his feisty sister Rosa and the timid Trembler. Finding her place in this small family, Sally also comes up against her enemies, everything from the intoxicating scent of opium to the brutish Mr Berry to the loathsome and terrifying old Mrs Holland. And beyond all of this is a deeper enemy, responsible for the death of her father.

Philip Pullman has written a wonderful thriller based on the type of Penny Dreadfuls and pulp novels that you would expect to find in the Victorian age, and it's very hard not to get wrapped up in the twisting plot and intriguing characters. His style of writing is just amazing, everything from the gloomy emptiness of Marshbank's house to the vitality of Garland's photography store just comes to life on the page. He knows just how to string a reader along from line to line, telling them just what they need to know to intrigue them without straight-out telling them how things fit together.

And Sally is definitely a wonderful heroine. Without making her too good to be true, he's created a strong female lead that is understandably frustrated by the restrictions on women in her time, yet faces the odds in the best way she knows how. It's also difficult not to like Jim and Fred, and the way in which these three characters act with each other is beautifully portrayed.

The four novels that contain these characters is just as intriguing as the stories themselves. Each one is a separate, complete story, and can even be read out of order, but it's somewhat difficult to see how they fit together. For instance, the first three books in the series (this one, "The Shadow in the North" and "The Tiger in the Well") all contain Sally as their protagonist. The forth one however "The Tin Princess", has Sally as a minor character whilst Jim takes over as the hero. One might be inclined to ignore this book, or consider it a `spin-off' of the first three, but it re-introduces a character that disappears in this first book, making it necessary reading. Likewise, to get the best out of "The Tiger in the Well" you definitely have to read "The Ruby in the Smoke" in order to get the full benefit from the revelation that comes from the unmasking of the villain. So it is an odd, somewhat disjointed set of books, but which are all connected together in subtle ways. Pullman is not afraid to kill off main characters, and is more concerned with making his stories feel like real life rather than having neat little happy endings. So start with "Ruby in the Smoke", and hopefully you'll want to keep reading.

By the way, I read these books long before the "His Dark Materials" trilogy was published, but if you're looking for more of Pullman's books along those fantasy lines then you won't find them here. These are quite different from his later works, but don't let that put you off - they are different, but still very good.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Quality Mystery for Young Adults/Pre-teens
Review: Pullman's 'Ruby in the Smoke' is an intriguing and gripping mystery for young adults or pre-teens. It is not quite as deep, tightly woven, or well-written as a few other books for this age group (notably, Harry Potter), but it still presents a quality read.

Sally Lockhart, a Victorian girl recently orphaned by a horrifying but mysterious accident, is the heroine of the book. She is a great character - strong and intelligent, but still believable for her age and era. Throughout the course of the book, Sally will attempt to find out how and why her father died, where the title ruby is, who is trying to cause her harm, and whom she can trust. The plot is very exciting, and pushes you to keep reading, and the characters are varied and believable.

It should be noted that this is not a book for young children, as the plot often delves into the seedy side of London in the Victorian era, and many adult themes are present, including murder, greed, and drug use (opium), although NOTHING immoral is glorified in any respect.

I am eager to read the next book in the series and find out what happens to Sally and her companions! I highly recommend this for anyone who enjoyed Harry Potter or the Series of Unfortunate Events books. I also look forward to reading other Pullman books.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A REALLY good book!
Review: 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!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Stylish tribute to pulp novels
Review: A ship goes down near China's coast, and a girl is left an orphant. Then comes a mysterious letter from her farther, which tells about some strange things. Thus the events are set in motion - the story of deceit, murder, Chinese Triads and an ancient ruby, believed to be cursed.

This book emulates a story taken from penny dreadfull books of yesteryear, but does it with style to spare. The straightforwardness of plot and the simplicity of characters are part of the package, so I wouldn't consider them a drawback.

"Ruby in the Smoke" should be approached with caution by those, who came to know Pullman through "His Dark Materials". This is a very different book. And it was written with very different aim in sight. Compairing them is hard... imagine compaiaring "Casablanca" and "Indiana Jones".
This book doesn't have any fantastic elements. It doesn't have a theological or philosophical ideas. But it doesn't make it a lesser accompishment, then the aforementioned trilogy. Just different.


Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Okay, I suppose.
Review: 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.


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