Price: $12.21

December 14, 2008.

AMAZING!!.

Rating: 5
I read the previous two Books and loved them so as soon as I saw the third and final one was out I jumped at it. This book was expertly crafted to make one completely absorbed in it. It was literally a book I could not put down. The storyline was intricate and well thought out. In the end I felt both a sense of peace, sorrow, and happiness. This is a must read for anyone with eyes and a mind thirsty for entertainment!

December 09, 2008.

An amazing end to a great trilogy.

Rating: 5
I will admit to not having read this book in a little while, but I have read it multiple times because of how much I liked it. The whole book struck me as a bit sad as the trilogy came to a close and the problems that the characters were facing did as well. Stroud's narative was as ingenious in this book as it was in the first as it switched back and forth between three very different personalities. Bartimaeus did a good job of lightening up what could have otherwise been an overly serious story. His characters continued to grow and I felt that they had gotten much farther along as individuals by the end. I thought that this was an entertaining original book that gripped and surprised me long after the last page was turned.

December 31, 2008.

great book.

Rating: 5
This is the last in a wonderful trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. I purchased it to listen to with my 9 year old son during long car trips. I have enjoyed it as much or more than he has! Get the other two Books first as they build on one another.

December 15, 2008.

Very good end to the trilogy.

Rating: 5
After the 2nd book, I went straight into the 3rd but my hopes weren't high. The 2nd book was really good, but I didn't think it would be topped. However, the 3rd book truly is the best in the series. By the end of book 2, I had the strong impression that the 3 main characters lives would converge and they would end up working together. This happens and in a way I wouldn't have expected.

To sum up the finer points of the book, Kitty is alive and acting as an assistant to an old magician. Here, she learns the fundamentals of summoning, and a brief history of bartimeaus. It's obvious where this is going.

Nathaniel is still power-hungry but there is an internal battle of morality ensuing. He begins to see the flaws of the government he has admired so greatly, and to a much larger degree, the flaws within himself. He discovers Kitty is alive and that Bartimeaus knew of this. With this, their paths converge. It should be noted that in the previous 2 books, I hated Nathaniel...and for good reason. This book changes my entire opinion of him, as I think it will most everyone else who dislikes his character.

It isn't called 'Ptolemy's Gate' for no good reason. We learn in depth why Bartimeaus takes the appearance of the egyptian boy, which is quite an interesting story. We learn about the Other Place, even though the idea is very difficult to wrap your mind around.

There have been plenty of reviews describing the plot. I would rather not give away too much. The experience of reading the book without knowing what will happen is much better than getting the details. It's a great book with a solid ending. I, as well as many others, was a HUGE fan of the Harry Potter series. I was however, less than thrilled, at the 7th book. In my opinion, it killed the story. The ending to this series was quite the opposite. It lives up to it's expectations. It was a refreshing story all around. I've never read anything quite like it. I recommend this story to everyone...especially those suffering "potter withdraws"...but keep in mind, it's nothing like the potter story.

December 22, 2007.

WOW!!! What an ending to this series.

Rating: 5
By the time I got this book I thought that I knew the characters well enough to predict the ending (how wrong I was). I read book two and book three after finishing Harry Potter 7, and thought that this series would be very similar. The characters evolve throughout the series and by the end you are surprised in many ways.
This book builds on the other two and makes it even more clear that class privilage is wrong. I missed this message in the first book, but saw some of it in the second, the third book it slaps you in the face. By the end of this book I was surprised where the evolution of the three main characters had taken them, but was pleased. The death at the end, one of of the three, surprised me; not because someone dies, but who dies and why. I was also surprised by the reaction of one of the characters to this death.
I recommend this series to someone who is willing to shake the cobwebs loose from the run-of-the-mill fantasy formula and go in a new direction, I promise you that you won't be disappointed