It is 950 B.C.E., and King Solomon rules Jerusalem with a steely hand; a hand on which gleams a magic ring of immense and unforgiving power. Solomo...
read full description
reviews
Aug 23, 2011
Rachel
rated it: 
Revisiting the world of Bartemaius, fans will be rewarded with everything we loved about the original books: a fast-paced, entertaining adventure with a satisfying ending. Most importantly, there's Bartemaius himself, back with his footnotes and customary cheek.
Bartemaius is one of the most unforgettable and entertaining characters come to kid's fantasy in the past few years, and there's no doubt he could carry several more good novels like The Ring of Solomon. Surpassing the origin More...
Bartemaius is one of the most unforgettable and entertaining characters come to kid's fantasy in the past few years, and there's no doubt he could carry several more good novels like The Ring of Solomon. Surpassing the origin More...
5 comments
like
(17 people liked it)
Aug 23, 2011
Daria
rated it: 
It's Jerusalem, 950 B.C.E., but, much to our sheer delight, Bartimaeus could have been Dismissed out of 21st century London only moments ago. It seems that two millenia are nothing for this sharp-talking djinni, for Bart's as charmingly insolent as ever.
And Bartimaeus really is the highlight of the work. It's no wonder that Asmira struggles to be equally as appreciated by readers as Bartimaues is, just as Nathaniel and Kitty do in the original Bartimaeus Trilogy. The reader, so ens More...
And Bartimaeus really is the highlight of the work. It's no wonder that Asmira struggles to be equally as appreciated by readers as Bartimaues is, just as Nathaniel and Kitty do in the original Bartimaeus Trilogy. The reader, so ens More...
4 comments
like
(15 people liked it)
Jan 12, 2011
Silvana
rated it:
I love love love this book!
Please please PLEASEEEEEE Jonathan Stroud, write another prequel/sequel/epic poem/play/novella/memoir/thesis/whatever of Barty! We, his adoring fans, could never get enough of him!
Ok, back to the book. This is your typical Barty-like adventure. High-speed chases, extreme danger, lots of demons (scary, weird, yucky, you name it), strong (but flawed) characters, and of course...the trademark acerbic, sarcastic, narcissistic comments from our dear More...
Please please PLEASEEEEEE Jonathan Stroud, write another prequel/sequel/epic poem/play/novella/memoir/thesis/whatever of Barty! We, his adoring fans, could never get enough of him!
Ok, back to the book. This is your typical Barty-like adventure. High-speed chases, extreme danger, lots of demons (scary, weird, yucky, you name it), strong (but flawed) characters, and of course...the trademark acerbic, sarcastic, narcissistic comments from our dear More...
40 comments
like
(17 people liked it)
Aug 23, 2011
Jay
rated it: 
Argh! This book took forever to get started. I wish there was some way to skip over about a hundred pages, the loong time it takes for Asmira and Bartimaeus to start working together, and foreground the nicely nasty maneuvering early on in the book instead of saving it up for a reveal later on. Only after the unveiling does Asmira start to become slightly interesting in her zealotry, but that only lasts for a few scenes.
The prequeal to Bartimaeus Trilogy, the story is set in ancient More...
The prequeal to Bartimaeus Trilogy, the story is set in ancient More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Aug 23, 2011
Chachic
rated it: 
Originally posted here.
Bartimaeus is back, with his trademark wit, humor and impudence. In the world created by Jonathan Stroud, demons are slaves to magicians who summon them from the Other Place. They are forced to accomplish tasks that usually involve prestige for their masters. There are many kinds of demons and Bartimaeus isn’t even one of the most powerful. He more than makes up for it in his own cunning way and has even served several powerful masters. In The Ring of Solomon, More...
Bartimaeus is back, with his trademark wit, humor and impudence. In the world created by Jonathan Stroud, demons are slaves to magicians who summon them from the Other Place. They are forced to accomplish tasks that usually involve prestige for their masters. There are many kinds of demons and Bartimaeus isn’t even one of the most powerful. He more than makes up for it in his own cunning way and has even served several powerful masters. In The Ring of Solomon, More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 15, 2011
Δx Δp ≥ ½ ħ
rated it:
Barty! Barty! Barty!
What a rofl book. Just laugh, laugh and laugh until my stomach hurts. Since first page, The Ring of Solomon was sooooooo funny that me started laughin' so hard.
