Ptolemy's Gate

by Jonathan Stroud

Book Overview

The tremendous climax of the Bartimaeus sequence. Three years on from the events in The Golem's Eye, the magicians' rule in London is teetering on a knife-edge, with strikes, riots and general unrest.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786818611
• ISBN13: 9780786818617
• Release Date: December 2005
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Length: 512 Pages
• Weight: 1.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.8" x 5.9" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9

Customer Reviews

Best of the Series

The characters finally jumped off the pages and became real to me. The first two were good, but this editions was very good. The plot is fast and the three main characters come through with flying colors.

An Intoxicating End to the Ride!

The final installment makes the whole journey worth it. PTOLEMY'S GATE, the third part of the BARTIMAEUS TRILOGY, wraps things up in a satisfying, exhilarating way that won't leave Jonathan Stroud fans disappointed. A new character is introduced in this novel. Sure, we've still got Nathaniel -- A.K.A. John Mandrake, youthful magician and Information Minister, Kitty -- outcast rebel of the Resistance, Bartimaeus - fun-loving demon of sarcasm who is stuck as Nathaniel's servant, but now our story jumps back to Alexandria, Egypt in 125 B.C. to weave the necessary backstory of Ptolemy and his legendary gate between the Other Place and Earth. The connection between the past and present is the infamous Bartimaeus. We soon learn that the relationship Bartimaeus and Ptolemy had was incredibly close, filled with trust and loyalty, something Nathaniel knows nothing about. Kitty, however, has been studying magic with the hope of learning more about Ptolemy. Even though commoners aren't supposed to be able to, she hopes to summon Bartimaeus and learn about Ptolemy's Gate. Her theory is that the Gate is the way to bridge the gap between demons and humans, somehow ending the forced servitude and hatred between them and creating peace and equality. The tensions really get going in this one. The overseas war with America is going poorly. The Resistance is still at large. A traitor high up in government is plotting an inconceivable takeover of the country. Bartimaeus has been on Earth so long his essence is fading and he's close to death. If Nathaniel doesn't squelch the Resistance, his job and prestige will all be lost. And if Kitty's plan doesn't work, she just might disappear into the spirit world forever like Ptolemy. So much is at stake. And none of the players even know about the "rebellious faction of demons"! Get ready for an intoxicating end to the ride. What THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND began in the first book, PTOLEMY'S GATE finishes up gloriously. Go Bartimaeus! --- Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens

Terrific Ending for a Great Series

No spoilers or summaries here...just want to say that this is a very satisfying ending to a terrific and very original trilogy. As an adult (42) who has read a lot of fantasy over the years I have to say this is a good deal better than most of the 'adult' (as in not written for children) fantasy out there. I look forward with pleasure to Stroud's next creation. Bartimaeus is a fine addition to the list of unforgettable fantasy characters.

Truly Enchanting.

One of the best books I've had the pleasure of reading. While I originally was a little hesitant to buy the book because of the recommended age and section, I will always be happy I did. This story, while rated for younger audiences, is definitely for everyone and anyone who enjoys a complete and intriguing fantasy tale that will have you hoping and worrying about each character you meet. Highly recommended. Lupus

It Has Everything-- Except For Nathaniel's Hair

I'm an insane eighth-grade girl, and this is one of my favorite books ever written. The Bartimaeus Trilogy is terrific, but the first book started off a bit slow and the second one was almost too action packed. This one is perfect... although the Nathaniel/Kitty romance was just a little bit too cliche. My friends and I all love to read the Bartimaeus books, and we quote them a lot. Bartimaeus's footnotes are hilarious, and Nathaniel becomes more likeable. Okay, now I sound like a book review in an educational magazine. A few male friends of mine saw me in the hall, wailing inconsolably to a friend that "Nathaniel cut off all of his lovely hair!" They all wanted to know who Nathaniel was, and when we explained that he was a book character, they asked me why I cared so much about a fictional person. A really good writer can do that to you. (I, for example, have long harbored a crush on J.K. Rowling's fictional creation, Ron Weasley.) The ending made me sad (for some reason, the haircut affected me more, but then, I'm shallow.) A few nights ago, I had a dream that my Science Teacher was possessed and I had Bartimaeus in my purse... it was very strange, but it made me want to post a review. I would recommend that y'all run out to the nearest bookstore, no matter what you are doing right now, grab the book, run (whoops, pay for it, too!) buy a smoothie and some snacks and stay holed up in your room reading the book until you are finished. That's what I did. It took me four and a half hours to read it, but it was worth it. But definitely read the first two books before this one. Nothing will make sense to you if you haven't read them... unless you have magic skills like Nathaniel. Oh, by the way, did anyone else want to, for some abstruse reason, wring Jane Farrar's neck while they were reading the book? Because I did...

O why did it have to finish????

Ptolemy's Gate is the final (sob) instalment of the Bartimaeus Trilogy and by far the best! Taking place about three years later than the Golem's Eye, all is not well in London. Nathaniel is under increasing stress with the American war and (another) threat to the government both from magicians and the protesting commoners, Bartimaeus the wonderful djinni has been stuck on Earth for two years now and barely has the strength to lift a paintbrush, while Kitty Jones the commoner is currently hiding in London learning all she can about magic. Bartimaeus is (as always) charming, witty and utterly loveable but now we learn about some of his history with Ptolemy giving even more depth to his (already) fabulous character. Nathaniel has definitely grown up and while still determined, ambitious and arrogance is starting to learn some of his own faults and correct them, making him a much more likeable character than in the previous books. I must admit that I didn't think a lot of Kitty in the last book and mostly ended up skimming through her parts but in Ptolemy's Gate she's definitely grown up and become much more interesting and not quite as depressing as before. I found myself looking forward to reading her parts almost as much as Bartimaeus'! Ptolemy's Gate is just (if not more) fast paced and exciting as the last two but with added bonuses of more character development and many ends tied up, with a couple of plot twists thrown in too. I enjoyed every moment (except perhaps the very ending, and the fact that it did). Mr. Stroud, you have outdone yourself! If you've not read the Trilogy yet, I strongly recommend it for anyone who likes fantasy and magical type stories with a bit of bite and a GREAT lead character (I'm talking about Bartimaeus here!). If you've already read the first two but not Ptolemy's Gate, what are you doing hanging around reading reviews?? Go and buy it!