Im Jahre 950 vor Christi Geburt dient Bartimaeus am Hofe König Salomons und natürlich stiftet er dort das übliche Chaos. Die Königin von Saba hat eine Meuchelmörderin an den Hof entsandt, die den mächtigen Ring König Salomons stehlen soll und diese findet in Bartimaeus einen willigen Helfer.
"...a prequel to the hugely popular Bartimaeus trilogy, about a sarcastic millennia-old djinni and a boy wizard with bags more personality than Potter... The Voice is as funny as ever, but there are passages of eerie beauty, and a shrewd message about fanatacism. "You don't need a djinni for this job." says Bart wearily, "Young men are best at dying for empty concepts." Stroud has lost non of his dazzle." Suzi Feay Financial Times 20101016