Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant
Review: Absolutly wonderful, the mytic and style of Harry potter with a more poitical twist , also mixing some david eddings into it, I Loved it absolutly wonderful read, can't wait for the 2nd book
Rating: 
Summary: Delightful Fantasy Adventure
Review: I read this book as a pre-pub and haven't stopped talking about it since. If you are looking for a book that has some of the charm of the Harry Potter series and some of the wonder of the Pullman (His Dark Materials) series you could do no better than this book. It offers readers (young and old) a very refreshing bit of fantasy mixed with a liberal dose of humor. The first character you meet is a deliciously dramatic dijin named Bartimaeus. His "take" on events is delightful (and occasionally disgruntled) and offers a very nice contrast with the "human" voice. I highly recommend this book. I look forward to the future installments.
Rating:
Summary: A STUNNING READ; knocks Harry Potter into a cocked hat
Review: "The sulphur cloud contracted into a thick column of smoke that vomited forth thin tendrils ... There was a barely perceptible pause. Then two yellow staring eyes materialized in the heart of the smoke.Hey, it was his first time. I wanted to scare him." The 5,000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus resents being under the power of human magicians, especially when the one who summons him is a mere stripling of a boy. Bartimaeus expects to have to do nothing more taxing than a few simple illusions for Nathaniel But Nathaniel has talent way beyond his years and has something considerably more dangerous in mind: revenge against a magician who made him look a fool. Nathaniel sends Bartimaeus off to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand from Simon Lovelace, a master magician of unrivalled ruthlessness and ambition who will do ANYTHING to achieve his ends. And so both djinni and apprentice boy wizard are soon caught up in a terrifying flood of magical intrigue, murder and rebellion that makes for a thrilling read for fantasy-lovers of all ages. The excerpt starting this review comes on the second page, and the whole of the first page is descriptive, much like the first paragraph of the excerpt, so it's only when you read the last sentence that you realise this is a first-person account. It's an electrifying introduction to Bartimaeus and sets the scene for the hair-raising and hilarious things that will occur whenever the djinni is around. However, when the story moves to Nathaniel's viewpoint, Jonathan Stroud wisely adopts third person rather than trying to imitate the language of a modern young teenager. I found the change a little disconcerting at first but soon became comfortable with it. Sometimes when Stroud makes a switch in viewpoint readers are returned to the beginning of the scene they have just read, which makes for some fascinating contrasts. It's also probably why the book is rather long, though it never seems so. The Amulet of Samarkand is a stunning read (it knocks any of the Harry Potter books into a cocked hat) and I can't wait to meet Bartimaeus again. He, rather than young Nathaniel, is the "star" of Stroud's story.
Rating:
Summary: One of The Best Books In This Genre.
Review: Some of the most entertaining, original, and exciting books being published today are not by the John Grishams and the Tom Clanceys of the literary world but instead a new crop under the mantle of, "Young Adult Books". Authors like Cornelia Funke and Christopher Paolini are writing original and magical worlds that are being devoured by as many adults as young people who are looking for more beyond Harry Potter.
English writer Jonathan Stroud adds what I feel is one of the very best, including the Potter canon, with the first of a planned trilogy, 'The Amulet of Samarkand'.
Young apprentice Nathanial is frustrated by the meager teachings from his C level magician guardian. His own studies have, in his mind, already surpassed what his master knows. After a humiliating experience at the hands of a pompous colleague of his master, Nathanial plans revenge with the help of Bartimaeus, a five thousand year old djinni. Telling the story from both their perspectives as the situation careens wildly out of control, Stroud creates a wonderfully original page turner. Bartimeaus is a fanatstic character who illustrates many finer points with the help of hilarious footnotes. It's too bad the series is only a trilogy for this is a franchise I'd love to see go beyond three books.
Rating:
Summary: highly original book
Review: I'm a science fiction/fantasy fan and read books like shannara, harry potter, lord of the rings, bartimeaus, and eragon. This book was highly original in the power of magicians. It's not just like using magic to do everything and being in secret from non-magic people. the structure of it is cool because of the way it has two main charaxters and switches views. Since magicians don't actually use magic, (they summon demons and the stronger the demon, the harder he is to control so you need to be a strong magician to control strong demons) Bartimeaus is actually the one with all the power, not Nathaniel (the magician). I loved the ending of the book because of the strategic plans the main characters come up with. BOTTOM LINE-------- if you're a fantasy fan, READ THIS SERIES.
Rating:
Summary: A terrific book for older children through adults
Review: This book was given me as a present (often the best way I discover new authors.) I finished it in a span of days, despite a busy schedule. The djinni Bartimaeus is the unusual character with a witty and sarcastic take on events who- this is important- isn't always correct in his interpretation of said events. Too frequently authors use such characters to offer their own views or interject their own philosophical musings in a world of the authors' own creation, where they are, of course, correct. Bartimaeus' view is enjoyable reading, but it is a testament to the author's skill that you don't become bored or irritated when the less powerful and far more mortal Nathaniel's point of view takes over. The writing is clever, the plot moves quickly, and the characters are well drawn. I will note that while there is little by way of language or sexuality in the book (aside from moments where Bartimaeus sneeringly tells his young summoner that he should take up an interest in girls or other, healthier subjects) there is some violence, including a few deaths, which might be disturbing to very young children. Some parents might frown upon the demon-summoning themes inherent to the book, but then, some parents have their springs entirely too tightly wound.
P.S. I can't resist mentioning that I interrupted reading Robert Jordan's 10th Wheel of Time book, _Crossroads of Twilight_, to read _Amulet_... And then interrupted it again to read _Amulet_ to my wife aloud. Yes, this book is _that_ good, and Jordan's book is _that_ bad. You can find my review of that here as well.
