I'm finally back from Japan and have finished this book. FINALLY,lol. I must say this was a interesting book and the conversations amazed me because for once they were conversations that a actual teen would say. Or if I was in this predicament, I would say. The visual and descriptions were beautifully written. In all this was well-written book. The characters felt real, and it keep the pages turning. At times I felt I needed to set this book down (meaning probably you won't read this in one sitting) because it felt like some of the same things happening over and over again. Secondly it was hard to believe that a boy could be that wimpy, I'm not trying to say that girls are because of course females are strong but I couldn't picture a guy that was scared of a bug. To Impossible, sorry guys. Sorry anyone who this this is a rude statement to think (that all guys are not scared of bugs). But seriously I have not met one guy who is afraid of bugs. I have met girls who aren't afraid of bugs, but not a guy who was. Anyways other then that I don't really have any problems with this other then it can become slow at times. I read the end of this in Japan XD on the flight. Anyways tomorrow I do the Wings review. ( )

It was a wonderful story with colorful characters and very three dimensional. ( )

From Follett Titlewave:

Giffard, Sue. "The Alchemyst (Book Review)." School Library Journal (2007) 20 Nov 2009

Gordon, Lee. "The Alchemyst (Book Review)." Library Media Connection (2007) 20 Nov 2009

"The Alchemyst (Book Review)." Booklist. Vol. 103, No. 17 (2007) 20 Nov 2009

"The Alchemyst (Book Review)." Horn Book (2007) 20 Nov 2009

"The Alchemyst (Book Review)." Kirkus Review (2007) 20 Nov 2009

"The Alchemyst (Book Review)." Publishers Weekly (2007) 20 Nov 2009

(http://www.flr.follett.com/search?SID...) ( )

when i first saw this book i thought harry potter, but this book takes a completely different spin on magic. this book is a great page turner and your always rooting for the good guys. ( )

I reread this novel so that I can read the next in the series without getting lost. The Alchemyst is a YA book making much use of both historical and mythological figures as major characters. Enjoyed it both times.

Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com

Two twins can change the world, but little do they realize their whole lives are about to change when Dr. Dee walks into the bookstore where Josh works. Sophie, who works across the street, senses something suspicious after watching the strange man.

After a magical fight that involves both siblings, they discover Josh's boss isn't exactly who he's claiming to be.

He is in fact the famous Nicolas Flamel, whose tomb lies empty. He and his wife have been on the run to escape Dr. Dee's clutches and hide a magical book, which holds more secrets than anyone imagines. When Dr Dee captures Nicholas's wife and part of the book, Nicholas reacts quickly. Since the twins have already been exposed, he allows them to accompany him as he sets forth to recover both Perry and the book.

Michael Scott pens the first novel in a new series with action-packed adventure and fantasy. Harry Potter fans will, of course, recognize the name Nicholas Flamel, but that's where the similarities between the two stories end. THE ALCHEMYST delivers a fresh spin on magic that is sure to please. ( )

i wasn't terribly impressed. This was boring and predictable and the characters didn't have any personality. ( )

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. ( )

Great exciting book. Lots of suspense and a great world to enter into to forget your own. ( )

I found this book simply because the title caught my eye and the title character was mentioned in the 1st Harry Potter book. That said, I had no expectations as to what the story was.
Nicholas Flamel was born in 1330 and is living in San Francisco in the 21st century running a book store. No, that's not a typo...Along with his wife, Perenelle, Nicholas Flamel has been the guardian for over 700 years of the Codex, a book which has been sought by John Dee (a historical figure who was a trusted advisor on astrological and scientific matters for Elizabeth I) who seeks the Codex for the power and devastation that it can wield..
Needless to say, Dee is the bad guy who conjures zombies, skeletons, creatures made of mud, and undead to try to defeat Flamel, Scathach (a very old warrior creature that looks like a punk rocker) and his saviors (15 year old human twins) who appear in prophesies in the Codex. Dee kidnaps Perenelle and gains the book but is missing 2 vital pages. The ensuing pursuit and battle is entertaining and the ending leaves the reader wanting more. ( )

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. ( )

Story of twins that discover that they have pure silver and gold auras. Led by alchemist, Nicholas Flammel, they are confronted with magic, myths and monsters. If you love Harry Potter, then you will love "The Alchemist." ( )

I've just started reading this book but I'm already loving it! ( )

Good story. Lots of action. Very good character development. Will probably read the rest of the series. ( )

The Alchemyst tells the story of the legendary Nicholas Flamel who - along with two teenage siblings that happen to stumble into his world - is forced to flee from the evil beings that have taken his love and the precious secrets of history that he guards.

One of the first things you’ll notice when reading The Alchemyst is the incredible amount of research that went into creating this series. It’s extremely impressive – every character in the book (with the exception of the two teens) is an actual character from history/mythology. This lends an incredible aura of believability to the story because it’s so easy to imagine that all these great characters exist as we’ve heard of them all before. Along with the vast amounts research, it’s also clear that an incredible amount of planning went into this book and the series that follows. The imagery in The Alchemyst is beautifully written in such a manner that you can clearly picture the surroundings, but are never bored with long descriptive passages that don’t add to the overall story.

