Beth Guldseth (Children's Literature)
Here is a long, involved, original, and exciting fantasy. England is in the power of magicians who hold all government offices. Young Nathaniel is apprenticed to a mediocre bureaucrat who does not see the boy's exceptional talents. When Nathaniel is humiliated by a most powerful and evil magician, he sets out on his own to extract revenge. This is refreshing because it is nothing like Harry Potter, and the author even manages a little dig in that direction: "Well, unless age-old practices were now being dropped and apprentices were being bused off to boarding school (hardly likely)...." Told from two points of view, the djinni Bartimeus's and the author's, the story is not hard to follow. After page 250 or so I couldn't put it down and read straight through to the end at just under 500. 2003, Miramax/Hyperion, $17.95. Ages 10 to 14.

Beverley Fahey (Children's Literature)
After the death of his parents, the young Nathaniel is apprenticed to the cantankerous, crusty, and minor magician Arthur Underwood. Under his master's guidance, the young boy thrives and by his eleventh birthday exhibits a penchant for the complexities of the traditional arts of magic and possesses ability superior to Underwood's humble talent. A public humiliation at the hands of Simon Lovelace so embarrasses and angers Nathaniel that he begins to experiment with spells far beyond his years. With vengeance now his master, Nathaniel summons forth a 5000-year-old djinni named Bartimaeus. The feisty and sarcastic djinni is bound to the boy by a powerful spell and must do his every command. Under Nathaniel's control Bartimeus steals Lovelace's most valuable treasure, the amulet of Samarkand. This theft plunges the boy into a whirlwind adventure and he soon learns that vengeance is a powerful master and that the spirit he has unleashed is difficult to control. Set in London in an undetermined post- modern time where all the politicians and people of clout are magicians, the story moves at breakneck speed with enough twists and turn in the plot to keep the reader fully engaged. Murder, rebellion, and espionage at every turn are softened by the deft wit of Bartimeus whose loquacious first person account moves the action forward. Detailed footnotes that extend Bartemaeus' observations are fascinating and informative but become a nuisance when they interfere with the dramatic flow of the story. The author employs the third person when relating Nathaniel's part in the adventure. This first installment of a planned trilogy introduces a talented storyteller and readers will be holding their breath for the next installment. Harry Potter fans are a natural audience for this foray to the dark side. 2003, Hyperion Books, $17.95. Ages 12 to 16.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2003 (Vol. 71, No. 19))
In a contemporary London full of magic, a thrilling adventure unfolds. Twelve-year-old Nathaniel is apprenticed to a politician (which means magician), but early emotional pain leads him toward hardness and anger. Arrogantly summoning a djinni to help him steal an amulet from slickly evil Simon Lovelace, he's swept into a swirl of events involving conspiracy at the highest government level. Nathaniel's perspective alternates with that of Bartimaeus, the cocky, sardonic djinni. No character is wholly likable or trustworthy, which contributes to the intrigue. Many chapters end in suspense, suddenly switching narrators at key moments to create a real page-turner. Readers will hope that Stroud follows up on certain questions-is it slavery to use a djinni? will shaky looming international politics affect the empire? who deserves our alliance? and who are the mysterious children ostensibly running an underground resistance?-in the next installment, sure to be eagerly awaited. 2003, Hyperion, $17.95. Category: Fantasy. Ages 10 to 14. © 2003 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Catherine M. Andronik (Library Media Connection, February 2004)
Many recent fantasies have been touted as perfect for Harry Potter fans, but have lacked the breadth of imaginative vision, the clever use of language, and the general appeal to truly merit the comparison. Judging from the first volume, The Bartimaeus Trilogy will indeed attract an audience attuned to quality examples of the ancient magic brand of fantasy. In a London both familiar yet strange, in a world where political power is held by men of magic, young Nathaniel is apprenticed to a dull hack of a wizard who fails to appreciate the boy's potential. Insulted by Lovelace, one of his master's more powerful cronies, Nathaniel conjures up Bartimaeus, a djinni with an attitude, and sets him the task of stealing and hiding the magical Amulet of Samarkand, an artifact Lovelace has already killed to acquire. Inexperienced, impetuous, but almost fatally moral, Nathaniel has made a dangerous enemy in the ruthless Lovelace, and their final confrontation is an exciting battle of magical agility. But the real treat in the novel is the character of Bartimaeus, constantly flaunting his superiority, his wealth of knowledge, and his thousands of years of experience among the highest and mightiest in world history--most of this commentary appearing in footnotes to the chapters narrated by the shapeshifting djinni. Fantasy fans will be lining up for this. Highly Recommended. 2003, Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children, 464pp., $17.95 hc. Ages 11 up.

