Most bloggers have difficulties in writing reviews of books they really loved, but I find the “ok” ones much more challenging. The Amulet of Samarkand is a good example. I had fun with most of it, at points wished the story would go faster, didn’t feel particularly attached to any character and its biggest lasting impression is that after Googling Samarkand I’m set on visiting it.
The story is about Nathaniel, an apprentice magician that is clearly more talented than his mediocre master. When his master doesn’t protect him from undeserved humiliation at the hands of one of Britain’s greatest magicians, Nathaniel vows revenge.
This alternative Britain is set in the present time, but somehow I kept imagining it in a typical fantasy landscape, with horse and castles. There are fun foot-notes that give you extra insight into this world and show that the author did his homework. Because of them I can’t help thinking of The Amulet of Samarkand as a Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norris for children.
The book’s highlight is by far Bartimaeus, the daemon Nathaniel summons to help him in his quest. He is hilarious, with just the type of sarcasm and aloofness you’d expect from a 5,000-year-old djinni that’s forced to serve a 10-year-old.
The down side of this is that in the chapters that focus on Nathaniel (where we lose Bartimaeus’ first-person voice), there’s a sudden lack of sparkle. It’s not by chance the series is called The Bartimaeus Trilogy…
I’ll mentally file this book under “Books I Wish I’d Read When I Was 12″.
According to Wikipedia, Miramax is preparing an adaptation, directed by John Philip Madden (Shakespeare in Love, Proof) and written by Hossein Amini (who did a great job with The Wings of the Dove). Overall very promising!
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Other thoughts: Bart’s Bookshelf, Books I Done Read (yours?)
The Sleepless Reader 
5 comments
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October 14, 2011 at 3:21 pm
Teresa
I liked this a lot more than you did, but I think it’s by far the weakest book in the trilogy. Nathaniel is just not interesting enough to carry his scenes as well as Bartimaeus. I think I liked it precisely because it was like Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell for kids. JS & Mr N is one of my favorite books, and I’ll take more that’s like it in any form I can get.
October 14, 2011 at 3:42 pm
celawerd
This sounds like an interesting read. To me, “ok” books are easy to write about because I can just make a “good” and “bad” list.
October 15, 2011 at 12:33 pm
Kailana
I have a hard time reviewing ‘ok’ books, too. I don’t always really know what to say and sometimes talk about what I did like and not what I didn’t, or vice versa. I have been hearing good things about this book for ages, but still haven’t picked it up myself.
October 15, 2011 at 11:13 pm
Nymeth
I’m more like Kelly – the meh books can be the hardest for me to talk about. Anyway, this series is one of the biggest gaps in my fantasy reading. Hopefully I’ll be able to enjoy it despite coming to it for the first time as an adult.
November 2, 2011 at 3:45 pm
Alex (The Sleepless Reader)
@Teresa: Exactly, I’m sure I’d like it much more if it was all about Bartimaeus! For now I’ll leave the next in the series in the back-burner.
@celawerd: I might actually do that next time, even as a bullet-point list 🙂
@Kailana: I’ve decided to do a “meh” post at the end of the year, with mini-reviews of all the books I don’t have much to say about.
@Nymeth: It was a gap in mine as well, that’s why I tackled it. Looking forward to your views!