The Amulet of Samarkand - Jonathan Stroud

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.

Published: 2003-09-30 (Hyperion/Miramax)

ISBN: 9780786818594

Language: English

Format: Hardcover, 462 pages

Goodreads' rating: -

Genres

Young Adult Fiction Fantasy Magic

Reviews

Melba rated it

Very creative, different and refreshing!I believe it was written for children, but it was a fun ride.

Ami rated it

I was given this book by my husband because I was feeling a bit overwelmed by a number of large fantasy reads I had on my TBR file. I had just read a number of "smaller" works and really enjoyed them.I was instantly captivated by this book. The begining is one of the most creative starts I've seen in a long time. I loved the humor of Bartimaeus and immediately got an impression of the character and I loved is Bravado.I found the footnotes entertaining - I know some people have been crtical of them but I found them very entertaining and while distracting I was always glad they were there. The young wizard - I thought was not as well defined as the demon - oh sorry djinni. Also I didn't think the supporting cast was very well developed (i.e his master and his wife etc). Even so I found the plot well constructed and the pace good and all in all it was a very enjoyable read.I read this in just a few days a good indication to me that it was well written with a good plot and characters. I highly recommnd this book especially to those who enjoy fantasy novels.

Tris rated it

I love this book! A djinn with an attitude (who had me constantly chuckling to myself), and a boy bent on revenge. Great characters, fast-paced action, fully-realized world with a cool magic system, what more could you want?What I appreciate most, though, is that the characters face real danger. None of that false suspense -- you know, like the ones you see on movies/television like Prison Break. Apologies for the fans, but it really irked me whenever Michael Scofield is in the tunnel and the guard is approaching his cell to check on the prisoners and it seems like Michael is gonna get caught, but then he miraculously materialized under his blanket! Well, you won't find any of that nonsense here! In this book, when you do something dangerous, you're gonna face the consequences. This, of course, open doors to deliciously unexpected plot twists that keeps you reading until the dead of night.Bought from Amazon, 14 Nov 07