The Ring of Solomon (The Bartimaeus Sequence) - Softcover

Jonathan Stroud

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0385619162 ISBN 13: 9780385619165

Publisher: Random House Children's Books, 2010

Synopsis

Fans rejoice--everyone's favorite wise-cracking djinni is back!

Thousands of years before his fateful service to the magician Nathaniel in London, wily Bartimaeus served as djinni to hundreds of masters, from Babylon and Ancient Egypt to the modern Middle East. In this brilliant new installment in the best-selling series, history is revealed as readers travel alongside Bartimaeus to Jerusalem and the court of King Solomon for his most exciting adventure yet.

About this title

About the Author

Jonathan Stroud(www.jonathanstroud.com) is the author of theNew York Timesbest-selling Bartimaeus Trilogy, as well asThe Leap,The Last Siege,Buried Fire, andHeroes of the Valley. He lives in England with his family.

Reviews

Gr 6 Up–Fans of Stroud's “Bartimaeus Trilogy” (Hyperion) will cheer the return of the sarcastic, chatty, and mischievous djinni in this prequel. Or perhaps this should be termed a pre-pre-prequel as the setting is an alternate version of biblical times during the reign of King Solomon, where magicians command djinni and Solomon rides herd over the known world due to his possession of an all-powerful ring that causes everyone to cower before him. The Queen of Sheba, aware that Solomon is preparing to disrupt her country's frankincense trade due to her refusal of his multiple marriage proposals, sends her most trusted guard, Asmira, to kill Solomon and steal the ring. Meanwhile, Bartimaeus has been humiliated because of his misbehavior and forced to work for Solomon's henchman, Khaba, on his new temple. After an amusing incident in which Bartimaeus is caught in the form of a hippo while illegally using magic to lay stones for Solomon's temple, he is sent to hunt other creatures who are disrupting trade routes. He encounters Asmira, traveling to Jerusalem under an assumed identity to accomplish her mission. How Bartimaeus ends up as her servant, and what they discover about the truth of Solomon's power, makes this a delightful and fascinating book, and it's likely to bring new fans to the original series. Bartimaeus is a wonderful creation, with his constant storytelling digressions delivered in the form of footnotes. But the new character, Asmira, is equally well rendered, with her keen ability with daggers providing her with much-needed self-defense. Definitely a must-purchase for most libraries.–Tim Wadham, St. Louis County Library, MO. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

*Starred Review* Called a Bartimaeus Novel, Stroud’s latest opens in a time and place (950 BCE Jerusalem) so far removed from the nineteenth-century British setting of the self-contained Bartimaeus trilogy that even the word prequel overstates the connection. Still, one unforgettable character from the trilogy energizes the current book as well. After outwitting and slaying his master in the opening chapters here, the mouthy, sardonic djinni named Bartimaeus is summoned to the service of yet another magician from King Solomon’s court. Meanwhile, across the desert in Sheba, a young royal guard called Asmira embarks on a dangerous quest, hoping to save the queen and their land by stealing King Solomon’s ring. Although Stroud’s writing is never less than inventive and entertaining, the first 100-page section feels like a prelude to the rest of the novel, which takes off when idealistic Asmira encounters jaded Bartimaeus and they begin to make their way toward Solomon and his ring of power. The climactic scenes hold surprises for the reader as well as the characters. As in the trilogy, some chapters are related in third person, while others are narrated by Bartimaeus, and the latter chapters often include informative and amusing footnotes in his distinctive voice. A riveting adventure for Bartimaeus fans, old and new. Grades 6-9. --Carolyn Phelan

Listeners were first introduced to Bartimaeus, the wisecracking djinni, in THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND. In this prequel, set in ancient Israel, the cynical and outspoken Bartimaeus is forced into servitude to King Solomon. The king has risen to greatness due to the power of a magical ring. After the Queen of Sheba rejects Solomon's proposal of marriage, Bartimaeus teams up with Ashmira, the loyal captain of Sheba's guards, to defeat Solomon before he destroys her kingdom. Narrator Simon Jones gives distinct voices to the multitude of characters, each with a unique tone and attitude. Bartimaeus, with his posh British accent, is both lovable and egotistical. Jones's sense of timing for both humor and intrigue contributes to a spirited performance. L.A.C. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

Edition details

• Publisher: Random House Children's Books
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0385619162
• ISBN 13: 9780385619165
• Binding: Paperback