In this last conclusive part of Stroud's Bartimaeus trilogy the sinister magicians' world is thrown once more into battle and twisted plots, both not designed to give it much political stability. The book is suprisingly adult about many things: the complicated relationships between spirits and masters present and past are described in more detail, Nathaniel's rise through the ranks of politics and the price he has to pay for it, Kitty's desperate attempts to find a solution to the neverending cycle of the powerful magicians' rise, decline and fall while commoners suffer. Despite the continuing talking back of Bartimaeus the underlying tone is a rather serious one. Somehow the reader seems to be given more inside as Nathaniel gets a bit older and has to deal with the slyness and unreliability of his fellow magicians within the government.
It is a rather fascinating plot and I did not find it hard to read the book in one go, interrupted by the occasional outburst of laughing. However, reasons to laugh are considerably less in contrast to the previous books. As already said, this book is a lot more adult about things. Still, why only three stars for a good read? Mildly put, I don't find the final conclusion very satisfying.