Ptolemy's Gate facts for kids
First edition (UK)
|
|
| Author | Jonathan Stroud |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | David Wyatt |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Bartimaeus trilogy |
| Genre | Children's, Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
|
Publication date
|
September 2005 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback & Hardback) |
| Pages | 515 pp (first edition, Hardback) |
| Preceded by | The Golem's Eye |
| Followed by | The Ring of Solomon |
Ptolemy's Gate is an exciting fantasy novel with magic and an alternate history. It's the third book in the Bartimaeus trilogy series. The book was written by the British author Jonathan Stroud. It came out in the United Kingdom in September 2005. It was released in the United States in December of the same year.
Contents
About the Story
This book is set in an alternate version of London, England. The story happens around the year 2003. This is three years after the events of The Golem's Eye.
What Happens in the Book?
Three years have passed since the magician Nathaniel helped save London. He is also known as John Mandrake. He stopped a huge attack that would have hurt everyone.
Now, Nathaniel is an important part of the British Government. But he faces big problems. Wars with other countries are not going well. Enemies are attacking close to London. Also, many common people are starting to rebel. Nathaniel is very busy with these issues. Because of this, he treats his spirit servant, Bartimaeus, worse than ever.
The British Empire is starting to have many problems. Many common people are unhappy with the government. Some commoners want slow changes. Others want a full revolt. Some even think commoners should learn to summon spirits themselves. They want to fight the spirits that belong to the magicians.
Kitty Jones eventually finds out why humans and spirits are always fighting. Humans do not understand spirits called djinni. They only summon them as powerful, but dangerous, slaves. They do not treat them as equals. Bartimaeus confirms this idea. He says his greatest master, Ptolemy, was the only human who treated his spirit servants as equals. Ptolemy tried to build a bridge between djinni and humans.
England's problems have made John Mandrake's life hard. Mandrake has no friends. His many enemies watch him all the time. Since The Golem's Eye, people have tried to kill Mandrake several times. Being a high-ranking government official has made Mandrake very harsh. He treats all his servants badly, especially Bartimaeus.
However, events in Ptolemy's Gate make Mandrake lose confidence. He changes from Mandrake back to Nathaniel very quickly. Nathaniel stops using the name John Mandrake. He also stops being afraid of others knowing his real name. He humbly tells it to Kitty, with whom he becomes friends. He also bravely tells it to the spirit Nouda.
Nathaniel becomes what Ptolemy hoped to be. Nathaniel lets Bartimaeus share his body. They fight Nouda and his army together. They use Gladstone's staff. This joining creates a link between humans and djinni forever. But at the last moment, Nathaniel sends Bartimaeus away. Then, Nathaniel sacrifices himself to destroy the spirit Nouda. This was similar to what Ptolemy did before he died.
The book ends with a meeting of surviving magicians and important commoners. They try to create a government that works for everyone.
Characters in the Story
Magicians
- Nathaniel/John Mandrake
- Ptolemy
- Jessica Whitwell
- Jane Farrar
- Quentin Makepeace
- Harold Button
- Sholto Pinn
- Carl Mortensen
- Helen Malbindi
- Clive Jenkins
- Rebecca Piper
- Bruce Collins
Common People
- Kitty Jones
- Clem Hopkins
- Nicholas Drew
- George Fox
- Rosanna Lutyens
Spirits
- Bartimaeus, a powerful djinn who serves Nathaniel
- Ascobol
- Cormocodran
- Mwamba
- Hodge
- Faquarl
- Nouda
- Purip
- Fritang
Magical Things and Places
- Ptolemy's Gate - This is a special method. It lets a human enter the 'other place'. This is where spirits live. It's like a reverse summoning spell.
See also
In Spanish: La puerta de Ptolomeo para niños
