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

by Michael Scott

Paperback, 2010

Status

Available

Call number

823.914

Publication

Corgi Childrens (2010)

Description

While working at pleasant but mundane summer jobs in San Francisco, fifteen-year-old twins, Sophie and Josh, suddenly find themselves caught up in the deadly, centuries-old struggle between rival alchemists, Nicholas Flamel and John Dee, over the possession of an ancient and powerful book holding the secret formulas for alchemy and everlasting life.

Media reviews

isaiah times

The immortal Michael Scott, John Dee and the dark elders have been fighting for a long time for the most magical book ever created. The book of Abraham the mage or the codex. If john Dee and the dark elders has the book in their hands it would be chaos. Josh and Sophie Newman are the twins from

the prophecy so that means that they are the saviors of the earth. Josh's aura is pure gold and Sophie's aura is pure silver. while josh and Sophie had gone to hekates shadow realm to be awakened (to use power from your auras). Sophie and josh had to be awakened so Sophie had gone first and as the ending of Sophie's awakening john Dee had started war in hekates shadow realm. hekate had created her shadow realm so her shadow realm was destroyed so she was destroyed with it. hekate had gone too protect her realm without awakening josh and through out the book josh was mad at Nicholas flamel because Sophie's senses were hurting her. After hekates shadow realm got destroyed they went to scatty's, mother the witch of Ojai. john Dee almost gets josh to go on the side with the dark elders but Sophie had convinced him not too. they had teleported to Paris through a leygate to find someone to train Sophie and hopefully awaken josh.

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User reviews

LibraryThing member elliepotten

I think I've just found my new Harry Potter! If the rest of Scott's Nicholas Flamel series turns out to be as good as this, I will be a very happy reader... It opens with Sophie and Josh, fifteen year-old twins living and working in San Francisco, being inadvertently caught up in a magical battle

between a dapper stranger and Josh's usually laid-back boss, bookseller Nick Fleming. Nick's wife Perry is snatched away by the sinister man's unnatural henchmen, along with a mysterious book, and though they can hardly believe their eyes, the twins stand their ground to help their friend escape.

Fleeing the scene, Nick reveals his true identity to the twins. He is Nicholas Flamel, the famous alchemist, and he and his wife Perenelle are immortal thanks to the knowledge contained in the Book of Abraham the Mage, also known as the Codex. The evil man is John Dee, who has been searching for the book for hundreds of years. As well as the secrets of alchemy and immortal life, the book contains hundreds of other prophecies and spells, which Dee intends to use to bring back the Dark Elders, a fearful race of god-like beings exiled from the world centuries ago. The only hope for humanity - and Perenelle - is a pair of twins who appear in the book's prophecies, representing Sun and Moon, gold and silver. Sophie and Josh's lives are about to change forever...

It's really quite a complex story, and I loved it! The action never lets up for a moment, and as the novel goes on the reader is introduced to more and more characters, and more and more magical lore. Scatty, an ancient warrior who looks (and behaves!) like a feisty teenage girl, joins the group and becomes one of the main characters. Some of the Elders are introduced, including Hekate, an immensely powerful woman who lives in a giant tree and ages from a young girl to an old lady each day, and the Morrigan, also known as the Crow Goddess. All kinds of mythical heroes and creatures are woven into this new world, creating an entire alternate history of the Earth rich in philosophy and steeped in magic.

As I mentioned earlier, reading The Alchemyst reminded me very much of my first reading of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. After the initial chapter, where I wondered what on earth was going on, I was completely swept away. Like Harry Potter, a huge part of the book's draw comes from the revelation of the wonders of an entirely new magical world existing alongside our own, surprising the human protagonists and the reader alike. The plot is exciting and fast-paced, bringing new allies, adversaries and experiences at every turn.

I can't wait to get started on the next book in the series, The Magician - and I highly recommend this to any of the post-Potter generation who fancy adding a little magic back into their lives!

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24 more

LibraryThing member verucas_chaos

I couldn't finish the book. I found it trite and uninteresting.

LibraryThing member simder123

Melisa Sigurdson
EDCI 4120/5120
August 2, 2008

Scott, M. (2007). The alchemyst. New York: Delacorte Press.

