The Amulet of Samarkand
Miramax Books, Hyperion, 2004
Fantasy
ISBN: 0786852550
462 pages
Synopsis
Nathaniel is a magician’s apprentice, taking his first lessons in the arts of magic. But when a devious hot-shot wizard named Simon Lovelace ruthlessly humiliates Nathaniel in front of his elders, Nathaniel decides to kick up his education a few notches and show Lovelace who’s boss. With revenge on his mind, he summons the powerful djinni, Bartimaeus. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal Lovelace’s greatest treasure, the Amulet of Samarkand, he finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, and rebellion.
Critique
I know that this trilogy is regarded as among the best in the business as far as young adult magic books are concerned, and I will admit that it is fairly unique and creates an interesting magical world, albeit closer to true Wiccan or demonic magic than the lighter Harry Potter or Septimus Heap are willing to take on. However, I find myself having an incredibly difficult time getting through the thick prose (and even the clever and fun subnotes written at the bottom) in order to get to the real meat of the story. Barteimaeus and Nathaniel are both great characters, and Bartimeaus is especially fun because even though he’s not the biggest or most powerful demon, he’s certainly clever, and reminds me a lot of Aladdin, which is a character type we could use more of, especially lately since most of our modern heroes seem to be reluctant at best, and are usually petulant and whiney. How boring is that?
Anyway, all that said, the trilogy lives up to all the hype, but I don’t find myself enjoying the read as much as I would anticipate. I recommend this trilogy, but with the caveat that you may find yourself in the same position, wading through the prose in the attempt of getting lost in a fun story.
The other books in this trilogy are The Golem’s Eye (book 2) and Ptolemy’s Gate (book 3).
Rating Rubric
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For the Classroom
Since this text operates in a parallel world with separate cultures, societal issues, natural laws and histories than our own, there’s not much to use as a classroom companion. There are references to actual historical events, but they’re proffered through the lenses of magical influences.
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