The Alchemyst: A Book Review

      I'm not going to lie, Picking up The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, by Michael Scott, was a spontaneous, I'm just in it for the Alchemy bit, sort of buy, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed in the slightest. 

    Nicholas Flamel is the immortal of legend, and he's dying. You're introduced to him and his plight right off the bat with a letter to you, as the reader. Of course I dove in immediately, and needed to know what happened to him! Spoiler alert, this is a series, and nothing is resolved right way, alas, I must wait to find out what happens until the rest of the series have made it to my hands. 

    Nicholas and his wife Perenelle are protectors of an ancient book known as the Codex which was written into existence by Abraham the Mage. The book itself is pretty much a mystery, but Nicholas uncovered the elixir for immortality, the Philosopher's Stone.  The couple are hundreds of years old and in hiding, working across the street from one another and in the company of twins, a brother and sister, Josh and Sophie Newman. Everything is normal until an evil man, Dr. John Dee, a teriffying Necromancer, and his golems, come to steal the book. They Ransack the shop Nicholas and Josh work at, kidnaps Perenelle and set the twins on a dangerous course towards their fated destiny. A destiny that was foretold in the Codex itself. 

    There is no time to rest as the trio must drive out of the city of San Francisco to meet allies that put even Flamel on edge. A warrior ninja with a deadly secret they call Scatty, an elder who happens to the goddess Hekate and The Witch that all witches come from. Magic is abound, and no one can deny the fact that ancient creatures exist and all myths have a dark root of truth to them. 

    The only downfall I have to this book is the concept of history and myth. There were small points that irritated me, such as the fact that the dark elders had created everything, or that every god and goddess were one in the same person, just took different names and forms, or that a certain ancient artifact could be used in the hands of such evil. Again, they were really only minor bits that were easily looked over once the action set into motion.

     If there's anything to know about magic, is that in all uses, it come with a cost, there's always a price to pay and this book held true to that too. Even the elders grew weary after intense sessions, and needed a recharge. I was happy to see the rule still rang true in this book as well.

     I am a sucker for magic and myth, and it was why this book was such a spontaneous buy. I'm more than happy to give it 4 out of 5 stars. I find that lately, a lot of the young adult novels I've been picking up have been incredibly amazing as far as ratings go, and I am happy to add "The Alchemyst" among them. I cannot wait to read the rest of this series and I would definitely recommend this book to any fan of magic or someone that needs a light and quick read!