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Critics' Opinion:
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First Published:
Dec 2005, 512 pages
Paperback:
Jan 2007, 512 pages
Book Reviewed by:
BookBrowse Review Team
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In this thrilling conclusion of the Bartimaeus trilogy, the destinies of Bartimaeus, Nathaniel, and Kitty are thrown together once more as they face treacherous magicians, unravel a masterfully complex conspiracy, and defeat a formidable faction of demons.
Three years have passed since the magician Nathaniel helped prevent a cataclysmic attack on London. Now an established member of the British Government, he faces unprecedented problems: foreign wars are going badly, Britain’s enemies are mounting attacks close to London, and rebellion is fermenting among the commoners. Increasingly imperious and distracted, Nathaniel is treating Bartimaeus worse than ever. The long-suffering djinni is growing weak and vulnerable from too much time in this world, and his patience is nearing its end.
Meanwhile, undercover in London, Kitty has been stealthily completing her research on magic, demons, and Bartimaeus’s past. She has a plan that she hopes will break the endless cycle of conflict between djinn and humans. But will anyone listen to what she has to say?
In this thrilling conclusion of the Bartimaeus trilogy, the destinies of Bartimaeus, Nathaniel, and Kitty are thrown together once more. For the first time, we will learn the secrets of Bartimaeus’s past, and get a glimpse into the Other Place -- the world of demons -- as together, the threesome must face treacherous magicians, unravel a masterfully complex conspiracy, and defeat a formidable faction of demons. And worst of all, they must somehow cope with one another....
Alexandria: 125 BC
The assassins dropped into the palace grounds at midnight, four fleet shadows
dark against the wall. The fall was high, the ground was hard; they made no more
sound on impact than the pattering of rain. Three seconds they crouched there,
low and motionless, sniffing at the air. Then away they stole, through the dark
gardens, among the tamarisks and date palms, toward the quarters where the boy
lay at rest. A cheetah on a chain stirred in its sleep; far away in the desert,
jackals cried.
They went on pointed toe-tips, leaving no trace in the long wet grass. Their
robes flittered at their backs, fragmenting their shadows into wisps and traces.
What could be seen? Nothing but leaves shifting in the breeze. What could be
heard? Noth-ing but the wind sighing among the palm fronds. No sight, no noise.
A crocodile djinni, standing sentry at the sacred pool, was undisturbed though
they passed within a scale's breadth of his tail. For humans, it ...
Ptolemy's Gate is a very interesting book with many unexpected twists and turns in the plot. It is an excellent end to the series that still leaves just enough questions unanswered for your mind to continue puzzling over them for a long time to come. It stands out from other books because it gives more details on the spirits themselves, such as their personalities and the conflicts that exist between them caused by bitter feuds dating back thousands of years.
Will Kitty's strength and intelligence combined with the good that still lies somewhere in the heart of Nathaniel/John Mandrake, plus Bartimaeus's magic, wit and wisdom be enough to save the day? Readers will have to find out for themselves in the final, exciting volume of this entertaining saga. I highly recommend this series! - Thomas, aged 13...continued
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(Reviewed by BookBrowse Review Team).
Jonathan Stroud was born in Bedford, England and grew up in St Albans. For many years he
had a burning desire to write a full-length work of fiction which he would have
wanted to read when he was younger. After graduating from York University
he embarked on a publishing and writing career in the game book and non-fiction
department at Walker Books. He moved to Kingfisher Publications to edit
children's non-fiction, and for a time juggled working with writing; but
is now a full-time writer.
He got the idea for the Bartimaeus Trilogy during a 20-minute walk home in the
rain. As he trudged along it occurred to him that most fantasies feature
heroic wizards battling against evil and he wondered whether it would be
...
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