Bartimaeus The Ring of Solomon (A Bartimaeus Novel)

The most important point about this book is that nothing has changed, about the writing, or Bartimaeus, and that's what we are all looking for, so ... If you liked the trilogy, I strongly advice you to read this one as well.

This was my first experience with Jonathan Stroud and Bartimaeus, and it certainly was a pleasant one. The Ring of Solomon was a fun and clever read, which defenitely got me excited about reading other books by Stroud.

I love these books. Bartimaeus is a great character and I would like more stories about him. One major thing this book lacked for me personally was a human protagonist to identify with. While this story indeed has a human protagonist, she wasn't as three dimensional as I would have liked. More about her. Perhaps if this were a trilogy as well we could have seen more.

Speaking if more, I'd like more Bartimaeus books please, sir.

The first Bartimaeus trilogy was one of the best reading experiences of the last ten years for me. Not only did I devour Amulet of Samarkand without a break after finding it in my local library, I went out searching for the next two as soon as I had finished, and when my library didn't have Ptolemey's Gate I bought it. Read all of them straight through, got bleary-eyed, paid for it the next morning, and loved every minute.

When I learned about the Ring of Solomon, the return of Bartimaeus, I worried about whether Stroud might have lost his touch. Maybe you have too.

Don't.

This book has just the same feel as the previous ones. Although the events happen about 3,000 years before the time of the luckless Nathaniel, the tone and pace and characterization are just as driving, vivid, and entrancing as before. None of the human characters carries over, of course, but Faqarl is there, as well as a few of the stunts about which Bartimaeus will later brag, and some about which he was already bragging, 3,000 years ago. The human characters continue to be three-dimensional, which means they are mixed bags: no one is entirely noble or good, but only a few are truly evil, and then only in very believable (read: power-mad) ways. Most of them are people who act out of good motives but with limited foresight, or with great wisdom but imperfect morality, or wisely and with good motives but insufficient trust in their friends. In other words, they are a little too human for comfort.

And the plot and pacing just swallowed me up and pulled me along, page after page. Stroud's writing style is just wonderful. I wish he were more prolific - but only if this meant NO lowering of his quality. Among other things, I think he's just great at writing scenes of tension between major characters. He is equally good at writing scenes in which major characters are talking, but are misunderstanding each other, or coming at their interaction from totally different points of view (which the reader grasps, but they do not). Just outstanding writing.

Upshot: Glad I ordered it from a foreign distributor, to get it early. It was worth the premium I paid. Hearty endorsement, and dare I hope there will be even more? Bartimaeus and John Dee, or Bartimaeus and Nicolas Flamel - or Bartimaeus and Bodhidarma? Please? Mr. Stroud, are you listening?

Fans of Jonathan Stroud's fantastic Bartimeus Trilogy, that began with The Amulet of Samarkand and ended with Ptolemy's Gate, will be happy to know that the title character--the wise-cracking fourth-level djinn who has long-standing issues with authority--is back and funny as ever in the Ring of Solomon.

Rather than continue the story of the first trilogy, though, or give us a typical "here's what happened just before" prequel, Stroud has chosen to set this new story thousands of years earlier during the time of, well, Solomon (the title's a bit of a giveaway). Luckily, when your main character is basically immortal, that isn't a problem. Bartimeus' favorite bete noir Faquarl, a fellow djinn with whom he's matched insults and blows with for millennia, is back as well. Otherwise, we've an entirely new setting and a whole new cast of characters. Since Bartimeus was the absolute strength of the trilogy, though, the loss of the others makes little difference.

The book opens in Jerusalem, where Bartimeus and Faquarl have been summoned into the service of a cruel Egyptian magician, Khaba, who is in service himself to King Solomon. Years ago Solomon discovered a magic ring of immense power that allows him to summon untold numbers of minor and major spirits, as well as the Spirit of the Ring itself--a forbiddingly powerful demon. Solomon uses the threat of the ring to gather around himself a cadre of magicians whose summoned demons he employs to build his temple, help his people, and cow neighboring realms. One such realm is Sheba, whose queen has several times now rejected Solomon's marriage proposal.

The Ring of Solomon follows several plotlines. One is Bartimeus' trouble in behaving while under the whip (literally) of Khaba, who has his own powerful and mysterious demon protector. Bartimeus' troubles with Khaba open up another storyline as the two, along with Faquarl, get sent into the hinterlands to deal with the bandits that have been ambushing caravans. There, Bartimeus meets Asmira, a Queen's Guard from Sheba who has been sent on a suicide mission to assassinate Solomon and steal his ring. Her attempt to do so, and Bartimeus' involvement, makes up much of the latter half of the book.

