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Ptolemy's Gate (Bartimaeus #3)

by Jonathan Stroud, Simon Jones (Narrator)

4.2 of 5 stars 4.20 · rating details · 34,024 ratings · 1,082 reviews

Three years have passed since the magician Nathaniel helped prevent a cataclysmic attack on London. Now an important member of the British government, he grapples with numerous problems: foreign wars are going badly, Britain’s enemies are mounting attacks close to London, and rebellion is growing among the commoners. Increasingly imperious and distracted, Nathaniel is trea...more

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Published December 27th 2005 by Listening Library (Audio) (first published September 29th 2005)

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Jan 30, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

32 likes · like · see review

Jan 30, 2013 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fantasy

This book is very close to 5 stars...let us say it's another of those 4.5 books. I can recommend it and I do, but with a caveat, it is considered to be a youth or YA book. Be sure that your "youth" is mature enough for the book. I will go so far as to add a spoiler below for those who wish to know in more detail what I mean.

This is the third in the Bartimaeus Trilogy. They are good books, and deal with in an over all sense attitudes of cooperation and equality. The Magicians are the ruling clas...more

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May 21, 2011 Jamie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

Fantastic final book to the Bartimaeus Trilogy. I actually give this a 4.5 stars. In this book, Bartimaeus, Nathaniel (John Mandrake) and Kitty are back. Its three years after the events with the golem from the second book. Nathaniel is now a member of the council and one of the closest magicians to the minister and holds substantial power. Kitty had been working as an assistant to a magician in order to gain knowledge on Bartimaeus and his past. Bartimaeus....well he is much as he has been in t...more

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Jul 06, 2010 Mia Queen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bikin-sesak-nafas, fantasy

Bisa dibilang kesan yang saya dapat setelah membaca bartimaeus trilogy ini tidak sama dengan membaca kisah fantasy biasa.
Tanya kenapa?

Mungkin karena celetukan Barti yang apa adanya dan bikin ngekek kalo baca sendirian malam-malam in ngangenin. Saya jadi berasa kenal dekat dengan sosok Barti.

Atau bisa jadi juga karena membaca ketiga buku ini, saya dapat merasakan pertumbuhan masing-masing karakter plus juga gejolak commoner, penyihir, demon yang kian gelap dan kian menegangkan.
Nat, dari seorang...more

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Apr 09, 2009 Nenangs rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-magick-scifi, indonesian, works-of-translation

Amazing book. Not Perfect, but amazing nonetheless...

The transformations of the characters, the plot, the storytelling, the battles, the culmination, the ends, they're just great!

In average, the trilogy got 4 stars from me.

8 likes · like · see review

Jan 01, 2010 lin-lin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, demon, my-favorite, wizard

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Setting berlanjut 3 tahun dari buku kedua, kali ini ada kabar gembira untuk fans Nathaniel, karena dia kini menjelma menjadi seorang pemuda tampan yang banyak dikagumi gadis-gadis, dia juga cerdas dan punya kekuasaaan, dan jabatannya adalah Menteri Penerangan. Jin-jin yang melayaninya pun bertambah, selain si narsis Barti, ada juga Ascobol, Cormocodran, Hodge dan ah lebih baik dibaca sendiri. Keberhasilannya dalam menangani masalah Golem 3 tahun yang lalu membuatnya menjadi salah satu orang kepe...more Setting berlanjut 3 tahun dari buku kedua, kali ini ada kabar gembira untuk fans Nathaniel, karena dia kini menjelma menjadi seorang pemuda tampan yang banyak dikagumi gadis-gadis, dia juga cerdas dan punya kekuasaaan, dan jabatannya adalah Menteri Penerangan. Jin-jin yang melayaninya pun bertambah, selain si narsis Barti, ada juga Ascobol, Cormocodran, Hodge dan ah lebih baik dibaca sendiri. Keberhasilannya dalam menangani masalah Golem 3 tahun yang lalu membuatnya menjadi salah satu orang kepercayaan perdana menteri, kendati begitu, masalah dalam pemerintahan semakin bertambah, para Commoner terus melakukan gerakan perlawanan anti penyihir, belum lagi dari luar negeri macam perang melawan pemberontak di Amerika, karena itulah Nathaniel memanggil banyak jin untuk membantunya. Tapi tentu saja, jin paling "spesialnya" adalah Bartimaeus.

