The Sorceress
(Libby/OverDrive eAudiobook)

This third volume of The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series continues the adventures of Josh and Sophie amid a sea of immortal mythical and historical figures. As the twins continue to dodge the evil machinations of John Dee and Niccolò Machiavelli, newcomers Billy the Kid, William Shakespeare, and a rather insane Gilgamesh all make appearances. The intricacy of weaving so many legends into one complicated contemporary conglomerate is a fascinating juggling act, though plot is sometimes sacrificed for simply piling on new characters which leads to some narrative bloat. Immersively imagined, this series remains a great choice to fill the post-Potter vacuum.--Chipman, Ian Copyright 2009 Booklist

Gr 6-10-The third book takes up immediately where The Magician (Delacorte, 2008) left off, and the events described occur over the course of a week. Having fled a destroyed Paris, Nicolas Flamel and the twins are now in England with their every move being tracked by John Dee, the Dark Elders, and their denizens, who are now convinced that Sophie and Josh are the twins of legend. In the meantime, Flamel's wife, Perenelle, the titular sorceress, is attempting to escape Alcatraz. Joined first by the knight Palamedes, and then by William Shakespeare, Flamel and the children try to stay ahead of their pursuers in an attempt to reach Stonehenge, where they hope to find a gate that will allow them to get to San Francisco. In the midst of evading pursuit, Josh finally gets the knowledge of an elemental power, Water Magic, from the insane Elder Gilgamesh, which, of course, conveniently becomes valuable. The chase and escape plots are rather thin and highlight the fact that this series feels bloated, and probably doesn't need the six long volumes the author is planning to tell the story. The inclusion of historical characters such as Shakespeare and Billy the Kid seems primarily a gimmick, and these two characters in particular feel oddly anachronistic. This book is a must-read for fans of the series, but even they will tire if the author doesn't get to the point with reasonable dispatch.-Tim Wadham, St. Louis County Library, MO (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In this third Nicholas Flamel book, Paris is in ruins, and mustache-twirling Dee is still hunting Nicholas and twins Sophie and Josh. To fulfill the prophecy, Flamel must shuttle the twins to insane Gilgamesh for water-magic training. Though point of view continues to be confusing, readers will be rewarded by the story's complex plot, including thrilling escapes and ancient legends. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

Weaving yet more figures from history and myth into the third of his six-volume fantasy, Scott whisks teenage twins Sophie and Josh to London, the stronghold of archnemesis John Dee, for an encounter with Gilgamesha half-senile street bum in this era but a master of Water Magic and the oldest human immortal of them all. The twins feel their ways into new powers in the course of a running battle toward (where else?) Stonehenge with the Horned God, the Wild Hunt and other foes. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, their guardian Flamel's gifted wife Pernelle survives clouds of poisonous insects and attacks from the octopus-legged Old Man of the Sea to escape from Alcatraz Island. Master yarnspinner that he is, Scott expertly cranks up the suspense while keeping his now-large cast in quick motion. He also continues to blur the line between the two sides, injecting notes of ambiguity that will leave readers wondering. Ending in a welter of revelations, reunions and unresolved plotlines, this page-turner promises plenty of action to come. (Fantasy. 11-13) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

This third volume of The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series continues the adventures of Josh and Sophie amid a sea of immortal mythical and historical figures. As the twins continue to dodge the evil machinations of John Dee and Niccolò Machiavelli, newcomers Billy the Kid, William Shakespeare, and a rather insane Gilgamesh all make appearances. The intricacy of weaving so many legends into one complicated contemporary conglomerate is a fascinating juggling act, though plot is sometimes sacrificed for simply piling on new characters—which leads to some narrative bloat. Immersively imagined, this series remains a great choice to fill the post-Potter vacuum. Copyright 2009 Booklist Reviews.

Gr 6-10–The third book takes up immediately where The Magician (Delacorte, 2008) left off, and the events described occur over the course of a week. Having fled a destroyed Paris, Nicolas Flamel and the twins are now in England with their every move being tracked by John Dee, the Dark Elders, and their denizens, who are now convinced that Sophie and Josh are the twins of legend. In the meantime, Flamel's wife, Perenelle, the titular sorceress, is attempting to escape Alcatraz. Joined first by the knight Palamedes, and then by William Shakespeare, Flamel and the children try to stay ahead of their pursuers in an attempt to reach Stonehenge, where they hope to find a gate that will allow them to get to San Francisco. In the midst of evading pursuit, Josh finally gets the knowledge of an elemental power, Water Magic, from the insane Elder Gilgamesh, which, of course, conveniently becomes valuable. The chase and escape plots are rather thin and highlight the fact that this series feels bloated, and probably doesn't need the six long volumes the author is planning to tell the story. The inclusion of historical characters such as Shakespeare and Billy the Kid seems primarily a gimmick, and these two characters in particular feel oddly anachronistic. This book is a must-read for fans of the series, but even they will tire if the author doesn't get to the point with reasonable dispatch.–Tim Wadham, St. Louis County Library, MO