As with the earlier trilogy, Bartimeus' voice--he narrates the entire book--is the reason to read this book. Oh, the story itself is more than adequate. There are some twists and turns, a few surprising developments. Asmira develops as a character in realistic and by the end moving fashion. But it's that singular sarcastic boasting footnoting narcissistic voice that carries you along. Whether he's namedropping ("When I was spear-bearer to Gilgamesh"), regaling the reader with his exploits ("your truly forgetfully popping out to buy some figs in the guise of a rotting corpse, thus causing the Great Fruit Market Terror"), or even offering up cooking advice ("one roc's egg, scrambled, feeds roughly 700 wives") it's a voice you can help but get sucked in by.

I laughed out loud on several occasions, read lines and passages to my wife on others, and simply reveled in the voice the rest of the time. Stroud tempers the sarcasm with a true warmth in the tone, as Bartimeus plays the gruff demon who hates all humans (he does, in fact, eat one in the novel), but even Faquarl calls him out on his act: "This has always been your trouble! Getting all softheaded over a human just because she's got a long neck and a steely eye."

In the trilogy, Bartimeus was a major character, but one of several and he had to share the narrative spotlight. With The Ring of Solomon, Stroud has stripped down the characters and streamlined the plot--making this by the way more YA than the trilogy--, letting Bartimeus' voice shine on every page. It doesn't have the depth or complexity of the earlier books, but it is no less enjoyable for that. Highly recommended and hoping for more. After all, there's a gap of a few thousand years to fill in between this book and the first of the trilogy--lots of time and opportunity for Bartimeus to get in more trouble.

Bartimaeus is back and is as snarky and irreverent as ever! I was so excited to see that Jonathan Stroud had written a prequel to the Bartimaeus Trilogy, and I'm happy to say it didn't disappoint, and in fact I think it was better than the third book in the original series (which didn't feature Bartimaeus as much as I would have liked).

In this outing Bartimaeus, a dijinni, is in Jerusalem serving an evil master under the reign of King Solomon, when a strange turn of events teams him up with an unlikely young girl from Sheba who is trying to protect her Queen from the malevolent King Solomon. Her objective is to steal the Ring of King Solomon (which gives him supreme magical power) and to kill him. You'll have to read the book to see if she accomplishes her mission...

But what I will tell you is Bartimaeus shines through the whole adventure. I think that he is perhaps my favorite fictional character; I love his witty asides, his cheeky impudence, and the sometimes outrageous shapes he conjures himself into like the mumu wearing, dancing hippo.

Along with the abundance of humor and action in this novel, Stroud explores serious themes of slavery (both physical and psychological) and the responsibility and price of power. But he weaves these themes in so adeptly it does not distract from the story, but seems like a natural part of it.

I listened to this on audio read by Simon Jones, who is the quintessential Bartimaeus. I had actually read the first book in the trilogy, then started listening to them on audio, and eventually went back and listened to the first one on audio because of the absolute fabulous job Jones does. In the audio version all of the footnotes are woven perfectly into the narrative (in the right places), so I think it flows better than having to go to the footnotes in the middle of reading the main text. If you have read the books, but not listened to them-I would suggest you get yourself a copy of audio the books and give yourself a real treat!

I hope this isn't the last book Stroud writes featuring Bartimaeus, as there must be hundreds, maybe even thousands of adventures that Bartimaeus has been a part of during his 5,000+ year career, and I want to hear all of them!

King Solomon, in all of his splendor, has built Jerusalem into a world power with the help of a powerful ring that serves as a bridge to the other side, the place where spirits of all sorts live. Solomon relies on the ring to build large temples, keep himself safe from attacks, and rule with wisdom and power. But the ring is mainly used to keep other magicians in line who crave the throne themselves. Reputation of the ring's power has also reached outlying kingdoms, especially Sheba, where Queen Balkis is not happy with the threat to her kingdom.

When word of a forced marriage reaches Queen Balkis, she dispatches one of her most loyal guards, Asmira, to kill Solomon and recover the ring. Asmira does so without question, even though she knows it's a suicide mission. The road to Jerusalem is treacherous, and even if Asmira could get close to Solomon, numerous obstacles stand in her way. Still, Asmira is faithful to her queen and will not fail her.

After savagely and quite gruesomely killing his master, Bartimaeus has been summoned to work for Khaba, one of Solomon's begrudged magicians. Bartimaeus has been placed on temple building duty, which he's not happy about. Temple building duty is an insult to a fourth-level djinni, as Bartimaeus would say, so he takes a few liberties with his assignment. Although appearing as a pygmy hippo in a skirt while singing songs about Solomon's private life might be hilarious, Bartimaeus is nevertheless chastised and reassigned to hunting down bandits in the desert where he stumbles upon a certain Asmira, who has escaped an attack.

