The Ring of Solomon is a children's novel of alternate history, fantasy and magic. It is a prequel to the Bartimaeus trilogy, written by British author Jonathan Stroud. The first edition (paperback) was published in Oct. 2010 by Doubleday in UK. Synopsis The book follows the early adventures of Bartimaeus in service to King Solomon. Setting The story is set in a fantasy version of ancient Jerusalem, during the reign of biblical King Solomon, about 950BCE. Principal characters Magicians Solomon, biblical King of Israel, ~970-931BC Asmira, captain of the guard for Queen of Sheba Balkis (Queen of Sheba) Ezekiel, a magician in service to Solomon Khaba the Cruel Spirits Bartimaeus, a mid-level djinn Faquarl, a djinn Ammet, a marid Spirit of the Ring Philocretes, an afrit Organisations High Magicians of Solomon Magical objects, spells and places Ring of Solomon Plot summary The story opens in Jerusalem with the djinni Bartimaeus currently in the service of one of the seventeen High Magicians of King Solomon of Israel, whom the king rules with the use of a mighty Ring. Ezekiel commands Bartimaeus to retrieve a magical artifact from the ancient city of Eridu. Bartimaeus succeeds, and then tricks the magician into commanding him to use the artefact against him. It sends a spurt of water at him, knocking him from his protective circle. Bartimaeus devours the old man and by the magician's death is released and returns to the Other Place. The king, upon learning of Bartimaeus's murder of Ezekiel, is insulted that a mere djinni is the perpetrator. To make Bartimaeus pay for his actions he commands Khaba, an Egyptian and another of the seventeen, to summon Bartimaeus back into his service and punish him. The king also proposes to the queen of Sheba and is refused. The scene shifts to the Sheban capital of Marib where Balkis, the aforementioned queen, receives a message from a fierce marid supposedly in Solomon's service: either pay a ransom of 40 sacks of frankincense or be destroyed, and gives her two weeks to pay. Balkis decides to send her loyal guard captain Asmira to Jerusalem to assassinate Solomon. Back in Jerusalem, now in Khaba's service, Bartimaeus is commanded to perform many degrading jobs, including grain counting, sewage treatment, and artichoke collecting. Another unpleasant element is that one of his fellow slaves is his old rival Faquarl. Khaba assembles the eight djinn under his command