As I expected, I had just as tough a time putting down the last volume of Stroud's Bartimaeus trilogy as I did with the first two. In Ptolemy's Gate, the conflict between magicians and commoners bursts into the open as the magicians begin to lose their grip on power. Nathaniel's fortunes are waning along with his influence in the halls of power, and Bartimaeus' essence has been stretched to its limits by prolonged servitude. As Nathaniel seeks to unravel the great conspiracy which threatens the existence of the government, Kitty Jones re-enters his world and the two find themselves the victims of a very deep, very dangerous plot. With strong and malignant forces loose in London, Stroud's three protagonists find it necessary (no matter how distasteful) to cooperate for the greater good.
A fine conclusion to the series, with a healthy number of plot twists (most if not all of which were entirely unexpected). And for all those who are sick to death of happy endings, you needn't worry about that this time (and that's all I'll say about that). Truly an excellent series, and one which deserves more widespread attention.
