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Jonathan Stroud is a British author of children’s fiction and young adult fantasy.

Born in Bedford, England, he attended York University where he studied English Literature.

Upon graduating, he had no idea what to do–as is the case with many English graduates.

An editorial job at Walker Books, London, soon followed, marking the beginning of his interest in children's books.

Working on encyclopedias, history books, game books and a children's Bible, coupled with his interaction with authors, earned him invaluable knowledge on the structure, pace and style of books.

After gathering enough courage and experience to publish his first book, Buried Fire (1999), Jonathan gave up his editorial job to become a full-time writer.

Jonathan lives with his wife Gina, and together they have three children.

More about Jonathan Stroud

Genres: Fantasy / SF, Young Adult

Born: 1970

United Kingdom

Website: http://www.jonathanstroud.com/

Non Series

  • Buried Fire (1999)
  • The Leap (2001)
  • The Last Siege (2003)
  • Heroes of the Valley (2009)

Bartimaeus

  1. The Ring of Solomon: A Prequel (2010)
  2. The Amulet of Samarkand (2003)
  3. The Golem's Eye (2004)
  4. Ptolemy's Gate (2005)

Lockwood & Co

  1. The Screaming Staircase (2013)
  2. The Dagger in the Desk: A Lockwood & Co. Novella (2013)
  3. The Whispering Skull (2014)
  4. The Hollow Boy (2015)
  5. The Creeping Shadow (2016)
  6. The Empty Grave (2017)

Non-fiction

  1. Jonathan Stroud (1999)
  2. Ancient Rome: A Guide to the Glory of Imperial Rome (2000)

Novellas

  1. The Ghost of Shadow Vale (2009)

Omnibus Books

  1. Lockwood & Co. Book Series (2023)

Outlaws Scarlett and Browne

  1. The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne (2021)
  2. The Notorious Scarlett and Browne (2023)

Picture Books

  • The Lost Treasure of Captain Blood: How the Infamous Spammes Escaped the Jaws of Death And Won a Vast And Glorious Fortune (1996)
  • The Viking Saga of Harri Bristlebeard: A Heroic Puzzle Adventure (1997)

Detailed book overview

Non Series

Buried Fire

Deep in the English countryside, the unearthing of an ancient Celtic cross awakens an imprisoned dragon and unleashes a smoldering evil. Less than a mile away, 13-year-old Michael McIntyre falls asleep on a lush green hill, and wakes up with frightening and sinister new abilities. 

Michael possesses the four gifts of the dragon-and he's not the only one, nor is he the most powerful. The others, whose identities will be slowly revealed, offer Michael powers beyond his wildest dreams if he will keep their secret safe. Now he must choose: give up these astonishing but devastating new abilities and help his family and friends banish the evil that lies beneath their fragile earth, or join the others in their crusade to protect their gifts and set the dragon free - a choice that may well destroy everyone Michael loves. 

Those with power will stop at nothing to keep its secret, while those without it need Michael's protection to survive. Buried Fire combines elements of fantasy and mythology in a spellbinding tale of good versus evil.

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 1999
ISBN: 978-0786851942
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
The Leap

After her best friend, Max, drowns, Charlie Fletcher is overwhelmed with shock and grief. When she attempts to explain what happened that day at the Mill Pond, no one believes her. The doctors and her mother think she may be hallucinating, or worse-crazy. Even her sympathetic brother can't understand what is happening to her. 

Charlie nearly died trying to save Max and as an aftermath to this terrifying experience, Charlie begins to have incredibly vivid dreams, where she sees Max walking far in the distance in a strange land. She tries to catch up, but she can never reach him. Sleep soon becomes her only passion. 

But one night, after waking up from a dream with cuts and bruises, she realizes that her nighttime excursions are real. She alone has the power to hunt for Max. And she knows he's out there somewhere. To save him, she'll follow his trail wherever it goes-even beyond the limits of this world.

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 2001
ISBN: 978-0786851959
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
The Last Siege

When Emily, Simon and Marcus discover the deserted castle, it seems like an escape from the midwinter snows and their individual loneliness. But their occupation of the ruin quickly takes on a momentum of its own, and soon threatens their friendship, their freedom and their lives.

