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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
Watch where you leave your victims! I stubbed my toe on that.
After reading Percy Jackson this book just didn't have the same kind of "can't put it down" effect. I hope book 2 of the trilogy is more exciting.
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The .5 is for the humor. It's a fun book, if you turn off your brain. The two star is because it was ok - not the worst book I've ever read, but I did want to dnf it about a quarter of the way in.
Funny in parts, easy to read and follow (switches pov but it's very clear when it does), and despite being part of a series, it wraps up at the end, no cliffhangers, which I appreciate.
However, everything else about this book was mid.
Magicians look down on commoners and don't see them as real people. The commoners who are fighting back are part of the Resistance and magicians hate their guts. You'd think, the mmc being downtrodden and abused by these very magicians, he'd see their side and understand why they're fighting back, since he's also oppressed in his own way.
Yet as soon as he gains any bit of power, he becomes just as arrogant as the magicians. There's no character arc, either - he is exactly the way he was at the beginning of the story, except possibly worse.
I don't want to give anything away, so read this with caution - I don't think it'll spoil anything but if you want zero information, don't read this:
at the end of the book, after fighting against powerful magic, he more or less becomes a magician in his own right (he's already a magician's apprentice the entire book, he's still one by the end. But has displayed his power and people are starting to realize he's a formidable force), and having gained the status and respect, having gained some authority and power with which he can implement change...
you'd think he'd want to change things from the inside out, right? The entire book talks about how corrupt and shallow and two-faced and untrustworthy magicians are, how they're basically the scum of the earth while they go about treating everyone <I>else</I> like the scum of the earth...Nathaniel sees this, he knows this, and yet the change he's going to pursue is...stomping down the Resistance, and cracking down on the lowlife commoners. He is in full support of the corrupt government and their corrupt magicians - is even being taught by one of them throughout the entire book, all the way up to the end.
He just goes along with it when it suits his purposes. As soon as he gets a taste of what it's like, he doesn't want to give it up or change the status quo.
Which I get, because even adults have a hard time with this, and Nathaniel is TWELVE. Which brings me to my next complaint.
Another problem I have: you're telling me I'm supposed to think a twelve-year-old could pull off stunts like these? Mostly without the help of his side-demon (sorry, *djinn)? Yeah right.
I wish he'd been a little bit older. I know the story is about magic, so if I can suspend my disbelief with magic why can't I suspend my disbelief with age? Because every other aspect of this book is supposed to be realistic - set in London, with cars, there's a day cycle, weather, humans, etc. If you add a fantastical element to the story, that doesn't mean you can throw out gravity and say "magicians lived in modern-day London except they floated because gravity doesn't exist". There has to be SOME rules to this world, and 12-year-olds are 12-year-olds no matter what fantasy elements you decide to include in your story.
Another complaint: I don't think it had an editor. Two instances in the book where it says "so-and-so speeded up". It's "sped", not speeded. Another part where the word "banknotes" was hyphenated incorrectly. It appeared at the end of the page, and usually would look like this:
Funny in parts, easy to read and follow (switches pov but it's very clear when it does), and despite being part of a series, it wraps up at the end, no cliffhangers, which I appreciate.
However, everything else about this book was mid.
Magicians look down on commoners and don't see them as real people. The commoners who are fighting back are part of the Resistance and magicians hate their guts. You'd think, the mmc being downtrodden and abused by these very magicians, he'd see their side and understand why they're fighting back, since he's also oppressed in his own way.
Yet as soon as he gains any bit of power, he becomes just as arrogant as the magicians. There's no character arc, either - he is exactly the way he was at the beginning of the story, except possibly worse.
I don't want to give anything away, so read this with caution - I don't think it'll spoil anything but if you want zero information, don't read this:
you'd think he'd want to change things from the inside out, right? The entire book talks about how corrupt and shallow and two-faced and untrustworthy magicians are, how they're basically the scum of the earth while they go about treating everyone <I>else</I> like the scum of the earth...Nathaniel sees this, he knows this, and yet the change he's going to pursue is...stomping down the Resistance, and cracking down on the lowlife commoners. He is in full support of the corrupt government and their corrupt magicians - is even being taught by one of them throughout the entire book, all the way up to the end.
He just goes along with it when it suits his purposes. As soon as he gets a taste of what it's like, he doesn't want to give it up or change the status quo.
Which I get, because even adults have a hard time with this, and Nathaniel is TWELVE. Which brings me to my next complaint.
