The Bartimaeus Sequence. The Ring of Solomon. Book 4

The Ring of Solomon is a prequel to the Bartimaeus series by Jonathan Stroud. It is 950 BC, and King Solomon rules Jerusalem with a steely hand on which gleams a mystic ring of immense and unforgiving power. One of Solomon’s magical slaves, the irrepressible djinni Bartimaeus, is stuck doing dead-end jobs for the king. But when Asmira, a young Sheban assassin, arrives to kill Solomon, steal the ring and save her country from his attack, she makes Bartimaeus an offer he can’t refuse. If he helps her succeed, she will give him his freedom. What could possibly go wrong?