The Amulet of Samarkand

The Amulet of
Samarkand
by Jonathan Stroud

From the publisher:
"Nathaniel is a boy magician-in-training, sold to the government by his birth parents at the age of five and sent to live as an apprentice to a master. Powerful magicians rule Britain, and its empire, and Nathaniel is told his is the "ultimate sacrifice" for a "noble destiny." 

If leaving his parents and erasing his past life isn't tough enough, Nathaniel's master, Arthur Underwood, is a cold, condescending, and cruel middle-ranking magician in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The boy's only saving grace is the master's wife, Martha Underwood, who shows him genuine affection that he rewards with fierce devotion. Nathaniel gets along tolerably well over the years in the Underwood household until the summer before his eleventh birthday. Everything changes when he is publicly humiliated by the ruthless magician Simon Lovelace and betrayed by his cowardly master who does not defend him.

Nathaniel vows revenge. In a Faustian fever, he devours magical texts and hones his magic skills, all the while trying to appear subservient to his master. When he musters the strength to summon the 5,000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus to avenge Lovelace by stealing the powerful Amulet of Samarkand, the boy magician plunges into a situation more dangerous and deadly than anything he could ever imagine. "

I really struggle with books when I don't like one of the main characters (ie - Artemis Fowl), and while I enjoyed Bartimaeus, I definitely did not like Nathaniel. So much so that I almost stopped reading this. I also found the constant footnotes obnoxious and distracting and there are not many middle school children in the world who will take the time to read them. It also seemed quite long. However, Bartimaeus kept me going with his boasting and quick wit. There is plenty of action, even though it seemed to drag sometimes, and I'm sure the remaining books in the series will have just as much. 

It is odd that this author's Lockwood and Co. series is very popular in my library, but I can't get the kids who loved that series to read this one. If I find a good author I have to get my hands on everything they have written, but apparently there is something off-putting about the cover or synopsis that isn't catching the middle schoolers attention. Now, just because this wasn't my favorite doesn't mean the kids won't like it if they once get into it. After all, they love Artemis Fowl, so I'll still recommend it to the students who love mythology, mythological creatures and magicians.

Areas of concern:
*Violence between mythological creatures and magicians
*Sad death of a loved character
*A character is killed by a young boy

Suggested Ages:

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 10+

School Library Journal - Grades 5-9

A Shadow Bright and Burning

A Shadow Bright 
and Burning
by Jessica Cluess

From the publisher:
"I am Henrietta Howel. The first female sorcerer. The prophesied one. Or am I?

Henrietta Howel can burst into flames. When she is brought to London to train with Her Majesty's sorcerers, she meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, young men eager to test her powers and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her. As Henrietta discovers the secrets hiding behind the glamour of sorcerer life, she begins to doubt that she's the true prophesied one. With battle looming, how much will she risk to save the city--and the one she loves?"

Well, here's an exciting book for you.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I love the relationship that we see right away between Henrietta and Rook, although more is revealed later on, it is nice to see their practically symbiotic relationship. They need each other. But it is also fun to see Henrietta have new experiences. I loved all of the characters! "The boys" are awesome, but I felt like it was Magnus, Blackwood, and then all the others that we didn't get to know as well until quite a bit farther into it. I'm sure they will all have major roles in the next book. On the description from the publisher it says, "One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her." I really thought I knew which one it was that was going to betray her, so I was nervous throughout because I really like the one I suspected, but so far, so good on that head. Ugh, it is so hard to write reviews without spoilers!! But regardless, the characters were all so important in their different ways, from sorcerers to magicians to we-thought-you-were-dead people. And everyone's backstories were also very crucial to the story as a whole.
The setting of Victorian England almost put me off of this book because I hate steampunk, but there was no steampunk here, just magic. It was so interesting to see the alternate, magical, warding-off-demons Victorian London and the queen herself. 
All in all, I was very impressed with this book. I believe it is a debut novel by a new author and I very much look forward to what she brings in the future. There is action, magic, horror, fear, possible romance (from several different places), humor and all sorts of twists. I think I see where several things are going in the next book, but I have no idea how we're going to get there. All of that was done in a way that still kept it appropriate for a middle school audience. Well done, Jessica Cluess, you are on my radar.

Areas of concern:
*I only noticed one use of the *d* word and no other bad language.
*Terrifying monsters that attack. 
*Intense situations
*Mild sexual harassment at the very beginning of the book, but the character escapes from that environment.
*There is one quite big make-out scene and mention is made of a hand going up a leg, but that is as far as it goes.

Suggested Ages:

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+

School Library Journal - Grades 7+