The Bartimaeus Trilogy: The Amulet of Samarkand
Summary: 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
Review:
A very interesting and entertaining
read. Bartimaeus is an unforgettable character and very witty. Well done
Jonathan Stroud for a well invented young adult, fantasy novel. I ended
up enjoying this book more than I thought I would.
When I first started reading, the pace was a bit...well, I guess scattered is the best way to put it. But Stroud quickly picks up the pieces and creates a unique and thorough environment and story. The book is written in two styles. The first is first person with Bartimaeus. He is a djinn with quick wit and lots of random thoughts (which the author even added as footnotes). The other is third person and focuses on Nathaniel. He is a magician's apprentice who summons Bartimaeus for a small case of revenge.
The story bounces between these two as the adventure moves along and a little game of revenge gets to be so much more than either thought it could. Bartimaeus starts off warning the boy early on that he was over his head...what an understatement. Or is it? Truly a good read . The dialogue is playful and well-written. The city is realistic and easy to imagine. And the characters are illustriously written.
When I first started reading, the pace was a bit...well, I guess scattered is the best way to put it. But Stroud quickly picks up the pieces and creates a unique and thorough environment and story. The book is written in two styles. The first is first person with Bartimaeus. He is a djinn with quick wit and lots of random thoughts (which the author even added as footnotes). The other is third person and focuses on Nathaniel. He is a magician's apprentice who summons Bartimaeus for a small case of revenge.
The story bounces between these two as the adventure moves along and a little game of revenge gets to be so much more than either thought it could. Bartimaeus starts off warning the boy early on that he was over his head...what an understatement. Or is it? Truly a good read . The dialogue is playful and well-written. The city is realistic and easy to imagine. And the characters are illustriously written.
I tried this set out, and while it did keep me reading until the end of the series, I wasn't overly impressed with it. It's interesting to read another person's perspective on it :)
ReplyDeleteI loved the first book but the appeal does fade slightly with each book. But I love Bartimaeus so much!
DeleteThere aren't nearly enough people who know about this series, and I am happy to find someone who loved it like I did. I love MG, and I ran across this series at the library one day. I brought it home and finished them all in a weekend. Truly fantastic writing and a great story with great characters. I think I am going to have to go back and reread these!
ReplyDeleteI started with a library copy too but then had to go buy the books :)
DeleteGreat review :)
ReplyDeleteI have been interested in this series for a while. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDelete