The Necromancer

Really good book

**Spoilers ahead** and - this review won't mean much if you haven't read the others to know who the characters are that I am talking about... Surprises galore! This was filled with so many wonderful surprises about places, times and characters. We get so much more information about all the characters and the Elders. The dialogue between the characters was wonderful- as always. The plot was fast paced and kept me sitting on the edge of my seat to see what was going to happen next. Mr. Scott tells excellent stories and knows how to weave clues into the smallest things. And there is so much mythology to embrace here - the real historical figures pulled in make this book - and series - a real treat! It wasn't what I expected. Not that I mean that in a bad way. I did expect to see more necromancy - or really at least some - but unless I misunderstood, Josh calling Coatlique wasn't really necromancy. So, not seeing too much necromancy was kind of a shock. I would have liked to see more. I also would have liked to see a little more detail on some of the Elders who have now been identified. In the past, we have been given a little information about the mythology behind the Elders - here it at times felt like mere name dropping. It was a great pace - I couldn't put the book down because it just kept moving us forward. It was great. I hit about chapter 25 (I think) and said "wow" to myself at the end of every chapter after that. I was shocked and amazed (happily, most of the time) at every thing that was happening. I loved the romance behind Germain going after Joan and it seemed a theme (Machiavelli seeming to waiver - and talking about his wife), Perry and Nicholas, Virginia and Dee (in it's own sick and twisted way)... I admit to being more confused then ever with respect to Flamel's intention. Although it was telling towards the end when Dee told Josh that he never lied to him only Flamel lied to Josh - but we know for a fact (as seen right before that) that Dee did lie to Josh. It would have been cool to see the "reveal" of the identity of THE necromancer a little earlier, since I almost felt like the title was a little off since that was so far into the book. And darn it, Aunt Agnes... Is she really important? Or not. That's bugging me (but it's ok - there are more books to come, I know!) It was interesting to see the word "guardian" used to describe her - when I read the sentence where it says "Some guardian she'd turned out to be!" I myself wondered if there is more to the term "guardian" then just the whole in loco parentis thing and so I can't wait for the next 2 books to see what's up with her! Also, the whole time travel thing - making my brain hurt. I don't do well with books that time travel. So I am a little nervous about the next ones. I am scared that I will get lost and not be able to have the finish of the series make sense to me. Darkness, creepiness, romance... You name it - if I am intrigued I will stick it out. Time travel, however, no so much. I am really worried that I will not really understand what I am reading if the time travel stuff gets too much heavier or too much more detailed. I just hope I am panicking about nothing and that it won't be too... Well... To complicated. I mean it literally when I said I squealed with delight at the reveal of Musashi. He really is an awesome historical character to have brought in. I love that I am a little confused as to Quetzalcoatl and his role in things to come. And I loved the chat about his plumage! The discussions about the swords added to the story - and it seems like there is more to come - but I got just enough of a taste of them that I am eager for what ever is next. Aoife as a character - was a great addition. There was enough there to make me really like her (regardless of her neutrality) that when she died (if she is really dead) I was totally bummed. But at the same time, I love it when authors have the guts to kill off an important character. There were enough battle scenes to keep things moving. Prometheus is an awesome addition to the character list too - and Josh's learning of fire is probably now my favorite of the magic learning scenes. I like the addition of the latin/south American mythologies. And the flash backs where we learn so much more about the Witch were great. Now, I just need to figure out where they are all going to lead. The link between Mars and Josh (and the few times that we are told that a person always has some ties to the Elder who awakened him/her was interesting - makes me wonder if without the whole mummy wrapping, what exactly the tie between Sophie and the Witch would be - would it really be any less, since Mars was able to control Josh and he didn't do anything quite as drastic?) has me thinking - and wondering. Since I personally am not attributing the fact that Mars gave Josh the "gift" he gave as being what made Mars able to control Josh - I think they are different. And, I am left, especially after reading the first chapter of the Warlock - wondering what side Mars is really on. The Witch too. I thought it was much more fun and exciting then the previous installments and I loved them. It was AWESOME!!

These are fast-paced can't put it down until your finished kind of books, and this edition to the series is no exception. However, I find myself wanting a lot more from them and the world that Scott is creating. Don't get me wrong, I really do love these books, but I have a lot of general qualms with them. I want more magic, and I want to know how the magic is being created. When we all were transported to Hogwarts, there was an explanation of how the magic worked throughout the world, which had very particular rules about what one can do when and how long it takes to acquire that knowledge. So, ok, I know that Scott is not trying to recreate the Potter world, but it would be nice to know what rules the magic of this world operates from. The best explanation that we get at any point from either of the twins is, "I don't know, somehow you just know how to do it." I think this is a travesty and is missing out on a crucial element of drawing us into the story. How are they developing these abilities? How do they feel as they're creating the magic? Every once in a while we get a peek into the whole thing, but it's not nearly often enough. Even the other immortals have cool spells that I'd like to get a little more depth on. Most of the time, they simply say, a shaman taught me this, or I learned this from Circe. You learned what from Circe? Is it a spell that you cast? How are you creating the magic? Anyway, past all that, it's a fun read and, in my opinion, more engaging than the first two, but not as good as the third. Josh and Sophie have generally become less whiney and are starting to jump into this whole being special and having magical abilities thing. They seem more willing to tackle the adventure set before them. I like the thickening plot between what Dee is doing and how it relates to all the elemental swords. However, I really do get tired of Josh waffling between sides. It adds some layers of conflict to the story, but I think Josh's reasoning is pretty weak and somewhat unbelievable. He should either stand in his convictions one way or the other. -Lindsey Miller, [...]

"My most pressing concern still lies with the twins. I am no longer sure how they view me. It was always clear that Josh harbored reservations about me, but now I am sensing that they are both fearful and mistrustful. It is true that they discovered portions of my history that I would have preferred be left uncovered. Perhaps I should have been more honest with them. I am not proud of some of the things I have done, but I regret nothing. I did what I had to do to ensure the survival of the human race. I would do it again." - from the Day Booke of Nicholas Flamel, Alchemyst Less than a week has passed since fifteen-year-old twins Josh and Sophie Newman learned that everything they have ever believed is a lie. Six days, and their knowledge of the world has been broken and rebuilt a dozen times. They have both been Awakened - had their incredible talent and power for magic brought to the surface and their senses sharpened to the keenest edge. Sophie has learned three of the Elemental Magics, Josh one. Now, in the company of the immortal humans Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel, the twins have returned to the city where it all began, the very place where last they were normal teens - San Francisco. But it is not just their knowledge of the world that is changing and even here they can no longer pretend to be normal. With each passing day, Josh and Sophie become more aware that no one - none of the immortal humans, nor the Next Generation, nor the Elders they have met - is being completely honest with them. What IS clear is that each faction in the approaching conflict needs the twins, wants to use them for their own purposes. And because of that, Josh and Sophie have no idea who they can trust, or indeed, if they can trust anyone at all. Nicholas Flamel has finally been reunited with his beloved wife Perenelle, but the events of the past six days have left each of them aged and weakened. The Book of Abraham the Mage now seems beyond recovery and in their current state, the Alchemyst has perhaps a week of life left, the Sorceress a little longer. It is unclear whether they will see the outcome of the events they helped to put in motion, but one fact is glaringly obvious. They must gain control of the army of monstrous creatures that Dr. Dee and his Dark Elder masters collected on Alcatraz Island before the beasts and beings can be set upon San Francisco ... and the world. They must stop them, even though doing so will no doubt cost them their lives. After failing to capture the twins and kill the Flamels, Dr. John Dee has been declared utlaga - a wolf's head or outlaw - by his Dark Elder masters. On the run and alone, the Magician has discovered a magic more powerful than even that of the Elders who seek to destroy him. Now it is time for him to formulate a new plan. Callously discarded by those he served faithfully for centuries, Dr. Dee needs only an old ally and a very powerful Archon to make the world his and his alone. But in order to release that Archon, Coatlicue the Mother of the Gods, from her dark Shadowrealm prison, he will also need to sacrifice someone with a very powerful aura to her hunger, a gold aura just like Josh Newman's. Niccolo Machiavelli and Billy the Kid are also in disfavor with the Dark Elders. They were sent to Alcatraz to kill Perenelle Flamel. Instead she managed to escape - using the boat they arrived in and leaving the two immortal humans stranded. Machiavelli knows, even if Billy The Kid does not, that they must find a way to carry out their mission - and quickly - or they will be in just as much trouble as Dee. The Dark Elders expect obedience, but they demand success. As the Flamels, with the reluctant assistance of Josh and Sophie, prepare for the battle to come on Alcatraz, they must face the fact that they are alone and virtually without allies. Scathach and Joan of Arc have been sent back in time, hurled through a booby-trapped leygate to the San Francisco of the pleistocene era. Sick with worry, the Comte de Saint-Germain has enlisted Shakespeare and Palamedes to stand with him as he seeks aid from Palamedes's Elder master, Tammuz, in a desperate bid to be reunited with his adored wife and Scatty. As midsummer - and the probable end of the human world - approaches, every life hangs by the slenderest of threads. It really isn't possible to say enough good things about The Necromancer, or about the entire Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series. These books have literally everything you could possibly want in urban fantasy. There is plenty of action, and it's fast-paced, exciting and germane to the story. The plots are well-woven and carry a handful of story lines that meet and cross in the most unexpected ways. More importantly, this series has truly interesting characters, people who change and grow as the novels progress. Sure, it's catchy using famous names from the past like Joan of Arc and Shakespeare, but the fact that you know their names isn't what makes them good characters; how Michael Scott uses and develops the characters - both the famous and the unknown - is what makes these books so compulsively readable. And very few of the humans, Next Generation and Elders you meet along this journey are either all good or all bad. They are far more richly layered than that. Almost all of them have hopes and fears , hidden motives and secret plans. It takes a writer of extraordinary talent (not to mention bravery) to populate a series of Young Adult novels with historical and mythological characters as diverse as Virginia Dare, Miyamoto Musashi, Aoife, Coatlicue, Quetzalcoatl and Prometheus - to use them and to make the story really work, mind you - but Mr. Scott makes it seem effortless and natural. Each book in this top-notch series has been better than the last. Considering the high level of the very first novel, The Alchemyst, that's saying something. I cannot wait to see how Mr. Scott brings every thing together in the last two volumes. While I can guess at certain possible developments, I have no earthly idea how everything is going to end. For me, that makes these books even more exciting.

