The Alchemist {The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel}

Written by Michael Scott, reviewed by Jocelyn Bliton

When an immortal being comes for an archaic book from a store that Josh works in, both he and his twin Sophie discover that magic is far more real than they thought. They must run from place to place, person to person as they inevitably become caught up in a web of magic, danger, ancient beings, and a prophecy from a book made before humans. They must learn to trust each other, and themselves in a tale filled to the brim with deception and betrayal.

There are many explosions, fights, kidnappings and traps in the first chapter alone. If you want adventure and scary situations, this should be your go-to book.

It seems like a classic story: A pair of twins going on a magical adventure. However, it is not.

Every character has a unique agenda and personality. Every decision is gray, never black or white. When all of these mismatched characters are put into a story, it becomes organized chaos. To make this book even better, it is based on history; the legend of the famous Nicholas Flamel. It truly makes you wonder whether Nicholas Flamel was indeed immortal and whether everything in the story came to pass.

This magical world was well-created, and it is delightful to learn how everything works. You will enjoy watching the story unfold from every viewpoint.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick escape to another world. It will bring you in and keep you there until you feel at home with the dark ways and ancient magic. You never know what will happen next in this wonderful tome.

I love it especially for its ability to be read and re-read without losing any of its appeal.