Candace G. (Ogre) reviewed on 6/26/2011 + 1568 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

I'd thought at first, ho hum, another Harry Potter clone--but, nope, this one's not the same at all. Yes, a young, misunderstood boy is growing up with magic, but those are pretty much the only resemblances. And it's a bit difficult to tell the good guys from the bad guys sometimes, since generally the bad guys are better looking! A very good young adult novel.

From back cover: Nathaniel is eleven years old and a magician's apprentice, learning the tradional arts of magic. All is well until he has a life-changing encounter with Simon Lovelace, a magician of unrivaled ruthlessness and ambition. When Lovelace brutally humiliates Nathaniel in public, Nathaniel decides to speed up his education, teaching himself spells way beyond his years. With revenge on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all and summons Bartimaeus, a five-thouseand-year-old dijinni, to assist him. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the dijinni out to steal Lovelace's greatest treasure, he finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, and rebellion.

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