The Alchemyst (Book One, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel)

Sophie and Josh Newman are ordinary Fifteen-year-old siblings living in San Francisco. They consider themselves lucky to be working in stores just across the street from each other, under the watchful eyes of Nick and Perry Fleming, the owners of the stores. However, one sunny summer day, a strange man enters Nick's bookshop, smelling of sulfur. The man claims to be Dr. John Dee, a Magician and Alchemyst that lived hundreds of years ago. Dee destroys the bookstore where Josh works, kidnaps Perry, and steals a single book. Stunned and horrified, Sophie and Josh make a series of startling discoveries. First and foremost, they learn that Nick and Perry Fleming are actually Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel, famed Alchemysts who lived hundreds of years ago. The Flamels tell them that the myths and legends of gods and heroes actually weren't legends, but fact. They also learn that gods walked the Earth thousands of years ago. Known as Elders, some were good, others evil. Some wished to work with humans, others, known as Dark Elders, wished to destroy humanity. These Elders had the ability to grant humans, known as humani, immortality and that many major historical figures were granted immortality. However, with explanations and time limited, Sophie and Josh now need to act fast. The book Dee stole was known as the Codex, a book containing all of the secrets of the world. With it, Dee plans to release the Dark Elders upon the Earth, turning civilization as we know it to dust. The most shocking revelation is that within the Codex lies a prophecy, thousands of years old, that has to do with them, Sophie and Josh Newman, the Twins of Legend.

The Alchemyst is a thrilling book, filled with an excellent mix of fantasy, myth and action. One of the most interesting aspects of the series is that every character, aside from Sophie and Josh, are either from myth or history. The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is one of the few fantasy series the doesn't include a love story. If you're looking for love, you will be disappointed. Aside from that small point, The Alchemyst is a truly great book!