The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1) | 
|  | | | Title: | The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1) | | Author: | Jonathan Stroud | | Publisher: | Miramax | | Type: | Book / Paperback | | Publication Date: | 12 May, 2004 | | ISBN / ISBN-13: | 0786852550 / 9780786852550 | | List Price: | $8.99 | | Amazon Price: | $8.99 | |
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| Editorial Review / Publisher's Information:
Product Description
Nathaniel is a magician's apprentice, taking his first lessons in the arts of magic. But when a devious hot-shot wizard named Simon Lovelace ruthlessly humiliates Nathaniel in front of his elders, Nathaniel decides to kick up his education a few notches and show Lovelace who's boss. With revenge on his mind, he summons the powerful djinni, Bartimaeus. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal Lovelace's greatest treasure, the Amulet of Samarkand, he finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, and rebellion.
Amazon.com Review
Nathaniel is a boy magician-in-training, sold to the government by his birth parents at the age of five and sent to live as an apprentice to a master. Powerful magicians rule Britain, and its empire, and Nathaniel is told his is the "ultimate sacrifice" for a "noble destiny." If leaving his parents and erasing his past life isn't tough enough, Nathaniel's master, Arthur Underwood, is a cold, condescending, and cruel middle-ranking magician in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The boy's only saving grace is the master's wife, Martha Underwood, who shows him genuine affection that he rewards with fierce devotion. Nathaniel gets along tolerably well over the years in the Underwood household until the summer before his eleventh birthday. Everything changes when he is publicly humiliated by the ruthless magician Simon Lovelace and betrayed by his cowardly master who does not defend him. Nathaniel vows revenge. In a Faustian fever, he devours magical texts and hones his magic skills, all the while trying to appear subservient to his master. When he musters the strength to summon the 5,000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus to avenge Lovelace by stealing the powerful Amulet of Samarkand, the boy magician plunges into a situation more dangerous and deadly than anything he could ever imagine. In British author Jonathan Stroud's excellent novel, the first of The Bartimaeus Trilogy, the story switches back and forth from Bartimaeus's first-person point of view to third-person narrative about Nathaniel. Here's the best part: Bartimaeus is absolutely hilarious, with a wit that snaps, crackles, and pops. His dryly sarcastic, irreverent asides spill out into copious footnotes that no one in his or her right mind would skip over. A sophisticated, suspenseful, brilliantly crafted, dead-funny book that will leave readers anxious for more. (Ages 11 to adult) --Karin Snelson
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Customer Reviews:
• Good Enough 23 July, 2008
This wasn't the best book that I have ever read, but it wasn't bad. The use of footnotes is annoying after the first few. I don't agree with the other reviewers that say this is better than the Harry Potter series. I feel that the HP characters were much more developed and much easier to care about and feel like we know them. Unlike a lot of reviewers, I actually did like Nathanial, and could understand his motives, but he still wasn't that well developed. I did not like Kitty however, and even in the 2nd and 3rd books, never feel a connection to her. It is an okay read if you LOVE fantasy and LOVED the Harry Potter books (although it is a very different story, and I have to give credit to Stroud for that, because I had initially thought that 'young wizard in London' would be a HP knock-off, but it's not.) But if you love stories about magic mixed with the everyday world, you will probably enjoy this series as a light read. I did think Bartimaeus was rather funny.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A3O1C2AMUKS0P9
• An Excellent Adventure. 16 September, 2008
At one of my summer camps I had noticed a young lady of 12 reading this book, during lunch. I make a habit of asking the children about camp; what they like most, and least - that sort of thing, for the sake of improving what, honestly, is very difficult, camp is that good. I asked about the book she was reading, and she provided the nicest positive thoughts: about the characters, the story, etc. Being a fan of this genre of book I decided, as a result of her recommendation, to read the book. Wow! Never underestimate children. Wow! A very excellent adventure indeed. No need for me to reveal any of it as the other reviewers have already accomplished that. True, there are demons, magicians, and ordinary people, a variety of good and bad. That's similar to what is real in this world of ours. Good usually wins - I like that. Mr. Stroud did good too.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A23E9QQHJLNGUI
• Amulet Of Samarkand 24 September, 2008
Phenomenal read! Very, very easy to get through. Superbly written. Kind of like an evil version of the Harry Potter world... except, well, not. I loved it. Proof that not all must be roses and fluff to be wonderful and magic! This book was part of a series that I just couldn't put down. Highly recommended when you want something entertaining and consuming with lots of Djinn.
- Reviewed by customer ID: AIHJ5YEZCYRN4
• Bartimaeus: No Age Restriction 25 August, 2008
Like some other series, Bartimaeus is not simply for the younger generation. A wonderful and addictive read, I found many sleep deprived nights to be a symptom. Not of the horror within the book, but because I couldn't put it down! I had to read just one more chapter; and then another, and so on.
I'll put it this way: I bought all three books less than a month ago. I'm finishing up the last book, as I write this. As much as I need more sleep than I've been allowing myself, I wish there were more to come!
Highly recommend to anyone from 10 years old, to a few decades, too!
- Reviewed by customer ID: A7YW6W9O6MQUW
• Good Storytelling, But Not Appropriate For Children. 06 September, 2008
If parents are worried about Harry Potter's occultish undertones, they should not let their children near this book. It's basically about summoning demons.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A2VAO5QO3B9H11
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