Review Time: The Amulet of Samarkand

Graphic novel adaptations are everywhere these days. I could go on for pages for that but I'll spare you all my ranting and theorizing. Today's adaptation is The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud and Andrew Donkin and illustrated by Lee Sullivan. Seeing as Stroud is the author of the original, this one gets bonus points for authenticity. Seeing as it's a very action-packed story, it also converts well to this new format.

Nathaniel is a magician-in-training. Impatient for more responsibility than his master gives him, he summons the djini Bartimaeus, expecting the djini to actually do what he asks him to do. That's Nathaniel's first mistake. His second mistake, a far more serious one, is sending Bartimaeus to steal the Amulet of Samarkand, which is currently owned by proud and ambitious magician Simon Lovelace. Nathaniel suddenly finds himself in very much over his head as he unveils a dangerous plot rife with political intrigue and murder. Now he and Bartimeus and Nathaniel must work together to save both of their lives.

It's an exciting and well planned fantasy in a world almost exactly like the one we live in, the only difference (maybe...) being the existence of magic. Stroud clearly thought this one out for a long time and the result is fantastic. Like all of the best mysteries, there are hints along the way in this one that you only pick up on a second or third reading. He also creates two very likeable creatures. Despite the 5,000 year age difference, Bartimeus and Nathaniel are friends. They squabble over fault and try to trick each other but neither one really wants to hurt the other. It's actually kind of sweet.

The real triumph here, though, is the artwork. You can tell by looking at the panels that Sullivan had fun with this one. The explosions and magics are so gorgeous that I stopped to stare at them. In particular, the use of color was brilliant, which is likely why Nicolas Chapuis got a rare cover nod for color. As a shape-shifting djinni, identifying Bartimeus may have been a problem in this format as he often goes from beetle to raven to human from one panel to the next. But the Sullivan/Chapuis team sidestepped that potential pitfall by giving Bartimeus a yellow aura regardless of his form, making it much easier for the reader to follow the action with minimal confusion.

As far as adaptations go, this one may in fact be better as a graphic novel than it was in it's original format. A must-read for any fantasy fanatic.

Final Grade: A-