Arrianne's Corner: Book Corner # 6 – The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel Series by Michael Scott

In this page, we will be discussing one of my favorite Fantasy Series : The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel.

There are several reasons this series is in my short list of favorite books. One: the plots and the story lines for The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel series are well written and very well planned with a deep research of places, myth and history related to the story settings, so sometimes the story feels like happens in reality, not just some fantasy. Two: all the characters in the book (except for the teenage twin Josh and Sophie Newman) are inspired based on an actual real life historical figure or myth lives a few hundreds of years ago. Michael Scott really done a great job and didn’t disappoint pouring out his research in the series. Reason number Three: the mythology use in the series also vary from all over the world like Egypt mythology, Celtic and Irish mythology, Roman mythology, Cental and South American mythology, and even the Eastern mythology. And the last Reason : is that almost all the places mention in the series (except for Danu Talis or any Shadow realm) are based on real places, so it feels like we as reader also joining in the journey along with the Characters in the books. With so much effort put in research by the Author, Michael Scott, no wonder that this Fantasy Series feels so real.

There are 6 books in total in the series, plus another 2 short stories, only available in e-Book editions. It is best to read all the books in their order to get the best experience in The Alchemyst’s universe. And this book is suitable for all ages. So without any further ado, here is the list of the books in the series in sequence order and my reviews. I will try my best not to give you any spoilers and keep my reviews short, so you could enjoy the books and it surprises like I do….

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Kali ini aku akan membahas salah satu Serial Fantasy favoritku : The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel.

Ada beberapa alasan yang menjadikan Serial ini termasuk dalam daftar pendek buku favoritku. Alasan Pertama : jalan cerita dan plot dalam serial The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel ditulis dengan sangat baik dan direncanakan dengan sangat baik dengan didukung riset menyeluruh untuk lokasi cerita, mitos dan sejarah yang berhubungan dengan jalan ceritanya, sehingga mendapat kesan bahwa ini cerita yang terjadi di alam nyata, bukan hanya merupakan fantasy. Alasan Kedua : semua karakter tokoh yang ada di dalam buku ini (kecuali remaja kembar Josh dan Sophie Newman) terinspirasi dari tokoh nyata dari sejarah di dunia nyata atau diambil dari mitos yang sudah ada dari sejak berates-ratus tahun yang lalu. Pengarangnya, Michael Scott benar-benar serius melakukan penelitiannya dan hasilnya sangat tidak mengecewakan. Alasan Ketiga : Mythology yang ada dalam serial ini berasal dari berbagai tempat di seluruh dunia, seperti Mythology dari Mesir, Celtic dan Irlandia, Roma, Amerika Tengah dan Amerika Selatan, dan bahkan yang berasal dari Asia Timur. Dan alasan yang terakhir adalah: hampir semua tempat yang menjadi latar belakang cerita dalam serial ini (kecuali Danu Talis atau dunia bayangan lainnya) merupakan tempat yang benar-benar ada secara nyata di dunia, jadi rasanya kita sebagai pembaca turut ikut serta dalam petualangan bersama para karakter di dalam buku tersebut. Jadi dengan begitu banyaknya dan seriusnya usaha yang dilakukan oleh pengarangnya, Michael Scott, tidak dapat diragukan lagi bahwa cerita Fantasy ini terasa sangat hidup dan nyata.

Total ada 6 buku dalam serial ini, ditambah 2 cerita pendek yang hanya tersedia dalam versi e-Book. Sangat disarankan untuk membaca buku-buku dalam serial ini sesuai urutannya untuk mendapatkan pengalaman terbaik di dalam dunia The Alchemyst. Serial ini cocok untuk segala umur. Jadi, berikut ini adalah urutan buku-bukunya besrta reviewnya. Aku akan usahakan sebaik mungkin agar tidak ada spoiler, supaya kalian bisa menikmati membaca serial ini sama seperti aku ….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book 1 : The Alchemyst {The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel}

First Published in Indonesia on June 2008 by Matahati

Paperback, 41 Chapters, 504 Pages (for Indonesian Edition)

Genre : Fantasy, Adventure, Teen Novel

Other books in the series : The Magician {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #2}, The Sorceress {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #3}, The Necromancer {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #4}, The Warlock {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #5}, The Enchantress {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #6}, Billy The Kid And The Vampyres Of Vegas {A Lost Story from The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel}, The Death Of Joan Of Arc {A Lost Story from The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel}.

