The Bartimaeus Trilogy- Amulet of Samarkand

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.

Steven Erikson’s Malazan book of the fallen 1- Gardens of the Moon.

The latter half of the last century saw a profusion of authors plying their wares in the fantasy fiction genre. Most of these authors stuck to the time tested good guys Vs bad guys formula with a dash of dragons and a whiff of elves, but rarely did anyone reinvent the wheel. Of course notable exceptions like Robert Jordan and George R R Martin exist and thank goodness for them. Fantasy would cease to be truly magical, regressing instead into a simple soap unworthy even of being clubbed in the same league as the mind numbing stupidity of reality TV. Only once in a while do we really come across what one would term as a work of art. Steven Erikson’s Malazan book of the fallen is most definitely worthy of being crowned with that epithet.

Not only does it break the mold in terms of originality, it also serves to remind us that true fantasy fiction is alive and kicking. From soaring to majestic heights one minute where the key protagonists cover themselves with glory, to plumbing the very depths of the basest human instincts, the Malazan series has it all.

Set in a world quite removed from our own (Like most of its brethren in this genre), the series follows the adventures of a disparate bunch of characters across different corners of this imaginary world. That’s right there are a huge number of key characters in this series which would’ve probably been a point against the book, had it not been for Erikson’s ability to make every one of these characters unique and essential to the plot. Erikson’s other great ability unlike many other fantasy authors, is his knack of creating what initially seems to be unrelated mumbo jumbo only for the various plots to seamlessly mesh together in the sequels. Erikson already scores over the bunch by cleverly bringing all these seemingly unrelated elements together time and again to provide a fascinating interplay between the various characters, but what truly sets him apart from the crowd is the fantasy. The magical world dreamt by him is truly awesome. Mortals ascending to divinity, untold realms of magic governing the physics of this universe, powerful but long extinct sentient Elder races, of eternal feuds and conflicts spanning truly immense magnitudes, all this and more only at your nearest Malazan world. To get down to the business end of things, chronologically, the reader can begin with any of the first three books as a means of getting introduced to the series, but being old fashioned as I am, I chose book one, Gardens of the Moon as the most obvious means of getting acquainted with this epic series.

Gardens of the Moon begins by offering the reader an account of the conquests of the Malazan empire (which provides a uniting plot element for most of the series hence the name) on the continent of Genebackis. After brief flashback introducing us to two of the most enduring characters of the series, the story begins with the tale of an empire in turmoil. After the recent assassination of the formidable founder of the Malazan Empire, Kellanved, his deputy Laseen usurps the throne and proclaims herself the empress of the Malazan world. Plots abound, intertwined in seemingly unimaginable fantasy, the old guard once loyal to the now deposed emperor at the center of this tangled knot. Laseen dispatches the once feared and now almost legendary squad of Bridgeburners (loyal to Kellanved) to support the conquest efforts on the continent of Genebackis where things have not been going too well for the empire. The Empress however is not alone in her unnatural interest in Genebackis and the bridgeburners, for the gods themselves become entangled in the events that transpire therein. As the plot unfolds the company comes across many formidable and interesting characters some of whom will join the bridgeburners in their quest (for what Laseen?) and some of whom will oppose them. The story unravels in a myriad unpredictable hues and each hue is more interesting than the last, Super skilled assassins, dragons (that's right the usual suspects are here as well though not as you would've imagined them, not even close), powerful wizards, beasts unheard of and finally fantasy undreamt of. Dark, provocative and awe inspiring, The Malazan series is truly the stuff of great fantasy fiction. A must read!