Ptolemy's Gate

Notes:

Ptolemy’s Gate – and the whole Bartimaeus series – is what The Hunger Games could have been but wasn’t; it gets right what The Hunger Games got wrong. And at this point, you are wondering what kind of comparison I could possibly draw between a bestselling young adult book-and-film combo and an understated and little-known magicians-and-demons trilogy, let alone a comparison which puts the high-profile series in second place.

Well both series are trilogies. Both are set in a dystopian society with an oppressed underclass and a dominant ruling class who can watch their subjects’ every move. Both feature a young woman, hardly out of girlhood, who must use her particular talents in a fight against that society. But at this point the differences start show. Suzanne Collins’ heroine, Katniss, lends her support as a figurehead and a fighter to a political and military struggle which doesn't ultimately challenge her world’s failings. In contrast, Jonathan Stroud allows Kitty Jones, originally a small-stakes Resistance fighter, to rise above the battles taking place in her society and to propose a more profound solution, one which emphasises the inherent nobility of those involved and which challenges the injustice of the society. The Hunger Games never tries for a profound solution; and never really considers the nobility of its characters except to reflect on how ill-treated they all are. Nor is Kitty Jones a solo player. Certainly she is mistrustful and prefers to act alone, but the story relies also on Nathaniel and on Bartimaeus, both of whom have had to overcome considerable obstacles of their own.

What Ptolemy’s Gate lacks in embittered grittiness it makes up in heart and wit. And in the chance it gives its characters to redeem themselves, and to make radical, heroic choices which prove that the corrupt use of power can successfully be challenged. Kitty & Bartimaeus were both struck by an exchange in which Bartimaeus' perpetual cynicism came up against Kitty's impassioned determination. It's an exchange which leaves Kitty hopeful for the downfall of the ruling Magicians, and leaves Bartimaeus intrigued that someone (other than the long-dead Ptolemy) was interested in the Djinni for their own sakes. By his estimation, their society has two generations before it reaches the point of overthrowing the Magicians, but then a far-reaching plot throws Nathaniel & Kitty together unexpectedly and forces them to involve Bartimaeus in an ambitious plan which calls for cooperation between Magician, Commoner and Djinn.

The series’ characteristic banter, especially from Bartimaeus, is still certainly present, but this book in particular has its poignant moments and pauses from time to time for a more serious consideration of the characters’ respective moral positions. The unique friendship between the Djinn Bartimaeus and the boy Magician Ptolemy is the touchstone of a story which has surprisingly moving moments, saved from become mawkish by the bickering asides. The narrative never takes itself too seriously, but it still manages to consider the perils of friendship between an immortal and a mortal being, the nature of individuation and of being in a non-material world, the need for cooperation and selflessness and the the possibility of self-sacrifice to achieve a noble end.

This is a rare entry in the fantasy genre. It can distinguish affection and friendship from mere animal attraction while remaining free from smut. Its tension and action is offset by banter. And it's willing to pause a little to reflect. But its final act is in no doubt about the need for self-sacrifice and heroism towards a greater good.