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.