Lalu bagaimana dengan Barti, keberadaannya yang terlalu lama didunia fana, membuat energinya melemah, Barti ingin pulang ke dunianya namun Nathaniel tetap enggan melepas Barti dan terus memerintahkannya dengan kejam untuk melakukan pekerjaan-pekerjaan berat yang berhubungan dengan karirnya di kementerian. Ini membuat Barti semakin benci pada Nath dan tidak jarang untuk membuat Nath kesal dia suka mengabaikan perintah Nath dan mengolok-oloknya dalam wujud yang membuat Nath jengkel, yaitu Kitty Jones.

Di lain pihak, Kitty Jones yang diperkirakan telah tewas, ternyata masih hidup dan menggunakan 2 identitas palsu, sejak pertemuan terakhirnya dengan Bartimaeus, dia menjadi tertarik dengan dunia jin dan diam-diam melakukan penyelidikan mengenai Bartimaeus.

Intrik utama dalam buku ini masih berputar mengenai kerakusan para penyihir dalam hal kekuasaaan dan kekuatan yang membuat keadaan London kacau balau, hal ini membuat Nath kembali bertemu Kitty dan kali ini mereka bekerjasama dalam menyelesaikan permasalahan terbesar demi kelangsungan kehidupan di London.

Bab-bab dalam buku ini juga ada mengenai kisah masa lalu Bartimaeus sewaktu masih melayani Ptolemy, master kesayangannya yang kisahnya sungguh mengharukan.
___________________________________________________________________
FYI, SPOILER ALERT. Buku yang sangat bagus, buku ketiga ini benar-benar mambuat saya kecanduan dalam membacanya, cerita yang seru, kocak, penuh petualangan dan mengharukan diramu lengkap dalam buku ini, konfliknya pun dibangun dengan baik menuju klimaks dengan ending yang tidak diduga. Setiap karakter mengalami perkembangan menarik, Nathaniel yang walaupun punya kedudukan tinggi di pemerintahan, namun dia kesepian dan tidak ada teman yang bisa dipercaya, obsesinya terhadap Kitty, membuat dirinya mempunyai perasaan terhadap gadis itu dan perlahan pandangan hidupnya berubah. Sementara Bartimaeus yang selalu menyatakan membenci penyihir karena perbudakan jin, ternyata bahkan rela melakukan apa pun demi seorang master yang amat disayanginya. Satu kata untuk buku ini TOP, you won't regret it !!!(less)

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Jun 10, 2008 erry rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Bartimaeus, jin berusia 5000 thn yang harus menerima tindakan sewenang-wenangan masternya. Akibatnya, energinya semakin habis akibat terlalu lama ditahan di bumi. Ia jadi semakin lemah.

Nathaniel, sekarang sedang benar-benar naik daun sekaligus menambah musuhnya. Nathaniel telah sepenuhnya berubah menjadi John Mandrake yang tertutup, gila kerja, ketus, menyebalkan dan sewenang-wenang. 1

Mandrake dihadapkan pada konspirasi besar-besaran yang melibatkan penyihir berkuasa serta jin-jin paling kuat ya...more Bartimaeus, jin berusia 5000 thn yang harus menerima tindakan sewenang-wenangan masternya. Akibatnya, energinya semakin habis akibat terlalu lama ditahan di bumi. Ia jadi semakin lemah.

Nathaniel, sekarang sedang benar-benar naik daun sekaligus menambah musuhnya. Nathaniel telah sepenuhnya berubah menjadi John Mandrake yang tertutup, gila kerja, ketus, menyebalkan dan sewenang-wenang. 1

Mandrake dihadapkan pada konspirasi besar-besaran yang melibatkan penyihir berkuasa serta jin-jin paling kuat yang pernah ada. Apakah kaitan itu semua dengan Ptolemy dan gerbang ptolemynya?? 2 Berhasilkah rencana para konspirator?? Siapakah yang menjadi tokoh utama di balik semua konspirasi ini?? Apakah ada hubungannya dengan peristiwa tiga dan lima tahun lalu?? 3

Sebagai akhir dari trilogy ini, novel ini memberikan klimaks akhir yang hebat. Alur cerita yang berjalan cepat dan tak terduga memacu pembaca untuk terus menyantap lembar demi lembar sampai akhir. Sebuah akhir yang menarik dari keseluruhan trilogy cerita yang unik. Dimana kejujuran, hati nurani, ambisi, kepercayaan, persahabatan, dendam, kisah kepahlawanan dan sedikit romantika bercampur jadi satu. Akhir kisah yang patut disimak4.

