The Amulet of Samarkand: The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1

By: Jonathan Stroud

Narrated by: Simon Jones

Length: 13 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Nathaniel is eleven-years-old and a magician's apprentice, learning the traditional art of magic. All is well until he has a life-changing encounter with Simon Lovelace, a magician of unrivaled ruthlessness and ambition. When Lovelace brutally humiliates Nathaniel in public, Nathaniel decides to speed up his education, teaching himself spells far beyond his years. With revenge on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all and summons Bartimaeus, a five-thousand-year-old djinni, to assist him. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal Lovelace's greatest treasure, the Amulet of Samarkand, he finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder and rebellion.

Set in a modern-day London spiced with magicians and mystery, The Amulet of Samarkand is an extraordinary, edge-of-your-seat thriller with many unexpected twists. Following Bartimaeus and Nathaniel in turn, the story introduces us to two wonderfully memorable characters destined to go through many adventures together and bound by a spell that is nearly impossible to break.

©2010 Johnathan Stroud (P)2010 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"One of the liveliest and most inventive fantasies of recent years." ( Booklist)

"Spun into surprisingly colorful cloth." ( The New York Times Book Review)

Comedy to serious discussions on understanding

Any additional comments?

This trilogy is fantastic. My colleague insisted that I read it, since she loved it so much when she was younger. Her recommendation held true. We are introduced into a world where three characters firmly hold on to their independence and arrogance until they discover that they must work together to save their worlds. Jonathon Stroud spins a delightful tale, where we laugh at the follies of arrogance, consider the cyclic nature of the underclass rebelling against a domineering masterclass and see three very different people shed their own prejudices to work together.

All wrapped into a delightfully funny tell about a snotty young boy who summons a demon in an alternate timeline in early 1900 London. Good fun even for the advanced reader.

One of the best voice performances EVER

A great storyline with superb humor. very fun to read and even better to listen to.

Better than I remember

read this when I was younger and stumbled upon it here, better than i remember and the narrator has a wonderful knack for making it come to life with his voices

Favorite Series

This audiobook is a fantastic version of one of my very favorite series of all time. Simon Jones has the perfect voice for this. I recommend this book in any format to everyone I meet.

Easy Listen, Professional Reader

A fun and irreverent journey into a tumultuous world run by magicians and Djinn. Great for teens, young adults, and those of us still nostalgic for the past.

Superbly Entertaining

This is an adventure of the boy magician genius Nathaniel and his genie, a reluctant participant with a sarcastic tongue. The story is entertaining and the narration by Simon Jones is par excellence.

5 stars

Great story told by a great voice. This is definitely worth it! Get it now.

My first look into the Bartimaeus trilogy...

My first encounter with Bartimaeus was in "The ring of Solomon" and I couldn't wait to learn more about the smart mouthed djinni. in my opinion the first book in the trilogy did not disappoint! Can't wait to read more!!!!

love this series!! smart, funny and entertaining.

great for adults too! This is a smart and funny series. narration is wonderful and spot on.

Listened multiple times!

Great book!!! Highly suggest it and read it several times. Need four more words. Bye