The Golem's Eye

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Overview

At only fourteen, Nathaniel is a rising star: a young magician who is quickly climbing the ranks of the government. There is seemingly nothing he cannot handle, until he is asked to deal with the growing Resistance movement, which is disrupting London life with its thefts and raids. It's no easy task: the ringleader Kitty and her friends remain elusive, and Nathaniel's job -- and perhaps his life -- are soon as risk. As the pressure mounts, he is distracted by a new series of terrifying attacks in the capital. But is it the Resistance again, or something more dangerous still? To uncover the perpetrators, Nathaniel must take desperate measures: a journey to the enemy city of Prague and -- worse -- summoning once again the
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Overview

At only fourteen, Nathaniel is a rising star: a young magician who is quickly climbing the ranks of the government. There is seemingly nothing he cannot handle, until he is asked to deal with the growing Resistance movement, which is disrupting London life with its thefts and raids. It's no easy task: the ringleader Kitty and her friends remain elusive, and Nathaniel's job -- and perhaps his life -- are soon as risk. As the pressure mounts, he is distracted by a new series of terrifying attacks in the capital. But is it the Resistance again, or something more dangerous still? To uncover the perpetrators, Nathaniel must take desperate measures: a journey to the enemy city of Prague and -- worse -- summoning once again the troublesome, enigmatic, and quick-witted djinni Bartimaeus. Meanwhile, Kitty and her fellow rebels are planning their most daring exploit of all -- one that will make their fortune and change the history of London forever.

A thrilling sequel to the best-selling Amulet of Samarkand, The Golem's Eye is a roller-coaster ride of magic, adventure, and political skullduggery, in which the fates of Nathaniel, Bartimaeus, and Kitty explosively collide.

In their continuing adventures, magician's apprentice Nathaniel, now fourteen years old, and the djinni Bartimaeus travel to Prague to locate the source of a golem's power before it destroys London.

