NEWS: Jonathan Stroud Bartiameus Missing Chapter

Hail Mighty Readers,
We've had a hot tip from our Spy's at Doubleday. Today, Jonathan Stroud on his Facebook page, has a lost chapter from the Fourth Bartimaeus title (Ring of Solomon.) Sign up to see this secret chapter.

All the best,


Tatty

10+: Bartimeaus: The Amulet of Samarkand, Bartimeaus: The Amulet of Samarkand Graphic Novel - Jonathan Stroud

Release Date: 02/09/10

BOOK BLURB:

The first volume in the brilliant, best-selling Bartimaeus sequence; now with a brand new cover! When the 5,000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus is summoned by Nathaniel, a young magician's apprentice, he expects to have to do nothing more taxing than a little levitation or a few simple illusions. But Nathaniel is a precocious talent and has something rather more dangerous in mind: revenge. Against his will, Bartimaeus is packed off to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand from Simon Lovelace, a master magician of unrivalled ruthlessness and ambition. Before long, both djinni and apprentice are caught up in a terrifying flood of magical intrigue, murder and rebellion. Set in a modern-day London controlled by magicians, this hilarious, electrifying thriller will enthral readers of all ages.


REVIEW:

OK, yep, I’m late but I do have something in my defence, I wanted to read this book before starting the graphic novel. Why? Well, graphic novel adaptations have a habit of slashing plotline and cutting some characters to make things fit for the simplification process to keep the story in a nut shell.

This title is rich, the characters outstanding and to be honest if the young reader misses this, they’ve lost a fine opportunity to explore an imaginative world that will appeal to those who love magic with a touch of impish (or Djinn) charm. Add to this Jonathans own unique style of storytelling, some great one liners and a pace that’s hard to match and the sheer enthusiasm will soon have your young reader demanding the others in the series although don’t let them have all the fun, read it yourself there is just as much here for the adult reader as the young one. Perhaps even a project to enjoy together.





Release Date: 03/02/11

BOOK BLURB:

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' 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.


REVIEW:

It’s always interesting to see how a book is adapted to a graphic novel. Not just to get the artists impression but purely because so much has to be cut to streamline the story to make it fit the medium. This title (the first in the Bartimaeus series) is wonderfully creative and brings the impish magic of the djinn to the reader. It works beautifully as the cracking original story by Jonathan is complimented by the art of Lee Sullivan. Add to this a great adaptation, some seriously detailed artwork of London and the reader really has a treat in store. Perhaps a good way to interest some readers in books as it could be used as a great cross over in much the same way that the Artemis Fowl graphic novels were utilised.

10+: Bartimeaus: The Ring of Solomon - Jonathan Stroud

Release Date: 14/10/10

BOOK BLURB:

Fans of Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus books will devour this book - a cracking adventure brimming with magic, intrigue and a treasure trove of characters that the reader can't help but fall for. We find everyone's favourite irascibly insolent djinni serving at the court of King Solomon in 950 BC Jerusalem, where he is causing his customary chaos and must help a girl assassin sent by the Queen of Sheba steal the all-powerful ring of Solomon. The comic relief is perfectly timed, the dialogue sharp and snappy and the fiendishly clever plot perfectly handled with Jonathan's trademark flair and command of language. Thrills, chills and a danger-spiked finale - this is one of the publishing events of the year.


REVIEW:

Jonathan Stroud, has long been a big name in the young adult world and yet I’ve only really read one of his titles before (Heroes in the Valley) which whilst fun, didn’t exactly set my world alight and left me wondering exactly how he’d managed to earn the kudos of so many readers.

That was until I read this book. Whilst I haven’t read other titles in the Bartimaus series, I was instantly struck with the authors writing style, that was not only fast paced but also written with an almost unparalleled level of humour as the reader follows the exploits of our heroic djinn. The style was crisp, the dialogue ideal but overall the real thing that sells the book is the principle character who not only stole the show but gave the reader a real link to the world in which he inhabited. This was done through his sense of humour alongside his warped principles for the way that the world should work which when backed up with an ego the size of a skyscraper really did make this something spectacular.

Finally add to this a seriously huge story arc, a huge selection of supporting cast members and an easy to access world made this ideal reading material and overall really has made me want to buy the previous titles so that I can have a lot more fun with the heroes other exploits. Great stuff, although judging by how the djinn have been pushed into service to create things for other, I do wonder if they sprinkled Jonathan’s writing with some of their magic. It really is just too good to be true.