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scaifea 's review for:
The Amulet of Samarkand
by Jonathan Stroud
Nathaniel is an apprentice magician who summons a djinni before he's technically allowed and *way* before he should be able to do so, skill-wise, but he's precocious and cocky and hell-bent on revenge. Bartimaeus is the irritable, summoned djinni, who does as he's ordered but chafes under the command of a 12-year-old boy. The narrative switches between the two, and from both viewpoints the story of the apprentice's stumbling plan for revenge-cum-saving-the-country-from-a-magical-coup unfolds.
The alternate London (one openly governed by wizards) and the intertwining stories of Nathaniel's dissatisfaction with his lot and the plot against the government are great, plus Nathaniel and Bartimaeus are both fantastically drawn (the djinni's sarcastic and witty first person narrative makes him especially fun). Definitely recommended, and I hope to get round to the read of the series soon.
The alternate London (one openly governed by wizards) and the intertwining stories of Nathaniel's dissatisfaction with his lot and the plot against the government are great, plus Nathaniel and Bartimaeus are both fantastically drawn (the djinni's sarcastic and witty first person narrative makes him especially fun). Definitely recommended, and I hope to get round to the read of the series soon.