Book Reviews of The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Bk 1)

First in the Bartimaeus fantasy trilogy. Story of a London ruled by magicians, where 'commoners' (non-magic folk) are despised, and magicians are all-powerful. Political intrigue abounds around the story of one twelve-year-old apprentice magician, Nathaniel, and the demon he summons, Bartimaeus. Having devoured every book in his master's study and being far beyond what a magician of his age should be, Nathaniel gets cocky and makes a big mistake that twists his life into channels he never dreamed of. Excellent story, well-written, and very enjoyable. I know some folks weren’t crazy about the footnotes (which add some dry humor to the story) but I loved 'em!

The story was ok, in my opinion. Nothing wonderful or original, but amusing.

However. The footnotes. They completely ruined the flow of reading. Just when I got started, there was a footnote to distract me and throw me off my reading rhythm. While the data was amusing and did add, in a very slight manner, to the story, it was very poorly executed.

Good fantasy book, more for the younger people but I love them all. This is not one I can read over and over but still a good book.

My cover is different.

This book is told from two points of view, depending on the chapter. The two main characters, Bartimaeus (a demon) and Nathaniel (human), foil each other. Bartimaeus is comical while Nathaniel is serious. With Nathaniel's need for revenge, Bartimaeus is summoned to help Nathaniel get his revenge.

I enjoyed this fantasy featuring the djinii Bartimaeus. I liked his footnote asides and his trying to fulfill his missions without getting caught. I look forward to reading the next book in the series, The Golem's Eye.

Great story, but why, oh why, do all villians have to stop just before the climax of their diabolical schemes to destroy everything that matters, to chit-chat with the supposedly helpless hero? Must be something faulty in their schooling.

I absolutely LOVE this series, and highly recommend it for older kids and adults alike :).

Very good read.

nathan is 11 years old and a magician's apprentic, learning the traditional art of magic. All is well until he has a life changing run in with Simon Lovelace, a magician with unrivaled ruthlessness and ambition. When Lovelace publicly humiliates Nathaniel, he decides to speed up his education, learning spells way beyond his years.

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