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The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

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THE ALCHEMYST: THE SECRETS OF THE IMMORTAL NICHOLAS FLAMEL; Michael Scott; New York: Delacorte, 2007; 373 pp. Children's/Young Adult fiction


The Alchemyst starts off with a bang--a lot of bangs, actually, when Dr. John Dee, a sulfurous necromancer, invades a bookshop with a gang of glassy-eyed Golems and steals the Book of Abraham the Mage from Nicholas Flamel, the 700-year old proprietor and alchemist. Accidentally caught up in the fracas are Josh and Sophie Newman, twins who work at the bookshop and a nearby coffee shop, respectively, and Nicholas' wife Perenelle, who is kidnapped along with the book. As Flamel frantically searches for the book and his missing wife, ancient forces come into play--the Morrigan, gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt, cats, crows, and the sword, Excalibur. The twins, caught up in the chase, find that they may not be accidentally involved as the narrative races to a cliffhanger conclusion, and an anxious wait for the next volume in this exciting new series . . . .
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