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smiley_c 's review for:
The Amulet of Samarkand
by Jonathan Stroud, Jonathan Stroud
3/5
I had high expectations for this book, as almost everybody who love [a:Jonathan Stroud|33467|Jonathan Stroud|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1562922774p2/33467.jpg]'s series say the Bartimaeus sequence was wonderful, so clever, original etc etc. And I do agree, and I'll explore more of that later. For Lockwood and Co, it feels instantly at home for me, and it captured me from the start, but with this series I guess I'll need more time for it to grow on me.
(I'll avoid spoilers!)
The world building was original. Firstly, it is set in London, so familiar yet alien in how different the world is to our own, which is one of the reasons I love Stroud's settings. It's hard to write about magic these days and be creative about it. Wands, spells, brooms, magical creatures (looking at you, Harry Potter and the rest that sprouts like mushrooms after rain)... But in this series the magicians weren't actually...powerful, not by themselves. The demons they enslave do most of the work. Actually, all of the work.
Thus allow me to introduce Bartimaeus, the narrator in one POV (the other is Nathaniel's in third person). As someone said, he reminds me of the [b:The Whispering Skull|14059024|The Whispering Skull (Lockwood & Co., #2)|Jonathan Stroud|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1401303893l/14059024._SY75_.jpg|19694996], all sass and witty comebacks (though after half of the book it gets a little repetitive). As a djinn who had been around doing stuff for kings and great magicians of the past, it was a surprise when he was summoned by a 12 year old, thus dragged along to a whirlwind of danger he never asked for.
For the 12 year old in question, Nathaniel John Mandrake was a precocious boy (now I understand the difference between "precocious" and "mature"), not unlike [b:Artemis Fowl|249747|Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl, #1)|Eoin Colfer|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630661894l/249747._SX50_.jpg|1334778], book smart all the way but without the money haha. Both took more than they could chew when they let their ambition ran free. Both had a mother figure they cared for. I could compare them all day but let's move on.
The plot drags, much like this review. The pacing was a tad off, and even at the end part I wasn't too invested, just flipping through the pages to see how it would end, and what would happen. In short, the first half of the book was excellent, the middle a bit drag, the end wasn't abrupt, so that was good, but all in all it was a heck of fun, so I'd recommend it.
PS if you have read his other series, these are my thoughts:
Is Bartimaeus his debut? I'm awed how much his writing style refines over books!
Some descriptions though remind me of the more peaceful flashbacks in [b:The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne|49511423|The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne (The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne, #1)|Jonathan Stroud|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1605108730l/49511423._SY75_.jpg|71885581], such as the open road with sun shining and the garden Nathaniel drew the tree in.
Can't wait to meet Kitty Jones!
The coat lollll. One of the main characters must wear a coat that's too big for them at some point.
The girls are badass! Lucy, Scarlett, and Kitty would get along, I think.
Imagine Lockwood and Co having Nathaniel as a client. Ooops. I can imagine how Lucy would describe him:
'A pale, dark haired boy sat straight-backed on the sofa, his tattered coat not unlike Lockwood's, radiating defiance with every claw mark and burns etched on his coat, in his cold, steely eyes. The sight of him unnerved me. A faint scent of incense clung to him, the tang of it incongruous to Holly's perfume in the room. He was a few years younger than me, and much scrawnier, but I instantly knew whoever dared to trifle with him would have to be half witted, very unobservant, or plain stupid.
Lockwood lounged in his usual chair. "Hello, I'm Mr Lockwood, and you are--'
He coughed. "Na--John Mandrake. I have an urgent business to tend to soon, and I demand you to make the most out of my time." His voice was slightly squeaky, which undermined the supposedly assertive effect he hoped.
I sat down and offered him a cup of tea. He refused with a white, thin hand. It was slightly coated with chalk dust.
"Mr Mandrake. Very well. I am a man who prefers to get to the point, so let's jump in straight away. How can we help you?" Lockwood smoothed down his hair and leaned back. Holly adjusted her notebook on her lap. I glimpsed George gulping down a doughnut and looked away, fixing my eyes to the boy. His eyes burned with a determined fire so unusual in the face of a person so young. '
I can't think what he'll possibly request, so let's stop there.