After their initial meeting, Asmira and Bartimaeus don't cross paths again until Asmira sets him free from Khaba's command and summons Bartimaeus on her own. She has just two requests before she'll set him free. Bartimaeus needs to help her get to Solomon and steal the ring. If the thousands of imps, foliots, djinn, afrits and mariads standing in the way weren't enough to dissuade Asmira and Bartimaeus from their plan, then surely the fact that Solomon never takes off his ring and Khaba is hot on their trail will stop them in their tracks. This is Bartimaeus, though, and if there is wiggle room or a loophole, he'll find it.

If it's possible to pack enough wit, sarcasm and personality into one character, then Jonathan Stroud has succeeded with his creation of Bartimaeus. Fans of the series will no doubt be eager to read of Bartimaeus's ongoing adventures. But don't worry. Plenty of footnotes capturing Bartimaeus's comical commentary, unique point of view, and oftentimes cynical opinions are plentiful throughout, and the djinni is up to his usual antics, including ridiculing his masters, arguing with his frenemy Faquarl, complaining about his slavery, and ultimately saving the world yet again. I, for one, hope that Stroud has plenty of Bartimaeus stories to tell and that the djinni won't grow too bored benefiting the earth with his presence.

--- Reviewed by Benjamin Boche ([email protected])

Fans of Jonathan Stroud's fantastic Bartimeus Trilogy, that began with The Amulet of Samarkand and ended with Ptolemy's Gate, will be happy to know that the title character--the wise-cracking fourth-level djinn who has long-standing issues with authority--is back and funny as ever in the Ring of Solomon.

Rather than continue the story of the first trilogy, though, or give us a typical "here's what happened just before" prequel, Stroud has chosen to set this new story thousands of years earlier during the time of, well, Solomon (the title's a bit of a giveaway). Luckily, when your main character is basically immortal, that isn't a problem. Bartimeus' favorite bete noir Faquarl, a fellow djinn with whom he's matched insults and blows with for millennia, is back as well. Otherwise, we've an entirely new setting and a whole new cast of characters. Since Bartimeus was the absolute strength of the trilogy, though, the loss of the others makes little difference.

The book opens in Jerusalem, where Bartimeus and Faquarl have been summoned into the service of a cruel Egyptian magician, Khaba, who is in service himself to King Solomon. Years ago Solomon discovered a magic ring of immense power that allows him to summon untold numbers of minor and major spirits, as well as the Spirit of the Ring itself--a forbiddingly powerful demon. Solomon uses the threat of the ring to gather around himself a cadre of magicians whose summoned demons he employs to build his temple, help his people, and cow neighboring realms. One such realm is Sheba, whose queen has several times now rejected Solomon's marriage proposal.

The Ring of Solomon follows several plotlines. One is Bartimeus' trouble in behaving while under the whip (literally) of Khaba, who has his own powerful and mysterious demon protector. Bartimeus' troubles with Khaba open up another storyline as the two, along with Faquarl, get sent into the hinterlands to deal with the bandits that have been ambushing caravans. There, Bartimeus meets Asmira, a Queen's Guard from Sheba who has been sent on a suicide mission to assassinate Solomon and steal his ring. Her attempt to do so, and Bartimeus' involvement, makes up much of the latter half of the book.

As with the earlier trilogy, Bartimeus' voice--he narrates the entire book--is the reason to read this book. Oh, the story itself is more than adequate. There are some twists and turns, a few surprising developments. Asmira develops as a character in realistic and by the end moving fashion. But it's that singular sarcastic boasting footnoting narcissistic voice that carries you along. Whether he's namedropping ("When I was spear-bearer to Gilgamesh"), regaling the reader with his exploits ("your truly forgetfully popping out to buy some figs in the guise of a rotting corpse, thus causing the Great Fruit Market Terror"), or even offering up cooking advice ("one roc's egg, scrambled, feeds roughly 700 wives") it's a voice you can help but get sucked in by.

I laughed out loud on several occasions, read lines and passages to my wife on others, and simply reveled in the voice the rest of the time. Stroud tempers the sarcasm with a true warmth in the tone, as Bartimeus plays the gruff demon who hates all humans (he does, in fact, eat one in the novel), but even Faquarl calls him out on his act: "This has always been your trouble! Getting all softheaded over a human just because she's got a long neck and a steely eye."

