Magic in the (post) modern world: A review of The Alchemyst, by Michael Scott
I was first introduced to the concept of magic and fantasy through the Harry Potter series; the books were first published when I was born, and the sequels were released as I grew older. My father, too, is an avid reader, and encouraged me into that habit — indeed, Harry Potter was the first full-length novel I read (excluding the Enid Blytons). My first taste of literature is from fantasy and has greatly influenced my future reading preferences. Though I do enjoy books from any genre, fantastical works hold a special place in my heart, as that’s where it all began.
Michael Scott does a good job of introducing magic into the contemporary world, beginning with an already-established character (popularized in the Harry Potter series) to start off an epic adventure. The character, Nicholas Flamel, does have a presence in the real world — there are reports of a ‘Nicholas Flamel’ and ‘Perenelle Flamel’ in Paris in the 14th century, with Nicholas being a popular alchemist, who’s writing has still survived to the present day. The historic moments mentioned in the novel all revolve around real-life events, with magic being used to tie the narrative together.
The series revolves around the famed alchemist Nicholas Flamel, well-known for his creation of the Philosopher’s Stone, granting him and his wife (Perenelle Flamel) immortality for the past six centuries or so.
The modern fantasy genre first arose in the twentieth century, and was greatly influenced by Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, which basically established the subgenre of ‘epic fantasy’. Before Tolkien, modern fantasy arose to popularity thanks to the publication of magazines that were devoted to fantasy fiction; during this time, fantasy and science fiction were closely woven together, and many prominent authors began their careers with such magazines (like Ray Bradbury, for instance). Tolkien’s work, however, pushed fantasy into mainstream media, and allowed fantasy to become a marketable genre, furthering its popularity.
As the genre matured, fantasy and science fiction have been split into two separate categories — fantasy themes explore places and situations that are not possible in this world, and break boundaries set by natural laws; Tolkien’s work can never take place in this world, no matter how advanced technology gets. Science fiction, on the other hand, is potentially feasible, and can possibly occur with sufficient advances in technology. For example, works that are set in space, like Dune or Star Wars, are potentially possible, if we develop the technology required.
The first book in this series combines two forms of fantasy, and begins with an intrusive form of fantasy — in the first few chapters, the protagonists (twins, named Josh and Sophie) witness strange, inexplicable events in the ‘real’ world, at each of their workplaces. Intrusive fantasy is when the fantastical world literally interrupts normal, everyday life; the style is dependent on description and explanation, and the protagonists’ first engagement with fantastical elements is when their everyday life is disrupted by it. The story then progresses into a ‘portal’-style fantasy, with the protagonists entering the fantasy realm through a particular portal. For example, in the Alchemyst, Nicholas Flamel takes the twins into a ShadowRealm, the home of the Elder Gods — this realm can only be entered by a specific pathway, where the path works as a portal into the magical world.
The novel follows the typical narrative themes of the fantasy genre — the overarching theme is of good versus evil, where Nicholas Flamel and his allies are the ‘good’ side, the team that wants to protect the Earth from the rampage of the elder gods, and Dr John Dee and his allies are the ‘bad’ or ‘evil’ side, who want to destroy humanity. The villains aim to achieve their goal by using the book of Abraham the Mage, which promises untold power and prophecises the end of the world itself. The ‘hero’s journey’, too, is heavily featured in the novel, as Sophie and Josh must both undergo massive transformations to achieve their full potential. The first book, however, takes a brief step into Sophie’s transformation; by the end of the novel, her journey is still incomplete, and Josh’s has not even begun. Similar to other fantasy books, the twins are reluctant to assume their heroic roles (analogous to Frodo reluctantly bearing the burden of the Ring), and the journey is painful, confusing, and long-drawn.