The Truth : Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. The records shown that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty.

The Legend : Nicholas Flamel lives. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects – the Book of Abraham the Mage. It’s the most powerful book that has ever existed, and in the wrong hands, it will destroy the world.

Which is exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it.

Sometimes legends are true.

And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.

The Alchemyst tells a story about the adventure of Josh and Sophie Newman, twin brother and sister, in San Fransisco as they got caught up in the middle of a war of good versus evil between the famous Nicholas Flamel and his wife Perenelle with Dr. John Dee, agents of The Dark Elder who wants to destroy the world. It turns out that the twins are maybe the legendary twin mention in the prophecy written in the Book of Abraham the Mage, which Dr. John Dee and The Dark Elders are after for centuries, since the book is currently in the Flamels possession to protect. And with Perenelle captured by Dee, Nicholas together with Sophie and Josh must retreat and find allies to help them fight the powerful dark forces that after them.

Sets in San Francisco City and Ojai, California, Michael Scott brilliantly mix history and mythology to the modern world in The Alchemyst and make them blend together in the story effortlessly. He combines various history and myth from all over the world, from Egypt, Greek, Roman, Irish, France, etc. It is not difficult to imagine and get carried away in the awesome story that he was created. With fast paced and unpredictable story line, readers will be keep guessing what will gonna happens next, so boring while reading will be out of the questions. Only one word to describe The Alchemyst : Awesome!!! Can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Characters in The Alchemyst are as follows :

Sophie Newman : twin sister of Josh Newman, daughter of two archaeologists parents, has a Silver Aura.

Josh Newman : twin brother of Sophie Newman, son of two archaeologist parents, has a Gold Aura.

Nicholas Flamel : the most famous Alchemist of all time, the creator of Philosopher’s stone, an immortal, born in France in 1330, use the name Nick Fleming as an alias name while he and his wife are hiding at San Francisco.

Perenelle Flamel : Nicholas’ wife, ten years older than him, the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, a sorceress, use the name Perry Fleming as an alias name while she and her husband are hiding at San Francisco.

Dr. John Dee : agent of The Dark Elders, an immortal, former Court Magician during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in England, born in England in 1527.

Aunt Agnes : Sophie’s and Josh’s aunt, where the twins are staying while their parents working in Utah.

Scathach ‘Scatty’ : the Shadow and the a Warrior, one of the next generation Elder Race, has trained warriors and heroes for the past two thousand years.

Morrigan : The Crow Goddess from Irish Myth, one of the next generation Elder Race.

Macha and Badb : Morrigan’s sister.

Hekate : The Goddess With Three Faces, a First Generation of the Elder Race.

Bastet : The Egyptian Cat Goddess, a First Generation of The Elder Race.

Senuhet : works for Bastet.

The Witch of Endor : Scatty’s grandmother, use the name Dora Witcherly as an alias name, the Mistress of Air (one of Elemental Magic).

Rating for The Alchemyst is 9.5/10.

``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

The Alchemyst menceritakan petualangan Josh dan Sophie Newman, saudara kembar yang tinggal di San Fransisco, saat tanpa sengaja mereka terseret dalam peperangan antara kebaikan melawan kejahatan yang terjadi antara Nicholas Flamel yang terkenal dan istrinya Perenelle, dengan Dr. John Dee, agen dari Para Tetua Gelap yang mau menghancurkan dunia. Dan ternyata si Kembar mungkin merupakan Kembar Legendaris yang disebutkan dalam Ramalan yang ditulis dalam buku Abraham the Mage, yang dikejar oleh Dr. John Dee dan Para Tetua Gelap selama beberapa abad, buku yang saat ini berada dalam perlindungan pasangan Flamel. Dengan Perenelle yang tertangkap oleh Dee, Nicholas bersama dengan Sophie dan Josh harus pergi menyelamatkan diri serta mencari sekutu untuk membantu mereka dalam mengalahkan kekuatan jahat yang berbahaya yang mengejar mereka.

