What Is This Book?

Title: The Amulet of Samarkand

Author: Jonathan Stroud

Publisher: Miramax Books

First Sentence : "The temperature of the room dropped fast."

Main Character(s): Nathaniel, Bartimaeus

Favourite Quote: "One magician demanded I show him the love of his life. I rustled up a mirror."

Age Recommended: I would say at least 13+, but I would say even older, because it's hard to get into for younger kids.

Genre: Fantasy, maybe supernatural.   

Summary: Nathaniel is eleven years old and a magician's apprentice, learning the traditional arts of magic. All is well until he has a life-changing encounter with Simon Lovelace, a magician of unrivaled ruthelssness and ambition. When Lovelace brutally humiliates Nathaniel in public, Nathaniel decides to speed up his education, teaching himself spells way beyond his years. With revenge on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all and summons Bartimaeus, a five-thousand-year-old djinni, to assist him. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal Lovelace's greatest treasure, he finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, and rebellion. 

My Review

The Plot: The plot is wonderful and creative, but it can bore some people. I have tried reading this book almost every year but only this year did I find it enjoyable, so I think only older kids would enjoy it.  

The Characters: Nathaniel was very life-like; instead of becoming a false super-human and being brave like we think people should be, he acted how most people do...terrified. And Bartimaeus is one of my favourite characters of all time - his wit was amazing, and everytime he opened his mouth I laughed. 

The Writing Style: The chapters alternated between Nathaniel and Bartimaeus: Nathaniel's story was written in third person, and Bartimaeus' was written in first person (filled with witty footnotes), and I liked it, but some people may get confused. 

My Rating: 8.5/10

So, Should I Read It?: Yes, but only if you're old enough to thoroughly enjoy it.