In the trilogy, Bartimeus was a major character, but one of several and he had to share the narrative spotlight. With The Ring of Solomon, Stroud has stripped down the characters and streamlined the plot--making this by the way more YA than the trilogy--, letting Bartimeus' voice shine on every page. It doesn't have the depth or complexity of the earlier books, but it is no less enjoyable for that. Highly recommended and hoping for more. After all, there's a gap of a few thousand years to fill in between this book and the first of the trilogy--lots of time and opportunity for Bartimeus to get in more trouble.

Bartimaeus is back and is as snarky and irreverent as ever! I was so excited to see that Jonathan Stroud had written a prequel to the Bartimaeus Trilogy, and I'm happy to say it didn't disappoint, and in fact I think it was better than the third book in the original series (which didn't feature Bartimaeus as much as I would have liked).

In this outing Bartimaeus, a dijinni, is in Jerusalem serving an evil master under the reign of King Solomon, when a strange turn of events teams him up with an unlikely young girl from Sheba who is trying to protect her Queen from the malevolent King Solomon. Her objective is to steal the Ring of King Solomon (which gives him supreme magical power) and to kill him. You'll have to read the book to see if she accomplishes her mission...

But what I will tell you is Bartimaeus shines through the whole adventure. I think that he is perhaps my favorite fictional character; I love his witty asides, his cheeky impudence, and the sometimes outrageous shapes he conjures himself into like the mumu wearing, dancing hippo.

Along with the abundance of humor and action in this novel, Stroud explores serious themes of slavery (both physical and psychological) and the responsibility and price of power. But he weaves these themes in so adeptly it does not distract from the story, but seems like a natural part of it.

I listened to this on audio read by Simon Jones, who is the quintessential Bartimaeus. I had actually read the first book in the trilogy, then started listening to them on audio, and eventually went back and listened to the first one on audio because of the absolute fabulous job Jones does. In the audio version all of the footnotes are woven perfectly into the narrative (in the right places), so I think it flows better than having to go to the footnotes in the middle of reading the main text. If you have read the books, but not listened to them-I would suggest you get yourself a copy of audio the books and give yourself a real treat!

I hope this isn't the last book Stroud writes featuring Bartimaeus, as there must be hundreds, maybe even thousands of adventures that Bartimaeus has been a part of during his 5,000+ year career, and I want to hear all of them!

King Solomon, in all of his splendor, has built Jerusalem into a world power with the help of a powerful ring that serves as a bridge to the other side, the place where spirits of all sorts live. Solomon relies on the ring to build large temples, keep himself safe from attacks, and rule with wisdom and power. But the ring is mainly used to keep other magicians in line who crave the throne themselves. Reputation of the ring's power has also reached outlying kingdoms, especially Sheba, where Queen Balkis is not happy with the threat to her kingdom.

When word of a forced marriage reaches Queen Balkis, she dispatches one of her most loyal guards, Asmira, to kill Solomon and recover the ring. Asmira does so without question, even though she knows it's a suicide mission. The road to Jerusalem is treacherous, and even if Asmira could get close to Solomon, numerous obstacles stand in her way. Still, Asmira is faithful to her queen and will not fail her.

After savagely and quite gruesomely killing his master, Bartimaeus has been summoned to work for Khaba, one of Solomon's begrudged magicians. Bartimaeus has been placed on temple building duty, which he's not happy about. Temple building duty is an insult to a fourth-level djinni, as Bartimaeus would say, so he takes a few liberties with his assignment. Although appearing as a pygmy hippo in a skirt while singing songs about Solomon's private life might be hilarious, Bartimaeus is nevertheless chastised and reassigned to hunting down bandits in the desert where he stumbles upon a certain Asmira, who has escaped an attack.

After their initial meeting, Asmira and Bartimaeus don't cross paths again until Asmira sets him free from Khaba's command and summons Bartimaeus on her own. She has just two requests before she'll set him free. Bartimaeus needs to help her get to Solomon and steal the ring. If the thousands of imps, foliots, djinn, afrits and mariads standing in the way weren't enough to dissuade Asmira and Bartimaeus from their plan, then surely the fact that Solomon never takes off his ring and Khaba is hot on their trail will stop them in their tracks. This is Bartimaeus, though, and if there is wiggle room or a loophole, he'll find it.