Berlatar belakang kota San Francisco dan Ojai, California, Michael Scott secara brilliant mencampur sejarah dengan mythology di dalam dunia modern dalam The Alchemyst dan semuanya bercampur dengan sangat baik. Michael Scott mencampur berbagai macam fakta sejarah dan mitos dari berbagai belahan dunia dari Mesir, Yunani, Roma, Irlandia dan Perancis. Sangat tidak sulit untuk dapat membayangkan dan terbawa dalam arus ceritanya. Dengan tempo bercerita yang cukup cepat dan jalan cerita yang tidak dapat ditebak, para pembaca akan tetap terus dibuat bertanya-tanya apa yang akan terjadi berikutnya, jadi rasa bosan tidak aka nada terasa saat membaca buku ini. Hanya ada beberapa kata untuk menggambarkan The Alchemyst : LUAR BIASA!!! Tidak sabar untuk menunggu kelanjutan kisahnya.

Adapun para tokoh dalam The Alchemyst adalah sebagai berikut :

Sophie Newman : saudari kembar dari Josh Newman, anak perempuan dari orang tua yang berprofesi sebagai archaeologists, mempunyai Aura Perak.

Josh Newman : saudara kembar Sophie Newman, anak laki-laki dari orang tua yang berprofesi sebagai archaeologist, mempunyai Aura Emas.

Nicholas Flamel : seorang Alchemist yang paling terkenal sepanjang masa, pencipta Philosopher’s stone, seorang Manusia Abadi, lahir di Perancis pada tahun 1330, menggunakan nama samara Nick Fleming ketika ia tinggal dan bersembunyi di San Francisco, pemilik toko buku tempat Josh bekerja.

Perenelle Flamel : istri Nicholas, 10 tahun lebih tua dari Nicholas, anak perempuan ketujuh dari anak perempuan ketujuh, seorang Sorceress, menggunakan nama samaran Perry Fleming saat ia tinggal dan bersembunyi di San Francisco.

Dr. John Dee : agen dari Para Tetua Gelap, seorang Manusia Abadi, sebelumnya bekerja sebagai penasihat Kerajaan pada masa pemerintahan Ratu Elizabeth I di Inggris, lahir di Inggris pada tahun 1527.

Aunt Agnes : bibi Sophie dan Josh, dimana si kembar dititipkan selama kedua orang tua mereka bekerja di Utah.

Scathach ‘Scatty’ : Sang Bayangan dan Sang Pejuang, salah satu Ras Tetua Generasi Selanjutnya, sudah melatih banyak pejuang dan pahlawan dalam legenda selama dua ribu tahun.

Morrigan : Sang Dewi Gagak dalam mitologi Irlandia, salah seorang Ras Tetua Generasi Selanjutnya.

Macha and Badb : para saudari perempuan Morrigan.

Hekate : Sang Dewi dengan Tiga Wajah, Ras Tetua generasi pertama.

Bastet : Sang Dewi Kucing dari Mesir kuno, Ras Tetua generasi pertama, salah satu Tetua Gelap.

Senuhet : bekerja untuk Bastet.

The Witch of Endor : nenek Scatty, penguasa sihir Udara (salah satu Sihir Elemental), menggunakan nama samaran Dora Witcherly ketika tinggal di Ojai.

Rating for The Alchemyst is 9.5/10.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book 2 : The Magician {The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel}

First Published in Indonesia on March 2009 by Matahati

Paperback Edition, 55 Chapters, 580 Pages (for Indonesian Edition)

Genre : Fantasy, Adventure, Teen

Other books in the series : The Alchemyst {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #1}, The Sorceress {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #3}, The Warlock {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #4}, The Necromancer {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #5}, The Enchantress {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #6}, Billy The Kid And The Vampyres Of Vegas {A Lost Story from The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel}, The Death Of Joan Of Arc {A Lost Story from The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel}.

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. Perenelle is still locked up back in Alcatraz and Paris is teeming with enemies. Niccolo Machiavelli, immortal author and celebrated art collector, is working for Dee. He’s after them, and time is running out for Nicholas and Perenelle. 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 Prophecy 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.

The Magician follows the adventure of Sophie and Josh Newman, alongside with Nicholas Flamel and Scatty the Warrior in Paris, France, after barely escaping from Dr. John Dee in Ojai, California. While Sophie’s power had been awaken and she got the training with one elemental magic – Air Magic, Josh’s power is still untouched. So now it is very urgent for them to find another Elder to awaken Josh’s power as soon as possible for the twins own protection. With Dr. John Dee teaming up with the famous Niccolò Machiavelli, the danger for Nicholas Flamel, Scatty, Sophie and Josh are getting higher and higher; so they must seek help from Comte de Saint-Germain and Joan of Arc in order to keep Josh and Sophie safe to live another day.

While The Alchemyst is clearly refering to Nicholas Flamel, it is clear that The Magician is referring to Dr. John Dee.

In The Magician, we get a glimpse of Dee’s background story, as well as we got introduced to new interesting characters like Niccolò Machiavelli, Comte de Saint-Germain and Joan of Arc. The Magician sets just two days after the first encounter between in San Francisco. In The Magician the story sets in two places, parallel at the same time : one in Paris, France, the hometown of Nicholas Flamel, where mostly of the actions between Flamel, the twins, Scatty, Dee and Machiavelli took place; while the other is in Alcatraz Island, USA as Perenelle is still held captive by Dr. John Dee in one of the cells in that famous prison, guarded by a Sphinx along with all the monsters and mythological creatures that Dee has collected over these past years. Dee and his Dark Elder Masters intended to unleash all those monsters to destroy the city.

The Magician is pack with actions and interesting new characters, and the way the story progressing is really really good. No one can guess how the story will end since there’s much more surprises in every turn of the pages. Michael Scott’s brilliant story telling takes me places in the city of Paris along with Sophie and Josh as they venture around the city. So really worth to read….

Characters in The Magician are as follows :

Sophie Newman : twin sister of Josh Newman, one of the Legendary Twins mention in the Prophecy in the Book of Abraham the Mage, has Silver Aura.

Josh Newman : twin brother of Sophie Newman, one of the Legendary Twins mention in the Prophecy in the Book of Abraham the Mage, has Gold Aura.

Nicholas Flamel : the most famous Alchemist of alltime, the creator of Philosopher’s stone, an immortal, born in France in 1330.

Perenelle Flamel : Nicholas’ wife, ten years older than him, the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, a sorceress.

Dr. John Dee : agent of The Dark Elders, an immortal, former Court Magician during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in England, born in England in 1527.

Aunt Agnes : Sophie’s and Josh’s aunt, where the twins are staying while their parents working in Utah.

Scathach ‘Scatty’ : the Shadow and the a Warrior, one of the next generation Elder Race, has trained warriors and heroes for the past two thousand years.

Morrigan : The Crow Goddess from Irish Myth, one of the next generation Elder Race.

Bastet : The Egyptian Cat Goddess, a First Generation of The Elder Race.

The Witch of Endor : Scatty’s grandmother, the Mistress of Air (one of Elemental Magic).

Niccolò Machiavelli : another Immortal live in Paris, France, team up with Dr. John Dee based on his Master’s order (another Dark Elder), the Head of France Government Intelligent.

Sphinx : a mythical creature from ancient Egypt, with the head of a beautiful woman, body of a lion and with wings of an eagle, can absorb aura.

Dagon : an intellect humanoid creature with fish-like qualities that has works to Machiavelli almost four hundred years.

Juan Manuel de Ayala : a ghost who help Perenelle, the one who discover Alcatraz Island.

Francis, le Comte de Saint-Germain : a musician and Rock Star, the Master of Fire (one of Elemental magic)

Joan of Arc (Jeanne d’Arc) : Saint-Germain’s wife, born in 1412, best friend with Scathach.

The Disir : Valkyries in Norse mythology, a group of female warriors who consider Scatty as their enemy.

Nidhogg : a monstrous creature that trapped in the underworld.

Areop-Enap : an ancient and huge spider-like Elder, worshipped by Nauru people as a Goddess of Creation, mythical creature.

Mars Ultor : The War God, the Witch of Endor’s husband.

Rating for The Magician is 8.5/10.

