Chapter 10: I Dream of Djinni

The premise of this book didn't really excite me. It's about a young magician who wants to get back at those who have wronged him, this is pretty standard fantasy fare. What really got me to pick up the book was the fact that the story is not told by the boy (though he does get ample time to whine and make himself look immature and dumb). It's told by the Djinni he summons, Bartimaeus.

I like this picture because Nathaniel is pretty beat up, just like I wanted him to be through the whole story.

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud is the first book of a trilogy. It takes place in a modern London where magicians hold all the power. They hold all the government positions, retain a majority of the wealth, and generally feel superior to the common folk. However, their greatest secret from the outside is that the power is not technically their own. All of their abilities come from the summoning of other creatures like imps, afrits, and djinni. The higher powered the entity, the more difficult they are to summon.

Bartimaeus is dismayed when he discovers that he has been summoned by a 12 year-old boy, one who has not even come close to completing his magical training yet the Djinni is quite high up on the totem pole (at least, that's what he tells us). As he guides us through the story his expertise on matters, knowledge of history, and excess of snark provide a great voice and narrative. My favorite stylistic element is the use of footnotes. Most of Bartimaeus's asides appear in this form and can be anything from a paragraph on his own relevant experiences to a one word warning on the feasibility of kissing dolphins. It makes for a very enjoyable read. I would recommend it for any fantasy fans who are looking for something a little different and a great, creative setting to explore. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud (462 pages)

Judgement: Spectacular Snark (7 out of 10)