Jonathan Stroud creates a clever and sometimes light hearted plot which weaves ancient fantasy into a very modern setting. Set in an alternate reality where history’s turned out rather differently thanks largely to the proverbial genie in the bottle, Stroud introduces us to a world where Aladdin wears glasses and travels around in a car. That is of course a very rough analogy, for the story itself is far more intriguing and much more evolved in terms of plot elements and the interplay between them. Humans on the planet are divided and segregated not on the basis of the caste colour, creed or even race, they’re now discriminated against on the basis of their ability to control magical beings. The have nots are as usual ruled by the more privileged and their simmering discontentment is subtly showcased in many of the story’s various byplots.
Britain is ruled by an elite group of wizards (No, Harry Potter is not one of them), who in turn rely upon a hierarchy of magicians whose standing in the larger scheme of things is dependent completely on their ability to control magical beings like Genies, Afrits, Imps and so on and so forth. Any ‘magically talented’ youngster is quickly whisked away by the government to be raised by stentorian foster guardians (selected by the government of course) who train these individuals in the darker arts and more importantly, in the etiquette of living in such a fractured society. Nathaniel aka John Mandrake, our young protagonist is introduced into this convoluted scenario as one such young tyke already showing a flair for making it big. Though the art of summoning powerful magical entities is a closely guarded secret and requires government sanction (kinda like getting a license to drive I suppose), young Nat, in an attempt to impress his foster master, manages to summon a mid level genie to do his bidding. What follows is rather unexpected as the genie, instead of being a servile fawning pawn in Nathaniel’s scheme of things, displays a mind of his own. Bartimaeus as he calls himself has his own plans and as it turns out, being subservient to an adolescent brat is not one of them. What further enlivens the plot is that Bartimaeus has a very sardonic sense of humour and had me rolling silly on my sides at times. The story then takes a darker twist when John seeking to redress a slight by a far more powerful magician steals a rare and valuable artifact (yup I am indeed referring to the Amulet of Samarkand) from his nemesis. As the plot thickens, John unwittingly becomes involved in a deadly political game of deceit and intrigue which will see him fighting to stay alive. In the process John and the Genie become grudging admirers of each other, offering the reader a fascinatingly unique plot to peruse. A must have on your shelf.
No comments:
Post a Comment