Tapi...pengarangnya ga harus bikin ceritanya berakhir begini kan??

*****
Catatan kaki :
1. Ia bukan lagi Nathaniel yang pernah kukenal, ia telah sepenuhnya menjadi Mandrake. Kenyataan ini membuatku benar-benar sedih hingga hampir saja aku mencekiknya. Kalau saja aku tidak dipaksa terus menerus melayaninya tanpa diberi keempatan pulang untyk merecharge energiku yang semakin habis.

2. Aku beri sedikit bocoran ya. Ptolemy itu adalah mantan masterku yang sosoknya masih menjadi favorit penyamaranku hingga saat ini.

3.Sekedar mengigatkanmu. Aku tahu karena semua keterbatasanmu wahai manusia, maka kalian tidak akan bisa menandingi kami-makhluk-makhluk mulia- dalam segala hal. Makanya, karena aku tahu kelemahanmu maka aku mengingatkanmu. Kejadian tiga tahun lalu itu maksudnya peristiwa Duvall dengan Gollemnya. Sedangkan peristiwan lima tahun yang lalu adalah peristiwa pengkhianatan Simon Lovelace sekaligus titik awal keberhasilan masterku di dunia sihir. Sekarang kamu sudah bisa mengingatnya kan??

4. Aku yakin banyak diantara kamu yang akan bertanya-tanya kenapa hanya sampai buku ketiga??Apakah akan ada lanjutan ceritanya?? Aku juga tak mengerti, padahal aku masih memiliki banyak sekali cerita tentang semua kehebatanku. Kamu belum mendengar semuanya. Aku yakin sekali kamu pasti akan sangat terkejut kalau tahu betapa hebat dan agungnya aku.
(less)

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Oct 23, 2012 Spoonbridge rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio-book, fantasy, ya, library-book

Note: I am reviewing the entire Bartimaeus trilogy here.

Having gone into the series with no expectations, I have found the Bartimaeus Trilogy a cracking good fantasy read (or listen, as with the audio book series being voiced with elegant aplomb by Simon Jones). If compared to other British young adult fantasy series, I would put it closer in essence to "His Dark Materials" than "Harry Potter," being quite a darker take on a magical society than even the later books of the latter series, with a...more Note: I am reviewing the entire Bartimaeus trilogy here.

Having gone into the series with no expectations, I have found the Bartimaeus Trilogy a cracking good fantasy read (or listen, as with the audio book series being voiced with elegant aplomb by Simon Jones). If compared to other British young adult fantasy series, I would put it closer in essence to "His Dark Materials" than "Harry Potter," being quite a darker take on a magical society than even the later books of the latter series, with a lot more political and social repercussions on the greater non-magical world. Like Pullman, Stroud, without bogging down the narrative, grants his alternate contemporary British Empire with a fully realized, dystopian society. At the same time, he writes endearing, relatable characters, often with a wit and humor that evokes many laughs from the reader. This is usually courtesy of the erudite asides and complaints of the eponymous character, the 5000 year old djinni Bartimeaus, who has the misfortune to be summoned by the power hungry, prissy prodigy Nathaniel. Most of the story is told, in first person, through his eyes, and his caustic jokes are great material for an audio book with a gifted voice actor. This is not a democratic world, with magicians being as a rule petty, cruel, and venal, enslaving not only the source of their power (magical entities
from the Other Place) but the rest of society as well.

"The Amulet of Samarkand," begins the series by introducing the important characters, the ambitious though secretly honorable
Nathaniel (aka, John Mandrake), Kitty Jones (the determined young resistance member), and of course, Bartimaeus, as well as the competitive world of London politics and the magicians who rule it. The basic rules and magic theory of the world is also introduced, with magicians wresting their power through the exploitation and coercion of "demons," beings from the Other Place. The antagonistic, yet complimentary, relationship of Bartimaeus and Nathaniel is among the series best features, and it is developed here as the pair foils a plot against the Prime Minister and the Empire itself.

The plot thickens in "The Golem's Eye," in which Nathaniel becomes further drawn into the government to investigate the depredations of the rebel Resistance group, personified by the indomitable Kitty Jones, whose hatred of the magician rule is matched only by her resourcefulness. Naturally, she and Nathaniel come into conflict, with Bartimeaus ending up to have an interesting connection to both. The investigation leads to the fading city of Prague and another inside plot against the government, with plots involving both the government and the resistance.

