The Amulet of Samarkand

Just another wizard boy..

 

Anyone or everyone who loves fantasy fiction with genies, wizards, witches, dark lords, magic and magicians would love this book. And for all those Harry Potter fans who miss HP books, you can read another author with the same recipe of – A wizard boy without parents but with exceptional magic, has been wronged and is out to avenge the offender and ends up saving the day too. You have the London setting, you have the young magician, you have the villainous powerful magicians, you have a deadly plot to rule the world and of course magical instruments and beings to create the magic and aura of the story.

But the boy is not the HERO – its Bartimeus the genie of some level. The magical beings in this book are assigned levels as per their powers, but somehow it fails to take into account their wit and intelligence to use them. So what proved mostunbelievable is that Bartimeus is this funny witty genie who saves the day really and all to save his own ass from the most stupid and stubborn boy wizard. He beats the sharpest and most intelligent wizards, resolves the biggest plots and traps but is at the mercy of this boy who has no clue of what is happening and is out for an egoist revenge trip for some puny insult.

But overall a treat for magical fantasy readers – as for me ‘The Lord of the Rings’ continues to rule this domain.