The book The Alchemyst by Michael Scott is a riveting read with a unique concept and fast-paced plot. The novel is about a pair of twins by the name of Josh and Sophie Newman. They are supposedly the twins of legend and have the power to save the world. The story is based off of the immortal named Nicholas Flamel who got his immortality from a book called the Codex, which is a book of spells. This book also contains a spell that has the power to end the world and according to the legend Josh and Sophie are the only ones who can stop this. They first need to learn all the elemental magics, starting with air. One needs to be awakened before he or she can learn aural magic and a goddess named Hekate has only enough time to awaken Sophie before Hekate dies. Thus, only Sophie learns Air Magic. The antagonist, Dr. Dee, finds them in Hekate’s home, known as a Shadowrealm, and tries to tempt Josh into joining him but the group escapes.
The plot of this story is fast-paced and interesting. It is also developed really well. Josh and Sophie are thrust into this new world of magic and the Elders, and so each new account comes with a detailed description. For example, when the twins go to Hekate to be awakened, the Elder is described exceptionally well. The author states that Hekate’s clothing was “a long, simple gown made of a shimmering material that moved gently in the wind that didn’t seem to touch anything around her.” Her pupils are described as “the color of butter.” The author even says things that have deeper meaning, such as “she wore no jewelry” so one can tell the Elder is not very showy.
The setting in this story is also very interesting. In most stories that involve magic, it is well known among the inhabitants and is natural for them to be around magic. This book is based in the modern day, and starts out in California where the twins live. The people of this world don’t know anything about the Elders or the time before theirs. Even Sophie and Josh are confused about all the things that are happening. When Sophie first saw a Golem attacking Perry, Nicholas’s wife, she asked if it was “Gollum, from the Lord of the Rings.” I thought this was kind of funny. The interesting setting and the development of the plot make this an excellent book that I would recommend to anyone who likes magic and fast-paced action.