The Necromancer

Good thing for Dee that the elders seem clueless about parts of human nature. Bad thing for Josh that he is as gullible a twit as ever. I want to listen to Josh eating a pile of crow before this series ends. Nice use of flashbacks for backstories and historical persons/gods for characters, as usual. I'm a woman, so I have no problem with wives/sisters being more powerful/sensible than husbands/brothers more often than not. Thank you, Mr. Scott.

Although this book doesn't have the overpowering rooting for the main characters that Harry Potter has (in my opinion, that is one of the best parts of the Potter series), the weaving of myths together from different cultures and areas of the world within a racing plot makes this series one I really enjoy.

And yet again, I have to reiterate just how much this series ramps up with each subsequent novel. The first one was just okay, and now, we’re onto solid ground with a seriously just good, enjoyable book.

Things come to a head in this book and the twins each have to make their choices about where they stand and what to do next. I love how we’re getting more history about the Elders; I especially liked seeing some old memories of Prometheus and Zephaniah, the Witch of Endor. And we’re starting to see more stuff behind the scenes. It turns out, things are way more complicated than what they seem, and the history between the Elders and Dark Elders goes way further than what you’d think, which makes for some nice intrigue and show more suspense. I have my own theories about what’s going on, and that’s what makes this book fun. Not everything is revealed right away, and people’s motivations go deeper than you’d ever realize.

I do think the alternating viewpoints prevents us from getting a deep look at characters’ motivations, which makes them feel a bit static, but I also think that there are some plot reveals coming up that those deep looks would ruin, so it sort of makes sense for this series. I just wish the characters felt a bit more robust than they currently do. As it stands, I enjoy the characters and feel for them, but they’re fairly predictable. Maybe that will change in the final novels.

This is going to be a short review, because I don’t want to give too much away for those who haven’t read it, but all I can say is that it’s enjoyable and entertaining. The plots are finally starting to weave together, and I can’t wait to read the last two books–I’m sure they’re going to be amazing, with tons of reveals.

Also posted on Purple People Readers. show less

I enjoyed the series! Very interesting to see the different relationships and perspectives of the different characters. It makes you question how right and wrong really are relative based on experiences.

This 4th book of the Flamel series picks up immediately after book 3 with the twins arrival in San Francisco and the official introduction of Aunt Agnes.

Sophie and Josh are at odds as to who they should support Dr. Dee or the Flamels. We are also introduced to a few new immortals - Aoife (Scathatch's twin sister), Billy the Kid, Prometheus, Virginia Dare, and Niten.

The immortals are having their own problems - Scatty and Joan are trapped in a pre-historic shadow Realm, Saint Germaine, Palamades, and Shakespeare are running from the Dark Elders while trying to free Joan and Scatty, and Dee and Machiavelli are in deep trouble with the bosses because they haven't gotten the twins. So since all immortals are looking after themselves, who is show more there to keep Josh and Sophie safe?

This book supplies a great deal of background for the mythological creatures/immortals and their masters, the Elders. The tension builds as the life in the Flamels begins to drain to desperate levels and the twins are put at odds. show less

This was a very good book in the series. Things are starting to get really interesting and also reminding me of the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. Not too much like it though. I really love the author's attention to detail and his ability to bring real places and characters into the story. I also like the fact that this is a straight forward action packed read which would be a story that would appeal to many age groups.

Dit is het deel waarin het moeilijker gaat worden voor de tweeling. Hun relatie/vriendschap wordt tot het uiterste getest. Ook dit deel gaat weer op dezelfde voet verder, monsters bevechten en vluchten, zeuren en dan weer monsters bevechten en vluchten. De slechteriken liegen, de naïeve jongen gelooft ze, veroorzaakt een puinhoop, waardoor er weer monsters zijn om tegen te vechten en te vluchten. ... Okay, misschien een beetje overdreven, maar hier komt het wel op neer.

Het begin van het boek is erg traag en behoorlijk saai, maar naarmate je dichter bij het einde komt, wordt het boek interessanter en sneller.

Josh en Sophie lijken nu meer op bijpersonen, Nicholas Flamel heeft nauwelijks regels in de roman (hij is stervende, maar hij is show more de naamgever van de serie), en de enige consistente personages in de serie vormen Dr. John Dee en Machiavelli, en hoewel zij tot de 'slechteriken' behoren, ben ik toch een redelijke fan van ze.

Tegen het einde van het boek komen er nieuwe problemen bij, zeker als Josh zich lijkt aan te sluiten bij de Duistere Ouderen.

Op naar boek 5. show less