The Amulet of Samarkand is a magical fantasy that takes place in an alternate world history. It begins when 12-year-old  Nathaniel summons a demon. Don’t let Bartimaeus hear you call him that – he’s a djinni and a good one at that.

Many stories that move around a lot almost require some sort of timeline to look at, but although this story moves between perspectives and times, it’s easy to follow and it makes sense.

Now of course if you read the book, you ought to know why a little boy is summoning djinn, and you ought to know the consequences of doing so. Naturally, then, such is the tale that kicks off a series of which I am particularly fond.

Travel through London and innocence and guilt, that’s what this story is all about. Underlying everything is a gothic undertone that, while slowing the reader down, adds so much flavor to the tale.

If you’re an audiobook person more than the reading type, you’ll find the audio narration is just as spectacular. So regardless of how you “read” it, get your hands on The Amulet of Samarkand and read this book!