the magician
this is a good book, delivered well by amazon.punctual time delivery, and it's a very good service from amazon.com

not only for my daughter
I bought the first part of the series "The Alchemist" for my 13 year old daughter. We loved it so much that I have purchased "The Magician", and... hid it away from her, so I could read it first. It is a great, imaginative story with lots of twist and turns. Each chapter delivers another great adventure and ends with unexpected suspension . But - and this is why I really liked it for my daughter - all of the action discreetly TEACHES. Michael Scott is not only a great writer but also acknowledged scholar of legends, history, ancient gods and goddesses, hence all imaginative characters in the book are somehow "real". What a great way to introduce 13-year old to ancient history, religion.
And to top it all, the story is delivered without the dark gore, bloody mess and age inappropriate content. Just one may hope that Hollywood will not convert this great and captivating story into another gruesome movie...

great sequel
I enjoyed this fast reading sequel as much as the first book...cant wait for the next.

Can't wait for the next one!
Both this book and The Alchemyst are fantastic! I loved them and highly recommend them both to people of all ages!

Thrilling story for lovers of magic & mythology
As the action in this sequel to The Alchemyst begins, the immortal Nicholas Flamel, the twins Sophie and Josh, and the ancient but young-looking Scathach have escaped the devastation and danger in Ojai for Paris, arriving instantaneously through a leygate located in the Witch of Endor's house. They soon join up with another immortal, the Fire Master and rock star Saint-Germain. But Niccolo Machiavelli, soon to be joined by the evil magician Dr. John Dee, is in relentless pursuit of them. Meanwhile, Nicholas' wife, Perenelle, is imprisoned by Dee in Alcatraz.

Like the first book, this one is a first-rate fantastical, magical thriller, filled with nonstop action and mythological references from diverse cultures. In addition to being enthralled by the story itself, readers can use it as a starting point for learning more about these characters of myth, such as Nidhogg, the Valkyries, the Celtic warrior maiden Scathach, Mars, the spider Elder Areop-Enap, Dagon, plus legendary artifacts like the swords Excalibur and Clarent. And then there are the historical characters: Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel, John Dee, Niccolo Machiavelli, the Comte de Saint-Germain, and Joan of Arc.

It seems to me that a great deal of today's best fantasy is being written for middle-grade and young-adult readers, and these wonderful books shouldn't be missed by grown-ups who love a good, fast-paced fantasy thriller written by someone with a thorough knowledge of mythology and folklore. I also recommend this series to those who enjoy Brandon Mull's Fablehaven books. We are really fortunate to have two such fun, imaginative fantasy series appearing at the same time.