Ptolemy's Gate (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 3) [Paperback]

Jonathan Stroud (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Three years have passed since the magician Nathaniel helped prevent a cataclysmic attack on London. Now an established member of the British Government, he faces unprecedented problems: foreign wars are going badly; Britain`s enemies are mounting attacks close to London; and rebellion is fomenting among the commoners. Increasingly imperious and distracted, Nathaniel is treating Bartimaeus worse than ever. The longsuffering djinni is growing weak and vulnerable from too much time in this world and is nearing the end of his patience. Meanwhile, Nathaniel`s longtime rival Kitty has been stealthily completing her research on magic, demons, and Bartimaeus`s past. She has a daring plan that she hopes will break the endless cycle of conflict between djinn and humans. But will anyone listen to what she has to say? In this glorious conclusion to the Bartimaeus trilogy, the destinies of Bartimaeus, Nathaniel, and Kitty converge once more. Together the threesome faces treacherous magicians, a complex conspiracy, and a rebellious faction of demons. To survive, they must test the limits of this world and question the deepest parts of themselves. And most difficult of all-they will have to learn to trust one another.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jonathan Stroud is the author of the New York Times best-selling Bartimaeus Trilogy, as well as The Leap, The Last Siege, and Buried Fire. He lives in Englad with his family.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH; First Edition edition (December 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078683868X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786838684
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #147,632 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jonathan Stroud (www.jonathanstroud.com) is the author of the New York Times best-selling Bartimaeus Trilogy, as well as Heroes of the Valley, The Leap, The Last Siege, and Buried Fire. He lives in England with his family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, July 17, 2007

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ptolemy's Gate (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 3) (Paperback)

He's back! But this time around, the smart-mouthed djinni, Bartimaeus, is exhausted from too much work and not enough time to recover in his netherworld home. It's like they always say, "All work and no play makes Bartimaeus a dull supernatural being." Although, in this case, he's anything but dull. He's tired, weak, sharp-tongued, homicidal, and insulting. But definitely not dull.

In this third installment of THE BARTIMAEUS TRILOGY, the hero is again a djinni who has little respect for humans and even less interest in their petty wars and government squabbles. The magicians who rule England in this series of books insist on summoning Bartimaeus and scores of other demons to fight their wars, provide magical assistance of all sorts, and generally do their bidding. The demons see this treatment as slavery, and for good reason. What would you call forced servitude for no pay under threat of intense pain?

PTOLEMY'S GATE opens to find poor Bartimaeus stretched to the breaking point by his magician master, Nathaniel. A war in America is going poorly, the commoners of London are growing tired of the ruling class of magicians, and young Nathaniel is looked upon with jealousy and mistrust by his co-workers. As a result of all of these threats, Nathaniel rationalizes the need to keep Bartimaeus around to help him deal with the many problems that he faces. After a long association with the djinni, it is almost as if Nathaniel trusts his reluctant servant. And it is almost as if Bartimaeus has a shred of concern for human dealings. Almost.

PTOLEMY'S GATE is an excellent capstone to the extraordinary Bartimaeus series. I enjoyed all of these books immensely and recommend them to anyone who enjoys young adult fantasy. Like the first two books, The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1) and The Golem's Eye (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 2), this one is filled with humor and excitement. These books also offer some social commentary for those who want to pay attention to such things. For example, the ruling class of magicians in these books take extreme measures to maintain their own positions, while claiming that they are really just interested in keeping the masses safe. There are resistance groups that oppose the government, and they engage in acts of terrorism to free themselves from the magicians' oppressive yoke.

The entiretrilogy is a fun-filled pleasure to read. Doubtless it would be possible to read PTOLEMY'S GATE without having read the previous two books, but I would not recommend it. There is quite a bit of background that would be missed, and the story would definitely suffer. While the first book in the series, The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1), could probably stand alone, the second two (The Golem's Eye (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 2) and PTOLEMY'S GATE) should be read together. And once the last page of PTOLEMY'S GATE is turned, readers will undoubtedly wish they could summon Bartimaeus back for more.

Reviewed by: K. Osborn Sullivan

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ending surprised me a lot... left me dumbfounded, August 10, 2007

By 

Alexander M. Zamora (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ptolemy's Gate (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 3) (Paperback)

Jonathan Stroud was the author I opted to present in my fiction author assignment because I felt that he had a great story to tell. And I, as a hunter of great stories in the science fiction and fantasy genre of wizards and magic, had found a priceless treasure in his trilogy of the fast mouthed djinni, Bartimaeus, and the boy magician, Nathaniel. But wait, it is also the story of the commoner, Kitty Jones. The triumvirate has proven to be the strongest focal point from which the story has been able to twist and turn more than a winding road. Stroud is an OUTSTANDING storyteller. But most of all, he wrote this story with his heart. The book covers a lot of world issues in the guise of magicians versus commoners. Social injustice, government oppression (reminded me of the oppressive regimes in society which smite the rights of the masses) and social classes were some issues that Stroud was able to imply as important in his stories. The ending surprised me so much that I was in denial of the prediction that I was making, the direction the story was taking as the last book. But in the end, after ten minutes of quiet thinking and acceptance, I put the book away and wrote this review immediately. This will be the first book that I will be recommending to everyone aside from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. It is a MUST READ for all sci-fi and fantasy book lovers! If you love these kinds of stories, it is a crime not to read the stories. I dare you not to fall in love with Bartimaeus.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly Enchanting., March 24, 2007

By 

Lupus "Angela" (Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ptolemy's Gate (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 3) (Paperback)

One of the best books I've had the pleasure of reading. While I originally was a little hesitant to buy the book because of the recommended age and section, I will always be happy I did. This story, while rated for younger audiences, is definitely for everyone and anyone who enjoys a complete and intriguing fantasy tale that will have you hoping and worrying about each character you meet.

Highly recommended.

Lupus