
The Amulet of Samarkand: The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1
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Narrated by:
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Simon Jones
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By:
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Jonathan Stroud
About this listen
Nathaniel is eleven-years-old and a magician's apprentice, learning the traditional art 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 far beyond his years. With revenge on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all and summons Bartimaeus, a five-thousand-year-old djinni, to assist him. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal Lovelace's greatest treasure, the Amulet of Samarkand, he finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder and rebellion.
Set in a modern-day London spiced with magicians and mystery, The Amulet of Samarkand is an extraordinary, edge-of-your-seat thriller with many unexpected twists. Following Bartimaeus and Nathaniel in turn, the story introduces us to two wonderfully memorable characters destined to go through many adventures together and bound by a spell that is nearly impossible to break.
©2010 Johnathan Stroud (P)2010 Listening LibraryListeners also enjoyed...
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Like a car alarm, bagpipe music, or a doorbell ringing in the middle of the night, hearing this all-new audio edition of The Bad Beginning will only upset you. This unique multi-voice recording brings the first book in Lemony Snicket's alarming A Series of Unfortunate Events to such terrible life that no one should really have to experience it.
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Great start. Too bad about licensing..
- By Dan on 05-19-11
By: Lemony Snicket
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Inkheart
- By: Cornelia Funke
- Narrated by: Lynn Redgrave
- Length: 15 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Imagine it were possible to bring the characters from a book to life. Not like when you listen to an audiobook with such enchantment that the characters seem to jump off the pages and into your bedroom...but for real. Imagine they could actually climb out of the pages and into our world. Then imagine if those characters brought their world into ours.
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For ALL ages
- By A on 11-24-04
By: Cornelia Funke
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Skulduggery Pleasant
- Skulduggery Pleasant, Book 1
- By: Derek Landy
- Narrated by: Rupert Degas
- Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Stephanie's uncle Gordon is a writer of horror fiction. But when he dies and leaves her his estate, Stephanie learns that, while he may have written horror, it certainly wasn't fiction. Pursued by evil forces intent on recovering a mysterious key, Stephanie finds help from an unusual source, the wisecracking skeleton of a dead wizard.
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Dark Magic & a talking skeleton
- By Sumit G. on 08-25-07
By: Derek Landy
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A World Without Heroes
- By: Brandon Mull
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb
- Length: 14 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable--until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he's ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.
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Great for kids and adults
- By Tango on 05-13-13
By: Brandon Mull
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Across the Nightingale Floor
- Tales of the Otori, Book One
- By: Lian Hearn
- Narrated by: Kevin Gray, Aiko Nakasone
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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A tour-de-force novel set in ancient Japan filled with passion, fantasy, and feuding warlords. The first volume in the highly anticipated Tales of the Otori trilogy.
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Wonderful epic story
- By Jody R. Nathan on 10-04-03
By: Lian Hearn
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Fablehaven, Book 1
- By: Brandon Mull
- Narrated by: E. B. Stevens
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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For centuries, mystical creatures of all description were gathered to a hidden refuge called Fablehaven to prevent their extinction. The sanctuary survives today as one of the last strongholds of true magic in a cynical world. Enchanting? Absolutely. Exciting? You bet. Safe? Well, actually, quite the opposite... Kendra and her brother Seth have no idea their grandfather is the current caretaker of Fablehaven.
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Fablehaven deserves a better narrator!
- By Meg Barry on 07-31-14
By: Brandon Mull
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The Alchemyst
- The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, Book 1
- By: Michael Scott
- Narrated by: Denis O'Hare
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Nicholas Flamel is the greatest Alchemyst to ever live. The records show that he died in 1418, but what if he's actually been making the elixir of life for centuries? The secrets to eternal life are hidden within the book he protects - the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed, and in the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. And that's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. There is one hope. If the prophecy is true, Sophie and Josh Newman have the power to save everyone. Now they just have to learn to use it.
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Children's Novel......Maybe!
- By DaBears113 on 11-27-09
By: Michael Scott
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Eragon
- Inheritance, Book 1
- By: Christopher Paolini
- Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
- Length: 16 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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When fifteen-year-old Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. Overnight his simple life is shattered, and, gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now his choices could save—or destroy—the Empire.
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Utterly Awesome!
- By Sandra on 11-07-03
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The Merchant of Death
- Pendragon, Book 1
- By: D. J. MacHale
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Bobby Pendragon is a seemingly normal 14-year-old boy. He has a family, a home, and even Marley, his beloved dog. But there is something very special about Bobby: he is going to save the world.
And not just Earth as we know it. Bobby is slowly starting to realize that life in the cosmos isn't quite what he thought it was. And before he can object, he is swept off to an alternate dimension known as Denduron, a territory inhabited by strange beings, ruled by a magical tyrant, and plagued by dangerous revolution.
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The Merchant of Death (Unabridged
- By Bronwyn on 07-26-08
By: D. J. MacHale
What listeners say about The Amulet of Samarkand: The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1
Highly rated for:
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Overall
- Timothy
- 10-31-07
entertaining
While the story was predictable, the telling of it was fun to listen to and I found it quite entertaining. I especially enjoyed the character creations. I found Bartemaeus to be a delightfully sarcastic demon. I could almost envision Robin Williams' Djinni from the movie 'Aladdins Lamp' as I was listening. I was a bit disappointed with Nathanials development however. I didn't care for his pompousness and disregard for other people, but at least you know that deep down he does have a good heart.