Oh Barty, we love you. This book is hilarious, funny, and exciting. I think Barty is the most beloved fantasy characters all time. awesome!
I like this book it is a lot fun 'n you should get this book you will love Barty more and more and more and more!
Great job Mr. Stroud. Plea More...
What a rofl book. Just laugh, laugh and laugh until my stomach hurts. Since first page, The Ring of Solomon was sooooooo funny that me started laughin' so hard.
Oh Barty, we love you. This book is hilarious, funny, and exciting. I think Barty is the most beloved fantasy characters all time. awesome!
I like this book it is a lot fun 'n you should get this book you will love Barty more and more and more and more!
Great job Mr. Stroud. Plea More...
16 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Feb 01, 2011
Chrisanne
rated it:
How I love sequels that are well-thought out. It's like getting back together with an old friend and picking right back up from where you left off. However, to clarify, this isn't a sequel. It's a prequel that feels like a sequel. But Bartimaeus is still his delightfully charming, impertinently saucy, and good(!) self. Great fun.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Aug 23, 2011
Joan
rated it:
I read this after it won SLJ's Battle of the Books since evertone was raving about it. I was pretty dubious about it but no more! This is so much fun I have immediately started rereading this which I don't do often at all! The language and wit of Bartimaeus is just so much fun! The story is suspenseful and well done, and the other characters are all individual as well. I also like who got the worst punishment among the baddies, very interesting choice. I can't wait to start the original trilogy!
More...
17 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 02, 2012
Ms. Library
rated it:
Plot: This book is a prequel to the other Bartimaeus books. Its set in Israel, in the time of Solomon, who Bartimaeus mentions quite frequently in the other three books. This time, the reader gets to find out what really happened. Unfortunately, a lot of old favorites are missing because its set in the past, but the reader does get to hear from his/her favorite djinni. In this book, Bartimaeus is as snarky as ever, as he engages with King Solomon, a ring of great power, and an assassin sent
More...
Jan 15, 2012
Ryan
rated it:
With his Bartimeaus stories, Stroud has created a world worthy of JK Rowling. Unfortunately his apparent desire to be a 'literary author' irks me to no end. His otherwise brilliant stories are constantly weighed down by endless descriptions and piddly details. When I first discovered Bartimeaus and the Amulet of Sarkamand (book 1) I was instantly caught up in Stroud's witty prose and original plot. (I've always been partial to good British sarcasm.) The second and third books, however, the plot
More...
Dec 17, 2011
Chelsea
rated it:
It's been far too long since I read the original trilogy (I was in high school, am now a junior in college) so it's hard for me to remember what it was exactly about those that I liked so much and compare it to this. Since I couldn't put my finger on it I was just going to not say anything, but there are lots of other people saying that this wasn't as satisfying as the trilogy itself so I guess I'm not alone in that.
True, the main (human) characters were lacking in the kind of flaws More...
True, the main (human) characters were lacking in the kind of flaws More...
Dec 14, 2011
John
rated it:
One of the most delightful literary characters to appear in the last decade is the cheeky Bartimaeus–a five-thousand-year-old djinni (“genie”) who plays the lead role in Jonathan Stroud’s trilogy The Amulet of Samarkand, The Golem’s Eye, and Ptolemy’s Gate.
In Stroud’s world, magicians have no magic in themselves, but they do have the lore to summon and enslave demons, who can work magic. There are demons of various levels and powers. The lowest regularly summoned and enslaved are Imp More...
In Stroud’s world, magicians have no magic in themselves, but they do have the lore to summon and enslave demons, who can work magic. There are demons of various levels and powers. The lowest regularly summoned and enslaved are Imp More...
Dec 03, 2011
Michael
rated it:
in Deuteronomy chapter 32, verse 17, God parallels the demons with the "gods" who are you are not to worship and sacrifice to. The Hebrew word is SHADE.
Solomon loved many strange women and those strange women turned his heart over to strange gods, in other words the demons. the author handles Solomon in a way that is quite deft.
so the historical foundation is actually somewhat set for this book, though it is an entirely humorous twist. It makes light of demons wi More...
Solomon loved many strange women and those strange women turned his heart over to strange gods, in other words the demons. the author handles Solomon in a way that is quite deft.
so the historical foundation is actually somewhat set for this book, though it is an entirely humorous twist. It makes light of demons wi More...