Another problem I have: you're telling me I'm supposed to think a twelve-year-old could pull off stunts like these? Mostly without the help of his side-demon (sorry, *djinn)? Yeah right.
I wish he'd been a little bit older. I know the story is about magic, so if I can suspend my disbelief with magic why can't I suspend my disbelief with age? Because every other aspect of this book is supposed to be realistic - set in London, with cars, there's a day cycle, weather, humans, etc. If you add a fantastical element to the story, that doesn't mean you can throw out gravity and say "magicians lived in modern-day London except they floated because gravity doesn't exist". There has to be SOME rules to this world, and 12-year-olds are 12-year-olds no matter what fantasy elements you decide to include in your story.
Another complaint: I don't think it had an editor. Two instances in the book where it says "so-and-so speeded up". It's "sped", not speeded. Another part where the word "banknotes" was hyphenated incorrectly. It appeared at the end of the page, and usually would look like this:
He decided he would take the <b>bank-
notes</b> and flush them down the toilet.
and instead the book did this:
He decided he would take the <b>ban-
knotes</b> and flush them down the toilet.
So incorrect it causes confusion. With half the words in this book made-up, I was trying so hard to make sense of what he had just introduced to the story - "ban-knotes"? What are those. I had to reread it twice before I realized it was just an incorrect hyphenation, and they should have hired an editor.
Third example:
Third example:
The boy stepped back and released Nathaniel's shoulder.
Again, poor English. You can't step back if you're grasping someone's shoulder. Well, you <I>can</I>, it's just awkward and not the way people move. You'd release, then step back. Otherwise it's this weird, extend your arm as you step back and then let go. The only scenario I could imagine this being normal would be if it's an old person who has trouble walking without support. But this is a 12-year-old boy talking to another 12-year-old boy. The only thing that needs support in this case is the writing.
All in all, I thought the social commentary would be interesting and instead the main character seems pretty blinded by power and doesn't want to do anything with all the information he was given about the societal structure of his community. Found it all really meaningless in the end, why did you even bother telling me about it if nothing was going to change, and the person we're rooting for ends up falling for the same vices? (Which would be interesting if that was the point, or if that was part of the theme, or another commentary in and of itself...but it's not. The book doesn't make a point or a stance or anything. It's mostly the plot we're supposed to focus on, and I'm not sure why the author thought he should bring in a magician form of classism and then not change anything about it.)
It's not just classism that is mentioned and then perpetuated. It's also sexism, and it makes me wonder if the author actually isn't against it at all, just thinks that this is what society is, and should be. I assumed it was commentary, but then realized most of the powerful magicians are men, most of the characters are men (only four women are mentioned the entire book - all of whom have very secondary roles and none of whom makes any significant contributions to the plot. I don't want to spoil anything bc there's a nice plot twist at the end, but again none of the women contributes anything. If you've read the story:Amanda isn't not a woman, so what she contributes doesn't count as a woman being significant to the plot ). The women are very much side characters without any power, all at the whim of the men. The wife of the magician master is a magician herself - she says so. But she never gets invited to magicians' get togethers, she never contributes to Nathaniel's teaching, she never uses her powers. She's a magician in name only, and when her husband is invited to important events, she is invited as his plus-one. Not as a magician herself. And when he has magicians over to show off his protegy, she stays outside and asks Nathaniel how it went - so even when the get-togethers take place in her home she's not invited. And yet she's a magician.
There is also a lot of ordering her around, and she is constantly at fault for something - Nathaniel feels a sense of connection because they're both bullied and neglected by the master of the house. She is just as much a controlled character, a servant to her husband, as Nathaniel is. And yet, despite these glaringly obvious injustices, nothing is ever said or commented on about this. Does Nathaniel want to change her station in life, or change the way women are treated in the magician world? Nope. Does he want to break her out of that house and leave? Nope. He just has big dreams for himself, and will turn around and continue the cycle of oppression and uphold the societal inequities because now he benefits from it.
There's not much point including classism and sexism in your book if you're not going to talk about it, acknowledge it, point out the problems with it, etc. Otherwise you're condoning it and acting like this is just the way of the world and there's no issue with it.
side note: If you're looking for diversity, you probably won't find it here without using your imagination. There's no mention of anyone's race, other than someone's face being described as pale, and the demon transforming into an Egyptian.
