In an attempt to fill the hole of the now complete Harry Potter Series, I came across English writer Jonathan Stroud’s The Amulet of Samarkand (“The Amulet”), and I soon fell in love with the whole Bartimaeus Trilogy. The Amulet takes place in a world where magicians rule the UK and everyone one else – those who are unable to perform magic – are subjected to unfair and sometimes cruel laws.

The series opens with two anti-heroes: 11-year old Nathaniel, whose parents hand him over to become an apprentice of a second-rate magician – Underwood – and a 5,000-year old sarcastic, self-absorbed djinni named Bartimaeus who seeks freedom. Readers soon learn that Nathaniel has ambitions of his own and becomes disillusioned and bitter over Underwood’s mediocre power. Further, Nathaniel receives a fatal blow to his esteem when he is callously punished for insulting Simon Lovelace – a power hungry and political magician. Without giving too much away of the plot, Nathaniel conjures Bartimaeus to seek revenge against Lovelace, including stealing and hiding the powerful Amulet of Samarkand from Lovelace. Both Nathaniel and Bartimaeus are “in it” for themselves but must work together to accomplish. From there on out, the plot becomes an often dark, humorous, and even political ride (wait until the Resistance appears!) that no reader should miss.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and the remaining series because the heroes are not the stereotypical “nice guy/gal” types. They are flawed, sometimes self-absorbed, heroes who have an edge that at any moment they could fall into their darker nature. Also what is stellar about this series in the not-so-basic political and economic issues that occur between the “haves” and “have-nots.” These are great issues to pursue in conversations among adults, young adults, or book clubs that involve both adults and young adults.