If it's possible to pack enough wit, sarcasm and personality into one character, then Jonathan Stroud has succeeded with his creation of Bartimaeus. Fans of the series will no doubt be eager to read of Bartimaeus's ongoing adventures. But don't worry. Plenty of footnotes capturing Bartimaeus's comical commentary, unique point of view, and oftentimes cynical opinions are plentiful throughout, and the djinni is up to his usual antics, including ridiculing his masters, arguing with his frenemy Faquarl, complaining about his slavery, and ultimately saving the world yet again. I, for one, hope that Stroud has plenty of Bartimaeus stories to tell and that the djinni won't grow too bored benefiting the earth with his presence.

--- Reviewed by Benjamin Boche ([email protected])

Ancient Jerusalem. One djinni that you have come to love and enjoy. Here is the story of Bartimaeus before everyone else got to know him. Before all the story happened in London. He is charged with helping build a sacred temple at human speed. Something beneath someone of his great and magnificient powers. However, as always Bartimeus puts his foot in his mouth and gets himself in major trouble. Charged with ridding the desert of bandits, he meets an unlikely ally.

Asmira is a girl on a mission. She was sent to Jerusalem to murder the King Solomon and take the magical ring that he uses to control the world around him. But just how on Earth is she going to complete this mission? But she has a little secret up her sleeve that just might help her out.

It took me a while to read this book, and a while means about a week. Which is long for someone like me who reads really fast. The beginning of the book was a little slow. It seemed to take forever to get going. The book wasn't by any means bad of course. It just seemed to move much slower than the other books in this series. Stroud however, easily brought Bartimaeus, one of my all time favorite characters, back to life. I love the sarcastic and spunky personality that he carries with him. His little side notes, and his thoughts are what make these novels some of my favorites.

The Ring of Solomon wasn't a bad prequel either. It was actually interesting, and a nice little adventure. It felt a little bit longer than it needed to be, but that doesn't mean that it was bad. The book switches from the POV of Bartimaeus and Asmira, and sometimes even another magician or two just so you can understand how things are going from that person's point of view. It was an interesting book, I think it would have been shortened into a novella, but fans of the series will find all the things within the pages that had made the original trilogy such a thrill to read.

Definatly 4 stars and worth the time to read!

Bartimaeus, the wise-cracking djinn, is back in rare form. He is now enslaved by evil magician Khaba the Cruel in King Solomon's court. Of course, he wouldn't be in such a fix if he hadn't killed his former master through trickery and deceit (two of old Barty's favorites!). His new master is no fun and has absolutely no sense of humor, but Bartimaeus' cool indifference is catching and before long his infectious laid-back style gets all the djinn working to construct Solomon's temple in hot water and cast into the desert to catch vicious bandits who have been making minced meat out of travelers to Jerusalem. There, Bartimaeus meets and saves Asmira, one of the Queen of Sheba's elite guards, and becomes embroiled in a plot to kill King Solomon and take his magical ring. If you've read the earlier Bartimaeus novels, you know trouble is brewing and someone is going to get scorched, but who? If you haven't read the other novels, no worries, since this one takes you back in time to Bartimaeus' earlier exploits. A fun and magical journey for anyone who enjoys fantasy, exciting action and adventure, or a smart-mouthed djinn! Make sure you read all of Bartimaeus' snarky asides. I'd like to spend some time with this djinn, if I wouldn't be worried the whole time about his plots to eat me or send me up in smoke!

Grades 5 and up.

In the previous Bartimaeus books, Bartimaeus has alluded many times to the fact that he had conversed with the great King Solomon himself. But what were the circumstances leading to the conversation? Bartimaeus is a djinni in the service of Khaba the Cruel who is one of the seventeen magicians in the court of King Solomon. Being indirectly under the service of King Solomon, Bartimaeus had expected at least a bit of excitement during his current enslavement considering the powerful magic ring that the King wore. But it seems it is not to be so as he is stuck in doing odd jobs for the King. But things get heated up on the arrival of Asmira, who is on a mission to kill King Solomon on the orders of the Queen of Sheba. Will King Solomon's great empire tumble down just because of a slight girl from Sheba or will Asmira face the full wrath of the Ring upon herself? And, what part does Bartimaeus play in all this?

I love all the previous parts of the Bartimaeus series, and this book too did not disappoint. Bartimaeus is back in full force with his sarcasm, humour and of course, his general loathing for the human race. Also, there are my all time favourite - Bartimaeus' hilarious footnotes. The Ring of Solomon has everything that I desired from a Bartimaeus book- sarcastic humour, lots of action and loads of cheekiness.

The Ring Of Solomon is set in the era of King Solomon. The time may be different than the previous Bartimaeus books but the magicians remain the same. Something that I liked about the previous books as well as this book is the discussion of slavery hidden beneath the light humour of the book. Does slavery really has to mean to do someone's bidding unwillingly? Can we be someone's slave without even knowing it? Does doing someone's bidding without questioning his/her motive be termed as slavery too? We too are not so different from the magicians. Most of us thirst for more power even after reaching high positions.

