Book 348: The Golem’s Eye
The second in the Bartimaeus Trilogy, complete with Golems, the Resistance, and werewolves. Good times to be had by all (well, except the people who get eaten, but they are mostly minor characters anyway). In this point in the story, our young hero has risen to prominence in the government, but he finds his position threatened due to a series of events which are blamed on his inability to keep control. As a result, he’s forced to resort to some underhanded tactics to clear his name, and resolve the problem.
One interesting thing about this book is that we see a slow transition going on, with the hero growing less scrupulous about how he uses his power. He’s less likely to keep promises, and more focused on advancement, as well as saving his own skin. He actually comes off as a bit of an ass in this book, and I like an author who is willing to make his main character more flawed, because it makes the story more interesting. By the end of the story, you’re not really sure who to root for, and that’s the whole point.
I’m kind of surprised that no one has proposed making these books into films, since they provide a plethora of interesting characters and settings. Maybe it’s because they are sort of dark, and they have a pretty unabashed message about rebelling against the government and considering how and why people come into power. That sort of thing probably doesn’t go over well with, you know. People in power.
Demographics:
The Golem’s Eye, by Jonathan Stroud. Published 2004, 464 pages. Fiction.
Tags: book project