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The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
Unavailable
The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
Unavailable
The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
Audiobook11 hours

The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

Written by Michael Scott

Narrated by Erik Singer

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Nicholas Flamel appeared in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter-but did you know he really lived? And he might still be alive today! Discover the truth in Michael Scott's New York Times bestselling series the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel in The Magician, book two.

After fleeing Ojai, Nicholas, Sophie, Josh, and Scatty emerge in Paris, the City of Lights. Home for Nicholas Flamel. Only this homecoming is anything but sweet. Perenell is still locked up back in Alcatraz and Paris is teeming with enemies. Nicollo Machiavelli, immortal author and celebrated art collector, is working for Dee. He' s after them, and time is running out for Nicholas and Perenell. For every day spent without the Book of Abraham the Mage, they age one year-their magic becoming weaker and their bodies more frail. For Flamel, the Prophesy is becoming more and more clear.

It's time for Sophie to learn the second elemental magic: Fire Magic. And there' s only one man who can teach it to her: Flamel's old student, the Comte de Saint-Germain-alchemist, magician, and rock star. Josh and Sophie Newman are the world's only hope-if they don't turn on each other first.

Read the whole series!
The Alchemyst
The Magician
The Sorceress
The Necromancer
The Warlock
The Enchantress

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJun 24, 2008
ISBN9780739364925
Unavailable
The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
Author

Michael Scott

Michael Scott, OBE, is a writer and broadcaster with a training in botany and education, and a special interest in Scottish mountain flowers. He has run many adult education classes on wild flowers and leads natural history courses and study tours. He is Scottish Officer of the conservation charity Plantlife and edits Scottish Environment News.

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Reviews for The Magician

Rating: 4.071756618828933 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another fine example of young adult literature by Michael Scott, “The Magician” brings more memorable characters from history into the thrilling pages of the second book in the “Secrets of Nicholas Flamel” series. Now that Sophie’s been Awakened and learned the magic of air, she must continue her training with the magic of fire. Her brother Josh, ever envious of her abilities continues to wonder about his own powers, and if they can be Awakened too. A page-turner I couldn’t put down, I highly recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction or fantasy.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really like this book because it is never boring. In the beginning, Sophie and Josh have completely changed in less than a week. They are wishing they were back home more than anything. In The book, Perenelle (Perry) is trapped on alcatraz with monsters right out of your worst nightmare and a sphinx roaming the hallways. Aso, Sophie and Josh have learned that Nicolas Flamel's book, the codex has a prophecy about them! In thIs book, Sophie learns the magis of fire and Josh is awakened. (Mya)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is an improvement upon the first book. The characters start to develop more interesting personalities and more complex/intriguing characters are introduced. I fail to see *why* Sophie and Josh are in any way special other than the narrator and other characters *tell* us they are. But maybe someday the two will actually grow into their own.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Great! Like Book One of the Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series, this is an action-packed book. It is the very definition of a page-turner because each chapter ends on a nail-biting cliffhanger, but then switches to another setting and/or point-of-view to follow a different character, creating constant tension. The pace does get a little tiring, however, and sometimes I wished the author would linger when all he does is rush me along to the next plot twist. The characters are richly conceived, although sometimes they do, say, or think things that I found befuddling because there isn't much logic to it.

    That all said, I have already requested book #3 from my local library.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Great sequel. Worth reading.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is just as fun and interesting as the first book of the series. Lots of action, mythology, history and geography. Looking forward to The Sorceress!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I was very impressed by the character development arc that Sophie and Josh went through in this part of the story. They are having to mature very quickly to keep up with what is going on around them, which is very accurate for times of upheaval in life. I was also impressed by the handling of Mars. This book is one that fantasy lovers should include in their to-read or to-listen lists.

    The story is woven in such a way that the large cast of creatures is not overwhelming yet still paints how wide the world is. I greatly enjoy the way the different creatures and beings are interwoven and introduced.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Twins, Sophie and Josh Newman, Nicholas Flamel and the warrior Scatty barely escape California alive and flee to Paris. There they are pursued by Niccolo Machiavelli, another immortal, who wishes to capture them and return the Dark Elders to power. While seeking refuge with one of Flamel's old apprentices, Josh and Sophie meet another legend as Sophie tries to learn to control her new powers. But time is running out, quite literally, for Nicholas and his wife as each day they spend without the book of Abraham the Mage, they are rapidly aging.