Things come to a wonderful crescendo in "Ptolemy's Gate," in which dire consequences for the British Empire's controlling ambition, with commoners and demons alike attempting to break their control, and Kitty and Nathaniel are forced to join up to defeat the conspiracy that had been hinted at throughout the series, ending with a shocking but satisfying conclusion, an unexpected and gutsy sacrifice.

I would highly recommend the series for anyone interested in some well crafted fantasy. (less)

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Jan 29, 2011 Tancredi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: preferiti, statunitensi, fantasy

Degna, degnissima conclusione di una trilogia fantasy eccezionale. Tutti i nodi vengono al pettine, la trama è talmente ingarbugliata - così come i rapporti tra i personaggi - che trovare una conclusione decente è un'impresa ardua. Eppure Jonathan Stroud scrive uno dei finali più belli abbia mai letto - un finale coraggiosissimo, aggiungo, che finalmente spezza uno dei tanti tabù del genere. Bellissima la storia di Bartimeus e di Tolomeo, con il loro rapporto così profondamente umano, così inten...more

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Nov 13, 2010 Chie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 28, 2010 Maria Salinas rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In this fantastic ending to a wonderful trilogy, Jonathan Stroud has managed to do something that I find is rarely done in any series. With Nathaniel, Kitty, and most importantly, Bartimaeus back for another riveting book, deeper conflicts emerge that we didn't fully understand in the previous two books. With secrets from Bartimaeus's past, we get a window peek at The Other Place, and a slowly changing relationship between the three characters, this book is by far the greatest ending to the tril...more

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Feb 19, 2011 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Whoever loves Fantasy

Shelves: terjemahan, i-own-it, favorites, series

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. so, I decided to write my review here.

is it possible to give 7 stars for this book? because I really would have, if Goodreads allowed me.
meanwhile, I read this series right in fasting month where I lay my head in the midnight, read this book and sobbed like crazy when morning came. and I was not exaggerating, because it turned my eyes got very puffy, red, and I didn't mind.

first thing about so WELL DEVELOPED characters here:

Bartimaeus never ever got me bored with his funny wits, eccentric behavi...more

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Jan 21, 2009 ian rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just finished reading the last book of The Bartimaeus Trilogy a few minutes ago. The whole set is exciting and very funny. I just loved it.[return][return][return][return]The Bartimaeus Trilogy is made up of the following books: The Amulet of Samarkand, The Golem's Eye, and Ptolemy's Gate. The story revolves around Nathaniel, a young magician who develops his powers and ascends the ranks in the English government, which is run by magicians. In the story, magicians get their power from spirits...more

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Mar 16, 2010 Mery rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gift, punya

Buku ke tiga semakin bagus aja....
si Nath yang semakin populer, dengan seenaknya memperkerjakan para Jin...
Barty merasa jengah dengan Jin Jin baru yang lebih sotoy dari dia...

Yaiyalah Barty gitu loh, ngerasa keki dia disamaratakan dengan jin-jin kelas bawah ;D

Apa sih yang bikin kita jatuh cinta dengan Barty?
Kesotoyannya
Kesokkerennya
Sikap ogah-ogahannya
Sikap penyayangnya

Ahhhh jadi kangen Barty...

walau pada kecewa dengan endingnya, termasuk aku, kalau dipikir2 memang lebih baik seperti itu...

Bosen...more

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Dec 20, 2011 C.e. Crowder rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Bartimaeus books join that rare breed of trilogies in which every volume shines. This third in the series depends more frequently on coincidences launched by whims and hunches to guide the characters more easily through the plot, but that's a minor nitpick. Nathaniel is now a full-fledged minister of the government and at first seems entirely divorced from conscience, until we learn his memories of the second book's events are weighing on his mind. Kitty has remained in London and found mean...more

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Jan 14, 2011 Qing rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

Loved it. Great pace, loved the story line. Though it was a bit predictable (if *I* could pick things, then no doubt someone would have figured it out by Book 2), it was executed very well (which is what I reckon is most important)... Had me on the edge of my seat! (Alright...I lie, I was in bed) ^^^^I'm glad that Nathaniel and Kitty became more rounded characters... okay, that sounded a bit stuffy, but I was getting exasperated that I couldn't be more than anything but feel detachment or slight...more

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Jan 12, 2009 Jaemi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-fiction, fantasy, ya-fiction

First and foremost, if you haven't read the first two books of this trilogy (The Amulet of Samarkand, The Golem's Eye), I wouldn't start with this one. Without all the back-story there's a lot to miss. That being said, I think this might have been the best of the three.

