Product Description

When the 5000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus is summoned by Nathaniel, a young magician's apprentice, he expects to have to do nothing more taxing than a little levitation or a few simple illusions. But Nathaniel is a precocious talent and has something rather more dangerous in mind: revenge. Against his will, Bartimaeus is packed off to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand from Simon Lovelace, a master magician of unrivalled ruthlessness and ambition. Before long, both djinni and apprentice are caught up in a terrifying flood of magical intrigue, murder and rebellion.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #184075 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 272 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Author Jonathan Stroud delivers such a potent and unforgettable mix of magic, history and intrigue with The Amulet of Samarkand, the first part of his compelling Bartimaeus Trilogy, that it is difficult not to want to read the next novel immediately. Undoubtedly the shortest 480 pages you'll ever read, The Amulet of Samarkand is a superb novel of revenge and adventure with the most original central character for years.

Bartimaeus is a wisecracking Djinni (pronounced "Jinnee" we're reliably informed) unlike no other. Summoned from some otherworldly place to do the bidding of a pipsqueak trainee magician called Nathanial, he sets about his given task reluctantly but with aplomb. Nathanial is after revenge and that makes him dangerous. Previously humiliated by a powerful magician called Simon Lovelace in front of his impotent master, Nathanial has spent every waking hour for years cramming knowledge of the highest magic into his head so that he can exact his own special kind of vengeance.

Bartimaeus is charged to steal a precious and powerful object--the Amulet of Samarkand--from Lovelace's residence, which the Djinni achieves but not without angering a few old mates on the same astral plane and having to spend the night annoyingly disguised as a bird. Bartimaeus, despite being bound to Nathaniel, discovers the boy's real name--a tool he can use to his own advantage. But he is constantly outwitted. Then an overriding danger becomes apparent that threatens the whole fabric of society and they must work together to combat it.

Stroud's fantasy world is familiar, yet fascinatingly different. It's almost Victorian London, yet Magicians hold overall power and inhabit parliament. The writing is captivating, the story intelligent and mesmerising. It's difficult to imagine a more scintillating collection of characters and situations. Unmissable. (Recommended for ages 10 and over.) --John McLay

From the Back Cover
JONATHAN STROUD

The Amulet of Samarkand

THE BARTIMAEUS TRILOGY

A young magician's apprentice, Nathaniel, secretly summons the irascible 5,000-year-old djinni, Bartimaeus, to do his bidding. The task is not an easy one - he must steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand from Simon Lovelace, a master magician of unrivalled ruthlessness and ambition. Before long, Bartimaeus and Nathaniel are caught up in a terrifying flood of magical intrigue, rebellion and murder.

JONATHAN STROUD was born in 1970 and lives in St ALbans, Hertfordshire, with his wife and small daughter. As well as the Bartimaeus Trilogy, he is the author of Buried Fire, The Leap and The Last Siege.

About the Author
Jonathan Stroud went to York University and afterwards worked in publishing as an editor. Married to a designer, he now devotes his whole time to writing.

Customer Reviews

Not just for kids!
My mum bought me this book at Christmas after one of her work collegues recommended it. Unfortunately my first reaction on seeing it was "oh no, not again", as I have the pleasure of working in a bookshop and have handled so many copies of the book that I almost resented it.

However. I then began to read it and immediately regretted ever having a negative thought.

This is an absolutely fantastic book. Nathaniel and Bartimaeus are such well formed characters, and, despite being complete opposites of each other, mesh together amazingly well. The plot does not waver once throughout and you feel yourself becoming drawn right into it, a quality which is a must for me. Perhaps one of the most intriguing parts of the plot is that the government is made up entirely of magicians...Themes within the book range from family, love and politics to name but a few. The author allows you to use your imagination which his fantastic descriptions of each character + setting used without overdoing it as many have before. I particularly enjoyed the style in which the author wrote, using first person + amusing footnotes for the character of Bartimaeus and using third person for Nathaniel.

This book is unique and is a must for people of all ages (I'm a mere 18!), if you love Harry Potter, you shall perhaps love this even more.

Innovative plot, masterful writing
The Amulet of Samarkand is the first in Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus Trilogy - Bartimaeus being half of the focus of the book and a highly sarcastic djinni.

The other half is the young apprentice magician, Nathaniel, coming of age in an alternative-reality London. The book's focus is his quest to right the wrongs done to him in his short life and moves on to his fight against the tangled plot to overthrow government.

The book is based in and around Stroud's London - a very similar place to the London we all know, except that Stroud's Parliament is run by magicians who take their powers exclusively from demon-kind summoned from the Other Place. Bartimaeus is one of those, a djinni summoned by Nathaniel.

Stroud's work is really exceptional stuff. It has the easy-readability of Harry Potter and a fast-paced, entertaining style all it's own that makes it great for kids and adults alike. The book is split into two distinct methods of telling the tale, a traditional narrative and the first-person story told by Nathaniel's conjured djinni, the hilarious Bartimaeus himself.

This is not the type of book I would usually pick up, but as it was a Christmas present I felt obliged to read it. I am very pleased that I did, as I found the djinni's ramblings about his antics throughout the ages (he often takes the form of one of his favourite masters, Ptolemy) frankly hilarious and Nathaniel a likeable enough character. Above all this is all completely original stuff, well told and truly entertaining. And that's what I liked best.

This should appeal to kids and adults, to those who are into fiction and fantasy alike. I can't wait for the second part, but I am pleased that the first is a self-contained story in it's own right. Superb and well worth the price.

Absolutely brilliant!
There has been a lot of hype surrounding this book and when I opened it, I have to admit I was a little cynical; it was hard to read it without constantly analysing "Is this book really worth £2 million?" But soon I stopped caring. The book had me gripped from start to finish. Cleverly structured, it alternates between the first-person viewpoint of a djinni and Nathaniel, a young magician who sets out to take revenge on Simon Lovelace. The characters are brilliantly drawn and by setting up a conflict between Nathaniel and Lovelace, the author sets the stage for a wonderful battle of mighty opposites...

In terms of imagination, this book far outstrips Harry Potter. I recognised some of the magical background in the novel, having read the odd text myself out of interest, and one senses that the author did plenty of careful research - the result is that, though the book is a fantasy, there is a sense of versimilitude and even in its wierdest moments it remains convincing. In terms of character depth and insight, I thought this surpassed HP5; Nathaniel is a far more convincing angry adolescent than HP.

Above all, the author has an elegant, seductive, intelligent prose style. Maybe this isn't as amazing as Pullman, but it comes close and I cannot wait to read the rest of the triology.
This book deserves the hype!