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The Amulet of Samarkand – A Bartimaeus Graphic Novel


Michelle

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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.

 

This was my first experience of a graphic novel, but as a huge Bartimaeus fan, I couldn’t resist. I read The Amulet of Samarkand some time ago, and listened to the audio version fairly recently – I love the characters, the ideas, and most of all the wit and humour.

 

My first impression of the book was very positive – the art, provided by Lee Sullivan is extremely vivid and detailed. It bring the story to life, and compels you to keep reading. My main concern was whether something would have to give as the story was compacted, but I shouldn’t have worried. The story is all there, and whilst I’m sure details are missing, they were nothing noticeable. Some of Bartimaeus’s lines will be missing, but that general feel of his wit and cheek remains.

 

The joy of this format is that there’s something for everyone. For the reluctant reader, I would imagine graphic novels are more inviting, and the art work in this be enough to pull most people in. The characters and stories are all there, and it may even encourage them to go on and pick up the rest of the series – although they are sadly not in graphic form yet.

 

For those who are already fans, such as myself, it’s a welcome addition to my book shelf, and I certainly enjoyed revisiting the story in this format.

 

 

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Such a great book - I'm glad to hear they've done it justice. This would be ideal for my nephew (who is 11) ... the actual book might be a bit taxing (especially as he's dyslexic) but he gets on great with graphic novels. Thanks Michelle, I'll look out for it :)

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