Those are my thoughts, I thought I'd give the second book a shot if it had different characters, but it doesn't, and the entire premise of the second book is him tryna stop the Resistance - which is kind of a surprise. Maybe the book is old, but wow that's a horrible social commentary ("if you're oppressed, just rise to power so you can benefit off of the oppression that you used to suffer from!"). I hated all of them except for the demon, because he at the very least was incredibly honest and comfortable with how unlikeable he was - everyone else pretends they're better than what they actually are. I'll leave you with a quote that sums up more or less everyone in this book:
All in all, I thought the social commentary would be interesting and instead the main character seems pretty blinded by power and doesn't want to do anything with all the information he was given about the societal structure of his community. Found it all really meaningless in the end, why did you even bother telling me about it if nothing was going to change, and the person we're rooting for ends up falling for the same vices? (Which would be interesting if that was the point, or if that was part of the theme, or another commentary in and of itself...but it's not. The book doesn't make a point or a stance or anything. It's mostly the plot we're supposed to focus on, and I'm not sure why the author thought he should bring in a magician form of classism and then not change anything about it.)
It's not just classism that is mentioned and then perpetuated. It's also sexism, and it makes me wonder if the author actually isn't against it at all, just thinks that this is what society is, and should be. I assumed it was commentary, but then realized most of the powerful magicians are men, most of the characters are men (only four women are mentioned the entire book - all of whom have very secondary roles and none of whom makes any significant contributions to the plot. I don't want to spoil anything bc there's a nice plot twist at the end, but again none of the women contributes anything. If you've read the story:
There is also a lot of ordering her around, and she is constantly at fault for something - Nathaniel feels a sense of connection because they're both bullied and neglected by the master of the house. She is just as much a controlled character, a servant to her husband, as Nathaniel is. And yet, despite these glaringly obvious injustices, nothing is ever said or commented on about this. Does Nathaniel want to change her station in life, or change the way women are treated in the magician world? Nope. Does he want to break her out of that house and leave? Nope. He just has big dreams for himself, and will turn around and continue the cycle of oppression and uphold the societal inequities because now he benefits from it.
There's not much point including classism and sexism in your book if you're not going to talk about it, acknowledge it, point out the problems with it, etc. Otherwise you're condoning it and acting like this is just the way of the world and there's no issue with it.
side note: If you're looking for diversity, you probably won't find it here without using your imagination. There's no mention of anyone's race, other than someone's face being described as pale, and the demon transforming into an Egyptian.
Those are my thoughts, I thought I'd give the second book a shot if it had different characters, but it doesn't, and the entire premise of the second book is him tryna stop the Resistance - which is kind of a surprise. Maybe the book is old, but wow that's a horrible social commentary ("if you're oppressed, just rise to power so you can benefit off of the oppression that you used to suffer from!"). I hated all of them except for the demon, because he at the very least was incredibly honest and comfortable with how unlikeable he was - everyone else pretends they're better than what they actually are. I'll leave you with a quote that sums up more or less everyone in this book:
"You believed in the notion of the honorable magician, who takes responsibility for his actions. Mere propaganda. Such a thing does not exist. There is no honor, no nobility, no justice. Every magician acts only for himself, seizing each opportunity he can. When he is weak, he avoids danger - which is why second-raters plod away within the system."
This book was probably the most sarcastic book I've ever read. it was very funny and the little comments in the footnotes really made this book unique. The actual story line was also very good and quite original. I love these books and would reread them
Reread: as hilarious as I remembered. Stroud is excellent at setting his books in the normal world but with a twist.
Reread: as hilarious as I remembered. Stroud is excellent at setting his books in the normal world but with a twist.
This book was a quick, light-hearted read for me. While Nathaniel grated on me to no end, I had loads of fun with Bartimaeus. To be honest, I don't remember very much about this book as I read it in a flu-ridden stupor in bed, but I do remember laughing a lot. And the only drugs I took were amoxicyllin so I'm pretty sure it's actually a funny book.
Bartimaeus, the saucy genderfluid main character we all deserved.
'The Amulet of Samarkand', part one of the Bartimaeus Trilogy, is a fun teen thriller! Although this is an alternative London with magicians ruling the country through enslaved magical beings, this book reminded me of the traditional stories of Charles Dickens - cruelly used orphans, many mean horrible adults especially those responsible for our hero's education, and gangs of street kids living in unforgivable poverty. The story doesn't mention what year it takes place, but it might be in the late 1950's or 1960's, or later I suppose (there is mention of the Crystal Palace radio tower and there are cars).
