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Article: Jonathan Stroud The Amulet of Samarkand: the Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book One.(Young Adult Review)(Book Review)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- The Horn Book Magazine
- Article date:
- November 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Horn Book, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Jonathan Stroud The Amulet of Samarkand: The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book One 462 pp. Miramax/Hyperion 9/03 ISBN 0-7868-1859-X 17.95 (Middle School)
The magicians ruling the British empire in this anachronistic modern fantasy derive their powers from demons--marids, afrits, djinn, imps-who, though summoned to work the magicians' wills, are always looking for a loophole through which to destroy them. Bartimaeus, a smart-mouthed bruiser of a djinni, called by a stripling magician to steal the Amulet of Samarkand, finds just such a loophole when he learns his master's secret birthname. Nathaniel, however, manages to regain the upper hand with a time-delayed spell: ...