Nov 03, 2011
Ian
rated it:
The Ring of Solomon
A Fantastic Fantasy
Have you ever known some one who is talented, resourceful and has a knack for back talk? If you have that is also an accurate way to describe Bartimeas. The Ring of Solomon is another amazing fantasy book by Jonathan Stroud, where humor and fantasy meet.
Bartimaueas is a witty djinni of the forth level. A standard demon, summoned like all others to be enslaved by magicians. It is 950 BC and the all mighty Solomon rules over Jerusalem with More...
A Fantastic Fantasy
Have you ever known some one who is talented, resourceful and has a knack for back talk? If you have that is also an accurate way to describe Bartimeas. The Ring of Solomon is another amazing fantasy book by Jonathan Stroud, where humor and fantasy meet.
Bartimaueas is a witty djinni of the forth level. A standard demon, summoned like all others to be enslaved by magicians. It is 950 BC and the all mighty Solomon rules over Jerusalem with More...
Sep 06, 2011
E' con piacere estremo che annuncio il ritorno del grande Bartimeus. Non solo: noto con altrettanto piacere il ritorno del buon vecchio Jonathan Stroud, che finalmente sembra essersi ripreso da quell'orrore che è il suo romanzo precedente, La valle degli Eroi, un pallidissimo e banalissimo fantasy che aveva sputato sulla grandiosa opera di decostruzione del canone che è stata la Trilogia.
*
Confesso, sono stata molto indecisa se acquistare o meno questo prequel della Tril More...
*
Confesso, sono stata molto indecisa se acquistare o meno questo prequel della Tril More...
Aug 30, 2011
Samuel
rated it:
Six years ago, hungry for a good read after Harry Potter, I was scanning the Middle-Grade section when I saw the cover for The Amulet of Samarkand (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Book 1) It looked magical, shiny and oh-so-blue.
I picked it up and read the first paragraph, and from that moment I was hooked. Bartimaeus is, to this day, my very favorite first-person host. If I were to get a chance to hang out with one fictional character, it would be him; so long as he was under strict orders not More...
I picked it up and read the first paragraph, and from that moment I was hooked. Bartimaeus is, to this day, my very favorite first-person host. If I were to get a chance to hang out with one fictional character, it would be him; so long as he was under strict orders not More...
Aug 05, 2011
Stewart
rated it:
When I think of the tripe that was available for teenage readers back in my teens, I can't help but decide that ours was a woefully underrepresented genre. Nowadays, however, with the explosion of teen-lit (largely of a supernatural bent thanks to Dame Rowling), it becomes more of an effort of separating wheat from chaff. Harry Potter was well-written enough to endure two decent opening salvos before a masterful middle trilogy set the stage for a disappointing and overlong finale. Artemis Fow
More...
Jul 24, 2011
julie
rated it:
I'm a big Bartimaeus fan. I read the trilogy and liked them so much I bought the audio edition. When Ring of Solomon came out, I snatched up the audiobook. I can't imagine a better reader than Simon Jones.
Jonathan Stroud is a wonderful writer and quote-worthy indeed.
Jonathan Stroud is a wonderful writer and quote-worthy indeed.
No matter how many times you see the dead walk, you always forget just how RUBBISH they are when they really get moving. Sure, they look okay when they first break through the wall. They get points for shock value;More...
Jul 05, 2011
Text
rated it:
I enjoyed Stroud’s “Bartimaeus” trilogy, and this prequel to the series does not disappoint.
Bartimaeus is what humans call a demon – a spirit dragged from its native dimension by a magician, and enslaved. These spirits don’t like this – not being enslaved, and not being in our physically painful dimension. They are not nice creatures, but one thing that the books make clear is that it’s entirely possible that this is far more the fault of the magicians (who are not nice creatures e More...
Bartimaeus is what humans call a demon – a spirit dragged from its native dimension by a magician, and enslaved. These spirits don’t like this – not being enslaved, and not being in our physically painful dimension. They are not nice creatures, but one thing that the books make clear is that it’s entirely possible that this is far more the fault of the magicians (who are not nice creatures e More...
May 24, 2011
Clee
rated it:
Bartimäus – wie habe ich mich darauf gefreut, diesen Namen wieder hören zu dürfen.
