Book Review of The Magician - The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott

Ashes to ashes...

The book of Abraham the Mage holds the secret of eternal life - a secret more dangerous than any one man should possess. Dr John Dee is two pages away from the knowledge that would bring the Dark Elders into ultimate power - and could mean the destruction of the world as we know it.

Two people stand in his way: Josh and Sophie Newman.

In Paris, time is running out for Nicholas Flamel and his wife Perenelle. Every day they spend without the book, they age one year: their magic becomes weaker and their bodies more frail. Dee is in hot pursuit of them - there is no time left to lose.

Josh and Sophie are the world's only hope.

The Magician is the second, in the six book series from Michael Scott, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

In this sequel to The Alchemyst, The 'Twins of Silver and Gold', Sophie and Josh Newman are now in Paris with Nicholas Flamel and Scathach. They are searching for another elder to continue Sophie’s training and another to awaken Josh.

The Twins meet a friend of Nicholas, Comte Saint-Germain, alchemist, magician and rock star, and his wife Joan of Arc, The Maid Of Orléans aka Jeanne d'Arc. Germain teaches Sophie the second elemental magic, Fire and Joan helps her to control her aura and work out which are her own memories and those of the Witch of Endor’s.

Josh is given an ancient Fire Elemental sword, Clarent, the twin blade of Excalibur.

The group are being chased by Niccolo Machiavelli, a colleague of John Dee and face being captured. Meanwhile Perenelle, Nicholas' wife has been captured and held prisoner on Alcatraz.

The clashes between opposing sides intensify as they both try to position events in their favour. Myth, legend, history and reality were intertwined easily and surprisingly well in The Alchemyst and the same can be said for The Magician. Bringing together the dubious Italian Machiavelli, the French dance music producer Saint Germain, the Roman God Mars Ultor and the Norse Valkyrie in a modern day setting, would break most writers, but Michael Scott makes it all fit and does it so well.

This book widens the series plot line and begins to encompass amazing new characters. With it's fast paced action and continued whirlwind of adventure I simply can't put these books down. So onto the next book ,The Sorceress.