SPOIL-FREE SUMMARY
Two years later, Nathaniel has a new guardian and a new job in the government. Still set on proving himself, he makes it his goal to find out what sort of being is causing chaos in London. Not to mention trying to uncover the secret group of people resisting the magicians.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Nathaniel still believes in the magicians and their rule. He is eager to prove himself and well aware of the fact that no one does anything against their interest. He doesn't really have any friends and his main goal is still to keep the goodwill he got from the Prime Minister in the end of the last story. His job is rather menial, working at Internal Affairs. That is, until he is tasked with revealing the Resistance.
Bartimaus is furious to be back working for Nathaniel. He still has insights into Nathaniel, hinting at his master's conscience and noting how he has changed.
Jessica Whithall is Nathaniel's new teacher. She is slightly less horrible than Underwood, but she has no affection for her pupil. She isn't in the book much.
Jane Farrar is introduced as another young magician. The only interest she seems to have in Nathaniel is getting secrets out of him.
Kitty Jones is the same girl from the first book. Due to a dramatic injustice of her childhood, she eventually joined a group of people who wish to resit the magicians.
Makepiece is a writer who creates plays. He knows all the higher ups in the government. He seems strange but harmless.
PACING
The pacing is just as fast as the previous story. Not only do we get Bartimaus' and Nathaniel's stories, we also get a third story, Kitty's. The story bounces back and fourth between these three plots.
STRUCTURE-SPOILERS
The structure is similar to the last story, where the beginning portion of the book is where we learn the history of a character (Kitty) and how she got to where she is when she is first introduced.
In part one, we see Nathaniel and Bartimaus both working apart. We meet Kitty and learn about some of her past. In the end of the first part Nathaniel and Bartimaus are reunited.
In part two, we meet Kitty's group of friends, as well as learn of how she never received justice for the crime committed against her. We learn how she meets a man called Pennyfeather, learns about her own ability, and meets a new group of people. Their big plan is set in motion. Nathaniel gets an assignment to travel.
In part three, Nathaniel investigates golems while meeting a contact. A familiar enemy returns but Nathaniel escapes. Kitty and her group enact their plan but it goes wrong.
In part four, Kitty and Nathaniel finally collide. Bartimaus tracks down a newly released monster then he, Kitty and Nathaniel face the golem.
HUMOR
The same charming humor that Bartimaus supplied in “The Amulet of Samarkand” returns. The humor helps the story by adding levity to an otherwise serious book.
TWO SIDES
An interesting aspect to these story that is different than the first, is that we are essentially reading about two opposing forces. Nathaniel wants to stop the resistance and find the leaders. Kitty wants to overthrow the magicians and steal magical items. I still liked Nathaniel, even though I was completely rooting for Kitty all the way. Kitty, like Bartimaus, has a humbling effect on Nathaniel. Also, she presents a view that he doesn't understand at all, just like Bartimaus does.
We also learn that the commoners are kept in the dark to how the magician's use their magic. Kitty debates with her friend if demons are even real which surprised me.
RESILIENCE
Nathaniel notes that all of his demons that go undercover are mocked and called names, as if their disguises don't work; Kitty isn't believed in court when she says she was attacked like her friend. Eventually we learn about a skill that some people possess. The hints are there from the beginning, but I liked how it was revealed.
TERROR IN THE TOMB
There is a portion of the story that added a touch of horror. Kitty and her friends get informed of a weapon to steal and end up all going at night to retrieve it. Things seem to be going well but Kitty discovers something disturbing. She knows this has to be a trap.
To make matters worse, she suddenly decides this is all wrong, not just what her group has been doing, but what they are currently doing. It was horrifying to realize all of this before anything even happens. So when it did, I was already terrified. I knew something awful had to happen. And when it did, I wasn't disappointed.
MORE THAN A VICTIM
Kitty, like Nathaniel has had a horrible childhood. Although for her, it was merely one incident that destroyed hers. While for Nathaniel is was a few. But again, it's not her victimhood that makes her likable. It's her naivete that she can change things, then her realization that she never stood a chance.
From there we see her evolve and harden. But that's only her first arc, as later on, during a climatic scene, she suddenly receives a revelation about what she has been doing. It seems to come from her out of nowhere, but it occurs just before a dramatic scene. I kept thinking, if only you had realized that before.
Also, she seems very tough before all of this goes down. And when she finally breaks down and cries, two different times, it was very rewarding. Because we saw she wasn't as strong as she wanted everyone to think. She was still just a girl.
LITTLE PUZZLE PIECES
There are certain aspects of the book that you might not catch. Like when Kitty gets a gift from a friend's grandmother: a silver pendant. It seems to mean nothing. But later we learn that it actually saved Kitty's life, although she isn't aware of it.
A friend of Kitty's manages to get revenge on the man who hurt him. He tells Kitty his plan, but it seems rather lame. That is, until Nathaniel and the other magicians witness this man's demise. The magician's don't know how it happened. But we realize it's because of the book he read out of.
I appreciated these little touches, although at first I was rather shocked at the death of Tallow.
TROUBLE ON ALL SIDES-VAGUE SPOILERS
Nathaniel thinks he only has to worry about the Resistance, finding Kitty, and discovering the truth about the golem. But it turns out he has an enemy he wasn't paying attention to. An acquaintance in the government shows up out of the blue, completely ruining his plans.
It was a good twist that allowed Kitty time with Bartimaus alone. She learns about demons for the first time, and exposes her weakness, breaking down and crying.
THE MYSTERIOUS MAN
Pennyfeather had a man called Mr. Hopkins tell him about where certain magical items were. But there was a second man involved. When it backfires, Kitty realizes she was set up. But she never actually saw this second man she spoke to. His identity remains a mystery.
NATHANIEL'S PROMISE
While traveling abroad, Nathaniel meets a man whose children are being held hostage. He promises the man to free them, then later says it's not important. The decision he makes after the climax helps reveal more about his character.
CLIMAX
Nathaniel, Kitty and Bartimaus ending up facing an enemy, as well as the golem. It's eventually destroyed. Bartimaus tells a white lie. Then they find out who created the golem.
A PASSIVE HERO?
Nathaniel ends up having nothing to do with destroying the golem in the climax. I wasn't annoyed, as I had faith that his lack of involvement would be important to the next book. I knew a certain character would have to return, and in order for them to be safe, Nathaniel couldn't have any knowledge of them. Also, the ending had a profound impact on Nathaniel, and will no doubt continue to do so, in the last book.
CONCLUSION
Stroud creates a sequel that expands the world he created by introducing Kitty Jones. She adds a new dimension to the story: we are fully exposed to the evil of the magicians. The element of horror adds suspense and terror while the twists and turns that finally lead Nathaniel and Kitty together work like a well thought out puzzle. I give “The Golem's Eye” five stars.
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