Skip to main content

The Ring of Solomon

By
by Jonathan Stroud
Hyperion, 2010. 398 pgs. Fiction

When the Bartimaeus trilogy ended with Ptolemy's Gate, didn't we think we would not see Bartimaeus again? We did. Thankfully, we were wrong. Set before the time (a meaningless construct to Bartimaeus) of the London trilogy, The Ring of Solomon finds the smart-mouth demon serving in the court of King Solomon where he is kicked off the temple-building project for sassing back while wearing the form of a hippopotamus in a skirt. Relegated to bandit-patrol in the desert he and a fellow-demon wipe out the robbers who have destroyed a caravan, but find a survivor whom the reader already knows as Asmira, sent by the Queen of Sheba to kill Solomon and steal his ring of power. But Bartimaeus thinks he might be able to be released to the Other Place if Asmira puts in a word for him with the creepy Khaba and his horrifying living shadow. Without revealing overmuch of a truly tempestuous plot, suffice it to say that Solomon is a different man than he seems to be, that Asmira becomes a much different person in the end than she is in the beginning, and that Bartimaeus, in spite of being yanked back and forth between spheres in breakneck fashion, overcomes impossible odds to fashion a deeply satisfying ending. Huzzah!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An ABC of Flowers

By
An ABC of Flowers   by Jutta Hilpuesch New York, NY : Philomel Books, [2019] It turns out there really is a flower for every letter. This sweet book has a photograph of every flower and  a sweet cartoon illustration to go along with it. All your favorite flowers are here (forget-me-nots, mums, and sunflowers), along with some you probably haven't heard of before (billy ball, kalanchoe, xeranthemum?).  This is a perfect book for reading together, and readers of any age will enjoy every page. Don't miss this great springtime alphabet book. 
Post a Comment
Read more

From Story Time: The Letter "B"

By
From Monday Book Babies Bird, Balloon, Bear By Il Sung Na Alfred A. Knopf, 2017.  Picture Book. Bird is new to the forest, and he’s looking for a friend. Bear could use a friend, too. But Bird is too shy to introduce himself. Just as he musters the courage to say hello . . . it’s too late! Bear has already found a friend: a bright, shiny red balloon. Has Bird missed his chance?  From the acclaimed Il Sung Na comes a charming and beautifully illustrated story about courage, kindness, and friendship.  --Publisher From Monday Cuentos El primer día de un colegio Texto de Adam Rex Ilustraciones de Christian Robinson Traducción de Teresa Mlawer Editorial Corimbo, 2017.  Spanish Picture Book. Aquel verano, cuando terminaron de construir la escuela Frederick Douglass, el edificio comenzó a hacerse muchas preguntas: ¿Cuál será mi destino? ¿Quién vivirá entre mis paredes? ¿Para qué me utilizarán? Através de sus conversaciones con el conserje y t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Display: Out of this World Books Found Here

By
Hello By Aiko Ikegami Berkeley, CA: Creston Books, 2019. Picture book. In this wordless picture book, an alien visits Earth, makes friends with a little girl, and returns to his home planet to share his experiences. - Publisher We Are Definitely Human By X. Fang Toronto: Tundra Books, 2024. Picture book. When three mysterious visitors from "Europe" crash-land in Mr. Li's field, he does what any good host would: he invites them back to his farmhouse and offers to help fix up their "car". No, there's nothing strange about these guests at all. Just like other humans, they "make business", "play sportsball" and "wear hat". As the townsfolk also come to the aid of the visitors and the gathering turns into a little party, interplanetary relations reach an all-time high. - Publisher Greetings Floof! Written by C.J. Hong Illustrated by A.J. Smith Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2024. Picture book. Floof from planet Ploof has landed! And it...
Post a Comment
Read more