Synopses & Reviews
Presenting a thrilling new voice in children's literature a witty, gripping adventure story featuring a boy and his not-so-tame djinni.
Nathaniel is a young magician's apprentice, taking his first lessons in the arts of magic. But when a devious hotshot wizard named Simon Lovelace ruthlessly humiliates Nathaniel in front of everyone he knows, Nathaniel decides to kick up his education a few notches and show Lovelace who's boss. With revenge on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all: summoning the all-powerful djinni, Bartimaeus. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand, Nathaniel finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, blackmail and revolt.
Set in a modern-day London spiced with magicians and mayhem, this extraordinary, funny, pitch-perfect thriller will dazzle the myriad fans of Artemis Fowl and the "His Dark Materials" trilogy. And with the rights sold in more than a dozen countries, and a major motion picture in the works, the Bartimaeus trilogy is on the fast track to becoming a classic.
Review
"Stroud creates a convincingly detailed secondary world with echoes of actual history and folklore....One of the liveliest and most inventive fantasies of recent years." Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"[A] darkly tantalizing tale....The author plants enough seeds that readers will eagerly anticipate the next two volumes." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
Synopsis
Nathaniel is a young magician with only one thing on his mind: revenge. As an apprentice to the great magician Underwood, Nathaniel is gradually being schooled in the traditional arts of magic. All is well until he has a life-changing encounter with Simon Lovelace, a rising star magician. When Simon brutally humiliates Nathaniel in front of everyone he knows, Nathaniel decides to speed up his magical education, teaching himself spells way beyond his years. Eventually, he masters one of the most difficult spells of all: summoning the all-powerful djinni, Bartimaeus. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two very different things and Nathaniel may be in way over his head...
Synopsis
The day Sacha found out he could see witches was the worst day of his life . . .
Being an Inquisitor is no job for a nice Jewish boy. But when the police learn that Sacha Kessler can see witches, heand#8217;s apprenticed to the departmentand#8217;s star Inquisitor, Maximillian Wolf. Their mission is to stop magical crime. And New York at the beginning of the twentieth century is a magical melting pot where each ethnic group has its own brand of homegrown witchcraft, and magical gangs rule the streets from Helland#8217;s Kitchen to Chinatown.
Soon Sacha has teamed up with fellow apprentice Lily Astral, daughter of one of the cityand#8217;s richest Wall Street Wizardsand#8212;and a spoiled snob, if you ask Sacha. Their first case is to find out whoand#8217;s trying to kill Thomas Edison.
Edison has invented a mechanical witch detector that could unleash the worst witch-hunt in American history. Every magician in town has a motive to kill him. But as the investigation unfolds, all the clues lead back to the Lower East Side. And Sacha soon realizes that his own family could be accused of murder!
Synopsis
It is a devastated world where nothing is what it seems: Ancient relics possess technologically advanced powers, members of the old Order are hunted by the governing Watch yet revered by the people, and the great energy that connects all seems to also be destroying all. The only hope lies in Galen, a man of the old Order and a Keeper of relics, and his 16-year-old apprentice, Raffi. They know of a relic with great power that has been hidden for centuries. As they search for it, they will be hunted, spied on, and tested beyond their limits. For there are monsters—some human, some not—that also want the relic’s power and will stop at nothing to get it.
“A gritty and enjoyable tale of adventure, poised on the dividing line between science fiction and fantasy . . . Should easily please Fisher's fans, as well as those hungry for dystopian reading material.”—Publishers Weekly, on The Dark City
Synopsis
It is a devastated world where nothing is what it seems: Ancient relics possess technologically advanced powers, members of the old Order are hunted by the governing Watch yet revered by the people, and the great energy that connects all seems to also be destroying all. The only hope lies in Galen, a man of the old Order and a Keeper of relics, and his 16-year-old apprentice, Raffi. They know of a relic with great power that has been hidden for centuries. As they search for it, they will be hunted, spied on, and tested beyond their limits. For there are monsters—some human, some not—that also want the relic’s power and will stop at nothing to get it.
“A gritty and enjoyable tale of adventure, poised on the dividing line between science fiction and fantasy . . . Should easily please Fisher's fans, as well as those hungry for dystopian reading material.”—Publishers Weekly, on The Dark City
Synopsis
Nathaniel is a magician's apprentice, taking his first lessons in the arts of magic. But when a devious hot-shot wizard named Simon Lovelace ruthlessly humiliates Nathaniel in front of his elders, Nathaniel decides to kick up his education a few notches and show Lovelace who's boss. With revenge on his mind, he summons the powerful djinni, Bartimaeus. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal Lovelace's greatest treasure, the Amulet of Samarkand, he finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, and rebellion.
About the Author
Jonathan Stroud is a former publishing executive who has published several children's books in England. This is his first book in the United States. He lives in London.
Kids Q&A
Read the Kids' Q&A with Jonathan Stroud