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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
Bartimaeus's revisionist mythology gives me life.
I had two problems with this book. 1. The book was divided between viewpoint characters that were always at odds with each other. I had nobody to root for. 2. None of the characters display any growth, and Nathaniel even seems to get worse.
Other than that, it was a fun story with a lot of creative elements.
Other than that, it was a fun story with a lot of creative elements.
What a pleasant surprise.
I found this book better than [b:The Amulet of Samarkand|334123|The Amulet of Samarkand (Bartimaeus Trilogy, #1)|Jonathan Stroud|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266527188s/334123.jpg|1121748]. Stroud has avoided the trap of overengineering the world he has created, and concentrated on his characters instead. And that worked really well. Bartimaeus got some depth, Kitty got some personality, and Nathaniel... Nathaniel (IMO) got purposefully degraded to a background character. I like how his position in the world contrasts with Bartimaeus remarks from first book. Nathaniel has become all of the things he has loathed in his old master - and more. He's still trying to come back to his innocent time - but without much success. I think it has given the book very needed depth and realism - it isn't the sweet dreamy world of Harry Potter, reality bites :)
If there's one thing that I don't like about the book, it's the scarcity of details about the world. There's more of those than in first book of the cycle, but some parts could use better descriptions. We roughly know the layout and composition of major forces in Stroud's world, but we can only guess on what's the level of technological development. With world full of obedient servants, there might have not been big push for developing some machines, or pursuing some ideas...
This way or another, I've greatly enjoyed the book, and I'll definitely read third part of the cycle.
I found this book better than [b:The Amulet of Samarkand|334123|The Amulet of Samarkand (Bartimaeus Trilogy, #1)|Jonathan Stroud|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266527188s/334123.jpg|1121748]. Stroud has avoided the trap of overengineering the world he has created, and concentrated on his characters instead. And that worked really well. Bartimaeus got some depth, Kitty got some personality, and Nathaniel... Nathaniel (IMO) got purposefully degraded to a background character. I like how his position in the world contrasts with Bartimaeus remarks from first book. Nathaniel has become all of the things he has loathed in his old master - and more. He's still trying to come back to his innocent time - but without much success. I think it has given the book very needed depth and realism - it isn't the sweet dreamy world of Harry Potter, reality bites :)
If there's one thing that I don't like about the book, it's the scarcity of details about the world. There's more of those than in first book of the cycle, but some parts could use better descriptions. We roughly know the layout and composition of major forces in Stroud's world, but we can only guess on what's the level of technological development. With world full of obedient servants, there might have not been big push for developing some machines, or pursuing some ideas...
This way or another, I've greatly enjoyed the book, and I'll definitely read third part of the cycle.
I enjoyed this one more than the first. I really like Kitty as a character and loved how much time we spent with her. The mystery aspect of this was great and I loved to see Nathaniel's moral grapplings. I have great hope for him.
For a book with a golem in it, there could have been more Jews. Besides that, this book was just as much fun as the first one. There are some plot holes, but also it's a book for kids. I love the characters, especially Bartimaeus and Kitty. Now I'm going to start the third book.
A sumptuous fantasy novel of the best kind. Loved it!
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a lot less fun than the first installment in the series, for two reasons.
First, because Nathaniel is a lot further down the road of becoming a villain. I assume the series will end with him making a turnaround, mostly because of Bartimaeus's incessant references to his friend Ptolemy, but it's still wearing to have to accompany him on his slide downward.
The second reason this was less fun is because it's a lot slower. There are fewer side references. Less time spent with Bartimaeus. A lot more time just spent with Nathaniel doing whatever he's doing, and with Kitty delving into her tragic backstory and the work of the Resistance. This is important and all, but hardly as enjoyable.
Still, I liked the ending and Kitty's conversations with Bartimaeus a lot, and I look forward to the last book wrapping everything up.
First, because Nathaniel is a lot further down the road of becoming a villain. I assume the series will end with him making a turnaround, mostly because of Bartimaeus's incessant references to his friend Ptolemy, but it's still wearing to have to accompany him on his slide downward.
The second reason this was less fun is because it's a lot slower. There are fewer side references. Less time spent with Bartimaeus. A lot more time just spent with Nathaniel doing whatever he's doing, and with Kitty delving into her tragic backstory and the work of the Resistance. This is important and all, but hardly as enjoyable.
Still, I liked the ending and Kitty's conversations with Bartimaeus a lot, and I look forward to the last book wrapping everything up.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes