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Jonathan Stroud

Author of The Amulet of Samarkand

31+ Works 29,023 Members 843 Reviews 73 Favorited

About the Author

Jonathan Stroud, best selling fantasy fiction author, was born in Bedford, England on October 27, 1970. While growing up he experimented with different kinds of writing. He went on to read English Literature at York University. After graduation he worked in editing at Walker Books, in London and show more continued there for several years. His first novel, When Buried Fire, was published in 1999. In 2001 he began writing full-time. He is the author of the wildly popular Bartimaeus Sequence and Lockwood and Co, series. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: St. Louis County Library Headquarters 2/2/09

Series

Works by Jonathan Stroud

The Amulet of Samarkand (2003) 8,979 copies
The Golem's Eye (2004) 5,931 copies
Ptolemy's Gate (2005) 5,192 copies
The Screaming Staircase (2013) 2,052 copies
The Ring of Solomon (2010) 1,522 copies
The Whispering Skull (2014) — Author — 924 copies
Heroes of the Valley (2009) 883 copies
The Hollow Boy (2015) — Author — 689 copies
The Creeping Shadow (2016) — Author — 542 copies
The Empty Grave (2017) 465 copies
The Bartimaeus Trilogy (2003) 463 copies
Buried Fire (1999) 398 copies
The Last Siege (2003) 185 copies

Associated Works

Midnight Feast (2007) — Contributor — 10 copies

Tagged

adventure (244) alternate history (164) audiobook (140) Bartimaeus (341) Bartimaeus Trilogy (283) children (125) children's (303) children's literature (103) demons (296) djinn (377) ebook (106) England (266) fantasy (3,826) fiction (1,366) ghosts (280) goodreads (107) horror (181) humor (143) juvenile (105) kids (75) London (311) magic (816) magicians (184) middle grade (108) mystery (172) novel (137) own (126) paranormal (112) read (247) series (432) sff (102) supernatural (133) to-read (1,252) trilogy (107) unread (117) wizards (184) YA (617) young adult (964) young adult fantasy (77) young adult fiction (102)

Common Knowledge

Members

Discussions

Bartimaeus series advice qvestion in The Green Dragon (February 2012)

Reviews

{first of 5+1 in Lockwood & Co.; fantasy, adventure, mystery, paranormal, children's, young adult, television adaptation}(2013)

The story is told from Lucy Carlysle's point of view in the first person and opens as she and Lockwood (of Lockwood and Company) are about to enter a house on a case; Lockwood is a somewhat irrepressible character:
And above all don’t impersonate the client. Please. It never goes down well.’

‘That’s an awful lot of don’ts, Lucy,’ Lockwood said.

‘Too right it is.’

‘You know I’ve got an excellent ear for accents. I copy people without thinking.’

‘Fine, copy them quietly after the event. Not loudly, not in front of them, and particularly not when they’re a six-foot-six Irish dockworker with a speech impediment, and we’re a good half-mile from the public road.’
In this parallel universe Britain has been afflicted by the Problem for the last fifty years or so, where all manner of paranormal activities and hauntings (classified as Types 1, 2 or 3) have sprung up all over the country with potentially fatal results and only children can sense the apparitions. As darkness falls, curfew is called when everyone goes indoors, safe behind iron and salt, and only children go out to work either as guards or - the more sensitive ones - to work for agencies, banishing the Visitors. Most agencies do some work for the government, specifically with the department known as DEPRAC (Department of Psychical Research and Control), and they all have adult supervisors who used to be agents but are no longer sensitive.

Lockwood and company, as we discover through Lucy's flashbacks, are the only agency with no adults - consisting solely, in fact, of (Anthony) Lockwood, George and Lucy, all around 14 to 16 years old - and not linked to DEPRAC (although Inspector Barnes drops by from time to time when things aren't looking good). Lockwood owns the house (the details of how are only hinted at vaguely) in which they all live and work and can convince them (Lucy, anyway; George likes to research cases thoroughly first - if he's given the chance) to take the most dangerous risks on the strength of his smile.
He switched on his fullest, most radiant smile.

Barnes winced. ‘Put those teeth away. It's too early in the morning and I haven't had my breakfast'
I liked the banter; there was enough to keep it somewhat lighthearted without being overwhelming.

This seems to be set in a parallel London (although at one point Lucy 'fixed tea' which sounded odd) of about 40 years ago, where there are cars and telephones and Velcro but no mobile phones and ladies wear hats.

On the first case that we see (not Lucy's first, as she has been with Lockwood and Company - her second agency - for six months at this point) they have been called in by a widow whose husband fell down the stairs and now she feels a presence in the house. In solving the case, Lucy finds a necklace which involves them in another case. Meanwhile, desperate for business to keep the company afloat, Lockwood accepts a case at a manor house in Berkshire which has been haunted for centuries and where more deaths keep occurring - including a team from one of the oldest and best ghost agencies.

Wow, this was a nail biting page turner! And a BB from another LTer (thanks!) who also seems to be a fan of the Netflix series based on this books series - another thing I need to look into. The edition I borrowed from the library had a preface by the author complementing the Netflix actors and setting. The plotting was good, the pacing was good and I didn't want to put this book down (though I may have wanted to look away at times). And though it's about paranormal Visitors, it wasn't a scary book (I don't read horror) though there was plenty of tension.

The title reminded me of the Nancy Drew stories I used to read as a child - but this is nothing like! This was a good book and I'll be looking for the rest of the series. It's billed as a children's/ young adult's book but doesn't talk down to its audience. I've recommended it to my 15 year old son, too, since he's a Skulduggery Pleasant fan - let's see what he thinks.

ETA: I watched the first episode of the Netflix series last night and introduced my husband to it, too. I found it fascinating comparing it to the book though he found it a bit scary (though he used to be into horror - which I can't watch).

And, of course, a good cup of tea is absolutely essential.
But tea bags, brown and fresh and plenty of them, and made (for preference) by Pitkin Brothers of Bond Street, are perhaps the simplest and best of all.

OK, they may not save your life like a sword-tip or an iron circle can, and they haven‘t the protective power of a sudden wall of fire. But they do provide something just as vital. They help to keep you sane.

February 2024
4.5-5 stars
… (more)
 
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humouress | 99 other reviews | Feb 23, 2024 |

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Associated Authors

Gerald Jung Translator, Übersetzer
Simon Jones Narrator
Melvyn Grant Cover artist
Katharina OrgaÃ? Translator, Übersetzer
Katharina Orgaß Übersetzer
Riccardo Cravero Translator
Kate Adams Illustrator
Carina Jansson Translator
David Thorn Narrator
Sammy Yuen Cover designer
Alan Ayers Cover artist
Alessandro Taini Cover artist
Katie Lyons Narrator
Douglas Smith Cover artist
Greg Call Cover artist
Dan Musselman Executive producer
Lisa Baney Producer & director
Kirsty McLaren Cover photo
Gina Stroud Original cover art
Rolf Marriott Author photo

Statistics

Works
31
Also by
2
Members
29,023
Popularity
#687
Rating
4.1
Reviews
843
ISBNs
562
Languages
22
Favorited
73

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