Grade Levels: 6-9
Category: Fantasy
Read-Alouds: 3-8 (First chapter, we meet Sophie and Josh); 51-59 (Sophie and Josh meet Scatty); 111-123 (Meeting Hecate, and learning about auras); 181-187

(Meeting the enemy- Mr. John Dee); 234-239 (Sophie’s powers are awakened); 315-321 (Meeting the witch of Endor); 361-366 (Through the mirror to France)

Summary: In this book teen twins Josh and Sophie discover, in a rather explosive way, that the San Francisco bookstore owner Josh works for is really Nicholas Flamel, the guardian of the Codex, where Nicolas gets the potion for the sorcerer’s stone, from which he and his wife Perenelle get the Elixir of Life. After their discovery, the twins, along with Nicholas, are pursued by 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. They are the bad guys of the story who want to take control of 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 is out to reclaim the pages, and enlist or kill the twins.

Themes: This book uses some interesting themes, including that of resurrecting the idea of ancient goad and goddesses, and showing how they have an affect on our world. This was done as the author used old stories and legends as characters, as well as explanations for natural events, much like those of old did. Another theme that runs through this book is that of balance. Sophie and Josh are twins, and are being recruited to save the world, as well as being recruited to destroy it. They are never quite sure if they are being used by John Dee or Nicholas Flamel, and it is a struggle to try and maintain balance not only between good and evil, but between themselves.

Discussion Questions:
6. How do Josh and Sophie know they can trust Flamel?
7. How do they know that Dee’s motives are evil?
8. Do their feelings toward these two characters change through
the course of the story?
9. Are Josh and Sophie involved in the battle between Flamel and Dee because of their destiny, or because they choose to become involved?
10. How does Josh and Sophie’s relationship change in this book?

Reader Response:
This was a very enjoyable book. I like the idea of taking mythology and legend and intertwining it with modernism. I think this may be why I was able to connect with this story- in high school I loved mythology. It was very interesting to me to see how people explained things they didn’t know through stories. Another reason I was able to connect to this book was because I understand how it can feel for a relationship with your sibling to change, like Josh and Sophie’s. Overall, I liked this story, and would recommend it to others.

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LibraryThing member MidnightTears

I truly enjoyed this book! It's the first of a series, and I simply loved it.

Here we meet Nicholas and Pernell Flamel. It's the 20th century and they've been on the run from the Dark Elders of hundreds of years. They meet a set of twins. The twins turn out to be the main characters, and their

acceptance of them becoming who their meant to be is at the heart of the story.

Scott takes Alchemysts, Necromancers, Magicians, Sorcerers, and Witches, and combines them with the 20th century full of cell phones, i-pods, laptops, and google!

Full of love, laughs, mystery, and suspence, it truly is a joy to read for when you just need a book to make you smile.

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LibraryThing member rneitzel15

I really enjoyed listening to this in audio book form. The story was suspensful and intense. The characters have depth even adults can enjoy. I'm chewing my lip in wait for the next instalment to find out how everyone fares. Highly recommended for Potter Heads.

LibraryThing member Kaydence

I was at first a little daunted by the size of this book, so I put it aside for awhile until most of my student's had finished the whole series and I was left behind. When I started to read (and listen) to this book, I was not immediately intrigued. It was very slow to catch my attention and I'm

still not particularly sure that I care about the characters. Here is a brief summary of the story:

Nicholas Flamel and his wife are immortal because Nicholas unknowingly purchased The Codex from someone early in his life (over 500 years before the story begins). The Codex describes many secrets from the elder race, including prophecies and alchemical recipes. Anyways, the elders want this book so that they can take over the world. They have commissioned Dr. John Dee to get the book from Nicholas. So, on a summer afternoon, Dee goes after Flamel in Flamel's bookstore. Josh, a clerk from the bookstore, and his twin sister Sophie, attempt to help Nicholas and his wife from the seemingly mad man that is trying to steal and kill them. No good act goes unpunished, so Sophie and Josh get caught up in this mess. Dee ends up with most of the book and Flamel's wife. However, Sophie and Josh could be a set of twins that are prophesied about in the Codex. The battles begin as Flamel tries to train and protect the twins, while also trying to get the book back from Dee. Flamel enlists the help of some of the good(ish) elders and destruction flows through the rest of the book. Are the twins really magical? Is the prophecy correct? How many people can actually survive their exploits? Now, you have to read it and find out.

