This was, for me, the book’s highlight and both Hekate’s character and the shadow-world she lived in were beautifully described, the ageing process that she endured daily was sympathetically and cleverly done. In the morning she was a young girl, in the afternoon a middle-age woman and the evening saw her transformed into a bitter old crone. My favourite moment of the book was when Flamel and the twins met Hekate, an elder God who lived an entire life every single day. Fans of Harry Potter will certainly be interested in exploring the legend of Nicholas Flamel in greater detail.

Having said that, the characterisation is strong and teenagers in particular will easily identify with their twins. Although the narrative was always interesting, the book was not immediately involving and it took a while to get up and running. I felt that the second half of the book was stronger than the first. It would be pleasant to believe that this book will awaken a love for Greek, Egyptian and Celtic mythology as well as the rich history of our own world. The Alchemyst’s finest attribute is that it will encourage further reading all the characters that feature within its pages are based upon real-life historical characters or mythological beings. name entered further into popular culture after it featured in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The central character is Nicholas Flamel, an alchemyst born in the 14th century and famous for his reputed work on the Philosopher’s Stone (a legendary alchemical tool capable of turning base metals into gold and gifting the owner immortality). It is a fast-paced, action-packed young adult novel that is built upon a fascinating idea. The Alchemyst, by Irish author Michael Scott, makes for compelling reading. 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.Īnd Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time. Humankind won’t know what’s happening until it’s too late. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. It’s the most powerful book that has ever existed. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects – the book of Abraham the Mage. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life. Nearly seven hundred years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on 28 September 1330. He holds the secret that can end the world

The alchemist by michael scott