The Amulet of Samarkand - Bartimeus 1 - Jonathan Stroud Book Review

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Review Summaries

"Nathaniel is an apprentice to an average-skilled magician to whose tutorship he was committed since the age of six. The boy soon discovers that he is more clever and potentially more powerful than his tutor and studies a lot of magic on his own. Once some colleagues of his master come to visit him and it so happens that Nathaniel angers one of them, Simon Lovelace, who pays a cruel joke on the boy. Nathaniel's only desire becomes to take revenge. So Nathaniel summons a djinn called Bartimaeus and has him steal a very powerful magical artifact from Lovelace – The Amulet of Samarkand. "
Anastasya, Resident Jonathan Stroud Scholar

"This book takes place in everday, modern London, except for one thing: the government is composed of magicians. Nathaniel is a talented, ambitious eleven year old who is apprenticed to a mediocre magician who fails to recognize Nathaniel's abilities. When Nathaniel is publicly humiliated by a magician named Simon Lovelace, he seeks to get revenge by summoning the djinni Bartimaeus and commanding him to steal a great treasure from Lovelace - the Amulet of Samarkand. As Nathaniel struggles to maintain control over Bartimaeus, he finds that perhaps the Amulet was more important than he thought and that now not only is his pride in jeopardy, but perhaps his life as well. "
Phoenix Rye, Resident Jonathan Stroud Scholar

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Overall Review

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 30%

Tone of book - cynical or dry-wit
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - part earth & part fantasy world
Coming of age Yes
Youngster becomes - a powerful magician
Is this an adult or child's book? - Kid's book (ages 7-14)

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - student - mage/magician
Age: - a kid
Has magical/special powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character: - can cast many different spells
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - mage/magician
Has magical powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - can cast all sorts of spells
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
Earth setting: - 20th century
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment - moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog - significantly more descript than dialog

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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).

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