As I mentioned, I was not really into the book. The action was intriguing. There was a lot of movement and the book never really slowed down, but I never fell in love with the characters. I don't believe that Scott made them overly interesting. The elders are described in more depth than the twins, and the twins are really the focus of the book. It made it hard for me to buy into the book when I didn't care one way or the other if the main characters made it through. Also, there is a bit of conflict within Josh that I think could have been explored further. It may have made me want to read the next one more. I will say that the best part of this book is the mixing of mythology. The elders are all basically gods from ancient times. They are intriguing and the back stories that are slipped in here and there are fun to examine.

My student's have all enjoyed this book, so it is not a total loss for me. I believe that the constant adventure pulls a reader through regardless if they feel the same about the characters as I do. The magical fighting is creative and described very well. I think my favorite part comes towards the end after a major magical battle. Scott includes a quote from the local newspaper from that town and explains the attacks. It just made me laugh to see how the truth is changed in media even in fiction. This book is best suited for children ages 11 (if they are a strong reader) to 16.

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LibraryThing member DresdenG.B1

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott centers around the immortal alchemist Nicholas Flamel, two modern teens and an ancient text that could destroy the world. Twins, Josh and Sophie, are living a completely normal life until the bookshop where Josh works for Nick Flemming is ransacked and an important

book is stolen -except for two pages Josh manages to hold on to. On that day, they learn Mr. Flemming is nearly 600 years old and is really Mr. Nicholas Flamel. They learn that magic is real and the myths that involve it are true as well. And they learn that Mr. Flamel has an enemy who will stop at nothing to get those two pages. To keep the pages safe, Nicholas and the twins embark on a journey to magical places and seek help from mystical beings. Whatever happens, their lives will never be the same.

I gave this book four and a half stars because it is a fast paced adventure that involved magic and had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing. As I read it, it felt so real that it seemed like I was watching a movie or playing a video game. Because of these elements I think The Alchemyst would appeal to either boys or girls. I also enjoyed how historical events (like the London Fire of 1666) were explained by Nicholas Flamel. He said many of them were caused by magic. Even though I know this isn't true, it was interesting to consider these creative explanations. The only thing this book lacked was a complete ending. I feel I must read the next book in the series for a resolution.

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LibraryThing member alyssakimpisarski

We meet fifteen year old Sophie and Josh Newman are fraternal twins and best friends the day their lives change forever. Sophie and Josh find themselves sucked into the magical world of Nicholas Flamel and his century long fight against the malevolent Dr. John Dee and the Dark Elders. Sophie and

Josh must trust their new mentor and each other in order to survive and understand their true fate. As the first book in this six part series, the narrator tells Sophie and Josh’s story from alternating perspectives of different characters in the book. The narrative is primarily plot driven, with some focus on character development in the latter part of the book. However, the narrative frequently changes perspective in a single chapter without notation or a page break which may be challenging for some readers to follow. Additionally, the frequent discussions and portrayals of death and killing in the novel may make this a questionable choice for young or immature YA readers. Readers of the Harry Potter series may enjoy this book and its series, however age should be considered before recommending. This is not a recommended purchase outside of popular demand. (Ages 12-16)

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LibraryThing member phoebesmum

Promising-looking but ultimately rather blah YA fantasy featuring not only Nicholas Flamel (and the missus), but Dr John Dee too, both alive and well and living in modern San Francisco. Clunkily written – I complain about clunky writing so often that I can only assume that nobody but me cares

about it – and rather too full of state-of-the-art technology that will look as quaint as anything out of Enid Blyton in a few years' time. The first few pages alone are littered with references to Bluetooth earpieces, Goth music, trendy coffee shops, computer games, 'Shrek', and David Copperfield (not the Dickens one, the other one). And heaven forbid that the young female protagonist would just wear a denim jacket: oh, no, it has to be VINTAGE denim. The story itself is a hotchpotch of pretty much every scrap of mythology you can imagine all jumbled up together, up to and including Atlantis (to say nothing of the goddess Hekate living inside Yggdrasil). Part one of a trilogy, and I don't think I can be bothered with parts two and three.

