The first volume in the brilliant best-selling Bartimaeus sequence; now with a brand new cover! When the 5 000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus is summoned by Nathaniel a young magicians apprentice he expects to have to do nothing more taxing than a little levitation or a few simple illusions. But Nathaniel is a precocious talent & has something rather more dangerous in mind: revenge. Against his will Bartimaeus is packed off to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand from Simon Lovelace a master magician of unrivalled ruthlessness & ambition. Before long both djinni & apprentice are caught up in a terrifying flood of magical intrigue murder & rebellion. Set in a modern-day London controlled by magicians this hilarious electrifying thriller will enthral readers of all ages.