Sonderbooks Book Review of Ptolemy's Gate

Reviewed April 24, 2006.
Miramax Books (Hyperion Books for Children), New York, 2006. 501 pages.
Available at Sembach Library (J MCN F STR).

Wow! What a masterpiece!

My appreciation of this book increases my respect for the first two books. Yes, Nathaniel became an unlikeable character. In this final book, he comes face to face with that. This wasn’t an amoral trilogy with criminals as heroes. We were supposed to not like what Nathaniel was turning into—so that we could understand his shame when he realized it himself.

This third book of the trilogy brings all the books together. I like books in a trilogy to be self-contained, yet contribute to the whole. This trilogy does that beautifully. The first two books both have Nathaniel saving the nation and acquiring for the nation a valuable and powerful magical item. We also see how Nathaniel and Kitty develop into the young adults they are in this book.

In this book, Nathaniel needs the magical objects gained before to save all humanity. He needs to look hard at what he’s become.

I’d better not say much more, so as not to give anything away. Although they are self-contained, you should definitely read the first two books to fully appreciate this one. I now want to reread the entire trilogy, and buy a set for my 11-year-old son.

Reviews of other books by Jonathan Stroud:
The Amulet of Samarkand: The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book One
The Golem's Eye: The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book Two
The Ring of Solomon
The Screaming Staircase
The Screaming Staircase audiobook
The Whispering Skull
The Whispering Skull audiobook
The Hollow Boy
The Hollow Boy audiobook
The Creeping Shadow
The Creeping Shadow audiobook
The Empty Grave
The Empty Grave audiobook
The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne
The Notorious Scarlett and Browne

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Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund

******Ptolemy's Gate*

by Jonathan Stroud