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LibraryThing member MusicMom41

I enjoyed this YA fantasy book, the first in a purported trilogy. Nicholas Flamel and his wife, Perenel, have been residing in Northern California since they had to flee France and Nicholas is running a bookshop. He has hired a teenaged boy to help him and the boy’s twin sister was able to get a

job in a café across the street. Unfortunately, Flamel’s enemies have tracked him down and they attack the bookshop in order to steal the book that taught Nicholas how to be an alchemist and that also contains what he need to be immortal. Nicholas and the twins escape and the last 2 pages of the book are still in their protection but Perenel has been kidnapped and the 3 escapees are being hotly pursued. The story includes many “magical” creatures, witches, vampires (not all of them suck blood!), ghosts and numerous characters and ideas from the legends and mythologies of the world. There is lots of action and suspense and I found it quite entertaining. This is my son’s book and I bought him the sequel for his birthday, so I will be reading that probably over Christmas break. Nice to have some light reading on vacations!

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LibraryThing member onyx95

It was just another day at the bookstore for Josh Newman and the coffee shop for his twin sister Sophie, until Dr. John Dee with his mud men (Golems) showed up wanting the Book of Abraham, which Nicholas Flamel and his wife Perenelle had in the store. The twins find out that they might be a large

part of what was happening because of the prophecies included in the book and that they might have a strong magical aura that needed to be awakened. Learning that legends and myths all had more than a grain of truth to it, Nicholas introduces the twins to the world of alchemists, sorcerers, magicians, witches, were animals, immortals and even a vampire.

Book 1 ….. Started this one not having any idea what to expect, I was happily surprised. Not only did it have the mythology and legends, it had the action and character connections to make this a fascinating story. Found Nicholas a bit hard to get a read on (I think that was intentional), really want to see more of Perenelle (think I will in later books) and loved the twins. The character interaction was fantastic, the action was really fast paced, and the fact that the characters are (for the most part) straight out of the history books makes this even more of a page turner. I will definitely continue on with The Magician (book two) in the near future.

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LibraryThing member rarelibri

For those who are desperate to find a new book after the Harry Potter series, this one is it. You may recognize the title character as the supporting cast in the first HP book. Wrapped in this story of intrigue magical globetrotting are characters that actually existed. You will visit exotic places

and meet the most interesting and vile characters in this story and learn a thing or two about places and people that at one time existed. A great story that is set to be a trilogy. I urge those who want a "nudge" to pick this title up for an easy fun read for the whole family.

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LibraryThing member bell7

Sophie and Josh, fraternal twins living in California for the summer, walk in on a magical fight between none other than Nicholas Flamel and Dr. John Dee. Flamel is the keeper of a book called the Codex, which Dee has been trying to steal for his master, one of the Dark Elders, for ages -

literally. Now, Dee has the book and Nick's wife, and Sophie and Josh suddenly find themselves in a world where magic exists and legends live.

Definitely a fun read, pretty fast-paced except when a few pages of explication were thrown in, with all sorts of creatures and myths re-imagined. Set in modern-day U.S., my only real complaint is that often references to "modern" stuff is thrown in - Wiki (I think he meant Wikipedia?), movies - that sometimes seemed to me to miss the mark. But that's a small complaint about an overall enjoyable story.

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LibraryThing member simchaboston

Promising but ultimately unsatisfying fantasy pastiche, with underdeveloped characters (the twin boy is especially one-dimensional and annoying) and a surfeit of mythological characters tossed into what is basically one big chase and fight scene.

