Fills in between volume 1 & 2 - Rated 
The Golem's Eye fills in the necessary detail between book one (Amulet of Samurkand) and book three (Ptolemy's gate). It shows us Nathaniel's transformation into the darker John Mandrake. A good read, but the gem of the trilogy is Ptolemy's Gate. Stroud is definitely amongst the top ten writer's of this genre. Make sure you have at least read The Amulet of Samurkand first though!
good, but thats all - Rated 
i enjoyed the amulet very much, it was original in almost every way, so i assumed the second would not b as good. i was right
still very enjoyable, but i think people did not like it as much because they expected it 2 b just as good as the first
An entertaining sequel with strong story telling - Rated
Stroud continues to buck the conventions of YA fantasy by showing Nathaniel (or John Mandrake as he's now become) as an increasingly unsympathetic character. This is a boy who is only interested in maintaining and achieving power and he's pretty ruthless about how he goes about it. There are flashes of his lack of confidence and the possible pricking of his conscience over his actions, but by the end we don't hold out a lot of hope for him (and neither, tellingly, does Bartimaeus).
Whereas Mandrake is pretty unlikeable, Bartimaeus himself actually shows almost human characteristics, particularly in his attitudes towards Kitty. I very much enjoy the Bartimaeus segments of the story as they have a riotous flow to them and Stroud has given his djinni a believable and witty voice. Stroud is also clever in using these segments to give the reader a sense of how society has (or has not) changed, and the fact that Bartimaeus was present at the fall of Prague (a particularly good introduction to the book) is a wonderful way of getting backstory and details of this alternative world across to the reader.
For all Stroud's excellent work with Bartimaeus and Mandrake, I found Kitty to be a little disappointing. In the main, this is because she is very much a conventional fantasy heroine. Stroud works hard on her backstory so we understand the sense of injustice she rightly feels and she's clearly passionate about her cause, but there's a bit too much of the 'obviously right' about her and the flaws that she's given are essentially indecision and a reluctance to push her point, which are more plot points than character points. I would have liked to see more made of her growing disillusion with Pennyfeather and the Resistance movement, rather than leaving it until the final raid at Westminster Abbey, because that would have crowned off a complete arc, rather than feeling just a little tacked on.
Stroud has some brilliantly subtle moments in this book where he resolves plot strands in a way that made me have to go back and check a couple of times. This is something that I really don't want to spoil for readers, so let's just say that the magician who attacks Kitty and her friend really gets what's coming to him in a particularly clever way. I also think that the Resistance attack on Westminster Abbey is a wonderful scene and would make for brilliant cinema - particularly the way in which the Resistance members meet their fates.
Where I think the plot drags is in the first third. Stroud obviously has to get Kitty involved and bring in her backstory and I'm not sure that he does it in the most efficient way. For me, her story really held up the main plot of this book (which doesn't really get going until after page 100) and whilst I felt some sympathy for her friend Jakob, it wasn't quite drastic enough for me to be emotionally invested in it. I also think that the ending was a little perfunctory, mainly because I don't think Stroud made quite enough of the mystery as to who was controlling the golem or what that person was trying to do, as a result the denouement has a pat feeling to it. In particular, given that the Golem's Eye is a nice link back to The Amulet of Samarkland, it would have been nice to see a scene wherein it's stolen and perhaps some kind of conversation as to why it's been taken.
Saying all that, considering that this is the middle book in a trilogy, it holds together well in its own right as a story and advances the overriding story arc (which is a lot more than other trilogy writers have been able to do). As a result, I am very interested in reading the third one and seeing just what becomes of the characters and their story.
Courtesy of Teens Read Too - Rated 
He's rude. He's surly. He won't hesitate to tell you when your haircut looks stupid. And in over 5000 years, he's seen some bad haircuts. I'm talking about my favorite djinni, Bartimaeus, back in book two of his young adult fantasy trilogy.
THE GOLEM'S EYE is an excellent sequel to the first book in the series, THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND. In the first book, we meet Bartimaeus, an ancient creature of enormous power that can best be described as a type of demon. Unfortunately, he and all of his kind hate the word demon. He classifies himself as a djinni, so we'll just go with that for the purposes of this review. Why annoy anyone who can shoot magical firebolts at you, right? Anyway, Bartimaeus, and other creatures like him, are summoned by human magicians to do their bidding. Needless to say, this forced servitude, or slavery, is not popular with the servants, so they do their best to turn the tables on their human masters whenever possible.
Enter Nathaniel, a boy who is in training to become a powerful magician. In book one of the series, he summons Bartimaeus from the netherworld and an involuntary partnership begins. In THE GOLEM'S EYE, young Nathaniel again finds himself in need of the djinni's aid, so he again turns to reluctant Bartimaeus. This time, a revolutionary group is blowing things up in London, which may or may not be related to a series of unusual occurrences that have the police stumped. Nathaniel feels that his career would take off if he can solve these crimes. But the stakes are high because he knows that his career, and possibly his life, are in jeopardy if he fails.
A key part of THE GOLEM'S EYE storyline centers on the activities of a London resistance group that is fighting to overthrow the magicians' government. Nathaniel's inability to track down these criminals is part of the reason he needs Bartimaeus's help. Of course, the djinni has little interest in helping magicians maintain their dominance. After all, they're the ones who continually force him and his kind into servitude. This conflict of interest makes for some entertaining scenes and conversations.
If you have not read THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND, I strongly recommend you pick that one up before diving into THE GOLEM'S EYE. Technically, you don't have to read the first one, but there is an awful lot of background you will miss if you don't. Plus, it's really fun.
Normally I find myself disappointed in sequels. Somehow they never seem to live up the expectations established by the original. But in this case, I was pleasantly surprised. This book is full of excitement, political intrigue, and humor. Bartimaeus is back with all of his cheeky comments, and there are plenty of thrills to go around. Overall, a great book.
Reviewed by: K. Osborn Sullivan
The Return Of Bartimaeus! - Rated
The mysterious and misunderstood gang called the Resistance inflict terrible disasters along the same block of shops in which Shoto Pinn's (Antique Merchant) was located. Nathaniel is the assistant to the head of internal affairs and it is he that has to seek out and rid the city of Prague of the Resistance. Mr Henry Duvall, chief of police, was also a part of the tragic attack, because he sent in six of his most higly trained men, called wolves, in to the shop in which the monster, that had no magical trace, had last been heard when he arrived later they were never heard of again. That next morning he and Mr Julius Tallow, Head of internal affairs found six piles of bones and rubble all randomly strewn on the floor. In the previous book Nathaniel released his charge on Bartimaeus giving him consent to go and do as he wishes. But no Nathaniel finds himself in a unpleasant position as he is compelled once again, when duty calles, to summon the problematic, enigmatic and quick-witted djinni, Bartimaeus.
I found this book very interesting because each page is virtually a new adventure. Jonathan Stroud keeps you in the story throughout the entire book. It is a completely hilarious book. Since Bartimaeus is never exsultant about being near Nathaniel he is constantly giving cheap shots at Nathaniel and persists on giving him a hard time. This is a exceedingly pleasurable book to read and I reccommend it to people of all ages.
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