The Bartimaeus Trilogy : Jonathan Stroud

The Bartimaeus Trilogy
by Jonathan Stroud
Book 1 : The Amulet of Samarkand
Book 2 : The Golem's Eye
Book 3 : Ptolemy's Gate

I have decided to review this series as a whole rather than each book independently. The series really must be read all the way through to property appreciate the story.

Rating
4.8 Presentation
4.5 Pace
4.5 Plot
4.0 Characters
4.8 Originality
4.5 Overall

I originally picked up The Amulet of Samarkand in it's audio format & listened to it on the road. After finishing my road trip I promptly ran out and picked up both The Golem's Eye & Ptolemy's Gate in book format. The story jumps right in with both feet and begins to draw you into the suspense and action.
The reader watches the dark story unfold from the point of view of both Nathaniel, a child magacian, and Bartimaeus (Bar-tea-may-us), a powerful & ancient demon that Nathaniel has just summoned, thus enslaving. The tension between master and slave escalates through out the books as the two are forced to work together for mutual survival. The story is lightened by the often hilarious observations & musings of Bartimaeus. The Bartimaeus Triliogy is a masterpiece of magic, suspense, comedy & romance. My only complaint is that the cover art gives the impression that book is a cartoony children's tale, while the story can be a bit dark, tense & profound. I believe that the story will hold up under adult scruitny as well as any Potter book. I strongly reccommend both the audio books & written books and I have added them to my booklist. You can be sure that I am investigating what else Jonathan Stroud has to offer.

Artemis Fowl : Eoin Colfer

Artemis Fowl
By Eoin Colfer

Rating
4.0 Presentation
4.0 Pace
2.0 Plot
2.0 Characters
2.5 Originality
3.0 Overall

Overall I thought that this book was written quite well, but I found the story itself to be somewhat "off". The story hinges around a millionaire child genius/criminal master mind and his hostage, a gun-carrying/technology-using/policewoman fairy. The odd combination of magic and modern did not sit well with me. I'm not sure why I am so turned off, but it just seems obscene for fairies to be using nuclear technology and computers. Between the technology dilemma and the old fashioned cops and robbers plot I have decided not to place this book on my recommended list. I would consider picking up another Eoin Colfer book, but you will likely not find me diving into the next in the Artemis Fowl Series in the near future.

Satu's Rating Method

Each story that I critique will be judged in several categories. Points be awarded for the author's ability of capture my enthusiasm in that category. The points will be issued on a scale of 1 to 5. A score of 1 would be a poor score, 3 is neither good nor bad, and a 5 would be great. To help you better understand my criteria please take a moment to read through the category descriptions.

Presentation
The author's story telling ability is key to the reader's ability to enter that world. A good author should be able to tell a story in a way that is comfortable for the reader to understand and follow.

Pace
The speed at which a story is told is critical to holding the reader's attention. A captivating author keeps a pace that is descriptive without being overly wordy. The reader should feel like they have all information necessary to clearly set the scene without getting bored with reading too much detail.

Plot
The plot of a story should be interesting and complex. Whether the subject matter of a story is interesting is really the product of what the reader finds to be interesting, and can vary greatly from one person to another. The plot should have a level of complexity and and element of surprise while retaining some sort of logical structure. (IE: the story should not be so transparent that the reader can predict its every move, but it should not be so complex that the reader has no idea what they just read or why they read it.)

Characters
The characters in a story should be deep and realistic. Good stories do not have heroes and villains, they have complex relationships that reflect the true nature of humanity.

Originality
Many great stories spring from classic plot scenarios and real life inspiration, but an original story hinges on the author's ability to present those ideas in unexpected ways.

Overall
I want to give an honest overall opinion of the book, and sometimes more weight is put on one category than another. A story may have all the right pieces...deep compelling characters, an epic and emotional plot, a captivating pace...but if the author's presentation style is poor I may not enjoy reading the book. The overall rating is a summary of my enjoyment of the book.

A fresh start

I have long been enchanted by the works of the great authors. I am the type of person that becomes the characters in the tales that I read. I go on their adventures, rejoice in their glories, and despairs at their pain. I enter the tale and let it consume my reality. I become totally and unavoidable Fable Rapt.
I have started this blog so that others may follow me through the lives that I have read. Fable Rapt will be a space where I can tell of the tales that inspire me.