    I'm quite surprised at how much I am enjoying these books. They are quick reads but lots of fun while reading them. I have no problems believing the plot (even though ancient gods and goddesses walking the earth stretches the imagination). Again, I liken these books to the Percy Jackson series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    great series to share with Abby
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This series is growing greatly on me. I'm itching to read the 3rd book!! This is a great series in learning about the mythological gods and historical places of famous countries. I look forward to knowing what is to come of the Twins.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Like the first book in this series, this one was just okay. Almost all of it was less-than-exciting, but at the very end it was actually quite suspenseful and that surprised me. This book is okay for a fantasy novel, but it certainly isn't written as well as I think a novel about Nicholas Flamel should be.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    So now that I have finished the series I feel it is better to review the series. I hate starting a series with a great book but then it all goes downhill from there. I want to know if the series is worth reading. Never fear, no spoilers in here. I enjoyed the first few books and found the characters to be well developed and likeable. There were a few books in the middle of the series that were less than stellar. They were not horrible but sometimes the books mid story can get a bit slow and these did. The author did a nice job ending the series though. The final books are surprising and fast paced. I enjoyed this series and would recommend it to fantasy/mythology lovers from preteen through adult.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Loved the introduction of Joan and Germaine.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is the second in the series of "The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel". I enjoyed the first one ("The Alchemist") but I liked this one even more. Practically every chapter is a cliffhanger, so it's hard to put the book down!

    As in the first volume, the author weaves together figures from many different mythologies and incorporates a variety of historical figures, bringing them into the 20th century in a very creative and imaginative way. The characters are believable, and have a certain depth to them that keeps them from being too predictable. Personally, I might take issue in part with the way he presents one of the characters introduced in this book, who is also considered a saint by the Catholic Church. Nonetheless, it's not a major point and I did not find it offensive. That opens a whole can of worms (the interface between religion, history, and fantasy literature) that I won't deal with in depth here. Given the genre and the audience, I think it is a legitimate creative license, although I would have preferred it to be done slightly differently.

    As a priest, I am happy to say that - besides the issue of magic and sorcery, which merits a more in-depth and nuanced treatment and which is a debate which affects almost all fantasy literature - I did not find anything in this book which was morally ambiguous or problematic. I can recall no objectionable language, sexual immorality, etc. - not even implied. Even the humor is practically never of the "gross-out" kind that could bother some readers (the closest it gets is only one brief conversation about coprolites). The same was true of the first book, and hopefully will be true of the rest of the series.

    "The Magician" is very much a part of a series; it won't make sense to you if you haven't read the first book, and the ending isn't really a conclusion. I am finding this book to be like good snack food - you can't read one without an almost uncontrollable urge to read more.

    For my opinion on more general issues regarding the style and content of the series, read my review about the first book (not yet written as I post this review, but I hope to have it done soon).
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    fast paced. its easy to see perceptions can be so different even when two people see the same thing. its true every one sees something different.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    One heck of a take on Nicolas Flamel and the feisty Perenelle
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I kind of wish I could give this a 3.5, or that I could rate the story and the narration separately. I read the first novel, and it was pretty decent. It was fun, but not all that as far as being literature. I borrowed the audiobook from the library as a bit of brain candy. The narration totally made this volume! The story was good, and the narration lent wonderful depth and subtlty.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    As much fun as the first book! Reading them so close together, parts were a little repetitive, but I care about and am interested in the characters. 
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Another really good book from Mr. Scott. I really like how he weaves different creatures from many different mythologies into the storyline, and it always sounds plausible, and not 'I threw this creature in here because I know all about it, aren't I intelligent?' I found myself unable to stop reading until I really, really had to be somewhere else or doing something else. So, it didn';t surprise me that I finished it in a couple days. Now I need to get the next book, which has just recently come out.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I still really like this series. I enjoy all the different mythologies and historical characters the author works in. It took me a lot longer than I wanted to get around to reading it, but I'm happy because book 3 is out and now I can read it right away.

    (Also, I have to admit, I laugh every time I read the author's name because I imagine Michael Scott from the Office writing the book. If I hadn't read the first book on audio, I imagine Steve Carrell's voice would be the "reader" in my head.)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Continuing right where The Alchemyst left off, Michael Scott’s The Magician increases the action, adds some fantastic new characters, and left me desperate for more. The second book in his “The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel” series, The Magician continues the tale of twins Sophie and Josh as they follow Nicholas Flamel around the world to Awaken their powers and stop the return of the Dark Elders. From the heights of Notre Dame to the Catacombs of Paris, this young adult paranormal/adventure story spreads magic throughout the City of Light.

