Ptolemy's Gate (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Ptolemy's Gate April Spisak Stroud, Jonathan Ptolemy's Gate. Miramax/Hyperion, 2006 [512p] ISBN 0-7868-1861-1$17.95 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 6-8 Kitty, Bartimaeus, and Nathaniel return as the central triad in this final volume of the Bartimaeus Trilogy (Amulet of Samarkand, BCCB 3/04, Golem's Eye, BCCB 11/04). Things have changed a great deal, though, as Kitty (member of the rebel forces against the manipulative government) is now in hiding and assumed dead, Nathaniel seeks escape from his past and suffocates under increasing power and responsibility, and djinn Bartimaeus' strength is nearly sapped after almost two years of magical servitude. Though none of them wishes to see the others, they are drawn together again because of an imminent risk to themselves and to all humans as djinn and demons have learned how to overtake living bodies and break free of [End Page 287] their masters' limitation on their earthly access. The first half of the novel builds toward a dramatic showdown between the human magicians and their summoned slaves (the djinn, demons, imps, and other powerful but restricted creatures from the Other Place) who chafe under being ruled. Readers hoping for a thrilling conclusion from such a dynamic trilogy will not be disappointed, and they'll likely be genuinely shocked by the tragedy that befalls one of the three main characters. The sense of loyalty between these fractious three remains strong until the end, and it is this consistent virtue across the series that leads to the only ending possible when all other attempts have failed and humanity is on the line. Stroud's fast-paced narration and suspenseful story arc are as solid and effective as in the previous volumes, and long-suffering djinn Bartimaeus shines as one of the most satisfyingly irascible, self-involved, and witty (and not quite villainous) heroes since Dahl's Willy Wonka. Copyright © 2006 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois