From the Publisher

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.

Publishers Weekly

In a starred review, PW characterized this "action-packed romp" as "a breathtaking blend of Saturday matinee cliffhanger and Viennese light opera." It features characters from Pullman's popular Sally Lockhart trilogy, The Ruby in the Smoke, Shadow in the North and The Tiger in the Well, all of which are being simultaneously reissued in paperback. Ages 10-up. (Apr.)

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-A complex tale of romance, intrigue, and adventure. Adelaide, Mrs. Holland's maid, vanished towards the end of The Ruby in the Smoke (Knopf, 1987). Now, 10 years later, in 1882, detective Jim Taylor tracks her down. Beautiful, tough, and illiterate, 22-year-old Adelaide has secretly married Prince Rudolf of Razkavia. When his brother is shot, the couple travels to that tiny European country. Jim accompanies them, as does Becky Winter, 16, Adelaide's tutor and interpreter. In rapid succession the old king dies, Rudolf is crowned and assassinated, and Adelaide becomes queen. Surprisingly, she's remarkably good at the job. She's not without enemies, though, and Becky and Jim have their hands full as they try to stay one step ahead of the schemers. Pullman writes fluently and descriptively, and his wealth of detail brings the period alive. The unexpected twists and turns will grip readers and make it difficult to set the novel down. At times, the large cast and numerous subplots needlessly complicate matters, and the introductory list of names and family tree are more a distraction than a help. Pullman's habit of shifting perspective (from Becky to Jim to assorted others) can also be annoying. Still, this book stands above most YA novels of its type due to its richness, its fascinating characters, and its story that, while sometimes far-fetched, is firmly rooted in reality.-Ann W. Moore, Schenectady County Public Library, NY

BookList

Employing some of the same characters introduced in the Ruby in the Smoke trilogy, Pullman offers a swashbuckling adventure story set in the tiny kingdom of Razkavia, nestled between the hungry jaws of Germany and Austria, and filled with deception, political intrigue, and romance. The coheroines are Cockney Adelaide, former prostitute and now unlikely queen of the country, and her companion and translator, Becky Winter. Then there's Jim Taylor, consulting detective, who has long loved Adelaide but is loyal to her husband, the king. Pullman's passion for details gets in the way of his story; there are too many names and places and plot twists for readers to keep track of properly. But when he zeros in on his main characters, the story takes off, and it's their complex relationships that hold attention. Fans of Pullman's writing may have to stretch a bit in trading Victorian ambience for Germanic saber rattling, but they should find much to enjoy here.

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Product Details

• ISBN: 0679876154
  
• ISBN-13: 9780679876151
• Format: Mass Market Paperback, 304pp
• Publisher: Random House Children's Books
• Pub. Date: March 1996
• Edition Description: Reprint
• Edition Number: 1
• Sales Rank: 18,733
• Age Range: Young Adult
• Series: Sally Lockhart Series, #4