When I first came across Michael Scott's The Alchemyst: Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, walking around in the labyrinth of Borders, I didn't know what to think. The cover, that of ancient runes and intriguing symbols, gave me a youthful, old-world impression of the novel but yet, at the same time, I found it oddly enchanting. It was so enchanting, in fact, that I picked up the book and flipped it over. No surprise, the book is even better than even the tantalizing synopsis puts forth.
The Alchemyst is the first book in a six-part series. Its plotline revolves around two teenage twins; Sophie and Josh Newmen. Like any other summer, the two twins are spending their time in San Francisco with their Aunt Agnes while their parents, who are archeologists and paleontologists, work in Utah. This year’s normal summer trip, however, quickly proves to be anything but average. Well-after settling into San Francisco and their jobs, the two twins are pulled, without warning or meaning, into a world of unknown when the infamous Dr. John Dee attacks the book store Josh is working at looking for the Book of Abraham. Nick Flemming, formally Nicholas Flamel, is the guardian of the book of Abraham and, not to mention, Josh’s boss.
A magical battle between the two ancient figures from history results in Flamel’s wife, Perenelle, being kidnapped and the Book of Abraham landing into unsafe hands. However, there is a catch – it is not the full Book of Abraham; Josh, amidst the battle, managed to rip out a few vital pages of The Final Summoning. Flamel knows that it will only be a matter of time before Dee returns for the book, and for the lives of them all. Now, in peril danger, Flamel races against time to find protection for the two teens, whom he believes more special than anyone could fathom, and to retrieve both the Book of Abraham and Perenelle before the end of the month. For, at the end of the month, time for the legendary figures will run out.
Proving to be a dangerous and deadly adventure from the get-go, the Alchemyst is one of those enthralling books that will have you locked in your room for days on end (if you don’t finish it first) and leave you hungry for more. I finished it within the length of a weekend, eating it up like it was a hot fudge sundae. My only issue with the book was that, by the time I had finished it I was so hooked I now had to wait until my next trip to Borders to get the next one!
Michael Scott proves himself a flexible author with his ability to weigh a sense of urgency and dangerous adventure in The Alchemyst and counterbalance it with charming wit and humor. The primary sources of the humor come from the twins themselves and their personal body guard, Scathatch, a figure from Celtic legend. Although old, Scatty is young in appearance and, at times, in personality. Ex.:
In the backseat, Scatty stirred. “Oh , not Ojai. Please tell me we’re not going there.”
Flamel twisted in his seat. “Perenelle told me to go south.”
“L.A. is south, Mexico is south, even Chile is south of here. There are lots of nice places that lie to the south...”
“Perenelle told me to take the children to the Witch,” Flamel said patiently. “And the Witch is in Ojai.”
Sophie and Josh looked quickly at each other, but said nothing.
Scatty sat back and sighed dramatically. “Would it make a difference if I told you I didn’t want to go?”
“None at all.” - Pages 283-84, The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, by Michael Scott.
Aside from a captivating plot The Alchemyst has a beautiful portrayal of characters and a strong sense of realism. Although the twins are thrown into a world of unknown magical abilities they are not immediately in awe of it. In fact, more often than not they show a strong and true inner struggle between what they once knew and what is now before them. They do not immediately believe in the world they have stepped into and often wonder if they have been put on Candid Camera. Still, they do find this new world fascinating and, at times, terrifying. Equally realistic and pleasing to the portrayal of Josh and Sophie’s inner struggles is the portrayal of the rest of the cast. Most of the cast is based in some way shape or form off of old historical characters and legends, with Scott’s own personal twist. John Dee is a man who has his own agenda, he claims to be helping the Dark Eldars, but you never know quite what he is up to. Scathach is the protector of the twins, an ancient Celtic warrior and hero trainer and, not to mention, a spiritual vampire. Flamel, similar to Dee, is a man who you never know quite what he is up to but are constantly being reassured that he has everyone’s best interests at heart….but does he really?
The Alchemyst is a book that I strongly recommend, especially to lovers of magical series such as Harry Potter or even some of Tamora Pierce’s novels. The writing styles aren’t necessarily similar but the plot lines, like those stated above, are surely ones that will have you begging for more. However, even if you aren’t a fan of those books, I recommend picking up the Alchemyst and reading it, you never know what adventure you might find in the novel.
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If you are interested in learning more about The Alchemyst and its sequels – or if you are interested in Michael Scott or anything he has written under his name or his pen name, Anna Dillon, you can visit http://www.dillonscott.com/, his official website.
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