Mad Soul Child
Written on Aug 30, 2020
The first volume in the brilliant, bestselling Bartimaeus sequence.
When the 5,000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus is summoned by Nathaniel, a young magician's apprentice, he expects to have to do nothing more taxing than a little levitation or a few simple illusions. But Nathaniel is a precocious talent and has something rather more dangerous in mind: revenge. Against his will, Bartimaeus is packed off to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand from Simon Lovelace, a master magician of unrivalled ruthlessness and ambition. Before long, both djinni and apprentice are caught up in a terrifying flood of magical intrigue, murder and rebellion.
Set in a modern-day London controlled by magicians, this hilarious, electrifying thriller will enthral readers of all ages.
- ISBN10 0552562793
- ISBN13 9780552562799
- Publish Date 2 September 2010 (first published 30 September 2003)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Penguin Random House Children's UK
- Imprint Corgi Childrens
- Format Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
- Pages 496
- Language English
Reviews
inlibrisveritas
Written on Oct 13, 2018
Full review to come.
sa090
Written on Jan 29, 2017
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Once the book started and the whole concept of summoning Djinn was introduced I was very interested to see how it'll be utilized in the book and while the beginning of it was interesting, everything that happened after till about chapter 23-25 was more on the boring side than I hoped. The story is told from two perspectives, Bartimaeus's and Nathaniel's. This transition between them is not a bad move at all, but the transition between them in the beginning IS what killed my interest until the earlier specified chapters revived it. It's not because the content was boring itself but the timing of its revelation made it as such.
For example and I'm being as vague as I can be to avoid spoilers, we see the specified reason for summoning Bartimaeus achieved immediately but before we can move on with that, we take a step back and go back to learn all about how Nathaniel became a magician in the first place and so many others things that should've been revealed before Bartimaeus fulfilled his mission, because after the amulet was in his possession I don't really care about this kid's autobiography, all I want to know is what happens after. Now if the events were reversed it would've been much much more enjoyable for me because at that point (for clarification that point being the amulet successfully stolen) wouldn't have happened yet for me to anticipate what comes after.
This issue is my main gripe with this book, I may be in the minority about it or it might just be me but this really annoyed me about it. Other than that I did hope for a little more world building given that the world is completely new to me and this whole magicians standing on the top of the world and not in hiding like you'll expect them to is very interesting but it wasn't really that needed for this book so I didn't give it much importance or more accurately it didn't hinder my enjoyment like what I mentioned earlier. Learning more about the resistance wouldn't have hurt either.
On the other hand I really enjoyed Bartimaeus's character; he's funny, he's sarcastic and he's got this way of dealing with things that just makes it an all around fun. Nathaniel isn't too shabby either, I really enjoyed the realistic depiction of his actions, he's childish and impatient even though he wants to show you that he's great which is just what I expect from a kid his age who's been raised to think he's better than the majority of the world. Yes, the kid can do magic but all I'm really talking about here is his personality and the way he thought of dealing with the incident. I really appreciated that, watching this duo go on and about in their adventure was also really fun.
Once the whole conspiracy and danger surrounding these magicians started showing in full view with some very felt consequences it was this high speed action that went from bad to worse to I don't know what else Stroud is going to put them through but either way it was fun to read about, especially the dialogue. Jonathan Stroud has a really nice way with words sometimes and it shows just how colourful these Djinn can be as well. There are still a lot of things I want to know about, particularly the resistance and their abilities considering they're "humans" but I'm sure the remaining books has information on that. Not sure when I'll be reading them but I'm interested regardless.
Final rating: 3/5
Amber (The Literary Phoenix)
Written on Aug 11, 2014
This series has a world-feel all it’s own. It feels like a bit later than Victorian England, but there’s no element of steampunk. There was a similar aesthetic to Ink and Bone but where that version of the world had fallen apart, this one is tightly held together, like a fine tapestry foretelling doom. The stiffness of the humans (magician or not) is the contrast needed to make Bartimaeus himself so funny. Where even young Nathaniel is very precise and decided, the djinn itself is goofy and sarcastic is it is entirely what I’m looking for here.
