Ptolemy's Gate

Title: Ptolemy's Gate

Author: Jonathan Stroud

Genre: Children's novels, fantasy, magic

Blurb: Two thousand years have passed since Bartimaeus was at the height of his powers - invincible in battle and befriended by the great magician Ptolemy.

Now, trapped on Earth and treated with disdain by his master, Nathaniel, Bartimaeus finds his energies are fading fast. With Nathaniel preoccupied by the problem of a failing empire, and more rigid and insensitive than ever, the long-suffering djinni's patience is finally at an end.

Meanwhile, undercover in London, the fugitive Kitty Jones has been stealthily completing her research on magic and demons. She has a plan that she hopes will break the endless cycle of conflict between djinn and humans - but first she must uncover the secrets of Bartimaeus's past.

This extraordinary conclusion to the Bartimaeus Trilogy moves across the centuries and into unknown worlds. With disaster threatening everyone in London, the destinies of Bartimaeus, Nathaniel and Kitty are entwined for a final time. Together, they must defeat treacherous magicians, uncover a chilling conspiracy and face the most dangerous threat in the history of magic.

Worst of all, they must contend with each other...

Opinion: Ptolemy's Gate is the third and final book in the series Bartimaeus Trilogy. Although quite some time had passed since I'd read the second book and the third book, I still managed to enjoy the story completely. The Bartimaeus Trilogy is unique in the way that the author puts little notes at the bottom of the pages if he feels the need to note something. For some, this might prove to be intensely annoying, because although you don't want to be distracted by random little notes slightly irrelevant to the story, but being a true reader, your eyes can't help but to skim them.

Usually, I would have hated these notes. But oddly enough, I found them quite interesting and mildly humourous. Stroud writes with deft cleverness and light wit, and although the book is in first POV (I dislike first POVs) I enjoyed it tremendously.

The ending saddened me a little, though, with character death....

XDD No more spoilers! Go and read, and make sure you grab the first two copies too - The Amulet of Samarkand (book one) and The Golem's Eye (book two).

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Title: The Purple Emperor

Author: Herbie Brennan

Genre: Fantasy

Blurb: When Prygus Malvae's father arrives at the Purple Palace his appearance causes more than a little shock. After all, he was supposed to be dead. Add to that the fact that the recently deceased Purple Emperor is now an ally of the Faeries of the Night and it is clear that all is not what it should be in the Faerie Realm. Madness is unleashed. Faeries of the Night are in charge, an insane woman is now Queen, the old order is seriously under threat, and Prygus and Holly Blue have to get to the bottom of all this chaos. When Henry arrives from the human realm to help, little can he imagine the diabolical world he is about to enter, nor that he will have to do so much to try and put everything right.

Opinion: The Purple Emperor is the second book in this series (not sure if there is a third) and the first is Faerie Wars. Faerie Wars really caught my attention when I first read it, but when I finally got my hands on the second volume, I could only say it didn't quite live up to the reputation of the first book. I'm not even sure myself what was missing from the second book. Maybe it was just me being out of focus because I had manga coming in all the time demanding for my attention and I kept putting off The Purple Emperor. But then again, if the plot was all that exciting, do you think I would have left it behind to read manga first?

...Or am I just too obsessed with manga?

But overall, I think it's not too bad a read. At least it didn't make me doze off. I'd recommend getting both books at one go and reading them together so the first volume stays fresh in your mind. I got The Purple Emperor quite a long time after I'd read the first, and although I'm quite sure I'd remembered everything from the first book, it might still be better to read both books in one sitting. Have fun reading! ~rage-chan

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Title: The Ruins of Gorlan (The first volume in the Ranger's Apprentice series.)

Author: John Flanagan

Genre: Fantasy

Summary: Will is a 15-year-old orphan who lives in Castle Redmont. Will is small and slight for his age, and although he longs to be chosen as an apprentice to a knight, he is turned down. His friend, Horace, however, is accepted because of his sturdy and tall frame. Disappointed, Will is on the verge of giving up his dreams completely until he finds out that he has been chosen to be Halt's apprentice, one of the mysterious and feared Rangers who roam Araluen. Will knows that the Rangers inspire fears in the people, and is not too thrilled by this opportunity. However, he accepts the apprenticeship.

Being a Ranger's apprentice is not as easy as he had hoped, however...

Opinion: I was hooked the minute a friend recommended this to me. Ranger's Apprentice is a simple read and very fascinating, and Flanagan injects dry humour every now and then. If you enjoy fantasy with a simple twist, Ranger's Apprentice is the way to go. It's not full of mind-numbing plot twists either, just exciting little skirmishes and the little bits of conflicts that make this novel such an enjoyable quick read. This is only the first book in the series, however. For more information, why not head to the Ranger's Apprentice official website?

Recommended for younger readers around 10-12 years old. Might make a nice present for that bookworm of your little brother who loves knights and battles! ~rage-chan

Rating: 4.5 out of 5