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 2003
ISBN: 978-0552551465
Publisher: Corgi Childrens
Heroes of the Valley

Halli Sveinsson has grown up in the House of Svein, listening to the legends of the heroes as all his forefathers did. His is a peaceful society where the violence of the past has been outlawed and disputes are settled by the Council. But young Halli has never quite seemed to fit in with the others. For starters, he was not at all handsome or tall, like his attractive blond siblings. He's stumpy and swarthy, with a quick mind and aptitude for getting in trouble.

Bored with the everyday chores and sheep herding, he can't help himself from playing practical jokes on everyone, from Eyjolf the old servant, to his brother and sister. But when he plays a trick on Ragnor of the House of Hakonsson, he goes too far, setting in motion a chain of events that will forever alter his destiny.

Because of it, Halli will have to leave home and go on a hero's quest. Along the way, he will encounter highway robbers, terrifying monsters, and a girl who may finally be his match. In the end, he will discover the truth about the legends, his family, and himself. Jonathan Stroud's new work is a hero's saga and coming-of-age, as well as a surprising look at what bravery really means.

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 2009
ISBN: 978-0552557931
Publisher: Corgi Childrens

Bartimaeus

The Ring of Solomon: A Prequel

It is 950 B.C.E., and King Solomon rules Jerusalem with a steely hand; a hand on which gleams a magic ring of immense and unforgiving power. Solomon has just begun work on his marvelous temple, charging Khaba, a formidable magician in his royal court, to oversee its construction. The workforce is an ill-behaved bunch of demons, a particularly unruly djinni named Bartimaeus among them. 

True to form, Bartimaeus promptly gets kicked off the temple project and assigned the even more miserable task of hunting bandits in the desert. There he crosses paths with Asmira, a highly skilled and loyal captain of the Queen of Sheba’s guard, on a suicidal mission to save her country from Solomon’s imminent attack. Of course, Bartimaeus has no intention of helping her. That is, until Asmira makes him an offer he cannot refuse. . . .

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 2010
ISBN: 978-0552562942
Publisher: Corgi Childrens
The Amulet of Samarkand

Nathaniel is a young magician's apprentice, taking his first lessons in the arts of magic. But when a devious hotshot wizard named Simon Lovelace ruthlessly humiliates Nathaniel in front of everyone he knows, Nathaniel decides to kick up his education a few notches and show Lovelace who's boss. 

With revenge on his mind, he masters one of the toughest spells of all: summoning the all-powerful djinni, Bartimaeus. But summoning Bartimaeus and controlling him are two different things entirely, and when Nathaniel sends the djinni out to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand, Nathaniel finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of magical espionage, murder, blackmail, and revolt.

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 2003
ISBN: 978-0786852550
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
The Golem's Eye

At only fourteen, Nathaniel is a rising star: a young magician who is quickly climbing the ranks of the government. There is seemingly nothing he cannot handle, until he is asked to deal with the growing Resistance movement, which is disrupting London life with its thefts and raids. It’s no easy task: the ringleader Kitty and her friends remain elusive, and Nathaniel’s job-and perhaps his life-are soon at risk. 

As the pressure mounts, he is distracted by a new series of terrifying attacks in the capital. But is it the Resistance again, or something more dangerous still? To uncover the perpetrators, Nathanial must take desperate measures: a journey to the enemy city of Prague and-worse-summoning once again the troublesome, enigmatic, and quick – witted djinni Bartimaeus.

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 2004
ISBN: 978-0786836543
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Ptolemy's Gate

Three years after the events of The Golem's Eye, the young magician Nathaniel is an established member of the British Government.

But he faces unprecedented problems: foreign wars are going badly and Britain's enemies are mounting attacks close to London.

Increasingly distracted, he is treating Bartimaeus worse than ever: the long-suffering djinni is growing weak from too much time in this world, and his patience is at an end. Meanwhile, undercover in London, Kitty has been stealthily completing her research into magic and Bartimaeus' past. She hopes to break the endless cycle of conflict between djinn and humans -- but will she be able to get anyone to listen?

Before any of these problems can be resolved, disaster strikes London from an unexpected source and the destinies of Bartimaeus, Nathanial, and Kitty are thrown together once more. They have to face treacherous magicians, a long-fermented conspiracy, and an enemy from 'The Other Place' that threatens London and the world. Worst of all, they must somehow cope with each other...

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 2005
ISBN: 978-0786838684
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Lockwood & Co

The Screaming Staircase

A sinister Problem has occurred in London: all nature of ghosts, haunts, spirits, and specters are appearing throughout the city, and they aren't exactly friendly. Only young people have the psychic abilities required to see-and eradicate-these supernatural foes. Many different Psychic Detection Agencies have cropped up to handle the dangerous work, and they are in fierce competition for business.

