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nicheinterests's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Torture
obviousthings's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I first read this as a kid, & it holds up fairly well. The story is notably well-constructed - nothing is ever made easy for the characters, and from what I remember of the rest of the trilogy, some future character development is foreshadowed in this book. There's a bit of a magical heist element to the story, which is fun, & the footnotes are very funny. I'm not usually one for audiobooks, but I enjoyed Simon Jones's reading of it, and I thought his acting was quite good (and the footnotes are kept in, don't worry).
I would like to note, though, that the way cultures from outside England are incorporated into the worldbuilding is... not particularly respectful, as far as I can tell. Bartimaeus makes a few offhand mentions of places he's been summoned in the past, and some of it comes off as very stereotypical. None of it is really in-depth or relevant to the main setting or plot, though.
I would like to note, though, that the way cultures from outside England are incorporated into the worldbuilding is... not particularly respectful, as far as I can tell. Bartimaeus makes a few offhand mentions of places he's been summoned in the past, and some of it comes off as very stereotypical. None of it is really in-depth or relevant to the main setting or plot, though.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, and Grief
Minor: Body horror and Confinement
effectordinary's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book (and series) features rotating POVs. Nathaniel is a sniveling bitch boy who I reluctantly want to protect and take care of. This is pretty much how Bartimaeus (who is a shape-shifting djinn and one of the other POVs) thinks of him, too. If you can stomach Nathaniel, you are rewarded with spending time with Bartimaeus, who knows how to pick fights and has footnotes in his first-person narration. How s*xy is that?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery
Minor: Child abuse and Torture
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