Editorial Reviews

From Barnes & Noble
The Barnes & Noble Review
Jonathan Stroud's mischievous djinni makes a thrilling comeback in this magically delicious sequel to the bestselling The Amulet of Samarkand. Starring Bartimaeus, the boy magician Nathaniel, and Resistance fighter Kitty, Stroud's follow-up takes readers again to London, where a string of mysterious breaks-ins at high-profile buildings has officials scratching their heads. Now 14 and working in the government's Internal Affairs office, Nathaniel has been assigned to determine the cause of these crimes; unfortunately, the magician is able to make little headway until he summons Bartimaeus for service. Is it the Resistance causing all of these problems or something much more dangerous? Audiences will sit agog as they follow the interconnected stories of Nathaniel, Kitty, and the famous djinni, especially as they learn how Kitty's run-in with a nasty magician develops into her allegiance to the Resistance. As with his previous book, the author packs enough punch to delight fans of Artemis Fowl and Harry Potter, brilliantly weaving plotlines together and developing his characters so that none is totally admirable. Given the success of Stroud's first book and the merit of his second, it's no doubt that audiences will surely be salivating to see what will happen in Book Three. Matt Warner
Publishers Weekly
The sharp-witted shape-shifting djinni returns in Stroud's second volume of the Bartimaeus Trilogy, this time dealing with a mysterious attacker that is terrorizing London. Nathaniel (aka John Mandrake), now 14, is apprenticed to Jessica Whitwell (as established at the close of the first book), "one of the four most potent magicians in the government." When several terrorist attacks take place, the ruling party blames the Resistance, the young commoner idealists introduced in the previous title. Nathaniel, rapidly rising through the ranks and serving as assistant to the Internal Affairs minister, Julius Tallow, suspects something larger at work. He once again summons Bartimaeus; the djinni's charge: "Pursuit and identification of an unknown enemy of considerable power." When it appears that a golem is behind the attacks, the duo's mission takes them to Prague to uncover the magic behind the creature's appearance. Readers learn more about Kitty, previously met as a member of the Resistance, as the narrative shifts among her, Bartimaeus and Nathaniel. Kitty aids Mr. Pennyfeather, leader of the Resistance, in the group's effort to rob the grave of the legendary magician Gladstone to gain power. Bartimaeus once again steals the spotlight; his pages are the most entertaining (one of his signature footnotes points out that his guise as a feathered, winged serpent "used to bring the house down in Yucatan"). Although the thrill of discovery of Stroud's magical realm may have worn off slightly, fans of book one will enjoy revisiting this delectably uneasy bond between boy and djinni. Bartimaeus's pointed humor makes for a story worth savoring. Ages 10-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
More Reviews (4) Fewer Reviews
Children's Literature
Book two of Jonathan Stroud's delightful "Bartimaeus Triology" reacquaints faithful readers—and no doubt introduces legions of new fans—to Bartimaeus, the quirky, sarcastic, and irreverent djinni that serves as the honest but ribald narrator of this fantasy novel. In an alternative British Empire, an empire that is ruled by corrupt magicians who use enslaved demons, such as imps, djinns, and foliots, to do their bidding, a small but powerful insurgency is developing. Kitty, a commoner who has an uncommon resistance to magic, is part of the resistance. A young magician, Nathaniel, is moving up through the ranks of government. His djinni, Bartimaeus, must obey Nathaniel, but never does willingly, and never without reminding Nathaniel that as he grows in power, he loses his humanity. Complicating matters is the violent appearance of a golem, a clay giant of a figure that is wreaking havoc and destroying British landmarks. The golem is controlled by an unseen force; Nathaniel's reputation depends on his success at finding and destroying that force. Some chapters of the novel are related through Nathaniel's and Kitty's opposing viewpoints. But the most entertaining sections are the first-person narratives of Bartimaeus, which are replete with hilarious footnotes. For instance, while staking out a demon, Bartimaeus ruminates on his life. An accompanying footnote reads, "There were plenty more incredibly intelligent thoughts, which I won't bother your pretty little heads with. Take it from me it was all good, damn good." There is action galore as well, culminating in a climactic battle against the golem. Folks will be clamoring for the next installment in this entertaining series.2003, Miramax Books/Hyperion, Ages 10 up.
—Christopher Moning
VOYA
He's ba-ack! The wise-cracking, omniscient djinni, Bartimaeus, with his funny footnotes, has been summoned again. His master Nathaniel, now a member of the magical government of London, is responsible for stopping the Resistance attacks and capturing a menacing clay golem with a mysterious master. Bartimaeus is disgruntled to be called back into service after only two years, but Nathaniel is desperate to prove his worth and to continue his quick climb up the political ladder. Stroud continues the multiple narrator and first- and third-person narration format of the prequel, The Amulet of Samarkand (Hyperion 2003/VOYA December 2003). Unfortunately Bartimaeus disappears for far too long as the story is set up and Kitty's narration is added (including a three-year flashback to recount her history with the Resistance). Ardent fans will enjoy the intelligent text, but less experienced fantasy readers might get lost in the many shifts in place and time or become impatient with the pacing of the adventure that meanders more than the Thames. Among the new treats is the skeleton of London's magical founder Gladstone, inhabited by the delightfully maniacal afrit, Honorius, delirious to be free of the crypt but intent on revenge nonetheless. The many plot threads are sewn together satisfactorily in the exciting conclusion, but happily the characters are left poised for their next adventure. Plenty of teens will be waiting; the astute ones will be pondering Stroud's timely message about the importance of education and knowledge of the past-and the dangers of powerful government. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P M J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School,defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2004, Hyperion, 556p., Ages 11 to 18.
—Cindy Dobrez
School Library Journal
Gr 7-9-In the second book (Hyperion, 2004) in Jonathan Stroud's fantasy trilogy, the viewpoints of the djinni Bartimaeus, his sometimes hapless magician owner Nathaniel, and teenaged "commoner" Kitty weave a plot with various counterplots along the themes of revenge, greed and, ultimately, growth. Nathaniel, at 14, is full of himself and tends toward the foppish in both the views of Bartimaeus and the reader/listener. Bartimaeus continues to seem to be both smug and smarter than Nathaniel. Kitty is the most sympathetic of the bunch, but she appears to have no problem with plotting government overthrow of a very messy sort. During the long trajectory of this book, a Czech golem (a clay giant animated by blood-written magic) lays waste to the British Museum and Kitty helps unleash more cultural destruction by unburying the supposed dead at Westminster. Simon Jones provides voices for each of these characters, as well as their assorted minions, who include Kitty's badly magic-wounded childhood friend Jacob, the elderly commoner Mr. Pennyfeather who recruits her into the magic resistance force, and Nathaniel's mentors, none of whom seem to have a really good side. While plotting and fantasy are both well-developed here, the audience will have trouble feeling completely sympathetic towards any one of these protagonists; rather than a flawed hero, what we have here is a small group of folks-magical and otherwise-who are more arrogant than they are vulnerable. Those unfamiliar with the first volume, The Amulet of Samarkand (Hyperion, 2003; Listening Library, 2003), will have a little trouble working into the story at the beginning, but there's enough action to hold listeners' attention as they gather clues to what has brought about the current crisis-Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Picking up two years after The Amulet of Samarkand ended, this sequel continues the original's fast-paced excitement and is enriched by a broader moral view and a third main character. Nathaniel, ambitious teenage magician (politician), works furiously to gain power and credence in London's magician-run government. Slave-djinni Bartimaeus, bound to follow Nathaniel's orders, retains his ultra-sardonic voice (including trademark commentary footnotes). The third viewpoint is that of Kitty, a teenaged member of the Resistance tormenting London's seat of government. Unlike headstrong Nathaniel (never questioning the British Empire's repressive power) and sarcastic Bartimaeus, the fierce, fiery Kitty is easy to root for. Grave-robbing, international spying, a city-smashing golem, exploding demons, and fearsome Night Police all figure in before the end-which of course isn't the end at all. Is there hope for resisting the Empire? Might enslaved djinn be involved? Stay tuned for more thrills. (character list) (Fantasy. 10-14)

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9788960302396
  • Publisher: Hwanggeum Bueongi
  • Publication date: 5/28/2010
  • Language: Korean
  • Pages: 398
  • Lexile: 0800L (what's this?)
  • Product dimensions: 5.80 (w) x 8.60 (h) x 1.40 (d)

Meet the Author

Jonathan Stroud

Jonathan Stroud is a former editor who has already published several children's books in England, where he lives.

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