The Alchemyst, by Michael Scott, is about the legend of Nicholas Flamel, who discovered the secret of eternal life in the pages of the Book of Abraham the Mage. It is the book he swore to protect at all costs. But the book has other secrets too. It contains the knowledge needed to destroy the world. That’s exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he gets his hands on the Book. Humankind won’t know what’s happened until it’s too late. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves inexorably drawn into one of the biggest magical battles of all time. The fate of the human race is in their hands.

I would have loved to say something about Michael Scott’s style of writing, but I can’t. It’s very… well, basic. A no-frills style. No cliffhangers, no red herrings, nothing. Don’t get me wrong though. The general book and story is amazing. I’m not saying the book is bland. I’m saying the style of writing is plain, unvarnished. Whether that improves the quality of the book or decreases the quality of the book I don’t know. It depends. It’s a question of opinion. It varies from reader to reader. I personally don’t like those types of books very much. They get boring after a while.

 

My absolute favorite part of the book was actually the first chapter. The first chapter was my favorite part. It surprises even me. In this part, Flamel and Dee are fighting each other in Flamel’s bookshop. Like with Jack Heath, Scott made the most of his extensive vocabulary and gave me an amazing description of the battle between two masters of magic. It felt so real to me that when Dee punched Flamel, I flinched!

 

About the author, Michael Scott. Michael Scott was born on 28^th of September 1959 in Dublin. He is Irish and has written a great many books for young readers as well as for adults.  I also discovered that he has written many drama/romance novels under the pseudonym of  Anna

Dillon! His works have been nominated for several important awards. The Alchemyst is the first book (of six) in the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series has been nominated for 10 literary awards. The Alchemyst won the 2008 Rhode Island Book Award (Teens) but sadly none of the other books won any awards but the series is to be adapted to films. He has written over a 100 books in his 25 years of being an author. If you don’t read the Alchemyst and other books in the series, you are missing out on a magical roller coaster ride that is truly exhilarating. I am eagerly looking forward to reading The Magician, the second book in the series over the holidays.