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nicole_schmid's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
[read in the German translation]
Not having read another book of this series before, I went into this blind. I found the world fascinating and like Bartimaeus' snark. The story was well-written and thought-out perfectly.
However, I do not think that the topic is suited for children. We basically follow a slave, magically bound to follow orders to the word or die trying, as he tries to free himself and the other slaves. Whenever he does something his owner does not like, he is punished e.g. hurt immensely (yes, he is being whipped while held in place and unable to even attempt to escape, no matter that the whip has a funny prefix in front of it). Meanwhile, the owner threatens to kill him or put him into a bottle so that he will be tortured infinitely. In the background, we hear his other victims scream in pain. Does this not sound like a typical children's book?
In the end (though probably - hopefully - due to the book's nature as a prequel), Bartimaeus returns to his homelands with the bitter knowledge that he might be forced back into slavery any second...
There just is this huge chasm behind the language clearly aimed at young teenagers and these heavy topics like slavery, torture, gaslighting(one fellow enslaved creature proclaims that it likes being enslaved and hurting other beings like it and that it's actually its own choice to remain enslaved) that leaves me unable to recommend this book.
But maybe I am too uptight and in any case not of the demographic this is geared towards, so take this review with a pinch of salt.
Not having read another book of this series before, I went into this blind. I found the world fascinating and like Bartimaeus' snark. The story was well-written and thought-out perfectly.
However, I do not think that the topic is suited for children. We basically follow a slave, magically bound to follow orders to the word or die trying, as he tries to free himself and the other slaves. Whenever he does something his owner does not like, he is punished e.g. hurt immensely (yes, he is being whipped while held in place and unable to even attempt to escape, no matter that the whip has a funny prefix in front of it). Meanwhile, the owner threatens to kill him or put him into a bottle so that he will be tortured infinitely. In the background, we hear his other victims scream in pain. Does this not sound like a typical children's book?
In the end (though probably - hopefully - due to the book's nature as a prequel), Bartimaeus returns to his homelands with the bitter knowledge that he might be forced back into slavery any second...
There just is this huge chasm behind the language clearly aimed at young teenagers and these heavy topics like slavery, torture, gaslighting
But maybe I am too uptight and in any case not of the demographic this is geared towards, so take this review with a pinch of salt.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent and Gaslighting
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