Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic Book for a Mystery
Review: I'm not usually the Mystery type reader but I would have to say that this book was fantastic. I loved the suspense. The best thing about this book is that it's about a heroine and that's always great, plus she's not just another silly girl. She knows how to use a gun, is independent, smart and an overall great character.I just couldn't put the book down. I would definately recommend this book to anyone!
Rating: 
Summary: A startling and surprising mystery.........
Review: You can tell after reading this book that Philip Pullman put an enormous amount of thought and planning into the context of this book. His descriptions are so vivid that you feel as if you've seen and met the person. One character he describes, Mrs. Holland, Is old and she wears her husband's ancient teeth. The way Mr. Pullman describes her makes your heart skip a beat every time he mentions her. I enjoyed this book immensely because of the fastmoving plot. I had to read the whole book before I had it all figured out. If you enjoying the fastmoving plot of Harry Potter, you would definetly enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Not quite The Golden Compass.
Review: I didn't feel as connected to Sally Lockhart as I did to Lyra of Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. However, the Sally Lockhart trilogy is still worth a read--it is educational (in that Pullman seems to know his London history and to really feel the pain of women who were not treated as full people) and suspenseful (in that Sally always stumbles into some sort of dangerous mystery which must be solved). I'd definitely recommend any of the Philip Pullman books I've read to anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as Good as His Dark Materials
Review: It was pretty good. Maybe I'm just spoiled by reading Pullman's other (wonderful, amazing) trilogy first, but it was alright. Definitely nowhere near the His Dark Materials trilogy, but we'll read the other books before we judge the trilogy, eh? This is the story of Sally Lockhart, a very capable young woman in Victorian England. Her father dies and Sally finds herself wrapped up in a mystery she knows it's up to her to solve. Sally's a likeable character and she has likeable sidekick people like Frederick the photographer and Jim the errand boy guy. Eh, it was alright.
Rating:
Summary: This is on eof my favorite books ever!
Review: 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
Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 Stars - Pluck with Charm in Victorian London
Review: This book of a 16 year old girl in Victorian London is the best of the trilogy. It's written for young adults but at 56, I enjoyed it thoroughly. The second two books find the protagonist, Sally Lockhart in her 20s and probably makes her of less interest to the young adults, not so to us "seasoned" adults. While the mystery is well thought out, it's a bit far fetched at times, but like so many off the best Victorian and later mysteries, there are strong influences from the kingdom of the Raj, India. Sally needs to solve the mystery of her father's death and her inheritance. One of the biggest strengths of the book are the characters populating it. Thre's wicked Mrs. Holland who wears a set of false teeth that are too big for her that she yanked out of her husband's mouth just before his coffin shut forever. There's also Jim Taylor, sort of a gopher who is no respecter of office clerks, who he regards as "a very low form of life" and who has some of the best lines in the book when for example he describes the death of somone stealing Sally's money as "that's not murder, that's natural justice" or "She's mad. Best leave her be, in case it's catching". There are a few strange things such as where Jim found the ruby and why Ah Ling felt the need to explain everything to Sally in the end instead of just killing her. I realize it was necessary to tie up loose plot ends, it's too bad the most feared smuggler in South East Asia was willing to waste precious time to explain how clever he was to a 16 year old girl. Sally isn't concerned about her limitations. She considers her options and generally makes the right decision. She has just the right amount of pluck, respects the values taught by her father and lives by them. Strongly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: More than it seems
Review: If I ever have children, whether they're sons or daughters, I'll give them copies of the three Sally Lockhart books, Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series, Garth Nix's Abhorsen series (which, with luck, will by then be finished), and CS Lewis's Narnia books, and then wait for the questions. If I've done anywhere near a decent job as a parent, there will be many, and not all of them will be comfortable. Pullman's skill as an author is that he writes simply, even though he gets the convoluted plots and schemes of the Victorian thriller pitch-perfect. Whether you're surprised or not at his plot reversals and sudden revelations (and even if you read a lot of thrillers, there will be times where you'll be caught off-guard), he writes with an assured grace that leaves no doubt that everything is going as planned. He never cheats his audience, which is even more critical with younger readers than older, because they still trust authors to not cop out on them -- a trust that we'd all be happier if we still had when were older and more cynical. Sally is too perfect to be a role model; Pullman makes occasional half-hearted attempts to outline her weaknesses, but her insecurities and doubts are too adult to really make her seem like a typical adolescent. She's brave, she's strong, and she never fails when it comes down to the clutch. She's a heroine in the old mold (not that the old mold had room for feminists like Sally), and even if she's assailed by doubts, they never impair her effectiveness. By necessity, then, her foes are large and merciless: a minor criminal genius who is driven more by pride than greed (and, unlike most books of these kind, is a woman), a powerful and paternal Triad boss, and (indirectly) the British government and its shameful history with the opium trade. That Pullman takes on real and historic injustices should be unsurprising to anyone who's read any of his other books; it should also be unsurprising the much is left unresolved at the end of this first novel of the trilogy. Like most great young adult novels, this features a cast of bohemian oddballs who could care less about social norms. Fittingly, given their reputation at the time, the bohemians in this novel are an ad hoc family helmed by a photographer and his actress sister. Their business is struggling and they're both pragmatic and intelligent enough to take help when they can find it. Can they find a way to take in a financial whiz who's also a brilliant shot and a talented military strategist? Oh, I think they can. Is this just a little light and frothy? Certainly. Is it cheap? Most assuredly not, because the interactions between the characters are taut, lively, and almost never fall into stereotype. In short, these are the kinds of people I'd love my children to become, and so these are the kinds of people I'd love my children to be reading about. These are, in fact, the kind of people I'd like to *be*. If you're a kid yourself, buy this, you're in for a treat. If you're a grownup, buy a copy for a kid you like and buy a copy for yourself. It's a fast read and it will leave you feeling good about yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Beware of the Seven Blessings...
Review: When I first heard of this book someone was recommending it to me and when I first saw it I thought it looked really stupid. I had read some of Pullman's other books like the Golden Compass which I really liked. Then once I started reading it I thought it was great. I finished the book yesterday and I am going to read the second today. The ending of the book is totally unexpected and I won't give it away but you have to read it. This book is about a girl called Sally Lockhart. Her father has just died and she has little knowledge of her mother except she is dead. Seh receives a letter from someone unknown which says "Beware of the Seven Blessings". She asks someone who used to work with her father and he drops down dead. This brings Sally onto a mystery which involves her life!
Rating:
Summary: An Enthralling, Suspenseful Mystery
Review: The Shadow in the North, and indeed the entire Sally Lockhart trilogy, are certainly some of my favourite books. With a strong, dramatic opening, the reader is drawn into the story early with the promise of suspense and mystery - one that is most certainly lived up to. And yet amidst this dark atmosphere of secrecy and intrigue, there is a touching sense of reality to all the characters. Admire Sally Lockhart for her bravery and skill, fall in love with Frederick Garland, recognise Jim Taylor's loyalty and talent. This adventure is awe-inspiring, bringing tears and laughter in a fictitious world that is made to seem so real. I strongly recommend this series (followed by a fourth novel, The Tin Princess), as well as Philip Pullman's Dark Materials series. The most intriguing, realistic fictitious books I have ever read!
Rating:
Summary: Extremely interesting and very catchy
Review: When I first started to read the Ruby and the Smoke I didn't think it was going to be that good. Then I got into it and it made me keep reading. The author did a very good job on catching the reader's attention and keeping it. The book was written very well. It is the best mystery that I have ever read. To tell you the truth I normally don't like reading these types of books but this one caught my attention and kept it. I highly reccomend that you read this!!!!!!!!!!!!
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