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komali_2's review against another edition
3.0
A compelling sequel, yet at times frustrating. The development of the main character is slow and grinding, and the end result, while fitting to the story, is dreary. While I dislike the result, I have to admit it is very relevant, and makes for a great book.
is_book_loring's review against another edition
3.0
Bartimaeus was gold. Loved Kitty's characterization and couldn't wait for her even more significant role in the final. Nathaniel was ridiculous and more a jerk than ever, but I found the development of this naive, lonely teenager kind of intriguing. Mythology element in the series needed more exposure and exploration, especially the history and inner working of the spirit various classes. Writer seriously needed to make less caricatures of the magicians. None of them was distinctive in any way. Sadly, the story in this sequel itself was less exciting, sort of predictable and dull.
xeyra1's review against another edition
4.0
My expectations for this second book in the Bartimaeus trilogy were high and it didn't disappoint. Granted, Nathaniel continues to be a rather annoying character, with very few redeeming qualities that I've seen so far, especially in this adventure where he is just an ambitious young man who needs to have his head wacked to learn some sense. As a hero, he lacks some necessary qualities.
But Bartimaeus continues his witty wiseass self, which makes for a truly entertaining read everytime you get his perspective on things. Moreover, in this volume you get a new perspective, that of Kitty, a member of a Resistance against the magicians that dominate England. And, let me tell you, if you weren't so fond of magicians in the first volume, you will totally despise them in Golem's Eye. Try to imagine the Wizarding World of Harry Potter being inhabited solely by wizards like the Malfoys... and you get a little idea of how the Magician London is like in Stroud's world. It was really painful seeing how the "commoners" were treated as second-class citizens, being forced to accept a corrupt law-enforcement and rule by the Magicians. Reminded me a bit of Germany during Hitler's rule... and that's a scary comparison to make.
But despite all that, this book is a great romp and a wonderful read. Stroud creates a very complex world with engaging characters and wonderful twists, and you will end up emotionally invested into the story, even if only because you want to slap Nathaniel silly. Politics and adventure mix in this second book in the trilogy and makes me itch to get the third so I can know what happens next!
But Bartimaeus continues his witty wiseass self, which makes for a truly entertaining read everytime you get his perspective on things. Moreover, in this volume you get a new perspective, that of Kitty, a member of a Resistance against the magicians that dominate England. And, let me tell you, if you weren't so fond of magicians in the first volume, you will totally despise them in Golem's Eye. Try to imagine the Wizarding World of Harry Potter being inhabited solely by wizards like the Malfoys... and you get a little idea of how the Magician London is like in Stroud's world. It was really painful seeing how the "commoners" were treated as second-class citizens, being forced to accept a corrupt law-enforcement and rule by the Magicians. Reminded me a bit of Germany during Hitler's rule... and that's a scary comparison to make.
But despite all that, this book is a great romp and a wonderful read. Stroud creates a very complex world with engaging characters and wonderful twists, and you will end up emotionally invested into the story, even if only because you want to slap Nathaniel silly. Politics and adventure mix in this second book in the trilogy and makes me itch to get the third so I can know what happens next!
callunavulgari's review against another edition
4.0
You know, all the times that I reread these books in the past, I never actually reread this one? So I forgot like half of the things that happened in it and let me tell you it is one wild ride. Past me was dumb. This book has possessed skeletons and Prague. It might not have been a favorite but it was still worth the reread.
sasha_reads_books's review against another edition
2.0
Being only a moderate fan of the first entry in the Bartimaeus Trilogy, I had my reservations about diving into the second book. Unfortunately, my reservations turned prophetic shortly after beginning my read.
So, the biggest problem I had with The Amulet of Samarkand was that the pacing was sub-par at best and The Golem's Eye failed to resolve this issue for me. In fact, I believe that the pacing is worse off in this entry. Stroud did away with a significant amount of the flow destroying footnotes, reducing them to roughly a third the book's chapters rather than the previous half. Despite this, adding in a third character's perspective proved the downfall this time. While Kitty's chapters were interesting in and of themselves, it's only until late in the book that they tie in to the main story close enough to provide intrigue, but by then it was too late to find myself caring about them.
In regards to the characters, which were one of the biggest standouts for me in the first book, unfortunately this too suffered in this entry. Stroud provided hefty amounts of world-building this time around and, thankfully, most of it was done outside of footnotes. Unfortunately, the world Stroud was building up was one of massive intolerance and had explicit "Racist" tones throughout the book. The reason I put this in quotes is because it's not a single or even multiple races that were being constantly tread upon within this book, but the idea of Magicians vs Commoners (those without magical aptitude). Now, that's a common thread in many fantasy worlds for magic users to be strong within a society, but the level and sheer amount of it sickened me on many occasions. It is to be understood that the story could not exist in its current form if it weren't for these ideologies, but during my two sessions reading this book, I found it quite laborious to have to wade through how nasty it got sometimes.
