The Alchemyst
“At the heart of every legend there is a grain of truth.” – The Alchemyst, Michael Scott.
I’ll be honest with you, I’m a massive history nerd. Different time periods, famous historical figures, trashy historical romance novels, you name it, I love it.
So obviously this book was going to appeal to me. It’s one of those ones that you read and love, then put away and forget about. Then you find it, and fall in love again.
The first words on the back of the book (in font about three times the size of the others) are: “HE HOLDS THE SECRET THAT CAN END THE WORLD.”
This “HE” that’s spoken of is actually historical legend Nicholas Flamel.
For those of you who don’t know (and before I read this I, had no clue who he was outside of being mentioned in Harry Potter), Nicholas Flamel was a scribe who lived in France between the 13th and 14th century.
He and his wife Perenelle were meant to have discovered the Philosopher’s Stone and found immortality. These rumours only came about after their death, BUT it’s a fact that their bodies turned out not to be in their grave, and have never been found…
The whole book is focused on two American twins, Sophie and Josh, who are living with their Aunt and working while their parents are off on an archaeological dig. Sophie’s working at a coffee shop, while across the street, Josh is stacking books for Nick Fleming and his wife Penelope. Hm…
Then, before you know it, Dr. John Dee (as in, Tudor Queen Elizabeth I’s adviser) turns up demanding the book that holds the secret to the Elixir of Life, called the Book of Abraham the Mage.
Nick and Penelope turn out to be the real – life Flamels, and extremely powerful wizards. Famous figures from both history and legend start popping up all over the place, and these twin teenagers are told that they will be the most powerful sorcerers the world has ever seen.
Michael Scott leaves no stone unturned in this fantasy novel, and if you’re looking for something completely ridiculous yet wonderfully fantastic to help you escape life for a few hours, then this book is one to add to your list.