The Amulet of Samarkand Graphic Novel
By (Author) Jonathan Stroud
Penguin Random House Children's UK
Corgi Childrens
1st December 2010
3rd February 2011
United Kingdom
General
Fiction
Childrens / Teenage fiction: Fantasy
741.5942
Paperback
144
Width 154mm, Height 230mm, Spine 10mm
352g
The first volume in the brilliant, bestselling Bartimaeus sequence, now adapted into a stunning graphic novel format - this is Bartimaeus as you've never seen him before! The first volume in the brilliant, bestselling Bartimaeus sequence, now adapted into a stunning graphic novel format - this is Bartimaeus as you've never seen him before! Nathaniel, a young magician's apprentice, has revenge on his mind. Desperate to defy his master and take on more challenging spells, he secretly summons the 5000-year-old djinni, Bartimaeus. But Bartimaeus's task is not an easy one - he must steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand from Simon Lovelace, a master magician of unrivalled ruthlessness and ambition. Before long, Bartimaeus and Nathaniel are caught up in a terrifying flood of intrigue, rebellion and murder. Set in modern-day London controlled by magicians, this brilliant adaptation of Jonathan Stroud's bestselling novel will enthral readers of all ages.
...illustrated superbly in this graphic novel. The colours are delicious - rich yet real, bright yet not busy, with realistic shading and other changes of tone.
The whole artwork is superlative, with characters - human, magical or otherwise - simply and well defined.
That and a whole lot more suggest this book is a faithful adaptation, cherishing the original and only making it more vivid.
With the look of this tome the standout, this is the best preteen-read-to-graphic-novel book I've yet seen, making it better than the Alex Rider, Charlie Higson young Bond, and even our co-adaptor's Artemis Fowl tie-ins. It's a lengthy book, for it doesn't appear wordy yet contains a satisfying amount of bulk. It reads fine, and looks splendid, and I have no problem recommending it.
...a faithful and well-considered take on the near 10-year-old tale...
...atmospheric visuals...
...artwork is beautiful throughout...
9/10 - A charming fantasy romp
Jonathan Stroud was born in Bedford in 1970. After studying English Literature at York University, he moved to London, where he worked as an editor at a publishing firm. He is the author of the best-selling Bartimaeus sequence, which is published in 35 languages and has sold 6 million copies worldwide; the much-beloved Lockwood & Co. series (soon to be a major Netflix series) as well as The Notorious Scarlett & Browne; Heroes of the Valley; The Last Seige; The Leap and Buried Fire. He lives in Hertfordshire with his family. He has yet to see a ghost, but is keeping his eyes open.