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

The Amulet of Samarkand (Bartimaeus Trilogy, Bk 1)
goddesslovingbookworm avatar reviewed on + 170 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2


I enjoy much young adult fiction simply for escapism, especially fantasy fiction that is well-written. This is the start of a trilogy that I will certainly complete; I do however have a caveat--one of the characters enjoys talking to the reader. This is done by the use of footnotes. About halfway through the book, I became more used to the idea, but it is still rather off-putting and I wonder how children reading the books will feel about the breaks in the storyline these footnotes cause.

There are several moral dilemmas presented in this alternate world and many "gray" areas--who is truly good and who is truly evil? Hopefully the rest of the trilogy will address these issues more clearly. Unlike some trilogies, this book ends in such a way that it could stand alone; if I were reading it with children or grandchildren, it probably would (at least until I pre-read the other two volumes)...there are definitely other series I would share with children before I would share this one.