The writing as usual is engaging and captivating. It was hard to put down the book even for one minute. The characters are appealing and magnetic. Bartimaeus as usual is filled with witty responses and sarcastic humour. Other characters almost seem dull in comparison. While reading the chapters in which he is not there, I craved for the chapter with him in it. Asmira, the other character of the book resembles Kitty (from previous Bartimaeus books) in her nature and motives. But for me Kitty will remain my favourite of the two. This is mainly because of the fact that Kitty had a more clear motive and was not the one who easily gave in too others opinions. These traits, I found missing in Asmira until the end.

The Ring of Solomon is a memorable and enjoyable book but it loses by just a few points in becoming my favourite Bartimaeus book because of its dissatisfying ending.

Favourite Quotes:
"Can you define "plan" as "a loose sequence of manifestly inadequate observations and conjectures, held together by panic, indecision, and ignorance"? If so, it was a very good plan."

"Her clarity gave her purpose and her purpose gave her clarity."

"Badly as Asmira's exterior had been battered by the night's events, I guessed that the chain inside her had also been broken-and this breakage wasn't a bad thing."

Overall:
Bartimaeus is back with a bang with his rip roaring sense of humour

Recommended?
Yes, to all lovers of fantasy and to all the lovers of the impertinent djinni, Bartimaeus.

This prequel contains no spoilers.

Taking place approximately 3000 years earlier than the main trilogy, prepare for the antics of the 4th level djinn Bartimaeus during the later years of Solomon's empire. Asmira, the other 'main' character, is more sympathetic than Nathaniel in the original trilogy. Her mission (from Queen Sheba) is the Ring of Solomon.

Bartimaeus goes through several masters in the course of the volume, and his nemesis Faquarl is also present on the djinn working crew. Plenty of opportunity for the witty commentary that is the hallmark of his character.

"Ring of Solomon" is on par with the first trilogy, but more stream-lined in pacing. The middle book (pages 75-250) sets up later events, but it didn't drag as much as "The Golem's Eye". Enjoyed reading about Stroud's vision of djinn-covered ancient Arabia and Jerusalem, and his under-theme about enslavement.

Recommended as a stand-alone novel. If you like it, read the original trilogy starting with The Amulet of Samarkand (Bartimaeus Trilogy (Pb)).

If the irreverent and sarcastic Bartimaeus was your favorite character from the "Bartimaeus trilogy," this prequel may be for you. While it may not be wholly historically accurate, it was still a fun, fictional literary adventure.

Simon Jones was an outstanding narrator once again.

I didn't read this book myself -- my youngest son did and loved it, hence the five stars are from him. I just wanted to add for anyone who might care that the basic premise of the book, namely that demons were compelled by Solomon to help build the Temple in Jerusalem, reflects a 5th-century CE legendary text known as the "Testament of Solomon," in which Solomon learns how to summon and control a long string of demons and puts them to work on the house of God. People who enjoyed "The Ring of Solomon" may be entertained to go back to this late-antique/early-medieval text as a follow-up. Kudos to Mr. Stroud for a successful adaptation of an ancient legend!

The main character is one of the most colorful and interesting in all fantasy books I’ve read. This book is really similar to the previous 3 in the series, though it is interesting to see how the different period/era changes things. I like the footnotes generally - they provide good extra detail and a degree of comedic relief - but sometimes they are too plentiful and it distracts from the flow of the story.

After having read the first three books in The Bartimaeus Trilogy, I just had to check out this recent prequel. I remember reading references to Solomon in the first three books, where Bartimaeus often boasted of his time during Solomon's reign. Now we get to learn why.

Story overview:
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As a slave in Jerusalem (950 BC), Bartimaeus is forced to search for relics for King Solomon. His master is a careless wizard who learns a hard lesson when falling for one of the djinni's tricks. As punishment, Bartimaeus finds himself under the rule of a more terrible wizard named Khaba.

Forced into a dangerous mission, Bartimaeus comes across a girl named Asmira who was sent by the Queen of Sheba to assassinate Solomon. It wasn't until later that Bartimaeus learned of the girls mission, but by then it was too late--he was already under her spell.

Being more skillful than the average djinni, Bartimaeus works to bring his new master to her goal. When things begin to unfold, the assassin learns there is more to the story of her mission than originally thought. Including the true powers of the ring (worn by Solomon) and the true colors of the evil wizard, Khaba.