Stephanie Ferguson (Lollipops -- What's On For Kids (Australia))
Welcome to a parallel universe, where magicians rule the world, and every top politician is protected by a small army of demons. This is the world Nathanial knows, which he was forcibly placed in at the age of five when he was taken from his parents and made the apprentice of Arthur Underwood, a mediocre magician who works for the British Minister for Internal Affairs. Despite his master's lack of talent and ambition, Nathanial has strong innate power, and after being humiliated by his master's friends, craves nothing less than pure revenge. Enter Bartimaeus, a cheeky and witty djinni with little respect for humans, who also happens to be the narrator of the story. After being summoned and forced to unwillingly work for Nathanial, he finds himself undertaking a dangerous mission to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand from Simon Lovelace, the powerful magician Nathanial desires revenge against. Before long, both djinni and apprentice find themselves caught up in the danger, intrigue and corruption that is festering in the government. The Amulet of Samarkand is the best book I've read all year. It is quite simply, terrific, a must-read for anyone. The story is engaging and hilarious, and Bartimaeus' narration full of style and wit. I love this book! 2003, Random House, A$27.95. Ages 10 to 12.

Janice M. Del Negro (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, March 2004 (Vol. 57, No. 7))
The demon Bartimaeus is summoned by precocious magician’s apprentice Nathaniel and ordered to retrieve the Amulet of Samarkand from the house of master magician Simon Lovelace. Thus begins the partnership between boy and demon, one that can only be dissolved when Nathaniel releases Bartimaeus from a bond of Perpetual Confinement. Nathaniel is unaware of the real power of the Amulet--he only wants it to avenge himself on Simon Lovelace for embarrassing him at a gathering of magicians--but Lovelace was planning to use the Amulet to assassinate the Prime Minister and take over the Government, and he is not happy at its loss. Lovelace tracks the Amulet, kills Nathaniel’s master, and sets a host of magical beings in search of boy and demon. Bartimaeus, sworn to protect Nathaniel, sneaks them both into the conference where Lovelace is planning his coup; in a shattering confrontation the boy retrieves the Amulet and saves the day--and the appropriately grateful Prime Minister. Stroud alternates between Bartimaeus’ first-person narration and an omniscient narrator’s view of Nathaniel. The demon has a sarcastic tone and highly developed sense of irony, evident not only in his direct narrative but in the footnotes he includes to explain himself to the reader. Fast action and Machiavellian politics shape the plot: the structure of the society and the hierarchy of the magicians within it are clearly delineated. The constant threat of discovery means the tension is high, although Nathaniel’s eventual survival and his release of Bartimaeus is never really in doubt. The relationship between Stroud’s conflicted apprentice and the mouthy demon, as well as his unusual handling of the formal intricacies of magic, make this novel a standard in the genre of magician-oriented fantasy. Here’s hoping Bartimaeus gets another chance to help Nathaniel grow up. Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2004, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2003, Miramax/Hyperion, 462p, $17.95. Grades 7-10.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2004)
Through guile, teamwork, and dumb luck, a magician's apprentice and a "Spenser for Hire"-type djinni uncover and foil a coup attempt masterminded by a ruthless magician. The pace never slows in this wisecracking adventure, and Stroud has created a well-realized fantasy world, but it is the complementary main characters who will keep readers coming back for the rest of the projected trilogy. Category: Older Fiction. 2003, Hyperion/Miramax, 462pp, $17.95. Ages 12 to 14. Rating: 2: Superior, well above average.