Rating:
Summary: Calling all fantast lovers!
Review: If you're looking at this book and thinking to yourself ,"Great... another book about a child misplaced, angsty, child magician.", then I urge you to reconsider.
I read through this book fairly quickly (5 days). It is no cut-and-paste story. The characters, plot, and writing style are just about the most original and captivating I've ever read in a children's/young adult novel.
The setting is quite interesting. We aren't really told what year it is or anything, but it's pretty clear that it is a modern setting. I'm pretty sure it's actually present-day, but kind of an "alternate" present-day if you will. This isn't like the world of Harry Potter, in which the Wizards live seperately and secretly apart from the world of the Muggles. Instead we have Magicians, and believe me they aren't nearly as admirable as the Wizards in the Harry Potter world. Instead we basically have ambitious, greedy politicians. Imagine Karl Rove in a cape.
Rather than working from their own inherent powers or abilities, magicianship in the world of this book is rather like a profession. The child magicians, of which the main character (Nathaniel) is one, are in fact called Apprentices. They are sold by their parents and given a "master" to study under. These magicians learn to summon djinn from "The Other Place" to do their bidding, and derive nearly all their power from these beings, whom they have the ability to bond to their service. The interesting thing is, djinn is not a made-up concenpt in this book. The djinn are actually a part of Islamic/Arabic folklore and I've read are even mentioned in the Koran.
The kind of rule the magicians exert over the "commoners" is actually bordering on Orwellian. In fact, throughout the book I was waiting for one of them to refer to the commoners as "proles". The magicians have created the impression that they are the ones keeping the "empire" safe, and that without them, it would crumble into chaos and death.
The two main characters are Nathaniel (human child) and Bartimaeus (a millenia old djinni). The story shifts between a third-person narrative and a first-person narrative (from Bartimaeus' view). The "Bartimaeus" chapters are particularly amusing to read. Bartimaeus has a very witty, but dark, sense of humor. He often muses in footnotes about things he's done in the distant past, and about his contempt for magicians.
The actual plot of the novel is very well thought out and surprising, but I felt the core motivation of Nathaniel's actions was a bit weak. Basically, he is humiliated in his home by a particularly loathsome, snotty little magician. He then hatches a plan to summon a powerful djinni (Bartimaeus) to aid him in his revenge against this magician by stealing a powerful artifact. The plot thickens nicely as Nathaniel realizes just HOW powerful the stolen artifact in fact is, but I felt the initial motivation for his actions made Nathaniel seem too petty. But then maybe that was the intention as Nathaniel does seem a bit too concerned with "worldly" things.
Overall, a fast-paced read (but not so fast your head will spin). If you're wanting a refreshingly original fantasy story, I'd recommend this book. It is interesting to note that I haven't heart much hub-bub over the content of this book. It's got some violence, but isn't overtly gory or gruesome. What I mean is, there is specific (and frequent) mention of pentacles and other such imagery (demons, etc) that could offend some in the religious right or what have you. I just kept thinking to myself while reading "Man, if people were cheesed off by Harry Potter, why aren't they angry over this book?"
Rating:
Summary: the Begining to one of my favorite trilogies
Review: When 12-year-old Nathaniel(cough, nice name) is humiliated in public by pompous Simon Lovelace, he is determined to have revenge. Nathaniel summons Bartimaeus, a 5,000 year old djinni with a pulsing hatred for magicians, to steal the Amulet of Samarkand from Lovelace. However, the Amulet turns out to worth much more than it seems, and because of it, Bartimaeus ends up in government prison, Nathaniel's (fusturatingly stubborn/narrow-minded)master and his (much nicer)wife, Mr and Mrs Underwood, die a firey and unpleasant death when Lovelace is tipped off about the Amulet's whereabouts. When Nathaniel learns what Lovelace intends to do with the Amulet, he has no choice but to travel to Heddleham Hall with Bartimaeus in hopes of revealing his scheme...
Crafty and downright hilarious, 'The Amulet of Samarkand' is a must-read for anyone who enjoys fantasy plot-twisters.
Reading things from Barimaeus' point of view is nice, and his comidical footnotes makes the story more bearable despite Nathaniel's show-off prig of a personality(I am not saying that Nathaniel is all bad). In my book, 'The Amulet' deserves a lot more than five stars.
Rating:
Summary: The Amulet of Samarkand
Review: This book was very good. It created a whole new way of percieving magic. Also, it brings this magic to modern-day London. Stroud did not have to create another world or time. It was an amazing tale of how even the greatest government can be undirmined by those in power. A good read. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: The Amazing Magic Of London!
Review: While I realize there is a large market for these types of adventure stories employing fantasy elements, I have to say that I would not recommend this book for impressionable minds when there are alternatives that carry more of a useful message. Specifically, I was disturbed by the fact that NONE of the major characters in the tale possesssed any of the qualities that I believe are virtues to emphasize for younger readers: loyalty, empathy, justice, fairness, assisting others, self-respect.
The protagonist certainly endures more than his share of hardship, but it leaves him embittered, withdrawn, disappointed, and prone to the types of possessiveness and pride that fuel a vengeful outlook. By the end of the book he never really emerges from this perspective. He is challenged, frustrated, and abetted by a cast of characters were are even more vile and self-serving, who value nothing of life but are instead motivated by greed. The bone thrown by the book to human warmth is the fragile gratitude the youngster feels toward the bit player who feeds him. Otherwise, all is self-interest and resentment. I believe it to be a bit of nastiness to set up the tale so that the reader is asked to root for someone whose identity is so tied up in acquisitiveness and power-gambits, and who never steps out of the shadow having learned anything of greater depth.
|