Nathaniel was taken from his parents when he was five years old and given to Arthur Underwood, Junior Minister in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and his wife Martha, as an apprentice to learn the magic spells which control a variety of magical beings. As usual in these situations, Nathaniel's training in how to summon and control 'demons' (they are not really demons, but they seem to be like the beings in Middle-Eastern fairy tales and legends) is by a second-rate master who little cares for him. Underwood speaks of Nathaniel as an 'it'. Martha, on the other hand, is kind, and she becomes the only person he loves.
Regardless of Martha's affection, Nathaniel is a very mean and angry kid by the time he is twelve years old. He is intent on vengeance because the other magicians mistreat and humiliate him as if he were a 'commoner', the worst thing in London society to be. Because he reads from Underwood's library of magic books on his own, he is a much stronger magician than anyone suspects. The first step in his revenge is to discover what weaknesses and secrets the magician Simon Lovelace, who humiliated him most, possesses, which he does by creating a scrying glass with a captured and enslaved baby imp he imprisons inside of a mirror.
After spying on Lovelace through the service of the imp, he next calls out and enslaves the powerful Djinni Bartimaeus from his dimension to serve him by stealing the Amulet of Samarkand. Nathaniel has discovered that this Amulet, now in Lovelace's hands, is so important to Lovelace that he ordered his djinni to murder its original owner to steal it for himself. Even though cruelty is normal for magicians, murder is still frowned on. Something big is being planned by Lovelace, and Nathaniel is going to uncover the mystery, hopefully resulting in something with which Nathaniel can get payback.
Bartimaeus narrates alternate chapters with Nathaniel throughout the novel, and unlike the morose angry young boy, Bartimaeus is full of snark and sarcastic jokes. He is indeed a powerful magic creature able to change his appearance from a fly to a young boy, and he has been alive for millennia. Mankind seems like a very stupid vicious race to him, but now Nathaniel has bound him to service and he reluctantly carries out Nathaniel's commands.
'The Amulet of Samarkand' is very enjoyable and entertaining to read, gentle reader! I highly recommend it. It has intense scenes of violence, though not graphic, but deaths occur to people along the way. Nathaniel does not appear to be a nice person, which is understandable given the upbringing he has had, and what is expected of him when he grows up, but Bartimaeus certainly is an engaging and fun entity! The book can be read as a standalone, but there are a few hints there is more to come.
Nathaniel was taken from his parents when he was five years old and given to Arthur Underwood, Junior Minister in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and his wife Martha, as an apprentice to learn the magic spells which control a variety of magical beings. As usual in these situations, Nathaniel's training in how to summon and control 'demons' (they are not really demons, but they seem to be like the beings in Middle-Eastern fairy tales and legends) is by a second-rate master who little cares for him. Underwood speaks of Nathaniel as an 'it'. Martha, on the other hand, is kind, and she becomes the only person he loves.
Regardless of Martha's affection, Nathaniel is a very mean and angry kid by the time he is twelve years old. He is intent on vengeance because the other magicians mistreat and humiliate him as if he were a 'commoner', the worst thing in London society to be. Because he reads from Underwood's library of magic books on his own, he is a much stronger magician than anyone suspects. The first step in his revenge is to discover what weaknesses and secrets the magician Simon Lovelace, who humiliated him most, possesses, which he does by creating a scrying glass with a captured and enslaved baby imp he imprisons inside of a mirror.
After spying on Lovelace through the service of the imp, he next calls out and enslaves the powerful Djinni Bartimaeus from his dimension to serve him by stealing the Amulet of Samarkand. Nathaniel has discovered that this Amulet, now in Lovelace's hands, is so important to Lovelace that he ordered his djinni to murder its original owner to steal it for himself. Even though cruelty is normal for magicians, murder is still frowned on. Something big is being planned by Lovelace, and Nathaniel is going to uncover the mystery, hopefully resulting in something with which Nathaniel can get payback.
Bartimaeus narrates alternate chapters with Nathaniel throughout the novel, and unlike the morose angry young boy, Bartimaeus is full of snark and sarcastic jokes. He is indeed a powerful magic creature able to change his appearance from a fly to a young boy, and he has been alive for millennia. Mankind seems like a very stupid vicious race to him, but now Nathaniel has bound him to service and he reluctantly carries out Nathaniel's commands.
'The Amulet of Samarkand' is very enjoyable and entertaining to read, gentle reader! I highly recommend it. It has intense scenes of violence, though not graphic, but deaths occur to people along the way. Nathaniel does not appear to be a nice person, which is understandable given the upbringing he has had, and what is expected of him when he grows up, but Bartimaeus certainly is an engaging and fun entity! The book can be read as a standalone, but there are a few hints there is more to come.