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The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
- By Michael Scott
- Genre: Fantasy
Common Sense Media says
Myth-based, modernized fantasy is nonstop fun.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that, despite the almost nonstop action and fantasy violence, there is very little real violence, gore, or anything realistic.
What's the story?
Teen twins Josh and Sophie discover, in a rather explosive way, that the San Francisco bookstore owner Josh works for is really Nicholas Flamel, a nearly 700-year-old alchemist who created the Philosopher's Stone, from which he and his wife Perenelle get the Elixir of Life. Their enemy is Dr. John Dee, who works for the Dark Elders, members of the Elder Race who are the source of most of humanity's ancient myths and legends. The Dark Elders want to reinstate their dominion over the Earth.
Dee kidnaps Perenelle and steals the Codex, an ancient book containing the secrets of magic, and a prophecy involving twins. But Josh accidentally ends up with the final two pages, and now Dee and his masters and minions are out to reclaim the pages, and enlist or kill the twins. As they race across the West Coast, members of the Elder Race begin lining up on both sides.
Is it any good?
Harry Potter fans will recognize the name Nicholas Flamel, and may be surprised to learn that J.K. Rowling didn't make him up. Irish author and mythology expert Michael Scott has taken elements from Flamel's legend, woven them together with myths and stories from around the world, and set the whole thing in modern-day California. The result is a slam-bang, fantasy-adventure, with enough action to keep the most rabid genre fans happy, and enough references to ancient stories to keep the mind working as well.
Though the good-vs.-evil and kids-with-secret-powers themes may be well worn by now, nothing about this story -- from its setting and characters to its intricate use of myth to create an alternative history of earth -- is typical. Though an appendix with references for all the characters and places mentioned in the story would have been welcome, this book, the first of a planned series, is plain old-fashioned fun, with an intellectual gloss that will give fans something to look into while waiting for the next in the series.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the world-wide mythology behind the story and how allusions to Flamel compare to mentions of him in the Harry Potter books. Kids might also be interested in reading more about the myths the author uses, and the ways in which he has tried to make sense of the legendary past. If the gods of the ancient world lived today, how might they appear to human beings? What would you do if you were immortal? Are the powers Sophie gains worth the pain?
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AGE
AMAZING!
This book is awesome! It has some violence but that's what makes it exciting! I'd rate it 12 stars out of 10!
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AGE
It was good, but characters undeveloped.
This is a pretty good book and it's pretty innocent. I liked it as a kid and it's still OK. I look for otherworld chaos and drama in books and that was the only part that was a little disappointing. Most of the characters (save for the two main who aren't even habitually developed) were real people from centuries back or gods and figures from mythology. I don't feel the author had to be very creative in that sense and that unnerved me. Other than that, the book was good. And, before I Googled and learned just how real the characters were, I enjoyed it. See for yourself.
P.S. I like to buy my books before I read them (I just do, okay) and I bought the first book and went back for the next TWO. If I were you and liked to buy, I'd buy first, then second, and (if hooked) the rest because, although I liked the series, I regretted buying and didn't get the last one.
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AGE
This book is based on true things......Nicholas Flamel was a real person! It was a good read, I'm reading the second book now!!! Very adventurous and creative......
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AGE
Mythology based plot is well written, characters a little dry
I expected The Alchemyst to be a sort of Harry Potter thing, but I was pleasantly surprised. The author's combination of many mythologies (gods from Greek, Celtic, Norse, Egyptian, etc. mythology) in one big Elder Race was pretty much ingenious. Micheal Scott also has a clear description of magic and how it works. Although the beginning jumped right into the action, I didn't get into it right away. (It's probably just me). For me, it started to get interesting when Scathatch and the Elder Race was introduced. The characters came off a little dry, and I found three of the main characters lack a distinct personality (Nicholas, Sophie, and Josh), but Scatty is pretty developed. Being a big fan of mythology, I found the author's explanation interesting, but I wish it would be explained more in-depth. *SPOILERS* I feel a little cheated that Sophie learned everything she needs to know about the magic of Air in 2 minutes.
Overall, the Alchemyst is a good book, but definitely could be much, much better
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Kid, 12 years old
May 28, 2011
AGE
The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series is awesome!
I think this book was really good when I read it. I've also read the sequels The Magician, The Sorceress and The Necromancer. I am going to get The Warlock. I recommend this book to 11 years+! This is a really good series! This is also good for children who know a lot about mythology, or want to! My favorite character of this book is definitely the twins, Sophie and Josh Newman. I recommend you buy this book as you'll get hooked over this series!
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AGE
Great for advanced readers 10 to 99 yrs old!
We LOVE these series! My 10 year old girl has read the first 3 books, and is getting started on book # 4, so does my husband (who is hooked to the series too!) and I am working on book#2 at the moment..we also have pre-order book 5 with great anticipation..We enjoy the way the Author writes, the flow of thoughts, it's a very peasant book to read..it's even more inetersing after knowing He used ALL real life, History Characters, with the exception of the Twins, EVERYONE else in the book are historical characters. We liked this books better than Fablehaven, which is a very good read too! Lot's of fast paced adventures, Magic, interesting characters, twists and turns, it is a page turner!
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AGE
One of the greatest fantasy novels
One of the best books I have read.
A great one for fantasy fans.
One thing you might recognize about the title is "Nicholas Flamel", which might get Harry Potter fans interested, as he is mentioned in the first book. No real violence, or language.
Overall, a must read and I am going to continue to read the rest of the series
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Kid, 12 years old
August 14, 2009
AGE
LOVED IT
I LOVED THIS!!!! The Alchemyst is a great lead to the series. This is a great book for boys and girls. It is rare to find a book with such strong female and male characters in this adventurous, mythical, fantasy style. I would say this is a good book for ages 10+
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AGE
perfect for anyone, any age looking for a good exhilarating read.
An excellent adventure with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. It combines facts with myths and legends making you guestion reality itself. with no gore but lots of hi powered battles you will never want too put this book down.
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| Topics: | magic and fantasy |
| Author: | Michael Scott |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Fantasy |
| Publisher: | Delacorte Press |
| Publication date: | May 22, 2007 |
| Number of pages: | 384 |
| Hardcover price: | $16.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 12 - 12 |
| Read aloud: | 10 |
| Read alone: | 11 |
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