``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

The Magician melanjutkan petualangan Sophie dan Josh Newman, bersama dengan Nicholas Flamel dan Scatty the Warrior di Paris, Perancis, setelah mereka berhasil kabur dari Dr. John Dee di Ojai, California. Sementara kekuatan Sophie sudah dibangkitkan dan dia sudah mendapatkan pelatihan salah satu sihir Elemental – Sihir Udara, Kekuatan Josh masih belum tersentuh. Sehingga sekarang menjadi penting bagi mereka semua untuk secepatnya mencari seorang Tetua lain yang mampu membangkitkan kekuatan Josh demi perlindungan Si Kembar. Dengan Dr. John Dee menggabungkan kekuatan dengan Niccolò Machiavell yang terkenal, bahaya untuk Nicholas Flamel, Scatty, Sophie dan Josh menjadi semakin besar; sehingga mereka berempat harus segera mencari bantuan dari Comte de Saint-Germain dan Joan of Arc dalam upaya menyelamatkan Josh, Sophie, dan dunia untuk hari berikutnya.

Sementara The Alchemyst jelas-jelas merujuk pada Nicholas Flamel, The Magician merujuk kepada Dr. John Dee.

Dalam The Magician, kita dapat sekilas melihat latar belakang cerita Dee sehingga ia menjadi agen Para Tetua Gelap; dan juga kita diperkenalkan dengan beberapa karakter baru yang menarik seperti Niccolò Machiavelli, Comte de Saint-Germain dan Joan of Arc. The Magician terjadi hanya selang waktu dua hari dari awal kejadian pertemuan awal si Kembar dengan Dee di San Francisco. Dalam The Magician ada dua jalan cerita yang berjalan parallel di dua tempat yang berbeda di waktu yang bersamaan : yang pertama adalah di Paris, Perancis, tempat asal Nicholas Flamel, dimana kebanyakan aksi antara Flamel, si kembar, Scatty, Dee dan Machiavelli berlangsung; sementara tempat yang kedua adalah di Pulau Alcatraz, Amerika dimana Perenelle masih ditahan oleh Dr. John Dee dalam salah satu sel di penjara terkenal itu, dijaga oleh seekor Sphinx. Ia ditahan bersama dengan banyak monster dan mahkluk mitos lainnya yang sudah dikumpulkan oleh Dee selama beberapa tahun ini. Dee dan Majikan Tetua Gelapnya berencana akan melepaskan monster-monster jahat tersebut ke kota untuk menghancurkan kota.

The Magician penuh terisi dengan banyak aksi dan tambahan karakter-karakter baru yang menarik, dan jalan ceritanya sangat sangat bagus. Tidak ada yang bisa menebak bagaimana cerita ini akan berakhir dengan banyaknya kejutan-kejutan yang dihadirkan di setiap halaman buku. Cara bercerita Michael Scott yang brilliant membawaku ikut berkelana di tempat tempat di kota Paris bersama dengan Sophie dan Josh. Jadi sangat sangat berharga untuk membacanya….

Adapun para tokoh dalam The Magician adalah sebagai berikut :

Sophie Newman : saudari kembar dari Josh Newman, salah satu pasangan kembar yang disebut dalam Ramalan di dalam Buku Abraham the Mage, mempunyai aura Perak.

Josh Newman : saudara kembar Sophie Newman, salah satu pasangan kembar yang disebut dalam Ramalan di dalam Buku Abraham the Mage, mempunyai aura Emas.

Nicholas Flamel : seorang Alchemist yang paling terkenal sepanjang masa, pencipta Philosopher’s stone, seorang Manusia Abadi, lahir di Perancis pada tahun 1330.

Perenelle Flamel : istri Nicholas, 10 tahun lebih tua dari Nicholas, anak perempuan ketujuh dari anak perempuan ketujuh, seorang Sorceress.

Dr. John Dee : agen dari Para Tetua Gelap, seorang Manusia Abadi, sebelumnya bekerja sebagai penasihat Kerajaan pada masa pemerintahan Ratu Elizabeth I di Inggris, lahir di Inggris pada tahun 1527.

