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sassmistress 's review for:
The Amulet of Samarkand
by Jonathan Stroud
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fun read. It's a rare book that manages to be both a tense, exciting adventure AND legitimately funny. I love the snarky footnotes best, and their presence is actually part of the worldbuilding (demon MC operates on multiple planes at once; footnotes are the best human approximation).
Nearly an urban fanatsy, all of the magic in this book is due to summoning and demonic activity. They fly around, act as sentries and guards, power magic mirrors, etc. Vague low-tech London era.
Nearly an urban fanatsy, all of the magic in this book is due to summoning and demonic activity. They fly around, act as sentries and guards, power magic mirrors, etc. Vague low-tech London era.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Classism
Minor: Death, Slavery, Grief, Murder
The main character is a demon (who prefers the term "djinni"), so there are occult-y summoning circles and paraphernalia, and lots of references to various types of spirits from global folklore. It's reiterated that in this universe, it's a little-known fact that "ALL" of magicians' power comes from demons.