Nachdem ich die letzten drei Bücher verschlungen und mich dabei halb zu Tode gegrinst habe, sah ich es fast schon als meine Pflicht an, meine Lachmuskeln ein weiteres Mal für einen gerissenen Dschinn herzuhalten.
Und ich war wieder begeistert, mit Bartimäus kann man einfach nichts falsch machen!
Auch wenn ich das Geplänkel zwischen Barti und Nathanael ein bisschen vermisst hab, so konnte einen dieser P More...
Nachdem ich die letzten drei Bücher verschlungen und mich dabei halb zu Tode gegrinst habe, sah ich es fast schon als meine Pflicht an, meine Lachmuskeln ein weiteres Mal für einen gerissenen Dschinn herzuhalten.
Und ich war wieder begeistert, mit Bartimäus kann man einfach nichts falsch machen!
Auch wenn ich das Geplänkel zwischen Barti und Nathanael ein bisschen vermisst hab, so konnte einen dieser P More...
Apr 14, 2011
Michael
rated it:
Ah, Bartimaeus - how I've missed your adventures.
In this story, Stroud takes us back to the time of Solomon, an era oft-spoken of by the jinn Bartimaeus in the original trilogy. Bartimaeus is one of many demons in service to the wizards of King Solomon, though, as one expects from the knavish spirit, Bartimaeus chafes under the yoke of his servitude. When he then finds himself unintentionally aiding a young patriot of nearby Sheba to overthrow the mightly Solomon, Bartimaeus discovers More...
In this story, Stroud takes us back to the time of Solomon, an era oft-spoken of by the jinn Bartimaeus in the original trilogy. Bartimaeus is one of many demons in service to the wizards of King Solomon, though, as one expects from the knavish spirit, Bartimaeus chafes under the yoke of his servitude. When he then finds himself unintentionally aiding a young patriot of nearby Sheba to overthrow the mightly Solomon, Bartimaeus discovers More...
Apr 12, 2011
Chris
rated it:
Really all you would have to say to sell me on this book would be to mention it features Bartimaeus, the too-clever-for-his-own-good djinn with a sardonic mouth that never stops:
“Ah, very good, very good. You always were a chipper one, Bartimaeus, always spoke above your station. Never known anyone get the flail so often. How you vexed the humans with your backchat.”
-----
But you know me. I’m Bartimaeus: I don’t do tongue-tied.*
---
*A More...
“Ah, very good, very good. You always were a chipper one, Bartimaeus, always spoke above your station. Never known anyone get the flail so often. How you vexed the humans with your backchat.”
-----
But you know me. I’m Bartimaeus: I don’t do tongue-tied.*
---
*A More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Mar 28, 2011
Adam
rated it:
Maybe it’s the heroic rogue of a main character, or the Arabian setting, or possibly even the Disney logotype on the spine of the jacket, but I got to thinking about the animated feature Aladdin. The first ten minutes of that movie contain a sprawling musical action set piece in which we learn that the titular hero
–Has to steal to eat
–HAS to eat to live
–Works really, really hard at it
–And did we mention he’s an orphan?
and anyway after he finally absconds with his ha More...
–Has to steal to eat
–HAS to eat to live
–Works really, really hard at it
–And did we mention he’s an orphan?
and anyway after he finally absconds with his ha More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Feb 15, 2011
Faraaz
rated it:
Bartimaeus makes a hilarious comeback after the rip-roaring success of 'The Bartimaeus trilogy'. So now we are somewhere in 950 BC, watching the fourth-level powerful djinn serve King Solomon's wicked magicians. The magicians are afraid of the wise and just king (thought of as 'evil and wicked') because of the ring he wears in his hand. The spirit of the ring is an all powerful entity that controls the beings of the 'other world' where Bartimaeus and his fellow djinns come from. The story if slo
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 04, 2011
Ben
rated it:
A massive welcome back to everyone's favourite Djinni!!
Let me begin by saying how much I love the origonal trilogy. They are a fantastic re-read; very well written with a good strong storyline that interlinks the three different stories of Bartimeaus, Nathaniel and Kitty superbly. These books are pure gold, so when I heard a fourth Bartimeaus book was on the cards I was immediately excited. And I wasn't dissapointed.
It's a tad unfair to compare it to the trilogy. It is a very tough a More...
Let me begin by saying how much I love the origonal trilogy. They are a fantastic re-read; very well written with a good strong storyline that interlinks the three different stories of Bartimeaus, Nathaniel and Kitty superbly. These books are pure gold, so when I heard a fourth Bartimeaus book was on the cards I was immediately excited. And I wasn't dissapointed.
It's a tad unfair to compare it to the trilogy. It is a very tough a More...
Nov 23, 2010
James
rated it:
This is a review I wrote for http://www.rantingdragon.com
I’m going to preface this review by stating that I’ve already read the original Bartimaeus Trilogy and that I thoroughly enjoyed it (reviews will be coming soon), and I’m going to be referencing them a couple times since this novel was published after the original trilogy. Now to the review.
The Bartimaeus Saga is set in a world where magicians secretly rule – and have done so throughout history. Magicians have no power More...
I’m going to preface this review by stating that I’ve already read the original Bartimaeus Trilogy and that I thoroughly enjoyed it (reviews will be coming soon), and I’m going to be referencing them a couple times since this novel was published after the original trilogy. Now to the review.
The Bartimaeus Saga is set in a world where magicians secretly rule – and have done so throughout history. Magicians have no power More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Aug 23, 2011
AP
rated it:
Bartimaeus is a compelling and unforgettable character. I understand the temptation to drag him out of retirement and put him to work in more novels. However, this one is not nearly as good as the trilogy with Nathaniel. I laughed out loud throughout the trilogy. I laughed twice near the end of this book. The rest of the time, I was wondering when the pace would pick up. Besides Bartimaeus, the other characters here are one-dimensional stereotypes.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 17, 2010
Becky
rated it:
The Ring of Solomon is a hilarious wild, action-packed ride with the one and only Bartimaeus of Uruk. It is fantasy. It is humour. It is comic genius!
The year is 950 BC. Bartimaeus is summoned to Jerusalem by the magician Khaba. He is a cruel master and is in service with sixteen other magicians to King Solomon. Each magician has a host of otherworldly beings to do their bidding and fulfil the orders of the King. In his enforced slavery Bartimaeus and his fellow djinn are order More...
The year is 950 BC. Bartimaeus is summoned to Jerusalem by the magician Khaba. He is a cruel master and is in service with sixteen other magicians to King Solomon. Each magician has a host of otherworldly beings to do their bidding and fulfil the orders of the King. In his enforced slavery Bartimaeus and his fellow djinn are order More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 22, 2012
Arthur
rated it:
Reading Level: Grades 6-8
The Bartimeaus trilogy chronicled the demon's misadventures while under the control of an 11-year-old magician. In this prequel Stroud shares one of the djinni's earlier adventures as the very reluctant slave of the evil Khaba, an ambitions magician in the court of King Solomon who rules Jerusalem with the help of the powerful slave of the ring.
As usual Bartimeaus's intelligence and snarky attitude land him in a world of trouble after he rescues A More...
The Bartimeaus trilogy chronicled the demon's misadventures while under the control of an 11-year-old magician. In this prequel Stroud shares one of the djinni's earlier adventures as the very reluctant slave of the evil Khaba, an ambitions magician in the court of King Solomon who rules Jerusalem with the help of the powerful slave of the ring.
As usual Bartimeaus's intelligence and snarky attitude land him in a world of trouble after he rescues A More...
Apr 14, 2011
Tanabrus
rated it:
Teoricamente dovrei parlare della trama del libro, innanzi tutto.
Di come siamo nell’universo magico già visto nella trilogia di Bartimeus, di come qui i maghi siano tali perché in grado di evocare e controllare i demoni. Del grande Re Salomone, onnipotente grazie all’anello che gli dà la possibilità di evocare centinaia, migliaia di spiriti al proprio servizio. Di Khaba, il mago egizio che riceve in custodia un certo jinn impertinente e problematico, e che è un personaggio di tutto rispetto More...
Di come siamo nell’universo magico già visto nella trilogia di Bartimeus, di come qui i maghi siano tali perché in grado di evocare e controllare i demoni. Del grande Re Salomone, onnipotente grazie all’anello che gli dà la possibilità di evocare centinaia, migliaia di spiriti al proprio servizio. Di Khaba, il mago egizio che riceve in custodia un certo jinn impertinente e problematico, e che è un personaggio di tutto rispetto More...
