The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

Scott, Michael.  The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel.  Delacorte Press, 2023.

Pages:256  

Age Range: 12-17    

Genre: science fiction; graphic novel

Setting: San Francisco, California to Ojai, California to the Shadow Realm

Themes: scientific discovery, immortality, betrayal, magic       

Merits: Because this is the graphic novel of the book, it is interesting to see the portrayals of the characters.

Unique Quality: The pictures of the evil creatures are unique!  I want to read the novel to see if those images are what I would picture.

Detractors: This book is very clean; some words and depictions of violence.

Main Characters:

Sophie Newman- a twin to Josh, she gains powers to fight against the evil in the Shadow Realm

Josh Newman - a twin to Sophie - Both are from New York but working in San Francisco while their archaeologist parents are off working somewhere

Nick Fleming (Nicholas Flamel) - the twin’s boss in San Francisco until the Codex is stolen; then he is revealed as Nicholas Flamel who has lived for hundreds of years due to the Codex and the elixir he and Perenelle take monthly.  He realizes that the twins are the twins in the legend and have vast powers. Sophie’s aura is pure silver, which is rare and signifies that her powers are vast.

Dr. John Dee - he steals the Codex, but thanks to Josh holding tightly to it, he does not get the final pages.  He was a former protege of Nicholas, which is how he knew about the Codex, but he chose to serve the dark powers.  He is also a Necromancer.

Perenelle Flamel - The wife of Nicholas, she is captured by John Dee and held. However, she is able to get messages to Nicholas to warn him of upcoming attackers. 

Plot:

The fifteen year old twins Sophie and Josh work ordinary jobs in the summer in the San Francisco area.  Their bosses are such nice people - Nick Fleming and his wife Perry.  When Josh comes to visit Sophie at her job, which is across the street from Josh’s, they see something happen at Josh’s workplace - maybe an explosion.  

When they go to the area, they find Nick Fleming is not himself - he’s really Nicholas Flamel!  And he’s several hundred years old due to the book called the Codex. It contains the explanation of a serum that Perry - Perenell Flamel - makes monthly to keep the immortal.  The flashes they had seen were Nicholas battling Dr. John Dee, a former mentee of Flamel’s, and he is trying to steal the Codex. He’d have succeeded if Josh had not grabbed a hold of it and kept the last few pages while Dr. Dee got the rest.  Nicholas and Perenelle explain who they are to the twins and then reveal that they believe the twins are part of the ancient prophecy in the Codex.  Nicholas believes they can have great powers to fight the forces of evil. 

The evil have a conspirator - Dr. Dee - who joined their forces and had the job of stealing the Codex.  Since he did not get the vital last pages, a series of evils will attempt to take them or the twins, but first, they kidnap Perenelle!  Luckily, she finds a ghost who can deliver a message so that Nicholas can be warned of an attack.  

Meanwhile, the Witch of Endor, Dora, agrees to train Sophie.  Before much can be taught,  a series of terrible characters arrive and attempt to take back the Codex by using Perenelle as bait.  They must fight off the evil forces and try to get the Codex back.  Perenelle is with Dr. Dee, but these golems appear, and when heat hits them and they melt a bit, Perenelle makes her escape to reunite with Nicholas and the twins.  

This ends the first book in the trilogy.