Okay I have never encountered anyone who has read these novels but The Bartimaeus Sequence is one of my favourite works of children’s literature. I guess since it came out at the same time as Harry Potter and has a boy wizard main character it kinda fell under the radar but other than that it’s nothing alike. (It’s actually good, for one). It’s been a long time since I read it but iirc the basic premise of the setting is that it’s set in a British Empire ruled by magicians who summon (enslave) spirits to do their bidding. And it’s always implied that the only thing that separates magicians from commoners is their hoarded knowledge and willingness to exploit & enslave the spirits — there’s no like hereditary bullshit or inherent superiority or anything. Pretty cool for a kid’s book. Also they’re really funny.
Wow, you just lit up a weird part of my brain. I've also never met anyone who's read these books. Was Bartimaeus one of the djinn? I'm going to have to do some digging in closet, I remember the covers had those really cool illustrations of the djinn.
Okay I have never encountered anyone who has read these novels but The Bartimaeus Sequence is one of my favourite works of children’s literature. I guess since it came out at the same time as Harry Potter and has a boy wizard main character it kinda fell under the radar but other than that it’s nothing alike. (It’s actually good, for one). It’s been a long time since I read it but iirc the basic premise of the setting is that it’s set in a British Empire ruled by magicians who summon (enslave) spirits to do their bidding. And it’s always implied that the only thing that separates magicians from commoners is their hoarded knowledge and willingness to exploit & enslave the spirits — there’s no like hereditary bullshit or inherent superiority or anything. Pretty cool for a kid’s book. Also they’re really funny.
Wow, you just lit up a weird part of my brain. I've also never met anyone who's read these books. Was Bartimaeus one of the djinn? I'm going to have to do some digging in closet, I remember the covers had those really cool illustrations of the djinn.
Yes! He’s a djinn and the main narrator I think. Glad to see someone has heard of these books!