05 March, 2012

The Alchemyst: A Book Review



 “At the heart of every legend there is a grain of truth.”
― Michael Scott, The Alchemyst 

"Nothing is as it seems. You must learn to question everything.
― Michael Scott, The Alchemyst


Opening words: The first thing I have to say is that this book is fantastic, in every sense of the word! Mr. Scott obviously spent a large amount of time on this. His use of mythology is amazing and the "truths" he creates are wonderful. He does an excellent job at creating his world and his history within our own.

Summary: When twins Josh and Sophie move to San Francisco for the summer, they think getting jobs to buy a car is a great idea. Little did they know that their jobs would lead them into a world they'd always known to be fiction.
Nicholas Flamel died in the 1400s. Nick Fleming owns the book shop at which Josh works. When a man storms in and magic begins, Josh is caught in the middle. Sophie runs to help her brother and ends up learning more than she wanted to know about the store owners, Nick and Perry Fleming.
From that moment on, the twins are wound tight into a story of magic, immortals, and prophecy.

Opinions: Absolutely fantastic. Scott pulls in mythology from all over the world to create a web both complex and easy to follow. He creates characters with good and bad sides, selfless and selfish motives. He creates a world within our own that the reader can almost imagine is real.
My personal favorite character is Perenelle Flamel, Nicholas's wife. We see little of her in comparison to the other characters, but in that little bit you glimpse so many strong emotions and so much strong will that it's hard for me not to adore her.
I also love Scatty, a Warrior. She's spunky and makes even the tensest of moments easy to read.
Nicholas is a well developed character, while still keeping the bit of mystery that teaches you to love him but you're never sure if you fully trust him.
Dee makes a wonderful villain.
Sophie and Josh make the story. They are the center point of the story. Since they are two 15 year old kids, never having stepped into the world they're pulled into, the stories, the histories, etc. are all told to the reader naturally by their explanation to Sophie and Josh. They're also very different, which makes the story all the more interesting.
I really like that it is NOT a love story. Most YA books now, even in the face of apocalypse,are coated with a thick layer of love drama. Though you do see a bit of Nicholas and Perenelle's love, it's not a major part, but makes both characters very likeable.

Recommendation: I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy tales. Alchemy is, obviously, a major part of this story, as is magic. It is a YA fiction, but it's not one that reads slowly or like a story told to children. I highly suggest it.

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