The plucky and talented Lucy Carlyle teams up with Anthony Lockwood, the charismatic leader of Lockwood & Co, a small agency that runs independent of any adult supervision. After an assignment leads to both a grisly discovery and a disastrous end, Lucy, Anthony, and their sarcastic colleague, George, are forced to take part in the perilous investigation of Combe Carey Hall, one of the most haunted houses in England. Will Lockwood & Co. survive the Hall's legendary Screaming Staircase and Red Room to see another day?

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 2013
ISBN: 978-1423186922
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
The Dagger in the Desk: A Lockwood & Co. Novella

In London, a mysterious and potentially deadly ghost is stalking the halls of St Simeon’s Academy for Talented Youngsters. It lurks in the shadows, spreading fear and icy cold – and it carries a sharp and very solid dagger...

The headmaster wastes no time in enlisting the help of ghost-hunters Anthony Lockwood, Lucy Carlyle and George Cubbins.

Can Lockwood & Co. survive the night and save the day?

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 2013
Ebook: B0153PYMK0
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
The Whispering Skull

In the six months since Anthony, Lucy, and George survived a night in the most haunted house in England, Lockwood & Co. hasn't made much progress. Quill Kipps and his team of Fittes agents keep swooping in on Lockwood's investigations. Finally, in a fit of anger, Anthony challenges his rival to a contest: the next time the two agencies compete on a job, the losing side will have to admit defeat in the Times newspaper.

Things look up when a new client, Mr. Saunders, hires Lockwood & Co. to be present at the excavation of Edmund Bickerstaff, a Victorian doctor who reportedly tried to communicate with the dead. Saunders needs the coffin sealed with silver to prevent any supernatural trouble. All goes well-until George's curiosity attracts a horrible phantom.

Back home at Portland Row, Lockwood accuses George of making too many careless mistakes. Lucy is distracted by urgent whispers coming from the skull in the ghost jar. Then the team is summoned to DEPRAC headquarters. Kipps is there too, much to Lockwood's annoyance. Bickerstaff's coffin was raided and a strange glass object buried with the corpse has vanished. Inspector Barnes believes the relic to be highly dangerous, and he wants it found.

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 2014
ISBN: 978-1423194620
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
The Hollow Boy

As a massive outbreak of supernatural Visitors baffles Scotland Yard and causes protests throughout London, Lockwood & Co. continue to demonstrate their effectiveness in exterminating spirits. Anthony Lockwood is dashing, George insightful, and Lucy dynamic, while the skull in the jar utters sardonic advice from the sidelines. 

There is a new spirit of openness in the team now that Lockwood has shared some of his childhood secrets, and Lucy is feeling more and more as if her true home is at Portland Row. It comes as a great shock, then, when Lockwood and George introduce her to an annoyingly perky and hyper-efficient new assistant, Holly Munro.

Meanwhile, there are reports of many new hauntings, including a house where bloody footprints are appearing, and a department store full of strange sounds and shadowy figures. But ghosts seem to be the least of Lockwood & Co.'s concerns when assassins attack during a carnival in the center of the city. Can the team get past their personal issues to save the day on all fronts, or will bad feelings attract yet more trouble?

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 2015
ISBN: 978-1484711897
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
The Creeping Shadow

After leaving Lockwood & Co. at the end of The Hollow Boy, Lucy is a freelance operative, hiring herself out to agencies that value her ever-improving skills. One day she is pleasantly surprised by a visit from Lockwood, who tells her he needs a good Listener for a tough assignment. Penelope Fittes, the leader of the giant Fittes Agency wants them -- and only them -- to locate and remove the Source for the legendary Brixton Cannibal. They succeed in their very dangerous task, but tensions remain high between Lucy and the other agents. 

Even the skull in the jar talks to her like a jilted lover. What will it take to reunite the team? Black marketeers, an informant ghost, a Spirit Cape that transports the wearer, and mysteries involving Steve Rotwell and Penelope Fittes just may do the trick. But, in a shocking cliffhanger ending, the team learns that someone has been manipulating them all along. . . .

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 2016
ISBN: 978-1484711903
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
The Empty Grave

Five months after the events in The Creeping Shadow, we join Lockwood, Lucy, George, Holly, and their associate Quill Kipps on a perilous night mission: they have broken into the booby-trapped Fittes Mausoleum, where the body of the legendary psychic heroine Marissa Fittes lies. Or does it? 