    Sequels should expand on the worlds introduced in previous books, and Scott does an admirable job here by adding new historical figures as both friends and foes. He also keeps Perenelle separated from her beloved Nicholas by placing her on Alcatraz Island with her own battles to fight. As the action switches between Nicholas, Scatty and the twins in Paris and Perenelle on Alcatraz, the countdown to the Flamels’ final demise is accelerating. Every day is a race against time to Awaken and train the twins before Nicholas and Perenelle are gone forever.

    There is nowhere else to start but with my favorite new character – the infamous Niccolò Machiavelli, author of one of the most influential books on leadership, The Prince, which argues that deception and lies are absolutely necessary for those in power. Not surprisingly, Machiavelli works for the Dark Elders who have ordered him to assist Dr. John Dee with capturing Flamel and the twins to obtain the final pages of the Codex that they have in their possession. I thoroughly enjoyed the smooth machinations of Machiavelli, and found him to be such an interesting character – intelligent, dangerous and a REALLY bad driver. He is easily the most well-rounded and intriguing character introduced in The Magician.

    Assisting Nicholas and the twins are two other historical figures, the Comte de Saint-Germain and his lovely wife, Joan. The first is a former student of Nicholas while the latter is an old associate of Scatty’s. The flamboyance of Saint-Germain’s rock star persona (voted MTV Newcomer of the Year!) is off-set beautifully by the calm, quiet presence of Joan, and the two of them are a romantic team. Perenelle, in the meantime, is not without friends and foes of her own as she tries to escape Alcatraz. With the ghost of Juan Manuel de Ayala (the sailor who discovered Alcatraz) by her side, Perenelle has to deal with the legendary Sphinx, the return of the Crow Goddess, and a member of the Elder Race also trapped on Alcatraz by Dee – the ancient spider Areop-Enap. All of these characters bring so much color and excitement that the story just races along.

    Something I particularly admire about this series is how strong the female characters are. There are no damsels in distress and everyone – on both sides – agrees that the most powerful and dangerous character of all is Perenelle. No one wants to go up against her unless they absolutely have to, and when they try disasters can occur – apparently Mt. Etna erupted due to a battle between Machiavelli and Perenelle that left her as fresh as a daisy and him on the point of collapse. With Scatty as the ultimate warrior, Joan as an ancient leader of armies, and Sophie empowered with all the knowledge thrust upon her by the Witch of Endor, no female in this series is the be trifled with. It is wonderfully empowering.

    Almost a character itself is the city of Paris. Historical sites abound, with the Eiffel Tower, the church of Sacre-Coeur, and Notre Dame cathedral all making an appearance. Even the original home of Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel shows up, as Nicholas retrieves an ancient weapon hidden there that becomes a major player in the hands of Josh – Excalibur’s twin, the sword Clarent. But most fascinating of all are the sewers and Catacombs of Paris where an extremely powerful Elder is entombed – Mars, the god of war. I won’t say much about this section of the book because I don’t want to spoil anything, but it highlights a part of Paris seldom seen. In fact, Michael Scott’s “Author’s Note” for The Magician provides an overview of these historic depths that made me want to race right over to Paris and check them out for myself. With the major events that occur in the Catacombs and an explosive finale at Notre Dame, I was left with no choice but to buy book three, The Sorceress, to find out what happens next.

    In Michael Scott’s YA paranormal/adventure The Magician, magic and Machiavelli meet in an explosive fashion. With its lively pace, fascinating twists on historic characters, and plenty of action, this series geared to the middle-grade crowd has more than enough to keep adults entertained as well.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Book 2 of the series. I think I like this book better than the first. Overall the series is fantastic and enthralling and I'm already starting the third book. It may seem like a young adult series (and it is) but the writing and the plot is so good. I think it deserves to be up there with Harry Potter. For any fan of fantasy and mythology and history, i recommend this series.

