Going by the book : The Bartimaeus Trilogy

In times when Magic and fantasy invariably mean Harry potter to the people of the world, I find myself fortunate to have chanced upon “The Bartimaeus Trilogy” by Jonathan Stroud. JKR’s Harry Potter Series has gained so much popularity that not many people know about the various other authors of the same genre like Philip Pullman (The Golden compass), Christopher Paolini (The inheritance cycle) and the likes. One such person is Jonathan Stroud, who wrote “The Bartimaeus Trilogy” among other works, which like all trilogies has three books, The Amulet of Samarkand, The Golem’s Eye and Ptolemy’s gate.

The trilogy revolves around three characters, Nathaniel, Kitty and Bartimaeus. The title character, Bartimaeus, is a five-thousand year old djinn (genie) who can be summoned from “The Other Place”, where all demons roam around as spirits, intertwined with each other. The story is told from the viewpoint of Bartimaeus, Kitty and Nathaniel at different times. The tale is set in an alternate history to our own, borrowing people from original history and mixing it all up to provide an interesting plot.

Nathaniel is an apprentice to the magician, Arthur Underwood, and he assumes the name of John Mandrake to protect his identity (like all magicians do). When he is disgraced by Simon Lovelace, a powerful magician, he decides to summon a higher level demon and summons Bartimaeus by chance, in order to get revenge against Simon Lovelace by stealing the Amulet of Samarkhand, which is a powerful magical object which can ward off evil. Thus starts a rollercoaster relationship between the two – Bartimaeus a quick-witted, sly demon who shirks work and Nathaniel who refuses to let him be. Kitty Jones, enters the plot as a commoner, who unlike the muggles in Harry Potter, knows about the existence of the magical world, and unlike most other commoners, can even see the demons.

The facts at the bottom of the page from the point of view of Bartimaeus, the changes in narration, the witty remarks and the nuances of Bartimaeus make the book move at such a fast pace that before you know it, you’re too deep in, to keep the book down. People, who think magic is childish, should read this. I bought these books because of the fantastic cover art, and I’m thankful I did. Buy or borrow or download the e-book, if you’re one for magic and fantasy. Trust me, you’ll love it.

-Ryan.A.Nash