A worthy successor to the first in the series. Capably juggles three possible heroes, all with significant anti-hero qualities: sarcastic Bartimaeus, ruthlessly ambitious Nathaniel and terrorist/freedom-fighter Kitty. Good action, some pretty scary bits with skeletons that I'd keep away from the kids, and beautifully lined up for the final entry in the trilogy. Curious to see if Bartimaeus, and more dramatically, Nathaniel, are redeemed in the end, or if the true winner in all this turns out to be Kitty (who barely made it into the first book!) Highly impressed with how successfully Jonathan Stroud breaks narrative and storytelling conventions for an engaging read. Highly appreciative of his biting commentary and sarcastic wit as well.
