The Alchemyst

There seem to be two camps on this book; those who find it life-alteringly profound, and those who think that it's trying to be life-alteringly profound.

Certainly, it makes gently grand statements about life in a charmingly obvious way. It's a perfectly sweet tale full of the quasi-profundity that one would expect from a deliberate allegory. It's enjoyable enough for what it is, but what it is shouldn't be overstated.

I should mention a particular caveat - I listened to the audiobook read by Jeremy Irons, and that guy could imbue the phonebook with gravitas, so that may have made it more enjoyable than it would have been as a straight read.

Awful. Just terrible. Overly dramatic, preachy, boring, pointless, painful. Some of the themes sound like something from a cult, and not only is the writing crap but the "plot" is absolutely unoriginal too. I also can't get behind the whole meaning of the book- maybe this is because I'm not religious but it really just seemed to me like a devout, bible-thumping Christian went on an acid trip, and this was the result- a not-so-subtle sermon about the glory of religion disguised as a self-help book. For a book that said a lot of things, it wound up saying nothing at all.

Also, just as an aside, the phrase "Personal Legend" is mentioned 56 times in this relatively short book. Yes, I counted. The book was so damn boring I had nothing else to show more do. 56 fucking times, and it still smacks of complete bullshit to me.

EDIT 12/10/15: I was leafing through my copy of this for some reason, and I noticed how many angry notes I made in the margins when I read it. (I normally don't write in my books, but I purchased this one and hated it, so I figured it couldn't do any harm.) I found my scribblings immensely enjoyable to read and furious, so I've included some of them below, should you want to know what the experience of reading this book was like (besides being slowly and painfully disembowelled). My gripes seemed to know no bounds...

I was angry with the outright preaching.

I was frustrated at the cheesiness of the terms.

I got so bored with it all that I just snarkily mocked it.

I was curious.

But most of all, I was just pissed off at how many times Santiago mentioned his motherfucking sheep, and you can see my slow buildup of fury.

In the end, I suppose the ludicrous amount of times sheep were mentioned in this book is fitting; after all, people seem to flock to it like a herd of them. For the time being, though, I'll just try to purge this stinking turd of a book from my mind forever. show less

I always assume that most YA urban fantasy series that I pick up will end up being dull and unreadable (ugh, the drivel that they seem to churn out is not what it used to be), but I was absolutely impressed with the first book in this series. The author clearly knows his stuff as he seemlessly blends different world mythologies together very believably. What got me interested in the first place was his choice to focus on alchemy by making one of his protagonists the infamous Nicholas Flamel; it's an odd choice since it isn't a very popular branch of the magic family (too science-y often), but this gives him an automatic edge over the competition for uniqueness. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

3.5 stars or 7/10

A YA fantasy novel that combines the modern world with history and myth--a lot of history and myth from across the globe and several different historical periods.

Josh and Sophie are the teen twins at the heart of the story, and it is their budding friendship with Perry and Nick Fleming that forms the basis for the story. Perry & Nick are not who they seem, and who they are and what they've been doing (and who is after them) provides the plot. One has to accept the fantastic (after all, this is a fantasy) but one also has to accept some unusual circumstances in the "real" world of this book as well.

How would real teens react if they were confronted with the situations and creatures that Josh & Sophie face in the 2 days show more that this book covers? I don't know and at some point, the reader has to not care. This is how these particular teens are reacting and that's part of what moves the story forward. They are trapped--by destiny, chance and their own choices.

There were times when I felt the author was trying to combine too many elements at once--too many gods/elders, myths, legends.

And yet, I think I will enjoy seeing what the next days bring in the sequel(s). show less

I think I've just found my new Harry Potter! If the rest of Scott's Nicholas Flamel series turns out to be as good as this, I will be a very happy reader... It opens with Sophie and Josh, fifteen year-old twins living and working in San Francisco, being inadvertently caught up in a magical battle between a dapper stranger and Josh's usually laid-back boss, bookseller Nick Fleming. Nick's wife Perry is snatched away by the sinister man's unnatural henchmen, along with a mysterious book, and though they can hardly believe their eyes, the twins stand their ground to help their friend escape.

Fleeing the scene, Nick reveals his true identity to the twins. He is Nicholas Flamel, the famous alchemist, and he and his wife Perenelle are immortal show more thanks to the knowledge contained in the Book of Abraham the Mage, also known as the Codex. The evil man is John Dee, who has been searching for the book for hundreds of years. As well as the secrets of alchemy and immortal life, the book contains hundreds of other prophecies and spells, which Dee intends to use to bring back the Dark Elders, a fearful race of god-like beings exiled from the world centuries ago. The only hope for humanity - and Perenelle - is a pair of twins who appear in the book's prophecies, representing Sun and Moon, gold and silver. Sophie and Josh's lives are about to change forever...

It's really quite a complex story, and I loved it! The action never lets up for a moment, and as the novel goes on the reader is introduced to more and more characters, and more and more magical lore. Scatty, an ancient warrior who looks (and behaves!) like a feisty teenage girl, joins the group and becomes one of the main characters. Some of the Elders are introduced, including Hekate, an immensely powerful woman who lives in a giant tree and ages from a young girl to an old lady each day, and the Morrigan, also known as the Crow Goddess. All kinds of mythical heroes and creatures are woven into this new world, creating an entire alternate history of the Earth rich in philosophy and steeped in magic.

As I mentioned earlier, reading The Alchemyst reminded me very much of my first reading of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. After the initial chapter, where I wondered what on earth was going on, I was completely swept away. Like Harry Potter, a huge part of the book's draw comes from the revelation of the wonders of an entirely new magical world existing alongside our own, surprising the human protagonists and the reader alike. The plot is exciting and fast-paced, bringing new allies, adversaries and experiences at every turn. I can't wait to get started on the next book in the series, The Magician - and I highly recommend this to any of the post-Potter generation who fancy adding a little magic back into their lives! show less

15 year old twins, Sophie and Josh Newman, take summer jobs working across the street from one another. Sophie works for a coffee and tea shop. Josh works at a bookstore owned by Nick Fleming. One afternoon, their lives take a very drastic turn when the bookstore is attacked by the magician John Dee. Josh and Sophie learn that Nick Fleming is actually the alchemist of legend, Nicholas Flamel. (Yeah, the one with the sorcerer's stone of immortality from Harry Potter.) Flamel, Sophie and Josh just barely escape the bookstore with their lives and Flamel's wife is kidnapped. From there, Josh and Sophie's world expands as they meet people of legends and myth as they try to stay alive and escape John Dee.

This book was a quick read and show more entertaining. It reminded me a bit of the Percy Jackson series but I think that was just because so many mythological characters and ancient gods were brought into the story. It's not deep or earth-shattering but it was fun. It's a book that I think a lot of kids would enjoy and a number of adults. I definitely did. show less

I understand this book resonates for some people. For me it was a vague collection of aphorisms, a slap dash parable, a set of at best hasty generalizations passed off as Truth with a capital T, leavened with old school gender essentialism and misogyny. As with other similar books there are some occasional good observations here. Overhyped and kind of a disappointment. I’d skip it if I had a do over, but it is at least short.