My thoughts:
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The Ring of Solomon contains much of the same whit and character twists that The Bartimaeus Trilogy did. It was refreshing to continue in the realm of this fictional world, even if there are only two characters (Bartimaeus and Faquarl) from the original series.

Things to consider:
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There are many Christians who will be offended that Solomon was used in this book. At first, even I found offense at the way he was portrayed. I know this is fictional and not meant to be taken literally, but historically he was a man of God (at least, in the beginning). Now, I didn't give up on the book just because of this and I am glad I didn't. Without giving away too much of the plot, know that it comes out better in the end. The biggest negative here is that the author made magic the source of Israel's prosperity (during Solomon's rein), not God. This, even in a fictional sense, can leave a negative impact on the believer. Still, if you can see past this as I did, you won't be disappointed. There are no sexual situations or harsh language, however there are some disturbing situations and concepts that were portrayed in a humorous light (such as djinni discussing the best way to eat humans). I would recommend this for teenagers, both boys and girls.

James D. Maxon
Author of Traphis: A Wizard's Tale

This is the prequel to the Bartimaeus trilogy (which I loved). It could function as a stand-alone book, though I highly recommend the original trilogy too. Bartimaeus is a begrudgingly good-hearted, wise-cracking djinni who is always saving the world from careless humans and their naughty demons. In The Ring of Solomon, Bartimaeus is summoned to serve for an evil wizard under the rule of the powerful King Solomon of Israel. While serving, he encounters a young assassin who is hell-bent on killing Solomon and stealing his powerful ring (in service of her country Sheba). Delightful confusion ensues. These books are funny, witty, cute, and adventurous. I love Bartimaeus' silly footnotes where he inserts amusing "historical" points.

Four years after completing the Bartimaeus Trilogy, Jonathan Stroud returns with a prequel set in the same setting. The Ring of Solomon is set several thousand years before the quasi-Victorian era of the previous books. The sarcastic djinni Bartimaeus is enslaved in an era best described as "Biblical".

For those unfamiliar with Stroud's world, The Ring of Solomon serves as an excellent introduction. Djinn (or 'demons') are summoned and enslaved by magicians. They're not very happy about it, but, generally speaking, don't have much control over things.

Bartimaeus is one of the djinn. Even counting for his unusually inflated ego, he's smarter than most - and certainly more troublesome.

The mighty King Solomon rules the known world, aided by a cabal of magicians, his horde of summoned 'demons' and, of course, the vast powers of the titular ring. His wisdom and power are both vast, but not so vast that he can stop all the plotting and scheming amongst his many minions. Bartimaeus, with his magical ability to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, gets caught right in the midst of it all: assassins, coups and (even more) ancient sorceries.

Those familiar with the original trilogy will find comfort in many of the same elements that made it such a success. Bartimaeus is, of course, the hero and the source of greatest enjoyment. He's sarcastic, hilarious, informative and surprisingly adorable. The young Asmira, the well-meaning teenage heroine, is dull in comparison, as are the other human members of the book's cast (except the villain, a scenery-chewing Egyptian necromancer). The plot is predictable, as are its various twists and turns, but each individual scene is a hoot - capped off with one of the best chases I've read in genre fictions.

Although The Ring of Solomon is head and shoulders above the other young adult fiction I've read recently, comparisons against the original trilogy are inevitable. Bartimaeus goes through exactly the same sort of character development (which oddly belies his progression in the trilogy) and the plot is very similar. Due to the length - a single volume instead of three - The Ring of Solomon is less involved and less detailed. It doesn't muster the same depth as the original series and, as such, feels like a watered down version. (An interesting, if tangential, comparison would be KJ Parker's The Folding Knife as compared to his/her Engineer trilogy.)

Overall, The Ring of Solomon is an excellent introduction to Stroud's work and his world. Although enjoyable in its own right, hopefully it leads even more readers back to the ground-breaking original series.

In the first Bartemeus volume in too many years, Stroud writes a stand-alone tale which is a page turner for both young adults and adults. I say "page turner" figuratively, because this review relates to the audio book read by Simon Jones (Arthur Dent in the original Hitch Hiker's Guide radio show and television series). The book - well written by any account - was seemingly written for Jones' vocal talents. His characterizations and the interpretation he lends to Bartemeus are sheer genius. Even if you have already read the book, I highly recommend listening to the audio verion.

"The Ring of Solomon" is a refreshing turn from the other books in the Bartimaeus cycle. Set in Biblical times, it offers a set of new, energized characters and even King Solomon himself. Bartimaeus remains the engine which drives the story. Alien, cynical, lethal, and yet curiously honorable, he keeps you on edge - worried that he'll do something awful - even as you root him on. I hope we haven't seen the last of him!

