Posted: June 28, 2023
The Golem's Eye
The Resistance - introduced in the first book - is fully revealed in this one. Henceforth Resistance member Kitty Jones will share the spotlight with Nathaniel and Bartimaeus in the continuing storyline. The tomb heist in this book is a "must not miss" caper that is both horrifying and fascinating.
"The Amulet of Samarkand" showed us the struggle and rewards of hard study. "The Golem's Eye" shows us the hazards, glories, intrigues, politics, enticements, and pressures of the working world. Both these experiences courtesy of our hero, Nathaniel.
Nathaniel, who is definitely a type "A" personality, is fighting hard to climb the rungs of government. His skill as a magician, all those years of hard study, still matter, but to this, he has to add some E.Q.: patience, perseverance, the ability to handle pressure, and the ability to navigate office politics. Talented he may be but John Mandrake is not a team player. He has to go it alone with few or no allies. Lots of tough days (and nights) at the office.
We see Nathaniel slowly being corrupted by his role in the government. He is, ironically, on the path to becoming like Lovelace, the very magician that he fought against in the first book. Nathaniel is becoming ruthless, he engages in deceit, and he no longer honors his word. Bartimaeus has a ringside seat to this dark transformation.
The contrast to John Mandrake is provided by Kitty Jones. The resistance fighter comes under pressures of her own but her integrity is unaffected. Kitty makes the right choices no matter how hard it costs her.
Jonathan Stroud continues to impress with faultless, flowing prose just like in the first book. Beyond the wonderful writing the plot development is just mesmerizing; I am enjoying the expanded world presented to us by "The Golem's Eye"
This is a worthy sequel to "The Amulet of Samarkand"
For me the highlights of the book would include the opening scene, the battle in old Prague. The golem attacks are suspensefully written and deliciously mysterious. A beautiful yet low key highlight would be the Prague Cemetery scene. Also a highlight would be the pivotal encounter between Nathaniel, Kitty, the golem and Honorius. The best, the top level highlight would be the Resistance tomb raid in Westminster Abbey. This book really pours in incredible encounters rivalling "The Amulet of Samarkand"