Review - Golem's Eye (aka Attn: Simon)
Jan. 25th, 2005 02:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jackThis is the sequel to Ammulet of Sammarkand (the Bartimious Trilogy). My thoughts here: http://www.livejournal.com/users/cartesiandaemon/35544.html
Some spoilers ahead. If you're concerned, best to skip it, but if you probably won't read the book or aren't that bothered it won't ruin it for you.
There's a definite sense of change. It's obviously a trilogy as opposed to "n books all much the same." A conspiracy spans several books, so I just hope Stroud doesn't die before finishing it :)
Silver apparently defeats magic, which is good, because it gives some limits on the power of demons. But bad because it seems like everyone knows it, but it never really gets USED. People develop immunities to magic; this makes sense, but it seems implausible that no-one in goverment wouldn't have studied the phenomen enough to warn other magicians about it.
Mandrake is busily succumbing to temptation for power. As Bartimaous observes, I call him Mandrake now, not Nathaniel, since the boy he was is being lost. It makes sense, for he started off being pretty machiavelian, and has been thrown into government circles where he has to be ruthless to survive. But it's quite rare for a main character to start sympathetic, and decline to annoying-and-evil-little-shit well. Though I bet he comes good in the third book.
It presents an interesting contrast with Bartimaius. He's forced to obey, but at various times feels sympathy for people, and takes pride in shredding them conclusively. I guess it's like being a vampire -- forced to do bad things you can't easily retain morals. And Mandrake is in much the same situation, but non-supernaturally.
I must go and read some real history of gladstone.
Some spoilers ahead. If you're concerned, best to skip it, but if you probably won't read the book or aren't that bothered it won't ruin it for you.
There's a definite sense of change. It's obviously a trilogy as opposed to "n books all much the same." A conspiracy spans several books, so I just hope Stroud doesn't die before finishing it :)
Silver apparently defeats magic, which is good, because it gives some limits on the power of demons. But bad because it seems like everyone knows it, but it never really gets USED. People develop immunities to magic; this makes sense, but it seems implausible that no-one in goverment wouldn't have studied the phenomen enough to warn other magicians about it.
Mandrake is busily succumbing to temptation for power. As Bartimaous observes, I call him Mandrake now, not Nathaniel, since the boy he was is being lost. It makes sense, for he started off being pretty machiavelian, and has been thrown into government circles where he has to be ruthless to survive. But it's quite rare for a main character to start sympathetic, and decline to annoying-and-evil-little-shit well. Though I bet he comes good in the third book.
It presents an interesting contrast with Bartimaius. He's forced to obey, but at various times feels sympathy for people, and takes pride in shredding them conclusively. I guess it's like being a vampire -- forced to do bad things you can't easily retain morals. And Mandrake is in much the same situation, but non-supernaturally.
I must go and read some real history of gladstone.