Reviews of
THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND

"Nathaniel's third-person narrative alternates with the first-person telling of Bartimaeus the djinn, a memorable and highly entertaining character. Rude, flippant, and cocky, his voice reflects the injustice of his millennia of service to powerful magicians who have summoned him to do their capricious bidding.
His informative and sometimes humorous asides appear in footnotes, an unusual device in fiction, but one that serves a useful purpose here. Stroud creates a convincingly detailed secondary world with echoes of actual history and folklore. The strong narrative thrust of the adventure will keep readers involved.
One of the liveliest and most inventive fantasies of recent years."
STARRED REVIEW BOOKLIST

"Harry Potter has a new challenger…if you haven’t heard of him yet, you will."
NEW YORK POST

"engrossing reading...readers will eagerly anticipate the next two volumes"
STARRED REVIEW PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

"Drama, humour and hypnotically engaging storytelling"
Nicholas Tucker, THE INDEPENDENT

"I can't wait for volume two"
Diana Wynne Jones, THE GUARDIAN