Filled with wonderful characters, natural dialogue, and a gripping plot, this first book in The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series does a wonderful job of laying out a complex and intricate world, while drawing the reader into a fascinating adventure. While directed at the YA audience, I think The Alchemyst will appeal to adults as well, and I for one am absolutely loving it. So much so, that I’m already well into book 2, The Magician. ( )

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. ( )

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. ( )

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. ( )

I was intrigued by this book, and half-heartedly wanted to read the sequel, but was enormously bored throughout the book. I wouldn't recommend it too strongly. ( )

Please note: Review only covers the first 50 pages as I could not finish. Wish I could've.

Basic Reason for Beginning: It sounded interesting... Which is the main reason I pick up anything, really. But look: Nicholas Flamel of reported Elixer of Youth fame meets modern Earth. Kids with destinies they knew nothing about. Bookstores. And books. What's not to like?
Basic Reason for Finishing: Unfortunately, the style is not to like.
Texture: I... couldn't get far enough past the desire to throw the book across the hall to get a good feel of this.

Full review here.

Book Rereadability: If Scott were to decide to rewrite this at one point I'd be willing to give the rewrite a chance. I like the concept just not the stylistic execution.
Author Rereadability: Maybe the Irish folklore collections and maybe a book aimed at adults. But not for the style.
Recommendation: Let's be honest, I'm spoiled rotten and picky when it comes to style. If you're not me and less vested in how things sound and feel you'll probably enjoy this a lot more than I did. I still like the concept (watch me beat you all to death with that phrase), but I do think the execution lacked. ( )

I must admit that I was expecting more out of this book. The kids aren’t all that eager to engage in the world of magic, and even though they have the potential for ultimate power, they just want to be normal. It’s difficult to be excited about the world Scott has created and the magic therein if the heroes are, at best, apathetic towards it. I just don’t feel drawn in. Also, since Scott rushes through the plot so quickly, the educational elements that dip into our own history and mythology is lost on the reader. One of the things he could have done in order to make this world come alive more was to go into a bit more detail about the elements of magic that are presented. Who is Bastet, where does she come from, and what are her powers? I would ask the same about any of the characters, and it’s unfortunate that magic just kind of happens rather than showing the intricacy of it. That element alone would help the world to come alive and make the text more interesting.The kids could use some more detail as well. There’s a lot of internal dialogue within each of the two main characters, but little of it is related to the learning experiences they’re having. I was excited to start reading this series because, in many ways, I thought it would intricately introduce us to another world of magic. What is alchemy and how does it work? How does it differ from sorcery or necromancy? How does one become a necromancer vs. a magician? These kinds of details were what I was looking for, and I came up shorthanded.However, in his defense, Scott has certainly written an entertaining book, and the series seems as though it will continue to engage the readership in an edge-of-your seat sort of read. Also, there are some interesting historical and geographical details that come up throughout the writing, which can serve to educate.-Lindsey Miller, www.lindseyslibrary.com ( )

This was not a very challenging book, but I still loved it. I like how it ties in all types of myths and explains them. The magic part was also interesting. The author came to our school before the book was released and read us a little. Then, I wasn't interested; however, now I am very interested. I can't wait to read The Magician, and his new book The Sorceress Is coming out in the end of May. This is a good book for magic and myth lovers. ( )

The first of a juvenile series, this book finds twins caught up in the toils of Immortals and Elders in a classic fight between good and evil. Book one is just the first step in the adventure, with no resolution of the issues.

This book for me was okay, but not in my top tier of fantasy. It's a good story, similar in quality to the Warrior Heir series and the Percy Jackson series, fun but not outstanding, a B level book. ( )

This book is about two teens, Josh and Sophie, who live in San Francisco. Josh is working in a book store owned by a person named Nick Fleming, later known as the immortal alchemist, Nicolas Flamel, while his sister, Sophie, was working in a coffee shop down the street owned by Perry Fleming, his wife, who is also later known as Perenelle Flamel. Josh and Sophie get caught in a feud between a Nicholas Flamel, and his wife, Perenelle, and a magician, Dr. John Dee. Dr. John Dee has come to the book shop because he is looking for a book that he wants and that is also in Nicolas’ possession, the codex. The Codex is a book that was believed to more than a thousand years old. But before Dee could blink the whole shop exploded. Miraculously it ended up in Dee possession. Josh leaped at Dee and tore 2 pages out of the book. Flamel and both Josh and Sophie fled the scene while Perenelle was kidnapped by Dr. Dee. While Dee was in the car he looked at where the book was torn, it was missing the two pages he needed, the summoning. Without these 2 pages, the book is useless. So now the trio, Nicolas, Josh, and Sophie are on the run from the one of the most powerful and evil men in the world.

This story was a good story and I am willing to read the whole series. The only challenging part was the fact that it takes forever for it to get to the main point of the story, so I would only recommend this book for people who like Alchemy and are really patient with books. ( )

This book is about two teens, Josh and Sophie, who live in San Francisco. These two get caught in a feud between a French alchemist, Nicholas Flamel, and his wife, Perenelle, and a magician, Dr. John Dee, except they don’t even know that it’s happening. They first find out that something’s up when a limo shows up in front of Nicholas’ book shop. Josh was in the book store when they arrived inside. Before Josh knew what was happening the whole store was destroyed in a matter of minutes. Flamel and both Josh and Sophie fled the scene while Perenelle was kidnapped by Dr. Dee. They met up with a woman who claimed to be more than a millennium old. This woman, Scathach, helps them on their way to the other side of town to see a woman named Hetake. Flamel came to her to ask about Josh and Sophie’s Auras, or magical electric fields that act as a shell around the body. (not done yet with description) ( )