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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
DNF @ pg 194/375
Im someone who needs the characters to push the story along, Sophie and Josh did not. They just went along with whatever was happening. Halfway through the book, you think they would make at least one decision. No, not really.
I found myself trying to push through this book, but it put me into a reading slump. I really wanted this book to be fun, but ya lost me.
Hopefully the farther into the series it would get better. Maybe someday I'll continue, maybe...
Im someone who needs the characters to push the story along, Sophie and Josh did not. They just went along with whatever was happening. Halfway through the book, you think they would make at least one decision. No, not really.
I found myself trying to push through this book, but it put me into a reading slump. I really wanted this book to be fun, but ya lost me.
Hopefully the farther into the series it would get better. Maybe someday I'll continue, maybe...
While I didn't hate this book, I still didn't like it, and it felt as though the story was trying its damndest to get me to hate it with every page. I have my gripes with some story beats, mainly with how some characters would wait until the last possible second to pull out some useful tool or plot device without any discernable reason as to their delayed timing, but more than anything the aspect that ground my gears the most were the two main characters. Both Sophie and Josh (mainly Josh) had incredibly inconsistent characterizations for the entirety of the book. Sometimes Josh was the well-meaning jock, and other times he was a computer-savvy nerd. The teens' inner monologues would shift wildly between constant suspicion of Flamel and awe over the magic around them, and it became a pretty tired cycle of reading them retread old ground during every major story beat. Worst of all, a character suddenly becomes tempted to leave and betray their companions without any good reason besides simply progressing the plot. The main characters are teenagers which could explain their nonsensical decision-making as they're young and are more susceptible to impulse choices. But then again, this entire book takes place over the course of 2 days and makes their poor choices even harder to understand and frustrating to read. They know what the stakes are and how the entire world's fate rests on their shoulders, yet the main two siblings still make snap decisions at every turn.
The only reason this is a 2-star review and not a 1-star is because the world the book built was so compelling. I'm always a sucker for some good urban fantasy, and I couldn't help but fall into this modern world where magic is everywhere around us and mythical figures and creatures were real all along. Unfortunately, all that is severely hampered by the aforementioned main characters, but I have to give kudos where it's due.
The only reason this is a 2-star review and not a 1-star is because the world the book built was so compelling. I'm always a sucker for some good urban fantasy, and I couldn't help but fall into this modern world where magic is everywhere around us and mythical figures and creatures were real all along. Unfortunately, all that is severely hampered by the aforementioned main characters, but I have to give kudos where it's due.
A medium-ish book. It didn't scream for me to pick it up, but when I did pick it up, I wasn't sorry. It was adventurous enough to keep my interest, but not enough to make me want to continue the series.
I kind of wish I could give this 2.5 stars. As I mentioned in my progress note, the teenage protagonists (especially the brother) were pretty annoying. They seem too clueless to be as special as the story suggests. But, by the end of the book, I was starting to warm to the Sophie character and the storyline in general.
I listened to the audiobook; the narrator was Denis O'Hare. In general, he did a nice job. His voices for the evil female characters were pretty grating, but I thought his John Dee (the primary antagonist) was spot on.
The conclusion leaves you hanging, so I'll look for the other books in the series. They're nice, light entertainment.
I listened to the audiobook; the narrator was Denis O'Hare. In general, he did a nice job. His voices for the evil female characters were pretty grating, but I thought his John Dee (the primary antagonist) was spot on.
The conclusion leaves you hanging, so I'll look for the other books in the series. They're nice, light entertainment.
Thought this in some way might be tied to Harry Potter due to the character name but did not know the Flamel was in fact real and the story behind his life was real yet somewhat unknown. Very good read to dive into the supposed life of these intriguing characters.
Great series starter. One adventure after another kept my attention.
I think this is the most interesting book series I've read so far. The author has created a whole new universe based on real historical figures, history and ancient lore, in such a way that reading it makes you think it could be actually plausible !
The character development is one of the finest I've seen in books of this genre, the plot is brilliant, almost every chapter ends on a cliffhanger or a very important part of the story and the plot twists as so well made that you almost never guess what will happen next. Almost every time that I thought "ah this will happen it is so obvious" I was just surprised with the unfolding of the story.
I wish I could get selective amnesia to read this all over again as if it was the first time.
The character development is one of the finest I've seen in books of this genre, the plot is brilliant, almost every chapter ends on a cliffhanger or a very important part of the story and the plot twists as so well made that you almost never guess what will happen next. Almost every time that I thought "ah this will happen it is so obvious" I was just surprised with the unfolding of the story.
I wish I could get selective amnesia to read this all over again as if it was the first time.
medium-paced
i re-read this again in 2024 when i originally read it in high school i think & honestly it's still a 5 stars to me.
i love nicholas flamel & perry & like idk it just fulfils a specific itch that i always crave when it comes to magical stories.
i love this series so much and i can't wait to re-read the entire series again.
plus sophie & josh???? ugh i just remember the progression of their characters being one of my faves. (and for a book that's ya... these are some of the smartest 15 year olds i've ever met)
i love nicholas flamel & perry & like idk it just fulfils a specific itch that i always crave when it comes to magical stories.
i love this series so much and i can't wait to re-read the entire series again.
plus sophie & josh???? ugh i just remember the progression of their characters being one of my faves. (and for a book that's ya... these are some of the smartest 15 year olds i've ever met)
Not to be confused with the other book I just recently read also titled "The Alchemist", this book is the first in a newer Young Adult series. If you like magic, otherworldly creatures, lots of action, world legends and myths, prophesies, and the general battle between good and evil, you might like this one about teenage twins that are sucked into a great adventure. I was bogged down a little during the explanations of some of the history of what was happening, but other than that, it was a fun read.