The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

From the Publishers (Hyperion Books for Children & Miramax):

Nathaniel is a young magician’s apprentice, taking his first lessons in the arts of magic. But when a devious hotshot wizard named Simon Lovelace ruthlessly humiliates Nathaniel in front of everyone he knows, Nathaniel decides to kick up his education a few notches and show Lovelace who’s boss. With revenge on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all: summoning the all-powerful djinni, Bartimaeus. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand, Nathaniel finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, blackmail, and revolt.

Set in a modern-day London spiced with magicians and mayhem, this extraordinary, funny, pitch-perfect thriller will dazzle the myriad fans of Artemis Fowl and the His Dark Materials trilogy. And with the rights sold in more than a dozen countries, and a major motion picture in the works, the Bartimaeus trilogy is on the fast track to becoming a classic.

I found this book to be delightful and funny. I had thought it would be the same humour as Terry Pratchett books but not quite. The footnotes are hilarious though.

This book is part of a trilogy named The Bartimaeus Trilogy and if the other two are as quick and great to read, I will be thrilled! I fell in love with the characters. Bartimaeus being a demon who by the end of the book, shows a remarkable amount of depth and many surprising traits. Nathaniel being a young wizard apprentice who seems to stumble into trouble wherever he may go, but has a wonderful pure heart and the best of intentions.

This is the first thing I have read by Jonathan Stroud but I will be working my way through the rest of the trilogy in the next few days.

Trilogy website: http://www.bartimaeustrilogy.com/home.html

Author's wesbite: http://www.jonathanstroud.com/ (check out the news and events section for all the awards this series won.)