    On to book 3!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked the second book better than the first. The only complaint I have is that a storyline would get very exciting and then we'd jump over to the other storyline. That's always a pet peeve of mine.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book takes place immediately after the end of The Alchemyst, and once again finds Josh, Sophie, Flamel and Scatty on the run for their lives. Admittedly, some of the details about the first half of this book have escaped me, because I started reading it in May 2011 and just now picked it up again a week or so ago. This should probably tell you that I wasn't completely enamored with it.Personally speaking, I didn't find this book quite as enjoyable as the first one. Much of this had to do with the constant non-stop action (which is to be expected, considering that each of these books takes place in one to two days) and also Josh's feelings towards Flamel and his jealousy over Sophie's abilities. I did like the introduction of Joan and absolutely loved Saint-Germain, but am finding myself getting really tired of Josh's constant sureness that Flamel isn't to be trusted regardless of what others' opinions are of him. I also cannot understand why on earth he'd think that Dee is to be trusted. I am not sure what to think about Machiavelli; I like that he doesn't like Dee, but he's also not exactly a great guy himself, especially at the end of the book. I will be interested to see what ultimately becomes of him and his decisions, especially since the Elder we meet in this book (no names to avoid spoilers) also cannot decide what to think of him. I fear for Josh and the debt he's going to have to pay, and also the fact that I am fairly certain he's going to end up siding with Dee. I did like that we got to see more of Perenelle, though. Talk about a fierce female character!I am going to continue on with this series only because I own the other books in the series (of which six have been released). I fear that I am not going to like how many of them turn out, though, which is a shame since I really enjoyed the first one a lot.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the second installment of the adventures of Josh and Sophie Newman who are the prophesied twins who are to save the Earth from the Dark Elders who are basically a group of evil immortals trying to take over the world and enslave mankind.Sophie in the first book was awakened to her powers and immediately fled with her brother, Nicholas Flamel, and a vampire Warrior guardian Scathach where this book starts in Paris.Flamel with his wife, Perenelle, lived in Paris centuries before but modern day Paris is quite different leading to difficulties for the quartet that are fleeing from the evil Machiavelli and Dr. Dee. Perenelle is already being held captive on Alcatraz and they must save her before Flamel and she age beyond the immortal elixir's magic. In Paris, Flamel meets up with Comte deSaint-Germain, an immortal alchemist of his past and he with his wife, Joan of Arc, teach Sophie the powers of Fire Magic.As the adventures progress and Josh learns of his powers, the battle between good and evil rages. Will the twins learn enough in time to save the world and their friends?What a fun series, and my young friend and I will definitely have fun discussing these adventures. Definitely a series for family entertainment.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An okay read, but really I had several issues with this book. Firstly, this immortal guy runs off to Paris with NO PLAN? What's Up with That?I don't like heroes who can do no wrong, and never lose, but at the same time I want them to have a clue. I felt as if throughout most of this book, no one had a clue. And don't get me started on the incompetent bad guys. I suppose it's a good thing they are incompetent since they can't wreck the world, but still... Worst of all, this book does the genius of Niccolo Machiavelli a deep and abiding wrong! ;-}
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I nearly enjoyed this novel more than its predecessor, The Alchemyst. Josh and Sophie's adventures into the world of immortals continue and some new figures come into play, in particular the immortal Machiavelli, whose rivalry with Dr. John Dee spices up the dialog. In addition, Josh and Sophie encounter an immortal Joan of Arc and a few less well-known figures. The fate of some characters is unknown at the novel's conclusion, making me want to jump directly into the sequel.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I love how it combines myth, magic, and modern life. The idea of historical characters becoming immortal is cool and I will definitely read the entire series. Not crazy about the writing style, but the characters and plot make up for it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The second book in Scott's Nicholas Flamel series, this picks right up where The Alchemyst left off. Immortal Nicholas, warrior Scathach and twins Sophie and Josh have escaped through a leygate to Paris, leaving Dr John Dee thwarted and fuming in San Francisco. Unfortunately for the exhausted group, Dee's fellow servant of the Dark Elders, Niccolò Machiavelli, is currently ruling the politics and police of Paris, and he's all too willing to join forces with his old rival to further their mutual goal of returning the Elders to power. Meanwhile, Flamel's wife Perenelle is still imprisoned on Alcatraz, guarded by a fearsome sphinx - will she escape and rejoin her husband? Will Sophie learn the next elemental magic she needs to survive, and will Josh's own magical ability finally be Awakened?This is the next installment in what promises to be an epic battle between good and evil, set against a complex backdrop of myth and magic. It is fast paced and enthralling reading, the likes of which I haven't experienced since the Harry Potter phenomenon took flight. The places are genuine (for instance, this book takes us into the macabre Catacombs of Paris) and the characters are fascinating figures from history and legend, which added even more interest and sent me rushing off to the computer a few times to find out more. Joining Machiavelli as a new face in this installment, for instance, are the Comte de Saint-Germain, Joan of Arc, the Valkyries and Mars, God of War. That's quite a cast! I found it gratifying that few of the characters are entirely good or bad, and enjoyed seeing how the good characters' darker sides manifested themselves, and how the villains unexpectedly allowed their humanity to shine through every once in a while. It is that uncertainty that proves all the more gripping as the battle rages on. All in all, fantastic stuff - I couldn't put the book down and I think this is going to be one of those series I never want to end!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Very enjoyable and fast read about the Elder Gods, the Immortals, Magicians, Alchemists and more.