Billy Jack Rankin (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 16, No. 4))
Nathaniel is an eleven-year-old apprentice magician whose education is moving much too slowly to suit him. When he is humiliated in public by one of London’s most powerful magicians and his master doesn’t come to his aid, Nathaniel decides to speed up his education. He is determined to get revenge on both the magician and his master. He finally learns enough from reading magical books far beyond his years to summon Bartimaeus, a centuries old djinni. They make quite a pair. Nathaniel’s revenge is to have Bartimaeus steal something magical from the powerful magician and hide it in his master’s house. The consequences of stealing the Amulet of Samarkand prove to be disastrous for those that Nathaniel cares for. Unless he and Bartimaeus can stop the powerful magician, it will also prove disastrous for London’s Prime Minister and most of the ruling magicians in the city. This is the first book in the Bartimaeus Trilogy. The characters are developed exceptionally well. Young fantasy buffs will identify with Nathaniel, the brash, aspiring young magician with more talent than patience. Older fantasy buffs will love Bartimaeus, the cheeky demon who is put out with having been summoned by such a young magician. The novel is well written, fast paced, and extremely entertaining. I look forward to the next book in the series. This book and the succeeding two should be good additions to a middle school and/or high school library. (Bartimaeus Trilogy). Fiction, Highly Recommended. Grades 6-12. 2003, Miramax Books, 462p., $17.95. Ages 11 to 18.

Cindy Dobrez (VOYA, December 2003 (Vol. 26, No. 5))
When Nathaniel, an underestimated almost twelve-year-old boy magician, summons a centuries-old djinni named Bartimaeus, readers are off on a wild adventure with more narrow escapes than even Houdini could muster. Nathaniel is an apprentice to a master who bothers little with his training, so Mr. Underwood has no idea what Nathaniel's self-taught magical capabilities really are. Nathaniel's first task for the djinni startles even Bartimaeus, who has seen a lot in his day, as he wryly reminds readers throughout the novel. He charges Bartimaeus to steal the Amulet of Samarkand from Simon Lovelace as a matter of revenge for humiliating him while his master did nothing. The escalating chain of events resulting from this theft is told in alternating viewpoints from Nathaniel and Bartimaeus, who uses sardonic footnotes to enhance his storytelling. The narrative also successfully uses both first and third person, a rich vocabulary, sophisticated wit, and a hierarchy of magical creatures woven into a fascinating plot that will be appreciated by fans of Diana Wynne Jones and other complex fantasy writers. Teens will race to the end to see if Nathaniel and Bartimaeus can work together to save London's magical community from Simon's evil plans. They will eagerly await the second book in this planned trilogy with a Miramax movie in the making. Fortunately, the quality is as high as the hype, but as Bartimaeus says in one of his footnotes, "Well, what are you hanging around reading this for? Read on quickly and see for yourself." VOYA CODES: 5Q 5P M J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2003, Hyperion, 544p., $17.95. Ages 11 to 18.

Marie Schutt, Teen Reviewer (VOYA, December 2003 (Vol. 26, No. 5))
I enjoyed Amulet immensely. It did have kind of a boy hero-Harry Potter theme, but what I liked was that you could really get into the characters' heads. Bartimaeus is a protagonist that I could read thousands of pages about! It was exciting and descriptive, and I think it will appeal to young readers as well as teens or even adults. I look forward to the next book! VOYA CODES: 5Q 4P M J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2003, Hyperion, 544p., $17.95. Ages 11 to 18.