Ptolemy's Gate (2005)

The final trilogy of the self-loving djinni Bartimaeus told in parallel the similar relationship development - albeit in different extremes of each other's perspective - between the djinni and its master at different times. Ptolemy in the age of ancient Egypt and Nathaniel in the age of 'modern' London. In the end, the fate of this relationship ended in a resembling similarity almost at the same time as the book reaches its finale.

The book follows yet another rather uncommon relationship between a djinni named Bartimaeus and its master, a young, ambitious, and always in constant risk of losing his allies, and life, Nathaniel. Following the events in the previous books, London was again in a danger. The civic unrest when young males - magicians and civilians alike - were sent to America waging the Empire's fruitless war. Meanwhile from within the Empire itself, the Resistance - albeit loses many of its fiercest warriors over the course of two books - keep whispering and occassionally causes minor unrest throughout the streets of London. Kitty Jones, one of the (former) prominent figures of the Resistance, worked from behind the shadow of her past this time. Yet another figure, a figure who on previous books hid behind the shadow was consumed by greed and plotted an altogether different schemes to toppled the Empire from within. Nathaniel, Kitty, and Bartimaeus must settled their differences and worked together to restore the Order of the Empire.

I've heard a lot of people shows their expression in a rather emotional way - in a very good way, i must add - about the ending. That would only means that Mr.Stroub had been doing his job really well, by pulling his reader to a whirl of emotional wailing, "oh, why it must've ended that way?". I say, if the book ended in another way, i would be very disappointed. This is the end of a trilogy, and this is how the trilogy should've ended. Brilliant.

My rating: ***1/2 / ****

See also:
Book Review: The Amulet of Samarkand
Book Review: The Golem's Eye