In terms of the story, it was decent, just as the first one's was. I was both surprised and glad that Stroud included some of the roots of golem mythos in the story. Unfortunately, as far as the plot was concerned, there were some gaps that I felt should have been further explored. Perhaps these gaps will be filled in the third book, but in some of the cases, like with the mystery behind Kitty's inherent resiliency towards magic, I would've really preferred it to have been answered in this book as it played a key role all throughout the adventure.
Unfortunately, poor pacing, characters, and a plot full of holes brings my rating of this book down to a two out of five. There was definitely good elements within this book, but the bad outweighed them by just enough for me to not recommend The Golem's Eye to any but the fans of the first book.
So, the biggest problem I had with The Amulet of Samarkand was that the pacing was sub-par at best and The Golem's Eye failed to resolve this issue for me. In fact, I believe that the pacing is worse off in this entry. Stroud did away with a significant amount of the flow destroying footnotes, reducing them to roughly a third the book's chapters rather than the previous half. Despite this, adding in a third character's perspective proved the downfall this time. While Kitty's chapters were interesting in and of themselves, it's only until late in the book that they tie in to the main story close enough to provide intrigue, but by then it was too late to find myself caring about them.
In regards to the characters, which were one of the biggest standouts for me in the first book, unfortunately this too suffered in this entry. Stroud provided hefty amounts of world-building this time around and, thankfully, most of it was done outside of footnotes. Unfortunately, the world Stroud was building up was one of massive intolerance and had explicit "Racist" tones throughout the book. The reason I put this in quotes is because it's not a single or even multiple races that were being constantly tread upon within this book, but the idea of Magicians vs Commoners (those without magical aptitude). Now, that's a common thread in many fantasy worlds for magic users to be strong within a society, but the level and sheer amount of it sickened me on many occasions. It is to be understood that the story could not exist in its current form if it weren't for these ideologies, but during my two sessions reading this book, I found it quite laborious to have to wade through how nasty it got sometimes.
In terms of the story, it was decent, just as the first one's was. I was both surprised and glad that Stroud included some of the roots of golem mythos in the story. Unfortunately, as far as the plot was concerned, there were some gaps that I felt should have been further explored. Perhaps these gaps will be filled in the third book, but in some of the cases, like with the mystery behind Kitty's inherent resiliency towards magic, I would've really preferred it to have been answered in this book as it played a key role all throughout the adventure.
Unfortunately, poor pacing, characters, and a plot full of holes brings my rating of this book down to a two out of five. There was definitely good elements within this book, but the bad outweighed them by just enough for me to not recommend The Golem's Eye to any but the fans of the first book.
5c_sami's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely adore this series for a couple of reasons:
1- The sequels are just as good as the first one, so that's a rare find. Each book is a story of it's own that is tied up nicely in the end, and yet they fit together as equal continuations of the over-arching story.
2- I was raised in a very sarcastic and hilarious family. Bartimaeus is just one of those sassy characters who is actually funny, and not just cliche. I'd especially recommend listening to any of the audio books for the Bartimaeus books, because Simon Jones gets who Bartimaeus is and makes you believe it too.
1- The sequels are just as good as the first one, so that's a rare find. Each book is a story of it's own that is tied up nicely in the end, and yet they fit together as equal continuations of the over-arching story.
2- I was raised in a very sarcastic and hilarious family. Bartimaeus is just one of those sassy characters who is actually funny, and not just cliche. I'd especially recommend listening to any of the audio books for the Bartimaeus books, because Simon Jones gets who Bartimaeus is and makes you believe it too.
alyshadeshae's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book. Bartimaeus is as delightfully witty and sarcastic as ever, but I'm disappointed in Nathaniel/John Mandrake. I just know that there's still a heart in there, but he's not showing it too well.
manderly's review against another edition
5.0
He's worse? Cannot wait to see him get humbled next book. Kitty ily <3 Sorry y you have to put up with Nathaniel, you've the real main character to me.
bereza's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jacobinreads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A tonne of fun. There's a bit more going on in these books than I remembered as a kid: strong themes of class, exploitation, empire, and rebellion play in the middle of a fantasy romp. Good stuff, really enjoyed rereading this.