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

The first volume in the brilliant Bartimaeus Trilogy; a gripping fantasy centred on the relationship between a magician`s apprentice and a djinni, with humorous undertones of satire.

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.

Jonathan Stroud:
Jonathan Stroud was born in Bedford and grew up in St Albans. He studied at York University. He has a strong background in children's books. While writing his earlier novels, Buried Fire, The Leap and The Last Siege, he worked as an editor in a London publishing firm, editing a number of game books and non-fiction titles . Now, with the worldwide interest in the best-selling Bartimaeus trilogy, he devotes himself to writing full-time. He also travels extensively, promoting his books. Ptolemy's Gate, the last title in the Bartimaeus trilogy, has been longlisted for the Carnegie Medal.

Jonathan now lives in St Albans with his wife and small daughter, Isabelle.

2008-08-09 Some nice ideas but ultimately disappointing

Stroud's book comes with a formidable reputation, mainly on the back of its phenomenal sales; however, without wanting to be too harsh, the book is ultimately disappointing. The basic premise - young boy becomes wizard - is disturbingly familiar, not just from the Harry Potter series. The setting and back story, however, are more original: Stroud introduces us to 1984-esque world in which wizards rule over the "commoners", where its historical figures are hauntingly familiar - Gladstone and Disraeli as a pair of legendary, rival wizards. Unfortunately, the book fails at the most fundamental level. The characters of Nathaniel and Bartimaeus are poorly and two-dimensionally drawn; depth of narrative is sacrificed for frequent, dull references to magical mechanics; and the author's language frequently leaves the reader unsatisfied, with poorly managed shifts between the first and third persons. Most onerous is the author's habit of congratulating himself for flamboyant descriptions of Dickensian characters, through the figure of Bartimaeus. While this novel may be swallowed up by Stroud's target audience of young teenagers, he still falls far short of the mark set by others in this genre: Terry Pratchett, Le Guin, Neil Gaiman, Weis & Hickman are all capable of challenging and satisfying a teenager far more than this corporate clap trap.