Brought to you by Penguin. The first volume in the brilliant, bestselling Bartimaeus sequence. When the 5,000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus is summoned by Nathaniel, a young magician's apprentice, he expects to have to do nothing more taxing than a little levitation or a few simple illusions. But Nathaniel is a precocious talent and has something rather more dangerous in mind: revenge. Against his will, Bartimaeus is packed off to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand from Simon Lovelace, a master magician of unrivalled ...
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Brought to you by Penguin. The first volume in the brilliant, bestselling Bartimaeus sequence. When the 5,000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus is summoned by Nathaniel, a young magician's apprentice, he expects to have to do nothing more taxing than a little levitation or a few simple illusions. But Nathaniel is a precocious talent and has something rather more dangerous in mind: revenge. Against his will, Bartimaeus is packed off to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand from Simon Lovelace, a master magician of unrivalled ruthlessness and ambition. Before long, both djinni and apprentice are caught up in a terrifying flood of magical intrigue, murder and rebellion. Set in a modern-day London controlled by magicians, this hilarious, electrifying thriller will enthral readers of all ages. ???2007 Jonathan Stroud (P)2007 Penguin Audio
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I picked this up in the $3 bin at my local Big Lots. Let me tell you, I was a ravenous fantasy/sci fi reader in my teens about 20 years ago, and then suddenly I just quit. I was sick of the same old plots and bad writing. Since then, I've read maybe 2 books cover to cover. When I found this in the cheap bin at Big Lots, I thought it a bit dubious, but when I started reading, the old excitement of reading returned to me again!
Stroud has created a very believable universe where magic exists, but is only wielded by the demons who are enslaved by the upper class of humans, namely magicians. The main characters are well developed and have faults. Very human in character, expecially the non humans, such as Bartimaeus, one of the main characters. He's quirky, funny, and well, pretty much helpless when it comes to his situation, but his trials and tribulations make you really root for him and ultimately leads to redemption for the other characters in the book, but only after one really messy situation after another! This is definitely NOT your typical "Mary Sue" type of story. Excellent and very believable bad guys suck you into the plot quite effectively.
I definitely would recommend this whole trilogy to any fantasy fan. I've actually come to replace my paperback copies with hardback editions. I hope the next read is as enjoyable. I hear good things about Artemis Fowl. Perhaps I'll give that a try.
harryspetdonkey
Nov 16, 2008
This Book was Magical
This is by far one of the best books i've ever read (let's be honest, you just can't beat Harry Potter). It was fast paced and original. It was a wonderful storyline. It was a fantasy with just the right amount of darkness. Stroud was even able to work a little bit of romance into the whole series. I would give this book a five out of five stars.
MommaBear
Oct 23, 2007
Wow!
Kept me Interested and passed onto my son who went through it fast and is on to book two. So you know it is a great read!!!
Necromancer
Apr 3, 2007
Demons, Demons, Demons
The first books in Jonathon Stroud's Bartimaeus Trilogy is a must read. With it's realistic settings and emotional growth the book is highly recommended by many fans.
