The Alchemyst

Irish author Michael Scott’s The Alchemyst, published in 2007, is the first installment in his six-part series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. This guide refers to the 2007 Kindle edition. The following books are The Magician (2008), The Sorceress (2009), The Necromancer (2010), The Warlock (2011), and The Enchantress (2012). The Alchemyst was included in Time Magazine’s 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time in 2015 and earned multiple awards internationally, including the 2008 Irish Book of the Year.

Scott’s young adult fantasy novel tells the story of 15-year-old twins Sophie and Josh Newman, who accidentally discover the existence of magic and creatures of legend and embark on a series of adventures to defeat powerful enemies known as the Elder Race. Throughout their quest, they are guided by famed alchemyst (a fictionalized spelling of alchemist) Nicholas Flamel and his wife Perenelle, as well as other fictionalized historical figures. Scott’s series blends myth and reality in a fantastical quest and explores the themes of Truth Versus Fiction, Magic as Science, and Critical Thinking.

Plot Summary

While spending the summer in San Francisco, 15-year-old Sophie works at a coffee shop while her twin brother Josh works at a bookstore owned by the mysterious Nick Fleming and his wife Perry.