The
Magician of Samarkand by Alan Temperley
Published by Macmillan Children’s Books, 2003
Reviewed
by Shannon Children’s Book Club – June 2004
Anahita
is the beautiful daughter of the poor shoemaker Kashgar, but along
with her mother Fatima and her older brother Farraj, they all live
very happily in the beautiful city of Samarkand. Anahita’s
beauty is noticed not only by the the handsome and kind prince Sohrab,
but also by a new arrival to the city, the evil magician Zohak Ali,
who has come with the aim of bringing the city and its riches under
his control. Soon anyone who dares speak out against him finds themselves
transformed into a flea bitten donkey or dog. Anahita falls foul
of the magician when she refuses to marry him and as a punishment
Zohak Ali changes her into a bent old woman. She is forced to flee
the city when Zohak Ali spreads vicious lies about her and seeks
refuge in the distant Pamir mountains, where she befriends a hawk
who later plays an important part in the story.
After
two years she returns to a very different Samarkard to the one she
left. Now its citizens live in fear and poverty and her brother,
father and prince Sohrab have disappeared. Poor and alone, her luck
suddenly changes when a yellow lizard begins to bring her golden
coins. Her plan to rid the city of Zohak Ali suffers a set back
when he casts a shrinking spell on her, but with the help of her
friends, lizard and rat, she breaks into the magician’s magnificent
Blue Palace and this is the beginning of the end for the evil Zohak
Ali.
The
bookclub enjoyed this magical adventure and warmed to the heroine
Anahita as she changes from a meek girl to a brave, resourceful
and clever woman. Some of the group likened her to a female Aladdin.
The story races along to what the group found to be a predictable,
but nonetheless, satisfying ending.
Rating:
8/10
|