DNF: The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

October 14th, 2009 | Audio Book Review, Did Not Finish (DNF), Fantasy, Guest Review, S-T, YA Genre

guestreview

by First Mate Keira, guest reviewer

Title: The Amulet of Samarkand
Author: Jonathan Stroud
Reader: Simon Jones
Format: Unabridged Compact Disc
# CDs / Minutes:
Grade Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Audio: Download Clip (Right click, save as.)

Summary: A young boy is sold into magical apprenticeship and trained by an apathetic and fairly incapable magician named Arthur Underwood. Nathaniel grows up and grows into power he for which he is not quite ready. One day an altercation rises up between young Nathaniel and another magician, Simon Lovelace. When Underwood fails to protect his charge, Nathaniel swears to get revenge. He trains and trains and manages to summon a very old mid-level djinni (genie) called Bartimaeus to help him enact his revenge… but everything that can go wrong does and suddenly Nathaniel and Bartimaeus are on another adventure all together.

Why I Started this Book:

It sounded like Harry Potter but apprenticeship style instead of boarding school style. It also takes place in Victorian England, which sounded like a fascinating challenge.

Why I Quit this Book:

I can’t stand Nathaniel. Honestly his character is not unlike Draco Malfoy. He’s neither a good guy nor a bad guy, but a self serving little bugger. I didn’t like his treatment of magical beings and he whines a lot… and I mean a lot. I just couldn’t take it anymore and stopped listening to the book with 2 CDs left to go.

The magic is also the opposite of Harry Potter and very immersed in pentagrams and circles of power and summonings of demons with words of command. This didn’t thrill me and I began to like it less and less as it was revealed as a form of slavery.

In addition the set up of the novel is not unlike watching the beginning and the end of a story spliced together until they reach the middle. It's actually done by flip flopping between Nathaniel and Bartimaeus with some overlap. It's the overlap that really kills me. Minor in most cases, it's enough to annoy the tar out of me.

The only reason I kept on with the story as long as I did was because of the reader’s talent. Simon Jones is a pleasure to listen to and his Bartimaeus exceptional.

Buy: The Amulet of Samarkand (Audio), The Amulet of Samarkand (Paperback), Bartimaeus Trilogy Boxed Set

Rating: Did Not Finish (DNF)

Keira runs a book review blog for readers by readers on romance novels entitled Love Romance Passion. She’s been reading romance since she was in her teens and began blogging about romance so she could share her passion for her favorite genre. She loves reading paranormal, Regency, historical America, and highlander most of all and completely adores blind and wounded heroes.