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The Amulet of Samarkand cover art

The Amulet of Samarkand

By: Jonathan Stroud
Narrated by: Steven Pacey
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

The first volume in the brilliant, bestselling Bartimaeus sequence.

When the 5,000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus is summoned by Nathaniel, a young magician's apprentice, he expects to have to do nothing more taxing than a little levitation or a few simple illusions. But Nathaniel is a precocious talent and has something rather more dangerous in mind: revenge. Against his will, Bartimaeus is packed off to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand from Simon Lovelace, a master magician of unrivalled ruthlessness and ambition. Before long, both djinni and apprentice are caught up in a terrifying flood of magical intrigue, murder and rebellion.

Set in a modern-day London controlled by magicians, this hilarious, electrifying thriller will enthral listeners of all ages.

©2007 Jonathan Stroud (P)2007 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Steven Pacey's ebullient narration of Jonathan Stroud's The Amulet of Samarkand is a tour de force. Amulet is the first volume of a trilogy centred on the anarchic and enterprising djinni Bartimaeus, a powerful spirit whose experiences stretch back to Ptolemy, his favourite master. He is surprised to find himself summonded by Nathaniel, a precocious self-taught twelve-year old apprentice in magic... Stroud is a convincing manipulator of magic, and adults will enjoy the antagonistic alliance and perilous adventures as much as children will." (The Times)

"Drama, humour and hypnotically engaging storytelling." (The Independent)

"The truly original touch is the way Stroud alternates Nathaniel's story with the djinni's own knowing and irascible first-person narrative." (Guardian Review)

What listeners say about The Amulet of Samarkand

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Bartemais - I like him

Downloaded this thinking it was more of a murder mystery - brilliant and I say that as a 50 something year old. Humour and good plotting have kept me going to and from work - I get a good 40 minutes of this excellent story, each way. In Waterstones, the book is in the 9-12 year old fiction shelf. Like the Simpsons, this works for any age.

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23 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

No footnotes :/

Great book but it's a shame they took the footnotes out, they add a lot to the story and humor.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • DT
  • 12-04-07

A great book for all the family

We listened to this as a family on a 12 hour drive, and we were all entranced, kids and parents alike (the youngest is 8). Great story, well read and a pleasure. We're waiting for the next two stories from the trilogy.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

WHY WAS IT ABRIDGED?

I read this book as a teenager and remember it quite well. I was surprised and honestly quite irritated that a great many of the lines I remembered, including some of the funniest in the book, had been cut out. God knows who thought it was a good idea.

The print version of this series is one of the best trilogies I've ever read. The narration here was first-class, but nonetheless I have to give this 4 stars for Random House's stupid meddling.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Twisty!

Was not sure what to expect when I tried this series out. Was delighted to find that it was really enjoyable. The series deals more with an Anti-hero that a hero, and for that reason will appeal to those that like series such as Artemis Fowl and Herbie Brennan's Faerie Wars. The characters are not shallow and manage to keep you intrigued through-out. Harry Potter fans may also enjoy this series.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyable!

I got this on the strength of the existing reviews and was really glad I had. I found the initial chapter a bit confusing but once I picked up the storyline I couldn?t stop listening! I am now on the second book of the trilogy and really enjoying it!

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Really enjoyed

I really enjoyed this audio book, especially with the wonderful narrator. Although i was disappointed to discover at the end that this is an abridged version - i prefer books as the author intended and worry i missed a brilliant experience!

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Well performed and a great read

This is a great reading of this book (which I have read a number of times before). Steven Pacey hits just the right note in his delivery of the characters, especially Bartimaeus, and slips between the various narrative styles seamlessly. I downloaded the other two in the series as well based on this and was not disappointed there either. I would certainly recommend this title.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

Very entertaining and the djinni is great. Well worth a listen.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it!!

I downloaded this for my daughter to listen to but got so involved in the story myself that she hasn't had a look in. Great stuff and makes my journey to work seem 5 minutes long !!!

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2 people found this helpful