The Amulet of Samarkand
By Jonathan Stroud
Published by Doubleday
ISBN 0 385 60599 4 / 978 0552550291
Tagline: gripping & electrifying fantasy thriller for all ages
What's it about?
We are somewhere that feels familar, but isn't quite. The U.K. is, in fact, governed by magicians instead of politicians. Underwood is a minor magician in the Houses of Parliament and the time has come for him to take on an apprentice. The powers-that-be assign a young boy called Nathaniel to Underwood's care, but Nathaniel isn't your ordinary apprentice who bows and scrapes to his boss. Nathaniel has his own agenda, spending every waking moment cramming as much magic as he can into his head so he can use it later for his own purposes. One day, a magician called Simon Lovelace crosses Nathaniel, and this sets the boy off on a path of revenge that will lead right to the top of government. Nathaniel conjures up a djinn called Bartimaeus to help him destroy Lovelace, but things don't go as Nathaniel plans and soon boy and djinn are entangled in dangerous mayhem they can't control.
Is it any good?
THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND is the first book of THE BARTIMAEUS TRILOGY, a witty and classy tale of a young boy training to become a magician. But comparisons with any other series about a boy and magic stop before they start. AMULET is a fresh and streamlined mix of mayhem and magic that is confidently its own box of tricks. Stroud effortlessly builds up an intriguing backgound and lets his story rattle along at breakneck pace. He cleverly divides the narative into alternate chapters telling the story from the different points of view of the two main charcacters, a boy who is not quite to be trusted and a wise-cracking djinn who is resentful at being called into service. THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND is an intelligent and mesmerising novel of the hightest order. And there are already two more adventures to enjoy when you've been gripped by this one. Wonderful!
