The Amulet of Samarkand
Jonathan Stroud
Paperback
(Miramax Books, Jan. 1, 2003)
A modern-day London run by magicians. A stolen amulet. A tale of intrigue, murder, and revenge. Nathaniel, an eleven-year-old magician-in-training, thinks he's ready to take on more challenging spells. With revenge against the proud and ambitious Simon Lovelace on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all and summons Bartimaeus, a 5000-year-old djinni, to assist him. But summoning a djinni and controlling him are two different things entirely. When Nathaniel sends Bartimaeus to steal Lovelace's greatest treasure, the Amulet of Samarkand, he finds himself caught in a whirlwind of espionage, murder, and rebellion.