The first book focuses on four key characters, namely, Nicholas Flamel, Sophie and Josh Newman, and John Dee. Beginning with a magical battle between Nicholas Flamel and Dr Dee at Josh’s workplace (Flamel’s bookstore), Dr Dee is able to retrieve the powerful book, but Josh is able to rip the last two pages, rendering the work incomplete. Sophie, too, is taken along when she notices the commotion within the bookstore (she works across the street). The two are then hidden away by Flamel — once Dee notices that Josh has ripped the pages out, he will be out for blood. The story shifts from one of protection to a quest for power, as Flamel realises that the twins are special, and might be the prophecised twins that could either save the world or destroy it. Along the way, the immortal Flamel introduces the twins to various Elder Gods, recruiting one Scathach, an ancient warrior, to accompany him. The first realm they visit belongs to Hekate, the Goddess with Three Faces. Dee, on the other hand, reports back to his master, an Elder God named the Morrigan. The duo also works with Bastet, another Elder God (yes, the Egyptian god of cats). Though Hekate does try to protect the twins from Dee, she is unable to withstand the onslaught brought by Bastet and the Morrigan’s combined forces, and her (along with her realm) perish after the battle. While they were in hiding, Hekate was able to Awaken Sophie (activating her magical potential, and setting her on her magical journey), but was unable to do the same for Josh before the battle. Here, the twins are separated for the first time, introducing a new source of conflict in the story. Josh now has feelings of uncertainty and loneliness, exacerbated by Sophie’s extraordinary talents and abilities that she slowly learns to deal with. The four (Flamel, Scathach, Sophie, and Josh) travel to another Elder God’s realm, the Witch of Endor, to try and Awaken Josh. However, on arrival, Dee summons an army of the dead, and attempts to persuade Josh by planting seeds of doubt against Flamel and his motives. At the last moment, however, the four of them step through a portal to another city, leaving Dee to deal with the wreckage.
One key difference in this work, from Harry Potter, is the use of magic itself. There is no exterior item that is required to channel energy (like a wand), but magic can be generated by the self, without any external requirements. Indeed, every single person has the potential to channel their powers (reflected in their auras), and human beings require training to be able to access their magical abilities. Josh and Sophie, despite being ordinary and human, possess powerful, singular auras that can be channelled into magical acts and feats. The way magic works is more interesting and is explored in-depth in the series, thanks in part to the protagonists being ‘ordinary’ humans before the adventure began. Experiencing magic through the eyes of the twins grants the reader with unique access into the magical world, and allows the author to explain the rules and regulations of the world without being cumbersome. For example, those with strong auras are able to harness energy from their aura to fuel their magic — those with single colours in their aura are more powerful than those with a mix of colours. Different from the Harry Potter universe, where external items were required, magic here can be channelled through the body and is accessible by those from the non-magical population. The first novel also delves into human history, using Elder Gods and immortal figures to explain major historical events.
The series ends on a cliffhanger, with the four of them escaping to Paris, while the Witch of Endor destroys the portal to prevent Dr Dee from stepping through. The story is assumed to pick up in Paris, where Josh must now be Awakened, in order to ensure the team’s (and the world’s) continued survival.
The first novel, in my opinion, is quite exciting! The story is quite fresh — it’s set in the contemporary world, making it easy to relate to, and the consistent comparisons to actual events in human history adds an air of mystery to the work, that keeps it interesting. The novel is quick and fast-paced, yet still doles out relevant details to the story, so the reader isn’t lost or confused. Ending on a cliffhanger (surprise, surprise), the next book in the series promises to be as exciting (or so we hope).
References:
Scott, Michael. The Alchemyst. Random House Publishing. 2007. Print.
Robin, John. “Crossing genres: Exploring the different aspects of fantasy fiction”. Wordpress.com. Wordpress. September 3, 2016. https://epicfantasywriter.wordpress.com/2016/09/03/crossing-genres-exploring-the-different-aspects-of-fantasy-fiction/
Masterclass. “What Is the Fantasy Genre? History of Fantasy and Subgenres and Types of Fantasy in Literature.” Masterclass.com. July 2, 2019. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-the-fantasy-genre-history-of-fantasy-and-subgenres-and-types-of-fantasy-in-literature#quiz-0
