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booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-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
PTOLEMY'S GATE wraps up the Bartimaeus Trilogy with an examination of the relationship with between magicians and their summoned slaves, with the hope that sometimes one djinni and one human can make different choices.
There have been lingering doubts about who was ultimately behind the magicians' troubles in the first two books, and now these mysteries come to fruition. It answers several questions and wraps up hanging plot threads related to strange actors and mysterious benefactors. There's a new storyline related to lingering resistance from commoners and John Mandrake's current role in government. I'm not sure if it introduces and resolves anything, but it does continue several things so smoothly that they feel new even though the seeds were sown before. As the final book it's a very satisfying ending which makes me want more in the series. Technically the prequel fulfills this desire as it was written after the main trilogy, so that just depends on an individual reader's order as to how the experience feels. Bartimaeus is still the main narrator, with third-person sections separately following Kitty and Nathaniel. Additionally, some sections follow Bartimaeus in the past with the eponymous Ptolemy of Ptolemy's Gate, showing the rapport between the djinni and the long-dead boy whose face he still wears.
It would not make sense to start here, as this is the conclusion of several larger discussions of the enslavement of the djinni and other spirits by magicians, the seeming inescapable imbalance of that dynamic, and the class interactions between commoners and magicians as part of their general pattern of enslavement, oppression, and colonialism. The frequently-mentioned but never shown "American Campaign" fits into this as a repeated reminder that the magicians are using their power to expand British colonial rule abroad while they mistreat commoners at home. It's a cohesive narrative in a way that I didn't understand as a kid but find myself appreciating as an adult.
The ending is heartbreaking, it fits the story and I don't think it could have gone another way while being true to what came before, but it made me simultaneously sad and hopeful for the world built in this trilogy.
There have been lingering doubts about who was ultimately behind the magicians' troubles in the first two books, and now these mysteries come to fruition. It answers several questions and wraps up hanging plot threads related to strange actors and mysterious benefactors. There's a new storyline related to lingering resistance from commoners and John Mandrake's current role in government. I'm not sure if it introduces and resolves anything, but it does continue several things so smoothly that they feel new even though the seeds were sown before. As the final book it's a very satisfying ending which makes me want more in the series. Technically the prequel fulfills this desire as it was written after the main trilogy, so that just depends on an individual reader's order as to how the experience feels. Bartimaeus is still the main narrator, with third-person sections separately following Kitty and Nathaniel. Additionally, some sections follow Bartimaeus in the past with the eponymous Ptolemy of Ptolemy's Gate, showing the rapport between the djinni and the long-dead boy whose face he still wears.
It would not make sense to start here, as this is the conclusion of several larger discussions of the enslavement of the djinni and other spirits by magicians, the seeming inescapable imbalance of that dynamic, and the class interactions between commoners and magicians as part of their general pattern of enslavement, oppression, and colonialism. The frequently-mentioned but never shown "American Campaign" fits into this as a repeated reminder that the magicians are using their power to expand British colonial rule abroad while they mistreat commoners at home. It's a cohesive narrative in a way that I didn't understand as a kid but find myself appreciating as an adult.
The ending is heartbreaking, it fits the story and I don't think it could have gone another way while being true to what came before, but it made me simultaneously sad and hopeful for the world built in this trilogy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Murder, Suicide, Child death, Cursing, Police brutality, Colonisation, Confinement, Violence, War, Death, Torture, and Slavery
Minor: Sexism, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Ableism, Fatphobia, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Rape
bookbelle5_17's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Like everyone else I think is the best book in the trilogy and Stroud continued to surprised me all the way to the end. London is in chaos Nathanial has become more of asshole than ever to Bartimaeus and Kitty is determined to bring Magicians and Djinn together as allies. The Djinn have a plan to seek revenge on the Magicians for enslavement for centuries and Nathaniel, Kitty, and Bartimaeus must work.
So much happens in this final book. I actually felt pity for Nathaniel and all the stress he was under, but I was also continually frustrated with him. By the end, Nathaniel redeems and realizes the error of his way. Bartimaeus is still just as funny, charming, and lovable. The continued footnotes are a fun little commentaries from Bartimeaus, but at times it felt a bit telling rather than showing during certain moments. Through Kitty researching and asking Bartimeus himself you learn about the other world and you finally get the backstory of him and Ptolemy's bond. Who the antagonist was surprise and enslavement plot exploded in this book. This at first came off as middle grade, but by the second it became a young adult trilogy, but it has a lot of mature themes that I think parents should discuss with young readers.
So much happens in this final book. I actually felt pity for Nathaniel and all the stress he was under, but I was also continually frustrated with him. By the end, Nathaniel redeems and realizes the error of his way. Bartimaeus is still just as funny, charming, and lovable. The continued footnotes are a fun little commentaries from Bartimeaus, but at times it felt a bit telling rather than showing during certain moments. Through Kitty researching and asking Bartimeus himself you learn about the other world and you finally get the backstory of him and Ptolemy's bond. Who the antagonist was surprise and enslavement plot exploded in this book. This at first came off as middle grade, but by the second it became a young adult trilogy, but it has a lot of mature themes that I think parents should discuss with young readers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
mercourier's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
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