The Ring of Solomon
(A Bartimaeus novel)
Jonathan Stroud
Disney Hyperion
Fiction, YA Fantasy
****+ (Good/Great)
DESCRIPTION: As the glory of Egypt's pharaohs wane, a new power rises near the shores of the Great Sea. From his mighty capital in Jerusalem, the influence of the famed King Solomon spreads across the ancient world, fueled by his legendary wisdom, his political savvy... and a powerful ring, with which he can summon ten thousand demons in the blink of an eye, should the wisdom and savvy fail. With it, he has brought peace and prosperity to his nation and many others, and attracted the greatest magicians in the known world to his service. No fewer than seventeen powerful mages labor under King Solomon's command - each and every one of them with a covetous eye on the ring. All attempts to steal the ring, by rivals or magicians or angered spirits, have ended terribly... thus far.
Asmira serves the glorious Queen of Sheba, a prosperous Arabian nation, with her body, mind, and soul. Like her mother before her, she has risen far in the hereditary guard of Queen Balkis, her silver blades ever ready to defend her liege against attacks mundane and magical. When messengers from Solomon demand tribute, lest the Ring's demonic armies lay waste to the realm, the queen sends Asmira to kill the Israeli king and steal his ring - for a lone assassin might slip close enough to succeed where others have failed, especially one with a beautiful, young face like Asmira's.
Bartimaeus of Uruk has suffered many indignities in the two thousand years since he was first named and summoned to Earth from beyond, but his slavery in Solomon's Jerusalem is by far his worst incarnation ever. Tortured and humiliated daily by the sadistic mage Khaba, the djinni has long since lost hope of being dismissed from service before his overtaxed essence dwindles out of existence. He cannot even vent his frustration with his usual pithy remarks and petty disobedience, with the threat of the Ring of Solomon hovering over the head of every man, woman, and spirit in Jerusalem's walls.
On a long and dusty desert road, in the aftermath of a devastating bandit raid, Asmira and Bartimaeus meet. Each has a vested interest in the destruction of the Ring of Solomon... but can either afford to trust the other?
REVIEW: Technically a prequel of sorts, taking place some three thousand years before Stroud's Bartimaeus trilogy (reviewed previously on this blog), one needn't be familiar with Bartimaeus's previously published adventures to enjoy this book, though a few passing remarks here and there foreshadow events in the trilogy. As in the previous books, the sparkling wit enhances a truly interesting story, rather than distracting from it. Also as before, the characters all have important lessons to learn, and apply them in ways I didn't always anticipate. It lost half a star for the intrusion of modern terminology into the ancient world setting, but otherwise it fully lived up to the standards set by Stroud's previous stories. I'd happily read more stories of Bartimaeus if this level of quality endures.
(I admit I'm still concerned about the Disney Hyperion publisher switch, and the implied attempts at a Bartimaeus movie franchise...)
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