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The Alchemyst (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #1)

The Alchemyst (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #1)

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The Alchemyst (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #1)

Author(s)

Michael Phillips

Publisher

Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Genre(s)

Fantasy

Age Range

Release Date

May 22, 2007

ISBN

0385736002

Buy This Book

He holds the secret that can end the world.

The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. Nearly 700 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.

He holds the secret that can end the world.

The records show that he died in 1418.

But his tomb is empty.

Sometimes legends are true.

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

User reviews

4 reviews

Overall rating

3.9

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4.8(4)

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Legends Into The Modern Day

May 19, 2017

Overall rating

4.0

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I loved this book! From the references to classic myths, the incorporation of legendary characters and the unique take on magic all made up made up a fun read. I loved the twins and their roles in the story along with their individual personalities. Dee was a full developed villain which made it easy to understand him yet still hate him as 'The Villain'. And there's a living tree building!

You read from the perspective of Sophie, Josh, Perenelle, Dree and even Nicholas. This may sound confusing but it actually makes the story even fuller. I can't wait to read the rest the of the series!

Good Points

Mythological references, good characters & good pacing

Hayley Morgan Top 500 Reviewer 37 reviews

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Sometimes Legends are True...

November 22, 2012

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5.0

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This is a great book, that brings together all the legends and gods from lots of different cultures and times. It makes this book very original, and I think that this book took a lot of thought, but it isn't one of those where the idea is overthinked (is that a word?).

This story is about two twins, Josh and Sophie Newman, who are in San Francisco for the summer and have summer jobs. Josh has his job in a bookstore owned by a very nice man and his wife, Nick and Perry Fleming.

One day, when they were both just in the wrong place at the wrong time, their ordinary lives were changed forever, and they discovered that a lot worse can happen to you than getting an F on your exam. They discovered that Nick and Perry Fleming were actually Nicholas and Perenel Flamel, two immortal people who have been living since 1330. Sophie and Josh were dragged into a world full of Dark Elders and magic and auras and the like.

During this book, I had quite a few cases of JOSH WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU YOU IDIOT! but maybe that's just me.

But even though it made me want to go into the book, find Josh and punch him, I like that Michael Scott made him jealous of Sophie. It seemed very realistic, especially the fact that Dr John Dee (the supreme evil guy) picked up on this and started twisting Josh to his own ends. This seemed very likely to happen, because who wouldn't be jealous if your twin, who had been with you your whole life, suddenly got superpowers and you didn't? Still, Josh was an idiot.

This book is really great, with a very interesting plot and idea. I recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy set in the modern world and is between the ages of 10 - 14.

Louisa Top 50 Reviewer 119 reviews

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The Legend

June 23, 2012

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4.0

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This book brings together gods and goddess from many religions, both dead and alive, history from long dead cultures and modern fiction to create a marvelous work of fantasy. I think that Michael Scott must of done some research so he could get the Elders right, but then he adapted from their to create his own work like no other.

I think that this story was fast as in the way that the writing seemed to me to be a bit rushed. I also got a bit confused in some parts but I think that was just me, as I might of been reading it to fast, and missing some parts.

I thought that this would be a bit more like Harry Potter as it was based on it. Nicholas Flamel was in the Harry Potter series, so I thought the magic would be more similar, and there might even be references to Dumbledore, as they were meant to be close. But there was not. I think Michael Scott might of stole the idea, and then did not relate back to Harry Potter, this is both good and bad in some ways.

I liked the idea of Josh's jealousy with his twin Sophie. That would happen to anyone, and I liked how the author made Dr. John Dee saw that and tried to use it to his advantage. This concept was really realistic, as anyone would get jealous if their twin had super powers and you did not. The author made this work really well, and I think he can use it on in later books.

This book has an interesting idea, and anyone who likes fantasy set in the modern world with twist from the past would fall in love with this book. That is if you are between the ages 8-14!

Casog Top 50 Reviewer 260 reviews

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History and Fiction Unite for a Tale of Fantasy!

September 08, 2009

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5.0

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Reader reviewed by GRgenius

Sophie and Josh Newman are twins. They've been together their whole lives and don't want that to stop anytime soon. Seeking to further their independence together, they retain jobs at two local establishment run by Nicolas Flamel and his wife Perry (Perrenelle). As a bookshop owner and coffee house keeper, their lives seem quiet enough and the pay adequate enough to move along these two youngsters. Little did they know the adventure that lies in wait of their arrival. You see, this couple, seemingly quaint and ordinary, has been living for hundreds of years thanks to the spells within the Codex. Their limited use has kept them in good health and the book protected...until now. John Dee is an immortal that will stop at nothing to ge this hands on the Codex. You see, he has bigger and nastier bosses to answer to than his own whims. Can Nicolas keep the Codex safe? What of the twins? How are they to fight in a war that has been raging for centuries between immortal beings when they are simply teenagers themselves?

You'll have to read on to find out! Number one in a series of 3 (thus far), you can be certain that their tale will have you turning the page for more....happy reading!

Guest #1 Reviewer