This is just one of the many questions to be answered in Book 5 of the Lockwood & Co. series. Will Lockwood ever reveal more about his family's past to Lucy? Will their trip to the Other Side leave Lucy and Lockwood forever changed? Will Penelope Fittes succeed in shutting down their agency forever? 

The young agents must survive attacks from foes both spectral and human before they can take on their greatest enemy in a climactic and chaotic battle. And to prevail they will have to rely on help from some surprising--and shadowy--allies. Jonathan Stroud once again delivers a rousing adventure full of danger, laughs, twists, and frights. The revelations will send readers back to Book 1 to start the series all over again.

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 2017
ISBN: 978-1484790069
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Non-fiction

Jonathan Stroud

This puzzle book includes mazes, spot-the-difference, anagrams and crosswords, as well as facts about word power.

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 1999
ISBN: 978-0744572018
Publisher: Walker Books
Ancient Rome: A Guide to the Glory of Imperial Rome

This travel guide attempts to cover centuries of history in a few pages. As well as general information on particular aspects of society, it contains useful tips for the traveler, providing details of that historical time. This book explores the sights and sounds of ancient Rome.

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 2000
ISBN: 978-0753452356
Publisher: Kingfisher

Novellas

The Ghost of Shadow Vale

Glam killed the monster of Shadow Vale - but he also died in the fight. Now Glam's ghost has come back. And he's worse than the monster ever was. The hero Grettir is the strongest man in the land. But is he strong enough to face the evil Glam? And how can Grettir kill a dead man?

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 2009
ISBN: 978-1842997055
Publisher: Barrington Stoke Ltd

Omnibus Books

Lockwood & Co. Book Series

Complete 5-book set of the thrilling and chilling Lockwood & Co. series. 

Replete with ghastly haunts and ghoulish humor, this set is perfect for any amateur ghost hunter...or anyone who enjoys a good read! Includes the following titles with latest cover art: The Screaming Staircase, The Whispering Skull, The Hollow Boy, The Creeping Shadow, and The Empty Grave.

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 2023
Ebook: B08CNRCL8R
Publisher: Generic

Outlaws Scarlett and Browne

The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne

Scarlett McCain is a shoot-first ask-questions-later kind of outlaw. She scrapes by on bank heists, her wits—and never looking back.

She’s on the run from her latest crime when she comes across Albert Browne. He is the sole survivor of a horrific accident, and against her better judgement, Scarlett agrees to guide him to safety.

This is a mistake. Soon there are men with dogs and guns and explosives hot on their heels. Scarlett’s used to being chased by the law, but this is extreme. It was only a little bank she’d robbed . ..

As they flee together across the wilds, fighting off monstrous beasts, and dodging their pursuers, Scarlett comes to realize that Albert Browne is hiding a terrible secret. And that he may be the most dangerous threat of all.

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 2021
ISBN: 978-0593430392
Publisher: Yearling
The Notorious Scarlett and Browne

Scarlett McCain and Albert Browne have outwitted their pursuers and escaped into the wilderness once more, and it’s not long before they become famous for their audacious heists across the Seven Kingdoms. Yet neither is fully able to escape the shackles of the past – as they discover when a dangerous job turns sour.

Soon old enemies and sinister new threats are pressing in on every side, and Scarlett and Browne must pull off an impossible mission and strike out against The Faith Houses and the Brothers of the Hand if they are to save the people they hold most dear.

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 2023
ISBN: 978-1406394825
Publisher: Walker Books

Picture Books

The Lost Treasure of Captain Blood: How the Infamous Spammes Escaped the Jaws of Death And Won a Vast And Glorious Fortune

This is an adventure puzzle about the pirate crew of the Spotted Dog and their quest to win a great fortune. Clues must be followed, a treasure map studied and a spy found along the way. Illustrated in full color by Cathy Gale.

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 1996
ISBN: 978-1844287673
Publisher: Walker Childrens Paperbacks
The Viking Saga of Harri Bristlebeard: A Heroic Puzzle Adventure

Harri Bristlebeard, chief of the Vikings, searches for a lost banner to win back luck, fame, and fortune for his village. Features picture puzzles in which the reader looks for various objects.

Author: Jonathan Stroud
First Release: 1997
ISBN: 978-1844287680