We're back in London, after the downfall of the Lovelace affair, and Nathaniel/Jonathan Mandrake, is now Information Minister. The Commoners are growing restless, the war in America is going poorly, and Bartimaeus has been kept in...more First and foremost, if you haven't read the first two books of this trilogy (The Amulet of Samarkand, The Golem's Eye), I wouldn't start with this one. Without all the back-story there's a lot to miss. That being said, I think this might have been the best of the three.

We're back in London, after the downfall of the Lovelace affair, and Nathaniel/Jonathan Mandrake, is now Information Minister. The Commoners are growing restless, the war in America is going poorly, and Bartimaeus has been kept in service for so long that his powers are all but gone. The government is beginning to split into factions, everyone is always looking over their shoulders, and the lower magicians seem to be plotting something.

It turns out the elusive Hopkins is returned. Finding him becomes top priority. In the meantime, Mandrake also learns that Kitty Jones is not, as he had thought, dead. Finding her then becomes his top priority. And just when it seems like things might be falling into place....everything comes apart.

The entire government is kidnapped, the streets overflow with commoners who've noticed a lack of government response, and Mandrake and Kitty have fallen into the middle of a most sordid plot.

This was the quickest read of the trilogy, for me, and even though I knew it was winding down, in the end I harbor hopes that perhaps there will be another story someday.

_____

This is a huge series. By which I mean, all of the books are huge. I still remember feeling as if it took forever to read the first one. I had the second one out so long that it got moved to lost by the library system. The third one though, I think it was a pretty quick read, at least comparatively.

The stories are immense. The detail, the plots, the characters. If you try to blow through these books you'll miss more than half of it, but they're well worth the time.

While this was my favorite of the series, I really do mean what I said: read them in order.

P.S. I intended to copy all three of my reviews over here. Except that I can't find two of them. I'm quite sure they ought to be there, and yet I can't find them anywhere. And it's been a long time, so I don't really think I could recreate them either. So I'll just state that all three were good reads. I'd probably rate them all a 4/5.(less)

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Jun 02, 2013 Erin Boyington rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alternate-history, contemporary-fantasy, character, story, y-a

Boy magician Nathaniel tightens his grip on the reins of power with help from his faithless djinn, Bartimaeus; meanwhile, Kitty Jones searches for a way to bring England's tyrannical magicians down.

Nathaniel, known as John Mandrake, is becoming increasingly disillusioned with the petty jostling for power that he sees among England's oligarchy of magicians. The prime minister is weak and paranoid, the war in America is going badly, and Nathaniel's role is limited to writing bad propaganda to conv...more Boy magician Nathaniel tightens his grip on the reins of power with help from his faithless djinn, Bartimaeus; meanwhile, Kitty Jones searches for a way to bring England's tyrannical magicians down.

Nathaniel, known as John Mandrake, is becoming increasingly disillusioned with the petty jostling for power that he sees among England's oligarchy of magicians. The prime minister is weak and paranoid, the war in America is going badly, and Nathaniel's role is limited to writing bad propaganda to convince the increasingly restless commoners that war is great. In his need for a connection, he's worn Bartimaeus down to a dripping pile of essence, fatally weakening the 5,000-year-old djinn by keeping him in constant service (without frequent trips back to the Other Place, demons die).

Meanwhile, Kitty Jones is secretly being awesome and has taken Bartimaeus's lessons from the last book to heart. She's searching for information about the enslaved demons to figure out how to free humanity from its cycle of magical tyranny, commoner revolt, rinse, repeat. We get great scenes between her and Bartimaeus as these two characters size each other up.

Woven throughout are scenes that finally illuminate Bartimaeus' deep friendship with the Egyptian boy, Ptolemy, which has been hinted at but never revealed in the other books.

This series is all about the characters: I want more scenes between Nathaniel and Bartimaeus, and Nathaniel and Kitty, and Bartimaeus and Kitty, and all three together. The way that each rubs up against the other is fascinating, and I am so relieved to see Nathaniel leave his terrible teens behind as he realizes the bigger picture and the horrible role he's been playing in the world so far. He's lost most of his annoying foppish tendencies, which is a shame since it was always fun to see Bartimaeus needle his master.