Jonathan Stroud’s voice is a YA version of Terry Pratchett or Douglas Addams. He’s dry, certainly, but he’s also sharp and witty. I think this style of humor is one that people either love or hate. Fortunately for me, I love it. There are always runway comments that take me by surprise or make me chuckle. If one were to read this book in its printed form, most the best parts are in the footnotes, which are entirely Bartimaeus’ commentary on the adventure. For us audiobook listeners, the commentary has been inserted into the narrative, and it flows smoothly. Still funny.
I always find it difficult to review books I love and have read many times. Like the Harry Potter series or Artemis Fowl, there’s no longer an element of surprise to the storyline because I’ve read it so many times. Objectively, I will say that the characters are a bit flat, particularly those without a POV. Nathaniel’s master, Arthur Underwood, is as two-dimensional as they come. Simon Lovelace should have layers upon layers, but his motives are trimmed to their barest simplicity. Even Nathaniel is dry, although there is a peek to his potential future in some of the things he says or thinks. In this first book, even Bartimaeus is not as well-rounded as learning his history will make him in better stories (particularly the companion novel, The Ring of Solomon). If someone isn’t into Stroud’s humor and can’t connect with the characters, this book may be a bit of a dud.
Still I loved it. I love the complexities of the magicians’ daily lives and their summoning requirements, and I live for the subtle, historical references that Bartimaeus drops all the times. I particularly love his relationship with the other djinn, Farqual and Jabor. The humor is cheeky and at times out protagonist (definitely Bartimaeus, in my opinion) is a bit immature… but The Amulet of Samakand is a lot of fun to read.
Younger fans of Terry Pratchett’s will get a particular kick out of this one, and it’s squeaky clean. There’s a lot more coming in the series and the plots get more intense after the first book, so if you’re willing to stick with the ride, it’s a great story. For me, this is no challenge at all. This is a nostalgic read for me, and any book that makes me laugh is a win.
Briana @ Pages Unbound
Written on Sep 1, 2011
The plot is exciting and moves forward at a decent rate. New developments crop up all the time to keep readers on their toes. Bartimaeus uses footnotes in the chapters that he narrates to add extra information that readers might find of interest without interrupting the flow of the story. (These footnotes are probably one of the better-known aspects of the book.) Who narrates the other chapters is a mystery. They are told from a third person omniscient point of view, but the switch between this and the first person narration is somewhat discomfiting. The book cannot be understood as Bartimaeus’s story, written for posterity or whatnot, but neither can it be accepted simply as a story. Stroud would have done better to have Nathaniel narrate the parts that include him but not Bartimaeus.
Overall, The Amulet of Samarkand was a good read. It presents a nice contrast to works that glorify magic (and even pokes fun at the idea that magicians’ apprentices would all be shipped off to a boarding school together!) Its strength lies in that it is different and critical and unafraid to present a world that is gritty. Fantasy fans will enjoy it.
This review was also posted at Pages Unbound Book Reviews.
Amanda
Written on Apr 22, 2011
Nathaniel is somewhat of an annoying brat, and as Bartimaeus has said, too clever for his own good. In this world, magicians don’t actually have their own power, they must summon djinni (or, as Nathaniel’s master calls them: demons) to do their bidding. It is a master-slave type relationship. Nathaniel may be strong for his age and shows a lot of potential, but there are certain aspects of being a magician that he clearly lacks the knowledge of and maturity to deal with these things. Bartimaeus is a wizened (and honorable, as he says) djinni, so we mostly learn the important things from him.
Although Jonathan Stroud’s writing style and word choice is quite nice, it somehow distanced from the story rather than sucking me in. I kept noticing the nice flow and almost flowery or poetic language, but in some ways it reminded me of reading my textbooks – too many big words and your mind starts straying. My mind didn’t actually stray, but I wasn’t able to connect to the story as much as I would have liked, and it was easier to set the book down and come back to it at a later time.
See my review in its entirety here.
celinenyx
Written on May 1, 2010
The world is well thought-out and the demon lore is interesting. Wonder were that boy is going though.. I prefer Bartimaeus' parts.