You know the drill. If you haven’t yet read the first book, The Alchemyst, you shouldn’t read the review of book two because the synopsis will give stuff away without even trying. But, if you are one of the many who has read the ENTIRE series and is just waiting for little ol’ me to catch up, feel free to read on and see what I thought!
Final warning…
Sophie and Josh have only two days ago entered a whirlwind struggle of power and magic – and now are firmly integrated in it. They now know they are the twins of legend, or at least Nicholas Flamel thinks so. Josh has a pure gold aura and Sophie a pure silver one – just as the prophecy foretells.
And now Sophie has been Awakened. It’s overwhelming, the strengthening of her senses – the sudden onslaught of abilities and memories not quite her own. But as she fights to regain normality, Josh can’t help but envy her powers as his own Awakening was delayed when they were interrupted by an attack from Dr. John Dee.
Now in Paris, after barely escaping Dee in Ojai, the gang, including ultimate warrior Scatty, find that it’s not long before immortal author Niccolo Machiavelli pursues them.
With Nicholas and his kidnapped wife Perenelle both weakening, time is running out. The fact that Sophie is untrained in her new, amazing powers in unacceptable. It’s time for her to learn Fire Magic.
And to do so, Nicholas brings them to one of his old students – Comte de Saint-Germain, an immortal alchemist, magician, and currently… rock star?
The Magician is again lightning fast and packed full of twists and adventure.
I found that I am beginning to love some of these secondary characters, such as Scatty and Francis, as the creative, entertaining escapism never takes a breather. I still wished for more connection with the twins’ early on, but was appreciating The Magician for what it is: a thrill-ride fantasy blockbuster.
When a time of rest and learning does finally take place I was very glad because not only did it give ME a chance to reboot before the action takes off again, but it gives us a chance to get to know Josh, Sophie, Nicholas, Scatty, Francis, and Joan better.
This short pause really helped me get more into the series! It became far more exciting and exhilarating, while still being exhausting. I became more and more convinced that book two has some huge improvements over book one. The Magician ratchets up the psychological drama as well as the epic battles. It really started to grow on me.
I needed that moment to connect with the numerous characters and relate more to them. Once that happened, I found I was looking forward to the next four books with more enthusiasm – and seeing The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel as an extraordinary fantasy adventure that was coming into its own!
Here I come book three! Next month, that is…
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