Storywise, the threads spun in the first two books all come together in an incredibly frightening and bloody climax (though I still find Gladstone's afrit from The Golem's Eye the creepiest thing ever). It's definitely not for readers on the younger end of YA. (For younger readers who like grim fantasy, start them with Suzanne Collins' Gregor the Overlander series instead and let them work their way up to Bartimaeus.)

I can't comment on the series without saying that the end broke my heart. I almost cried. I had hoped for an eleventh-hour rescue, and didn't believe what had happened until the last page forced me to. I loved Nathaniel/Bartimaeus/Kitty, and didn't want it to end that way for them, though I accept that there was no other way to end the story without it feeling like a cheat. Still, boo for making me care and then breaking my heart.(less)

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May 16, 2013 03sethp added it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Three years later, Nathaniel finds himself saving the council again in more unfortunate events. Unnerved my Bartimeaus knowing his birth name has kept the djinni on earth too long. His essence is frail from staying on earth for a long period of time. He is so weak that even shifting to a different form harms him. Meanwhile Kitty has been in hiding from the government researching about magicians and djinn. She has found herself a personal tutor, a lesser magician who only worries about books. Mor...more Three years later, Nathaniel finds himself saving the council again in more unfortunate events. Unnerved my Bartimeaus knowing his birth name has kept the djinni on earth too long. His essence is frail from staying on earth for a long period of time. He is so weak that even shifting to a different form harms him. Meanwhile Kitty has been in hiding from the government researching about magicians and djinn. She has found herself a personal tutor, a lesser magician who only worries about books. More like a commoner some people would say. Later, Bartimeaus spills the beans and confesses that Kitty is still alive in London. Nathaniel going out of his ways goes to Kitty and tries to thank her for saving him from the Golem. But to Nat's astonishment Kitty does not want thanks from the magician. A magician is a magician, cruel to all commoners. And to another surprise for Nathaniel, he has been "invited" to one of Quentin Makepeace's musical plays. Nathaniel brings Kitty along to talk more about the Golem Affair. They are set inside a balcony among other balconies that contain Magicians of the higher level. Like the prime minister of magic, the war minister. Jane Farrar was in one of the boxes as well. Quentin tells all the magicians to take out their contacts so they could enjoy the show from a better perspective. Unknown to many magicians a hundreds of imps were pouring out from behind the stage. And to their sides the magicians were being taken out by foliots. And behind them Quentin appeared and pulled some bags over their heads. Several hours, they were awoken and in a room. Quentin and a bunch of low level cronies were standing near a door. And to their surprise they started summoning djinn into themselves. And all at once, they fell to the ground their with their backs to the ground and arms in the air flicking them back and forth in a spasmatic fashion. And from behind the mercenary grabbed them two and threw them into a room. After a long time of bickering from Kitty for Nat bringing her into the mess, she started to talk about Ptolemy. To Nat's surprise he never new a commoner could get such information. She pulls out the book, written by Ptolemy. She says the only way they could fight the possessed magicians is by the help of Bartimeaus. She tells him that he has to get the staff fight all of the demons. After a few minutes later the mercenary left the room to attend the possessed magicians. So Nathaniel sneaks out and gets the staff. Meanwhile Kitty reads Ptolemus's book about the Other Place. She goes to the Other Place and calls for Bart for the last time for their great hour of need. When Nat returns with the staff, he then creates a pentacle. Kitty soon returns to her lifeless body and tells Nat, he can summon Bartimeaus now. They do the same thing as the possessed magicians had done. But instead the djinni shattering the mortal's mind the co-exist within each other. With the staff they leave Kitty to fight the demon-magicians. After destroying the lesser djinn Nat and Bart continue to fight the remainders that reside in the Glace Palace. The leader was inside, after picking off the demons with flashes of white from the staff, Nouda was alone. Nathaniel was in bad shape now, he was tired to the bone. Nouda was big and populous with many tentacles and arms after preying off of many commoners. His bulky body sluggishly moves to them for the kill. To eliminate this entitiy they break the staff. And a gift to Bartimeaus, Nathaniel releases Bartimeaus from his command and sends him back before Nouda kills him, along with the staff.

