Jonathan Stroud introduces a totally different type of magical world in The Bartimaeus Trilogy. It departs steeply from the fun magical world that I am very familiar with in the Harry Potter. The world that is introduced to us in The Bartimaeus Trilogy is more sinister dealing with demonic efrits, djinnis and spirits. The magicians use these spirits to do most of their bidding. They are slaves to these magicians forced to do their bidding which if they disobey they will be in great pain and their essence would be ripped etc.
I am not sure if they have magical blood or if they are born with magical abilities. How do these magicians choose their apprentice? These kids are taken away from their family!? Are their parents paid to give up their kids? Are the commoners aware of the magical world… I am not so sure. The magical community apparently has made great effort in making sure that the top management (government) is filled with their kind. Evidently I am not a fan of the sinister magic world but the two main characters make it exciting.
Enter Nathanial and Bartimaeus, the kid who had entered into the magical world when he was five and the 5,000 year old wisecracking djinni. Nathanial is talented and has skills but his master is stupid and doesn’t recognize it. He has respect and love for his Master’s wife who treated him as his son. There is an enmity between Nathanial and Simon Lovelace. Simon Lovelace is a powerful magician who is power hunger and hatching up a plan to overthrow the government. As a payback Nathanial summons Bartimaeus to steal The Amulet of Samarkand from Simon Lovelace. Bartimaeus is a very interesting character. He is the star of the show. He is wisecracking, cynical and fun. His character is what makes the book so interesting to read. His musing over various things are fun to read (Don’t miss the footnotes). He is sarcastic, hilarious and thinks very highly of himself. Because of magical binding Bartimaeus finds himself attached to trouble along with his master Nathanial.
Jonathan Stroud has done an excellent job by telling the story by alternating the viewpoint from Nathanial to Bartimaeus. One of the flaws of this magical world is that the magicians are unpleasant, power-hungry, and obnoxious and have no regard for anything else other than their own well being. Will the young Nathanial turn into one of them is rather ambiguous.
I am definitely reading the next book The Golem’s Eye even if it is just to get a little more of the wisecracking djinni.
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