I recommend "The Ring of Solomon" most highly. I have no doubt that you'll enjoy this story as much as I did.

My title good be for Bartimeaus and Stroud. Clever, witty and fun all describe the writing and adventure that sets forth in this prequel. It has been awhile since I last read the trilogy but this book brings back everything that made me love Stroud's books. I love how Bartimeaus talks to you, the notes and above all the story. Great backdrop; taking you to Arabia and thousands of years before the trilogy. This was exactly what the series needed and it delivered.

Like the Bartimaeus Trilogy, Bartimaeus is amusing as ever. He does not disappoint and neither does the plot, nor most of the characters. The only issue is the lead female. At first, she seems promising, but she's on the tad boring side. In a sense, it seems to be the point. Bartimaeus himself points out her flaws as a human being. So therefore its not really a bad thing. She's not so terrible as to put the book down. More interesting, though, are the opposing side, the antagonists. Both Solomon and an Egyptian wizard and their demon counterparts are fascinating, and I'm not sure which is more so. Bartimaeus, Solomon, and the Egyptian are all definitely worth the read.

I love these books so much that I near depression finishing one. They're both hilariously funny and endearing while maintaining a compelling plot that makes one regret going to sleep. Bartimaeus, please do tell about Gilgamesh in the next installment.

The infamously likable djinni Bartimaeus is back, only this time readers get to see an exciting, adventurous chapter out of his distant past. Jonathan Stroud, author of the bestselling Bartimaeus trilogy, takes readers back into the ancient world of Jerusalem; 950 BCE to be exact, in The Ring of Solomon.

Even though the disreputable djinni known as Bartimaeus has been around for millennia, since the time of Gilgamesh, he is once again enslaved by the whim and rules of a cruel master, Khaba. But Khaba, an evil and despicable magician, answers to an even more fearsome master, King Solomon. It's not so much that Solomon is a terrifying and evil master, but more that he possesses the most powerful ring in history. A single twist of the ring brings about armies of monsters and creatures all in abeyance to Solomon, awaiting his every command. People who disobey Solomon disappear in a flash, never to be seen again.

And yet King Solomon doesn't have everything he desires. He has set his heart on the Queen of Sheba, but she's not interested in him, even though he asks for her hand in marriage weekly. Then the Queen learns of a plot by Solomon to cause the destruction of all of Sheba, if she doesn't agree to marry him. Instead, she decides to send Asmira, her most trained assassin to kill Solomon and steal his ring. Only Khaba also has his sights on the ring and becoming king of all the lands. And, naturally, Bartimaeus gets involved in the whole big mess, partially through no fault of his own, and partially because he totally sticks his nose, feet and hands in wholeheartedly.

Stroud brings the lovable character of Bartimaeus back in this great story of intrigue, deception, murder, and terror, as well as fun, hilarity, and even love. Fans will enjoy reading of Bartimaeus once again, as his vanity knows no limits, in his drive to let everyone know he's simply the best djinni that has ever existed and even when his essence is in danger, he's going to be sure to let you know that.

Originally written on January 24, 2011.

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Awesome! My only complaint is that Mr. Stroud hasn't written more stories in this series ~ get crackin' Jonathan! This ingenius & totally fresh, original series is pure gold! I LOVE Bartimaeus & his razor sharp wit!!!

The back history as alluded to in the footnotes of the other three books was a great way to give a little history of everyones favorite djinn and to have a whole book with him as the title character is perfect. Hopefully we see some more.

This new Bartimaeus novel is really good...but those who've read the trilogy will find themselves missing the original cast of characters which seemed to have more depth....of course it did, we spent a lot more time with Nathaniel and kitty and all of London's magicians...but it was more than that. The old middle eastern settings just weren't as interesting for me. Bartimaeus is as cool as ever...only the situation was not as interesting...if you're reading Mr. Stroud: a situation in the Americas, mentioned in the trilogy would be cool reading in the future with Bartimaeus...maybe even a cameo by Kitty? Maybe Bartimaeus appearing in the guise of Nathaniel even like he did Ptolemy?

I am thoroughly enjoying this audiobook! The narrator is doing a wonderful job with voices for characters. Bartimaeus himself is hilarious and there is enough action in the book to keep the story interesting. I love it!

I rarely write reviews but this book was awesome. I love the fact that Jonathan Stroud completed the trilogy and this is a prequel rather than some lame continuation.
The plot is well written, Bartemius is as usual his charming demon self and the story hooks you till the end.