I would give this a 4.5 star rating. The other books did not really let you know where Bartimeaus originated from. But in the last book of the trilogy Jonathan Stroud gives you more of a back story to Bart. And let the reader know what the Other Place was like. I think this was a good ending to this book giving a nice wrap-up of the series.(less)

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May 03, 2013 Diletta rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sono davvero rimasta colpita. Partiamo dai difetti. Perché ce ne sono veramente pochi. L'unica cosa di cui davvero mi posso lamentare è che ho trovato alcuni passaggi troppo veloci, troppo tirati. Come se si cercasse di risolvere l'azione troppo in fretta. Tuttavia, ed è proprio il caso di dirlo dato che questa pecca passa abbastanza inosservata visto quanto, a mio parere, sia coinvolgente il libro, tutto il resto è davvero ben fatto. Spendo nuovamente qualche parola su quello che nei libri prec...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Fenny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Sebenernya mau ngasih 5 bintang.. WOW banget lah, dan saya amat sangat beruntung bisa 'menemukan' buku ini. Meskipun agak telat :D
Baru menaruh perhatian pada buku ini gara garanya ketiga seri Bertimaeus ini ada di rak obral Toko Gunung Agung Pondok Gede. Dan pas baca sinopsisnya, tertarik karena ceritanya tentang jin. Selama ini kan baca novel fantasy tentang malaikat, vampir, dan kota kota dystopian lainnya, wah suatu keunikan tersendiri.
Kirain saya bukunya bakalan serius banget, dari covernya...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Sidharth Samant rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Although ending on a sad note, the book is a real page turner.
The characters are much more evolved. Nathaniel develops emotions, which were unseen before mainly due to his workaholic nature, but were nevertheless showcased the boy as a one-dimensional character with no depth.
Kitty becomes a unique human when she travels to the Other Place and succeeds in her quest to understand the nature of the spirits, and ultimately her quest to break down the barrier between humans and the spirits complete...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Matthew rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: friends who like trilogies

Recommended to Matthew by: The first book of the sequel was recommended by my mom and I liked it enough to get the trilogy

I chose this book because it was the sequel to the books I already read. I couldn't start reading another book until I read this one because it was the third in the series.
This book is about a magician who is faced with a series of problems that concern Bartimaeus and a girl named Kitty. They solve the series of problems in order to stop a rebellion.
My favorite quote is on page 203. "Kitty did not blink. 'Yes, but you don't generally go around as a king-size hamster,' she snapped. 'You always re...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Encruzilhadas Literárias rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: catarina, editorial-presença

Nathaniel tem dezassete anos, cinco anos passaram desde conhecemos o jovem mago pela primeira vez e podemos ver o quanto ele mudou. Agora numa posição de relativo poder, apesar de continuar sobe ameaça, Nathaniel está nas suas "sete quintas" mas perto de se tornar tão cruel como o mago que enfrentou no primeiro livro.
Uma coisa que gosto particularmente nos livros de Jonathan Stroud é o desenvolvimento que este dá às personagens. Não só vemos Nathaniel crescer como pessoa como vemos a maneira co...more

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Nov 21, 2012 Gryfinn Or rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is my absolute favorite young adult series of all time (with the serious exception of any Terry Pratchett series) and I would recommend it to anybody who loves genius boys, sarcastic djinn, and the most amazing endings possible. On my favorite's list, I would put it high above Hunger Games, Twilight, Percy Jackson, and any other of todays more popular series because it was just that amazing!

To avoid spoilers, I will just say that the Bartimaeus Trilogy, and especially Ptolemy's Gate, were t...more

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Oct 27, 2012 John The Totally Awesome rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: author-is-legit, annoying-character, awesome-world, blew-my-mind, come-on-this-is-awesome, favorites, grand-finale, heck-yeah, holy-frijoles, kept-me-guessing, nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, satisfacation, shazam, sheer-awesomeness, this-book-caused-me-physical-pain, twist-in-the-plot, wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, woah

I'm bored so I'm going to review this #12
Reviewing the last book first #2
Well, it's been a ~~week~~ year since I read this, so this is going to suck #2

Can't *sob* Speak for *sob* It's just *sob* WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!
*sniff*
Okay, I'm done now.
This was the most spectaulus finale I've ever read.
Seriously, it left me in tears. Nathaniel finally gets a heart(if you read this you will hate yourself for all time)(view spoiler). Kitty wins the rebellion....more