I was also a bit confused by the chronolgy of the book. In one section they are talking about the War with the American colonies, and then later make references to people like Stalin, Lincoln and Churchill. In alot of ways the author was all over the place.
But; like I said, all of that aside, I still found it to be very entertaining and all in all I gave it four out of five stars.
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11 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Randy
- 01-08-05
Excellent story, brilliant narration
After listening to dozens of audiobooks, Simon Jones has quickly become my favorite reader. With an easy-to-understand British accent, excellent vocal range and pacing, perfect enunciation and terrific character voices, he does yet another outstanding job with this book.
The book itself is something kids and adults will enjoy. The main characters, Nathaniel (a young magician's apprentice), and Bartimaeus (a demon conjured by Nathaniel and forced unwillingly to do his his bidding) are well-developed and brought engagingly to life by the reader. Bartimaeus's wry comments about Nathaniel and life in general will have the listener chuckling quite often.
Nathaniel is somewhat of an anti-hero at first; he's deceitful, proud, arrogant, and above all impatient to prove and test his abilities, which of course causes all kinds of tragedy, mayhem and suspense.
The author's style of writing several chapters first from the demon's viewpoint and then the boy's keeps things quite interesting and engaging. We get to see what's motivating both of them from different vantage points, and it works well to keep the story flowing smoothly and provides a cliff-hanger or two when we switch from one to the other.
Simon Jones also reads book 2, which is every bit as good as this one. Both are well-worth repeated listenings. Here's hoping he reads book 3 as well.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Elizabeth K.
- 03-17-04
Amulet of Samarkand
This is SUCH an excellent book! The reader makes it fun to listen to and I am looking forward to the next book!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Josh Alwitt
- 08-08-05
Masterful entertainment - Simon Jones is terrific
I picked this book up by accident at a friend's house because their 12-year-old was reading it. I loved LOTR but have never been interested in Harry Potter. Couldn't put the book down and when I got home immediately ordered it on Audible. Simon Jones makes it twice as fun with his terrific characters. Buy it!!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Kathryn
- 06-26-04
A winner
I've just finished listening to this title for the second time; I loved The Amulet... the first time for its engrossing tale and wonderfully quirky characters, and the second for its sly wit and clever narration. Stroud has written a book that appeals to both my inner ten year old and the literary snob in me, and Simon Jones gives the book the narration it deserves. This is worth your listening time and your money.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Alex Levine
- 03-25-13
Not just another kid magician!
The narration by Simon Jones and the incredibly fun prose made this book for me, and the two that followed. I am normally turned off by a surfeit of unsympathetic characters, or by a theme (in this case, that of child magician) that has been done to death. But Jones turns both liabilities into assets, simply by writing much better than almost everyone in the genre. About the characters: nearly all of the humans (and all of the important ones) are unmitigated jerks. This isn't a spoiler; it's pretty clear a few minutes in. The "demons," and especially Bartimaeus, are where the psychological interest lies.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Kate
- 02-03-08
A Fun Listen
I enjoyed Bartimaeus' witty & sarcastic voice in this book. The narrator did an excellent job bringing the characters to life - particularly the djinni Bartimaeus. I found myself smiling at the dialogue and mainly amused by the plot. I plan on happily listening to all three parts of this trilogy.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Zenpaca
- 10-06-12
Who new Djinn could be so sarcastic?
This book is a really fun read. The narrator is outstanding and for his performance alone, you should listen to the book. He brings the character to life with a dry and sarcastic sense of humor with a sprinkling of megalomania. The store is really good. If you are a child or an adult you will appreciate the great detail that the author brings to life. This is about a boy who is a naturally gifted magician. This also tells a tale of a class war going on in a parallel alternate timeline where magic exists but only the wealthy and elite are allowed to learn and master it. The magicians use summoning to gain the this magical ability. The book goes into more detail but lets just say you will love the intricate hierarchy of supernatural beings. If you like Harry Potter, Twilight, Artemis Fowl you will really get a kick of this book. You will love the characters in the book and for a bonus you will laugh at some one liners. The book is really fun and once you do go for it you will immediate want to get the 3 books in the series. This is also a great stand alone book. There is no cliffhanger the book does leave some questions unanswered but nothing that will make you bang you head against the wall. BARTEMEUS ROCKS!!!!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- AE
- 07-16-05
The Amulet of Samkarkand
Great book and reading. My seven year old son and five year old daughter were very intrigued with this story. They liked the all the images from the magic. The five year old did have some troulbe following the storyline at times, but still enjoyed the way the reader told the story. I highly recommend this book.
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- Sarah
- 01-30-13
Very enjoyable
Great narrator. He really brought the characters to life, especially Bartimaeus. The story was exciting enough for my older daughter (12), and not to scary for my younger son (8) -- a tricky balance to find sometimes. Super audiobook for a long trip in the car.
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