Aunt Agnes : bibi Sophie dan Josh, dimana si kembar dititipkan selama kedua orang tua mereka bekerja di Utah.

Scathach ‘Scatty’ : Sang Bayangan dan Sang Pejuang, salah satu Ras Tetua Generasi Selanjutnya, sudah melatih banyak pejuang dan pahlawan dalam legenda selama dua ribu tahun.

Morrigan : Sang Dewi Gagak dalam mitologi Irlandia, salah seorang Ras Tetua Generasi Selanjutnya.

Bastet : Sang Dewi Kucing dari Mesir kuno, Ras Tetua generasi pertama, salah satu Tetua Gelap.

The Witch of Endor : nenek Scatty, penguasa sihir Udara (salah satu Sihir Elemental).

Niccolò Machiavelli : salah satu Manusia Abadi yang tinggal di Paris, Perancis, begabung dengan Dr. John Dee berdasarkan perintah Majikannya (salah satu Tetua Gelap lainnya), kepala Badan Intelijen Perancis.

Sphinx : mahkluk dalam mitos dari jaman Mesir kuno, dengan kepala seorang wanita cantik, badan seekor singa dan sayap seekor elang, dapat menyerap aura, saat ini berkeliaran di Alcatraz menjaga supaya Perenelle tidak kabur dari Alcatraz.

Dagon : mahkluk yang sudah bekerja untuk Machiavelli selama hampir lebih dari empat ratus tahun.

Juan Manuel de Ayala : hantu yang membantu Perenelle, penemu pulau Alcatraz.

Francis, le Comte de Saint-Germain : seorang musisian dan Rock Star, Penguasa Api (salah satu Elemental magic)

Joan of Arc (Jeanne d’Arc) : istri Saint-Germain, lahir di tahun 1412, sahabat baik Scathach.

The Disir : Valkyrie, ksatria wanita dalam Norse mithologi.

Nidhogg : monster menakutkan yang terperangkap di dunia kegelapan.

Areop-Enap : Tetua kuno berbentuk laba-laba raksasa, dipuja oleh suku Nauru people sebagai dewi pencipta, mahkluk dalam mitos.

Mars Ultor : Dewa Perang, suami Penyihir Endor.

Rating untuk The Magician adalah 8.5/10.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book 3 : The Sorceress {The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel}

First Published in Indonesia on April 2010 by Matahati

Paperback Edition, 70 Chapters, 616 Pages (for Indonesian Edition)

Genre : Fantasy, Adventure, Teen

Other books in the series : The Alchemyst {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #1}, The Magician {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #2}, The Necromancer {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #4}, The Warlock {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #5}, The Enchantress {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #6}, Billy The Kid And The Vampyres Of Vegas {A Lost Story from The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel}, The Death Of Joan Of Arc {A Lost Story from The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel}.

Nicholas Flamel’s heart almost broke as he watched his beloved Paris crumble before him. The city was destroyed by Dee and Machiavelli, but Flamel played his own role in the destruction. Sophie and Josh Newman show every sign of being the twins of prophecy, and Flamel had to protect them and the pages from the Dark Elders.

But Nicholas grows weaker with each passing day. Perenelle is still trapped in Alcatraz, and now that Scatty has gone missing, the group is without protection. Except for Clarent-the twin sword to Excalibur. But Clarent’s power is unthinkable, its evil making it nearly impossible to use without its darkness seeping into the soul of whoever wields it.

If he hopes to defeat Dee, Nicholas must find an Elder who can teach Josh and Sophie the third elemental magic-Water Magic. The problem? The only one who can do that is Gilgamesh, and he is quite, quite insane.

The adventure of Josh and Sophie Newman still continues in The Sorceress.

After escaping from Niccolò Machiavelli and Dr. John Dee in Paris, they are heading to London to get the help from Gilgamesh, the eldest Immortal known to ever live, to teach Josh and Sophie the Water Magic. With Scatty gone taken by one of her deathly enemy, and Perenelle is still trying to find a way to leave Alcatraz, Nicholas, Sophie, and Josh must be very careful in London since it is the home of Dr. John Dee, and there’s much much more Dark Elders in London compare to any other cities in the world. In order to survive, they got the help and protection from Palamedes and William Shakespeare at their side to fight against all the dark creatures sent by Dee and The Dark Elders.

