The Alchemyst by Michael Scott (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel: Book 1)

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He holds the secret that can end the world

The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on 28 September 1330. Nearly seven hundred years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life.

The records show that he died in 1418.

But his tomb is empty.

The legend: Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects – the book of Abraham the Mage. It’s the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world.

That’s exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won’t know what’s happening until it’s too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it.

Sometimes legends are true.

And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.

The Alchemyst, by Irish author Michael Scott, makes for compelling reading. It is a fast-paced, action-packed young adult novel that is built upon a fascinating idea. The central character is Nicholas Flamel, an alchemyst born in the 14th century and famous for his reputed work on the Philosopher’s Stone (a legendary alchemical tool capable of turning base metals into gold and gifting the owner immortality). name entered further into popular culture after it featured in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

The Alchemyst’s finest attribute is that it will encourage further reading; all the characters that feature within its pages are based upon real-life historical characters or mythological beings. It would be pleasant to believe that this book will awaken a love for Greek, Egyptian and Celtic mythology as well as the rich history of our own world.

I felt that the second half of the book was stronger than the first. Although the narrative was always interesting, the book was not immediately involving and it took a while to get up and running. Having said that, the characterisation is strong and teenagers in particular will easily identify with their twins. Fans of Harry Potter will certainly be interested in exploring the legend of Nicholas Flamel in greater detail.

My favourite moment of the book was when Flamel and the twins met Hekate, an elder God who lived an entire life every single day. In the morning she was a young girl, in the afternoon a middle-age woman and the evening saw her transformed into a bitter old crone. This was, for me, the book’s highlight and both Hekate’s character and the shadow-world she lived in were beautifully described, the ageing process that she endured daily was sympathetically and cleverly done.

“The Elder Race divided into two groups: those who worked with the humani and those who regarded them as little better than slaves – and, in some cases, food. The Elders warred against one another in battles that took centuries to complete. Occasionally humani would fight on one side, and their exploits were recalled in great legends like those of Gilgamesh and Cuchulain, Atlas and Hippolytus, Beowulf and Ilya of Murom.”
The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel - Chapter Eighteen

The jacket of The Alchemyst, illustrated by Michael Wagner, is beautiful and worth much of the book’s price alone.

An authority on mythology and folklore, Michael Scott is one of Ireland’s most successful authors. A master of fantasy, science fiction, horror and folklore, he has been hailed by the Irish Times as ‘the King of Fantasy in these isles’. He lives and writes in Dublin.

The Alchemyst (Secrets of Nicholas Flamel) (Amazon.co.uk)

Author: Michael Scott
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 384
Publication date: 2008-05-29
Publisher: Corgi Childrens

RRP: £6.99
Lowest new price: £4.00
Lowest used price: £3.80

Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on 28 September 1330. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life. The records show that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty and Nicholas Flamel lives. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects - the Book of Abraham the Mage. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world.
Product Description

The Alchemyst (Amazon.co.uk)

Author: Michael Scott
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 384
Publication date: 2008
Publisher: Corgi Childrens

RRP:
Lowest new price:
Lowest used price: $7.95

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