LibraryThing member peaceloveandpat

This book is packed with action, adventure, sci-fi, history, myth and characters that includes humans, immortals, vampires, weres, ancient gods/goddesses and other creatures that are considered monsters. Lovers of Harry Potter, Narnia, Bridge to Terabithia might want to check this book out.I rarely

find a book that accomplishes the term of an Alchemist. There's plenty here that made me went rushing to wikipedia. Like the what the heck are the Golems? A research on Nicholas Flamel himself. Book of Abraham, Homo floresciensis, Methuselah Tree, Bastet, necromancy, Dr. John Dee, The Great Famine in 1315, etc... I cannot put it down. Magical and super entertaining. Bravo for Scott, this is a well researched book and he had put a lot of heart into it. The only downside (but not really so much of a hassles) was there's so many mythical creatures I keep on stopping for research. The book also needs a bit of an improvement, Sophie and Josh's role doesn't seem to have that "higher" calling theme. I also wish to see Perry's stronger involvement on the adventures instead of just being locked up in Alcatraz. After all this is only the first book out of the 6. I've also heard from the grapevine that New Line Cinema has bought the film rights on is now currently on pre-production.

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LibraryThing member madcatnip72

I was totally psyched to read this but it wasn't as satisfying as I thought it was going to be. The characters are flat and one-dimensional. Flamel isn't that interesting a character and there's no back-story as to why Dr. Dee is such a villian. Michael Scott packed in so many action scenes I can't

help but think he's starry-eyed for a movie deal. Similar to Rick Riordan (the Percy Jackson books) the humor comes from mixing the mythical with the postmodern mundane (the Witch of Endor as a nagging grandmother with an antiques shop, etc.) but there's no range of pacing and little sense of wonder. Unfortunately, this base material isn't quite gold.

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LibraryThing member dmorrison

I really enjoyed it...Took a little patience to get into but once I was, it was worth it. Looking forward to reading the next book, The Magician.

LibraryThing member theportal2002

Fantastic book. I really like the way the author tried to make everything so authentic. He brought a lot of history and legend into the story line. This is one book I really under estimated.

LibraryThing member torinotbarbie

Fifteen-year-old Sophie and Josh Newman each have summer jobs during their stay in San Francisco. When a group of not-so-human looking men attack Josh’s employer and steal an ancient book from his bookstore, the twins discover that both their respective employers have magical powers and are, in

fact, centuries old. The book thief, a rival alchemist, intends to use the book’s power to destroy the human race.
Suddenly the twins must leave all they have known and become alchemists themselves in order to try and rescue this ancient book from the evil beings that now posses it.
Students, even those who are not fans of Fantasy, will immediately be drawn in to the world of the battling alchemists. The language and struggles of the characters are reminiscent of those in the Lord of the Rings series. The book also contains plenty of skirmishes involving fantastical evil creatures that track and attack the main characters at every turn.
The book’s weakness is its length, which might discourage reluctant or struggling readers .

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LibraryThing member parkridgeya

the secret formulas for alchemy and everlasting life.

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LibraryThing member wiremonkey

Twins. A hip book seller. Some strange men dressed way too warmly for a hot San Francisco afternoon. This is how the The Alchemyst begins- two normal kids who, by chance, get caught up in a battle that has been brewing for hundreds of years.
Although it was very hard to put this book down, there

were a few editing issues that could have been easily addressed but were left in the text just to irritate you, like a scratch you can't itch. For example, at one point one of the elders says she has an anger problem. A few chapters on though, we find out that her kind do not feel emotion. Which one is it, for the love of good editing?
Still, I would be lying if I said I wasn't waiting the sequel with impatience...

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LibraryThing member dfullmer

Twins find they have magical powers and must defeat the bad wizard. I found this to be an entertaining book that would be a good read-alike for Harry Potter lovers.

LibraryThing member kcarp

Overall, a very satisfying read and I'm looking forward to the sequels. A few minor qualms were that there were multiple expositions of the same small plot points and the 'everything is connected' thing gets a bit precious at times.

LibraryThing member ohioyalibrarian

Great piece of fantasy with some historical fiction woven in, as the Flamels were real people, as was the villan in this book, Dr. John Dee. The author has also used lots of myths and legends to conjure up this fun piece!

LibraryThing member jerm

Just finished The Alchemist: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott.

Josh and Sophie have no idea how much their lives will change when they take summer jobs at a bookstore and coffee shop. But when Josh’s boss Nick Fleming is visited by a 600 year old man who smells of

rotten eggs, nothing will ever be the same again. Whether they wanted to be or not, they are enlisted in a centuries old battle between members of the Elder Race, who use birds and rats and cats and Golems to get what they want, kidnap Nick’s wife and chase each other all over the world - all over one very old book.

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