Well, the Bartimaeus trilogy by Jonathan Stroud is a book that fits completely into the great books written for children. Another would be how the pov flitters back and forth between the two main characters - at breakneck speed by the end - too much for my taste, but that's a minor, personal annoyance and doesn't really damage the story too much.

At times I wondered if the pages were meant to be larger- closer to the size of a standard comic book page- because there were a lot of little panels shoved onto some of the pages. Bartimaeus tells Nathaniel that he has something other magicians lack, something that he should guard, a conscience. After escaping Faquarl and Jabor, Bartimaeus is also accosted in an alleyway by a mysterious gang of youths, who attempted to steal the Amulet from him, somehow spotting it under Bartimaeus's clothes. Not to compare this too much to Harry Potter, but it is one of the first series to ride the initial wave of Pottermania to greater notoriety.An angered Bartimaeus threatens to kill him because he believes that either way he will end up in the tin and encourages Nathaniel to free him then and now, but resolves to try to keep him alive after Nathaniel promises to free him after this final task. I know they were trying to keep it to one book, but I feel like too much was left out, too much was rushed. It’s a fantasy that is exploring other aspects of life than the hero’s quest, getting the girl, defeating the Dark Lord. I am really into children's books, YA fantasy, it´s so easy to consume in between, so interesting to see how the same tropes and ideas are used in easier to understand contexts, how humor is executed, and how the characters perform in contrast to the adult comedic fantasy, etc.

I know he had a miserable childhood and all, but he was whiny at the best of times; at the worst, he was downright treacherous. Through the machinations of Nathaniel and Bartimaeus, Lovelace lost the amulet again, and was subsequently eaten by Ramuthra. A young and talented magician gets himself in a whole bunch of trouble when he summons a 14th level demon to help in with a task.Someone mentioned that those who think that this is the Harry Potter rival are mistaken and i agree with that part, this is no where near as good. Nathaniel learns quickly that he may have gotten into a plot much more in-depth than he and his djinni can cope with. Barty's sarcastic, powerful, arrogant, informative, and all in all, seeing the magical world through his asides and footnotes makes the book. Much more than a mere Harry Potter wannabe knock-off, The Amulet of Samarkand treats us not only to a blazing quick page turner but also throws in a generous helping of more adult issues such as questioning the morality of class distinctions; the development of a resistance movement to a dictatorial government clearly interested in nothing more than the perpetuation of its own comfort and rule; and power lust, greed or altruism as motives for action. Before he is dismissed, Bartimaeus attempts to warn Nathaniel against the typical road of a magician involving power-seeking behavior, materialism, and a generally shallow existence, also adding that Nathaniel should beware of his new master.

The Amulet is only mentioned during the events of The Golem's Eye once when John Mandrake (Nathaniel) attempts to use the fact that he saved the Prime Minister and gave him the amulet to evade being imprisoned in the Tower of London. When another magician Lovelace offends Nathaniel, his mater doesn't stood up for him and Nathaniel is determined to take revenge.When I saw there was a graphic novel available, I jumped at the chance to get to see what I had imagined all this time. That was pretty much my experience with my first Jonathan Stroud novel, which also happens to be the first novel in Bartimaeus trilogy. The plot works, though between action, it can slow down considerably, but the magical scenes are pretty fantastic, and, while HP has managed to sadden me on occasion, this book was the first that scared me with its monsters. Bartimaeus is a middle-ranking genie, not especially powerful, but smart enough to outdo alot of the other guys.

When Jones reads Underwood's proclamations, the character's pomposity and determination to ignore his apprentice come ringing true.

Flitting between the perspective of the djinni and the magician, we see the story progress and see various moments from two very different points of view.