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A young boy summons a djinni to do his bidding, only to discover that the creature isn’t quite as obedient as it should be. The Amulet of Samarkand is the first book in Jonathan Stroud’s Bartimaeus Trilogy of fantasy novels. Summary of the Book Nathaniel is a young magician-in-training, serving his master. In this world, Britain is governed by powerful magicians, and young children with a gift for magic are sold to the government as a “sacrifice” for a “noble destiny”. Nathaniel’s master, Arthur Underwood, is a cruel man. He works at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and he is a hard taskmaster. One day, he is humiliated by the master magician Simon Lovelace, and Underwood does nothing to help him. Angry at his shame, Nathaniel resorts to vengeance on his own, studying ancient texts to acquire knowledge. He discovers the name of a 5000 year old djinni, the great and powerful Bartimaeus of Uruk, the servant of Solomon and Ptolemy. However, he has made a tiny mistake. He has told Bartimaeus his real name, and that gives the djinni power over him. About Jonathan Stroud Jonathan Stroud is a British novelist known for his children’s novels. He has also written the Lockwood & Co. series. Series Reading Order Bartimaeus returns in The Golem's Eye.