A while ago, I read about the young adult fantasy book The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud, the first volume in his Bartimaeus Trilogy. I finally received the novel for Christmas and dived into it earlier in the new year. The book begins by describing the fate of Nicholas, a boy whose parents sell him to be reared and trained as a magician. As you can tell, the magicians rule this society, although the history and countries are similar to our own. Nicholas lives in Britain, the most powerful country in the world due to its adoption of modern ways and the leadership of its powerful Prime Minister (who is a magician – all the government leaders are magicians).
After a period of homesickness, Nicholas adjusts to his apprenticeship to a curmudgeonly old magician with minimal talent and little liking for his young ward. Nicholas grows resentful and power hungry. He is also quite intelligent and adept at practicing magic. At the age of 11 (young for a magician) he decides to embarrass his guardian by summoning a demon named Bartimaeus and forcing Bartimaeus to steal a valuable amulet (the Amulet of Samarkand) from his guardian’s rival, a very powerful magician.
Bartimaeus is a demon (although they prefer to be called djinns and find the term demon very insulting). Bartimaeus, like all demons, is required to do his summoner’s bidding (as long as the summoner did the magic correctly). Bartimaeus is quite a humorous character with plenty of snide commentary and explanations about the difference between the demon and the human dimensions. Bartimaeus has also lived through centuries of human time, and has been present at many significant historic events that he relates to Nicholas and the reader.
With the stealing of the amulet, various hi-jinks, chases, power struggles, thievery, and other misadventures occur, with Nicholas eventually saving the magician world and being lauded by the magical elite.
I enjoyed The Amulet of Samarkand so much that I immediately went out and purchased the second volume in the trilogy, The Golem’s Eye. This book takes place several months after the end of the first book. The Amulet of Samarkand hints at some of the social differences between the magicians and the non-magicians in this society; in The Golem’s Eye, this conflict is magnified. We are introduced to a young girl named Kitty who has a genetic resistance to magic. A magician also attacks she and her friend, causing Kitty to have a fierce resentment toward all magicians. She joins an underground resistance movement fighting against the magicians.
Nicholas is also back in The Golem’s Eye, only now he is no longer a lowly apprentice but a junior minister in the government. He is charged with trying to stop terrorist attacks on various London landmarks, attacks that the government suspects the resistance movement of leading. Of course, Nicholas calls on his old helper Bartimaeus to assist him in discovering the perpetrator of these attacks. Again, more hi-jinks and adventures ensue.
After the second book, I needed a break from the series but I plan on purchasing and reading the third volume soon as I enjoyed them so thoroughly. My only complaint is that Nicholas is so unlikeable. He is a snotty little egotistical nit who has almost no redeeming characteristics. On the other hand, Bartimaeus is extremely humorous and has many asides directed to the reader to make you chuckle. The writing is smooth and well-done, although it is geared for a young adult audience. But even so, the books were extremely enjoyable to me as an adult. I highly recommend them for pleasurable reads.
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