I had high expectations for this book, as almost everybody who love [a:Jonathan Stroud|33467|Jonathan Stroud|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1562922774p2/33467.jpg]'s series say the Bartimaeus sequence was wonderful, so clever, original etc etc. And I do agree, and I'll explore more of that later. For Lockwood and Co, it feels instantly at home for me, and it captured me from the start, but with this series I guess I'll need more time for it to grow on me.
(I'll avoid spoilers!)
The world building was original. Firstly, it is set in London, so familiar yet alien in how different the world is to our own, which is one of the reasons I love Stroud's settings. It's hard to write about magic these days and be creative about it. Wands, spells, brooms, magical creatures (looking at you, Harry Potter and the rest that sprouts like mushrooms after rain)... But in this series the magicians weren't actually...powerful, not by themselves. The demons they enslave do most of the work. Actually, all of the work.
Thus allow me to introduce Bartimaeus, the narrator in one POV (the other is Nathaniel's in third person). As someone said, he reminds me of the [b:The Whispering Skull|14059024|The Whispering Skull (Lockwood & Co., #2)|Jonathan Stroud|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1401303893l/14059024._SY75_.jpg|19694996], all sass and witty comebacks (though after half of the book it gets a little repetitive). As a djinn who had been around doing stuff for kings and great magicians of the past, it was a surprise when he was summoned by a 12 year old, thus dragged along to a whirlwind of danger he never asked for.
For the 12 year old in question, Nathaniel John Mandrake was a precocious boy (now I understand the difference between "precocious" and "mature"), not unlike [b:Artemis Fowl|249747|Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl, #1)|Eoin Colfer|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630661894l/249747._SX50_.jpg|1334778], book smart all the way but without the money haha. Both took more than they could chew when they let their ambition ran free. Both had a mother figure they cared for. I could compare them all day but let's move on.
The plot drags, much like this review. The pacing was a tad off, and even at the end part I wasn't too invested, just flipping through the pages to see how it would end, and what would happen. In short, the first half of the book was excellent, the middle a bit drag, the end wasn't abrupt, so that was good, but all in all it was a heck of fun, so I'd recommend it.
PS if you have read his other series, these are my thoughts:
Is Bartimaeus his debut? I'm awed how much his writing style refines over books!
Some descriptions though remind me of the more peaceful flashbacks in [b:The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne|49511423|The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne (The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne, #1)|Jonathan Stroud|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1605108730l/49511423._SY75_.jpg|71885581], such as the open road with sun shining and the garden Nathaniel drew the tree in.
Can't wait to meet Kitty Jones!
The coat lollll. One of the main characters must wear a coat that's too big for them at some point.
The girls are badass! Lucy, Scarlett, and Kitty would get along, I think.
Imagine Lockwood and Co having Nathaniel as a client. Ooops. I can imagine how Lucy would describe him:
'A pale, dark haired boy sat straight-backed on the sofa, his tattered coat not unlike Lockwood's, radiating defiance with every claw mark and burns etched on his coat, in his cold, steely eyes. The sight of him unnerved me. A faint scent of incense clung to him, the tang of it incongruous to Holly's perfume in the room. He was a few years younger than me, and much scrawnier, but I instantly knew whoever dared to trifle with him would have to be half witted, very unobservant, or plain stupid.
Lockwood lounged in his usual chair. "Hello, I'm Mr Lockwood, and you are--'
He coughed. "Na--John Mandrake. I have an urgent business to tend to soon, and I demand you to make the most out of my time." His voice was slightly squeaky, which undermined the supposedly assertive effect he hoped.
I sat down and offered him a cup of tea. He refused with a white, thin hand. It was slightly coated with chalk dust.
"Mr Mandrake. Very well. I am a man who prefers to get to the point, so let's jump in straight away. How can we help you?" Lockwood smoothed down his hair and leaned back. Holly adjusted her notebook on her lap. I glimpsed George gulping down a doughnut and looked away, fixing my eyes to the boy. His eyes burned with a determined fire so unusual in the face of a person so young. '
I can't think what he'll possibly request, so let's stop there.