A review by amy_bee_6
The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman

4.0

It took time for me to connect with the main character in this story and at the start I couldn't help comparing this to His Dark Material which I have adored since I was a kid. There is less magic in this series, less fantasy but as I continued to read, especially the books that follow I grew absolutely fond of Sally, her wit, her dark humour, her rebellious character and her strength. This series for me is really about the position of women in society and I didn't expect to read a feminist book, I expected a fantastic bedtime story. It plays out in Victorian London and the themes in the series are rather dramatic, opium and addiction, Human greed, murder and revenge. There is still a fantasy side to it but it's not as present in my opinion as in His Dark Material. This story is not so much about growing up but more about what it means to be an adult, how we deal with our feelings, with our fear and with loss. Even if it felt like a slow start, every scene towards the end of the book sparkled with details and the tension was so gripping that I couldn't let go and i was glad i started reading it while the second volume was already released because it saved me the impossible wait!