I've been an avid follower of these books, as they are written with both complex and delightfully entertaining characters, while incorporating facets of historical events and figures. While the characters have always been the huge draw for me concerning these books, The Necromancer takes character development a step further with the evolution of Josh and Sophie, particularly Josh in this installment. Warning: Spoilers ahead! Michael Scott has been building up to the inevitable separation of Josh and Sophie in the previous books, foreshadowing the plot point with Josh's jealousy- and guilt-driven asides towards his sister. While we've known that Sophie has oftentimes regretted her Awakening, Josh has craved ultimate power and autonomy over his own destiny, and he has been cajoled by John Dee into believing that joining his side is the answer to all of his ailments. Scott begins to draw serious parallels between Dee and Josh, and although Josh hasn't quite decided whose side he is on definitively, it becomes glaringly obvious towards the end of The Necromancer that he's beginning to associate Sophie with the Flamels, his enemies at this point (or so he thinks). What's so interesting about this book (and the series in general) is that you're constantly guessing and questioning the motives of all characters, right down to William Shakespeare and Palamedes. Which side is the right side to be on when the end of the world draws near? Even Machiavelli (one of my favorite characters) begins to wonder whether he' truly has it all figured out, or whether he's just as much of a pawn as the humani he so carelessly discarded over the course of his immortality. There are also distinct character changes in this book, or rather, revisions of the way some of the characters are perceived by the reader as we are given new insights and additional information through minor characters and through the shift in Josh's perceptions. Perenelle, for example, comes across as extremely frigid and non-maternal, particularly through her underlying intent to save the humani race at any cost. Will she sacrifice Josh and Sophie if it means saving the world? Are the Flamels truly any better than Dee? Are both sides so intrinsically linked in their self-righteousness that they're both completely off base? Scatty, the Flamels, Dee, and Machiavelli all take (arguably) minor roles in this book, and the slow and inevitable rise of the world's most powerful Elders and Archons are falling into place. In the next book, however, we are promised a culmination of "the champions of the humani," splitting plot points and diverging characters who have spent most of the books together on very different journies. I'm also wondering if Scatty's intriguing sister, Aoife, will be reappearing somewhere down the line. Overall, an enthralling read, with tons of significant character development for some, and promising plot points to come!

The book was full of action. Plots and subplots. Exciting tales and many twists and turns. Can't wait to start the new book😀 It

Increasing the collection

The Necromancer is a great 4th installment to The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Series. It has a different feel from the first three, but it is truly a book of discovery and understanding. At a point in the series where none of the characters are having a good day, we find a sense of urgency of both sides the dark elders and the supporters of the humani, looking for a means to the end. We see the twins being pulled in several directions, and many of the characters desperate attempts to further their causes, and save their own skins. There are many shocks and surprises throughout this fast paced story, including many new fun and interesting characters as well as the return of many of our old favorites, and some intriguing peeks into the past. This series is a must read for YA lit and magic/fantasy enthusiasts, and The Necromancer is certainly a fitting addition to The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series.