The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud (Audio)

Nathaniel is a boy magician-in-training, sold to the government by his birth parents at the age of five and sent to live as an apprentice to a master. Powerful magicians rule Britain, and its empire, and Nathaniel is told his is the "ultimate sacrifice" for a "noble destiny." Nathaniel's master, Arthur Underwood, is a cold, condescending, and cruel middle-ranking magician in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Nathaniel gets along over the years in the Underwood household until the summer before his eleventh birthday when he is publicly humiliated by the ruthless magician Simon Lovelace. Nathaniel vows revenge on Lovelace and the master who did not defend him. He devours magical texts and hones his magic skills, all the while trying to appear subservient to his master. When he musters the strength to summon the 5,000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus to avenge Lovelace by stealing the powerful Amulet of Samarkand, the boy magician plunges into a situation more dangerous and deadly than anything he could ever imagine.

I absolutely love this book- unfortunately, the audio just doesn't do it justice. The narration was no where near how I pictured the characters to sound. It is still a wonderful story, though I recommend the book over the audio.