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Oct 21, 2012 Marcel Soosaipillai rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. An absolutely amazing book and a great end to the trilogy. Bartimaeus' narration is witty as always and keeps the reader genuinely engrossed in the story. The plot adresses all questions raised in the others, such as Bartimaeus' attachment to Ptolemy, even if he was a magician, and how the main plots of of previous books are connected. We also see things more from the demon's perspective, how years of slavery had affected them and Bartimaeus' true ideals. What i love about this book is the char...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Hope rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook, kiddo-now, specfic, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 11, 2012 Erika Etherviere rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Bartimaeus Trilogy is set in a fictional London, wherein magic, magicians and demons are normal occurrences in everyday life, and that they actively participate in events all throughout history. In a sense, the trilogy offers an alternative, witty and funny “explanation” on how monumental events have happened in History.

The story follows Nathaniel and his djinni Bartimaeus from his childhood as a young noble magician to his transformation to becoming the corrupted John Mandrake, and eventual...more

The Bartimaeus Trilogy is set in a fictional London, wherein magic, magicians and demons are normal occurrences in everyday life, and that they actively participate in events all throughout history. In a sense, the trilogy offers an alternative, witty and funny “explanation” on how monumental events have happened in History.

The story follows Nathaniel and his djinni Bartimaeus from his childhood as a young noble magician to his transformation to becoming the corrupted John Mandrake, and eventually his redemption and return to good.

The trilogy cleverly and wittingly showcased humanity, on how good people get corrupted, and how they redeem themselves if they choose to. That there’s always hope for change. Readers are also offered a glimpse on the hierarchy, competition, rivalry and camaraderie between spirits. The depth on how these aspects are explored enables readers to empathize with both Nathaniel and his witty but manipulative servant Bartimaeus. But really, the star of the entire trilogy is the epic footnotes, narrating Bartimaeus’ comments and POV on historical and present events. You can’t help but feel sorry for him, especially when he’s been consecutively summoned by Nathaniel even when he still hasn’t regained enough strength from the Other Place. You can easily feel how hard it’s been for him to properly carry out his tasks without much source of energy. He’s cunning, evil, but likeable. All characters were beautifully written and creatively imagined that you can’t help but root for them.

When I finished reading the last book, it was both satisfying and heartbreaking. Satisfying because it was a good ending, in a sense that I felt like it concluded the way it should’ve, even though that wasn’t exactly how I wanted it to end. It was heartbreaking, because I knew that there would be no more continuation to the story. That it ended like that (can’t really say much without spoiling it), and it felt like a part of me died too, in an excruciatingly good kind of way.

Paul Sweeney once said: You know you’ve read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend. That’s exactly how I felt when I finished Ptolemy’s Gate.

(less)

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Jun 21, 2012 Mimi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: older-children

At seventeen years old, Nathaniel is now completely Mr. Mandrake and is living the life of an adult—a gift granted him by the Prime Minister as thanks for saving the day twice. However, even though he no longer has a master and is finally a Minister in the government himself, he is still a boy—at the beginning. In this book, annoying, selfish Mr. Mandrake finally realizes he is not the most important person in the world and that he should have priorities above his own ambition.

Bartimaeus is stil...more

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What do you think Bartimaeus thinks about Nathaniel, deeply inside?	6	27	Jun 12, 2013 01:01pm
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About Jonathan Stroud

Jonathan Anthony Stroud is an author of fantasy books, mainly for children and youths.

Stroud grew up in St Albans where he enjoyed reading books, drawing pictures, and writing stories. Between the ages seven and nine he was often ill, so he spent most of his days in the hospital or in his bed at home. To escape boredom he would occupy himself with books and stories. After he completed his studies...more

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Books by Jonathan Stroud

The Amulet of Samarkand (Bartimaeus, #1)

The Bartimaeus Trilogy Boxed Set (Bartimaeus, #1-3)

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“According to some, heroic deaths are admirable things. I've never been convinced by this argument, mainly because, no matter how cool, stylish, composed, unflappable, manly, or defiant you are, at the end of the day you're also dead. Which is a little too permanent for my liking.” — 267 people liked it

“A dozen more questions occurred to me. Not to mention twenty-two possible solutions to each one, sixteen resulting hypotheses and counter-theorems, eight abstract speculations, a quadrilateral equation, two axioms, and a limerick. That's raw intelligence for you.” — 191 people liked it

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Ptolemy's Gate (Bartimaeus #3)

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