I know no books can even come close to being as good as Bartimaeus but...are there books with similar characteristics to them? :mellow:

Similar characters or similar situation? I don't know of any books that come to mind but i really would like to read some :)

Similar genre and Quality.

Story Time by Edward Bloor reminded me of the trilogy; but it isn't all that similar. It's still amazing though.

You might also want to read some Neil Gaiman or Terry Pratchett.

I've been meaning to read some Pratchett for years... any recommendations on where I start?

neil who?

Thanx guys. Im definitely gonna check em out.

Sentynel wrote: I've been meaning to read some Pratchett for years... any recommendations on where I start?

Hogfather. That's where I started. :3

Whats that about?

Durrn wrote: Whats that about?

The Hogfather is basically our Santa, except his sleigh is driven by pigs instead of by reindeer and the holiday is Hogswatch. Somebody is hired to assasinate the Hogfather, and the Grim Reaper (Death) takes the Hogfather's place. It's really good.

The David Eddings books have a similar wit and humor to the trilogy, I seriosly recomend them, seriosly.

Well... if you don't mind some religion bashing, I'd say His Dark Matiriels.

Yes, read that now, that is possibly better then the bartimeaus trilogy

yeah but also The Black Magician Trilogy falls into the same league as it (there is also a forum about it - look at my sig)

I didn't think His Dark Materials was that good. Certainly not awful, but not good. I've only ever read them twice, and I've owned them for years.

I like books that make you cry or wanna cry. Its sorta a challenge for any authors out there. But I dont even remember the last time I cried over a book or movie. Any fantasy books like that? SPOILER:(Didn't cry for Nats death. Mighta had something to do with my friend badgering me to finish it so she could read it.)

I like Artemis Fowl. It's not the same story line, but the quality is similar. (aka GREAT)

I love Artemis Fowl! I actually bought it because I liked the cover, just like when I bought Barti.

Books that may be similar (from some points of view) are the ones in Abhorsen trilogy (if anyone read it). Its quite good.

The Abhorsen trilogy is great. All books by Garth Nix are fantasy(I think) and they're great.

I've read most of the stuff mentioned, so here are my two cents on how similar/different those books are to BT (I'll also say whether which ones are on the whole better but take it with a pinch of salt because it's a very subjective matter) Rambling on..

Artemis Fowl: Bad points: 1)Liberal use of character stereotypes e.g. Henchmen. Apeears to have some trashy movies for inspiration but not as bad as the Anthony Horowitz books. 2)Quality of writing not as good as Stroud's.
The Good: 1) I LOVE LOVE the characters. Artemis is incredibly hot. :wub: 2)The overall vibe is very modern, cosmopolitan and 21st century, somewhat similar to that of Cowboy Bebop, my favourite anime of all time. 3) Fanfiction writers -or fanart illustrators- have so much material to work with, because many aspects of the AF world are left unexplored. I see this as a good point rather than a bad one. Overall: More or less the same. Not as complex as the B Trilogy, but better in terms of entertainment level. The feel is very different.

Old Kingdom Trilogy by Garth Nix:
This was so-so. I didn't really have a liking for any of the characters, so it's a downhill slide from there. Characterization is very important for me. Overall:As good as BT? Nyeeh.

His Dark Materials: A work of sheer and utter genius. A masterpiece. AAAH! s for Mr Pullman! Reading it was a very emotional experience. The emotions evoked by the Golem's Eye comes closest to what I experienced while reading HDM. The force of the ideas in those books can overwhelm you at times. Fantasy is clearly just a vehicle for some very deep and philosophical ideas to be conveyed to all. There are elements of science fiction and Indiana Jones-type action and adventure as well. I don't think it can really be categorized. It's all just one fantastic, heart-rending epic. *speechless*
Overall: Better than Barty I must say.

Discworld by Terry Pratchett:
Good for entertainment and a brilliant cast of characters. A bit like Artemis Fowl in that regard. Like BT, there are lots of footnotes, but the brand of humour found in them is very random. I wouldn't say these books are 'powerful', because whenever important themes are brought up the inherent wackiness of these books doesn't draw me into them as deeply. But I'd say they rock. :nod: My favourites are the books with Vimes and the City Watch, Jingo and the Fifth Elephant especially. (Guards!Guards! is the first, just google Discworld and you'll see a list of DW books with recommended order of reading) Overall: As good as BT

A book with magicians AND nice footnotes a la BT: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. I LOVE this book. The writing style might put off some, it's very 19th century, very Jane Austen. It's about two magicians in the Regency period who get their power from summoning fairies. It's less 'flash' than the Barty trilogy and much more believable. I'd have to say it fits into the genre of 'Magical realism'. The magic isn't of the Harry Potter or BT mould at all. It's subtle and interwoven into the very surroundings. An incredible read, if you have the patience.