The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

In an alternate London ruled by magicians, power is everything—and it is won not by courage or wisdom, but by the mastery of spirits. When twelve-year-old Nathaniel, an ambitious young apprentice, is humiliated by a corrupt sorcerer, he retaliates in secret by summoning a five-thousand-year-old djinni named Bartimaeus. What begins as a simple act of revenge spirals into a dangerous web of deceit, rebellion, and dark magic.

Told with wit, intelligence, and an unforgettable voice, The Amulet of Samarkand introduces Bartimaeus—a sarcastic, brilliant, and utterly captivating demon whose commentary on human folly gives the novel its rare charm and depth. As Nathaniel’s world teeters on the edge of chaos, the uneasy bond between master and servant becomes the key to the fate of an empire.

Inventive, sharp, and filled with moral tension, this first volume of The Bartimaeus Trilogy is a masterpiece of modern fantasy that rivals the very best of its genre.