The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

Jack | Biotechnology High School, Grade 10

Rating: ****

The Amulet of Samarkand is the first in the Bartimaeus Trilogy. Set in London, it follows an eleven-year-old boy, Nathaniel, that begins to learn about the magical community in one of the most prominent magical capitals of the world. Is this sounding a little like a certain series starring a boy with a lightning bolt scar? Well, here is where it starts to deviate. After being humiliated at one of his master’s party, Nathaniel, well beyond the education a young magician his age should be, summons a five-thousand-year-old djinn to enact his revenge. In doing so, he gets caught up in a series of increasingly dangerous events including a prison break and even murder.

Although sounding pretty similar to Harry Potter minus the wands, The Amulet of Samarkand is a solid book that shouldn’t live in the shadow of that monumental series. It has interesting concepts including different dimensions of existence and shapeshifting that make for an intriguing plot and a protagonist that, although all-powerful, still likes to crack a joke every now and then. It is a great read and shouldn’t be seen through the lens of a budget Harry Potter.