Jonathan Stroud – Cannonball Read 17

To Steal or Not to Steal? DUH! To steal!

The Amulet of Samarkand The Graphic Novel by Jonathan Stroud

February 23, 2021 by BlackRaven Leave a Comment

I like reading graphic novels that are adapted from a novel. It has potential for you to see if they match, if the art looks like what you think it “should” look like and you get a “two for one” (so to speak) story. However, when you read a graphic novel adapted from a novel you read so many years ago, you cannot remember what the book was about, you get a surprise. The Amulet of Samarkand The Graphic Novel is Jonathan Stroud’s novel of […]

A strong finish to this series about magical oppression.

Ptolemy's Gate (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, #3) by Jonathan Stroud

January 22, 2019 by narfna Leave a Comment

Worth slogging through book two just to get to this one. (And I’m still not convinced my reaction to that book wasn’t just me trying to read it at the wrong time.) This is the third and final book in the original Bartimaeus Trilogy (he wrote a prequel in 2010 but I think I’m going to pass on that one). It takes place three years after the events of The Golem’s Eye. Nathaniel/John Mandrake is high up in government now, in charge of what is […]

Middle book syndrome? Or just me?

The Golem's Eye (The Bartimaeus Trilogy, #2) by Jonathan Stroud

January 18, 2019 by narfna Leave a Comment

I read the first book in this series a couple of years ago and liked it, but I never got around to finishing the series. Probably should have read it closer together . . . This was a perfectly serviceable follow up to The Amulet of Samarkand, and honestly I think my ‘meh’ reaction to it is mostly on me. The only real criticism I have of the book is that it was too long. This is supposed to be children’s/middle grade book, and it’s […]

If you judge success by the number of enemies you make, that was a highly successful evening.

May 18, 2018 by melanir Leave a Comment

I finished the first book of this series back in January and quite liked it, but wasn’t quite ready to pick up the rest of the series. Fast forward a few months and I decide to mainline books 2 through 5. I liked the rest of the books, though I think they may have suffered a bit for being read back to back. There is a definite structure that the books follow and by the third book I started to get a bit bored with […]

God rest her soul and may she never walk at night

January 5, 2018 by melanir 4 Comments

The Screaming Staircase is the first book in Jonathon Stroud’s Lockwood & Co. series. It is a creepy ghost story murder mystery featuring young teen and pre-teen protagonists and it kept this many-years-past-her-teens lady up at night. There were some things about the world building that bothered me, though I can see why Stroud did what he did, however as a whole this book was highly enjoyable and I will be checking out the remaining four books in the series. This book is set in […]

Same Bartimaeus, Different Century

September 28, 2015 by Quorren Leave a Comment

I think I read the original Bartimaeus trilogy back in Cannonball IV. It’s definitely a series you need to read before trying to get into this one, which is a prequel. If you have read the series before, you know that humans bind demons to do their bidding, which doesn’t make demons very enamored of humans and on more than one occasion, a demon has found a loophole in his contract and eaten his slaver. Bartimaeus fancies himself as the best demon to ever demon, […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

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