From the title, we can say that The Sorceress is referring to Perenelle Flamel, although the story in this 3^rd book is not focusing only to Perenelle alone. With the story progressing, there are a four new interesting characters like Palamedes, William Shakespeare, Gilgamesh the King and Billy the Kid. While the previous supporting characters like Scatty, Joan of Arc, Saint Germain and Machiavelli still have their share of adventures in the book also.

The Sorceress sets in five different places : Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, Paris, London, and countryside of England. With fast pace storyline, but with all both new and previous characters got their share in the story, the book is far from boring and really really unpredictable. No one really knows what is gonna happens next. I really am enjoying myself reading The Sorceress.

Characters in The Sorceress are as follows :

Sophie Newman : twin sister of Josh Newman, one of the Legendary Twins mention in the Prophecy in the Book of Abraham the Mage, has Silver aura.

Josh Newman : twin brother of Sophie Newman, one of the Legendary Twins mention in the Prophecy in the Book of Abraham the Mage, has Gold aura.

Nicholas Flamel : the most famous Alchemist of alltime, the creator of Philosopher’s stone, an immortal, born in France in 1330.

Perenelle Flamel : Nicholas’ wife, ten years older than him, the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, a sorceress.

Dr. John Dee : agent of The Dark Elders, an immortal, former Court Magician during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in England, born in England in 1527.

Scathach ‘Scatty’ : the Shadow and the a Warrior, one of the next generation Elder Race, has trained warriors and heroes for the past two thousand years.

The Witch of Endor : Scatty’s grandmother, the Mistress of Air (one of Elemental Magic).

Genii Cucullati : The Hooded Ones from ancient Britain, can move unnaturally quickly.

Sphinx : a mythical creature from ancient Egypt, with the head of a beautiful woman, body of a lion and with wings of an eagle, can absorb aura, currently in Alcatraz guarding Perenelle so she cannot escape Alcatraz.

Juan Manuel de Ayala : a ghost who help Perenelle, the one who discover Alcatraz Island.

Areop-Enap : an ancient and huge spider-like Elder, worshipped by Nauru people as a Goddess of Creation, mythical creature, currently trapped in Alcatraz along with other monsters.

Niccolò Machiavelli : another Immortal live in Paris, France, team up with Dr. John Dee based on his Master’s order (another Dark Elder), the Head of France Government Intelligent.

Francis, le Comte de Saint-Germain : an Immortal, musician and Rock Star, the Master of Fire (one of Elemental magic)

Joan of Arc (Jeanne d’Arc) : an Immortal, Saint-Germain’s wife, born in 1412, best friend with Scathach.

Palamedes : the Knight of Saracen, one of knight of the round table in Arthurian legend, an immortal, friend of Saint-Germain, an immortal.

William Shakespeare : an English Poet, playwright and actor, an immortal, Palamedes’ friend, Flamel’s and Dee’s former student.

Billy the Kid : an American old west gunfighter, an immortal, works for another Dark Elder, order by his Master to help Machiavelli kill Perenelle and unleashed all the monsters lock in Alcatraz to the city.

Bastet : The Egyptian Cat Goddess, a First Generation of The Elder Race.

Cernunnos : one of the legendary Archon

Morrigan : The Crow Goddess from Irish Myth, one of the next generation Elder Race.

Macha and Badb : Morrigan’s sister.

Nereus : an ancient Greek God, the old man of the sea, father of the Nereids in Greek Mythology.

Gilgamesh The King : one of the first ancient immortal, already live around 10,000 years, the master of four Elemental Magic, but has no aura.

Juan Manuel de Ayala : a ghost who help Perenelle, the one who discover Alcatraz Island.

Mars Ultor : The War God, the Witch of Endor’s husband.

Rating for The Sorceress is 9/10.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Petualangan Josh dan Sophie Newman masih berlanjut dalam The Sorceress.

Setelah berhasil kabur dari Niccolò Machiavelli dan Dr. John Dee di Paris, mereka bersama dengan Nicholas Flamel berangkat menuju London untuk mencari Gilgamesh, manusia abadi tertua di dunia, untuk mengajari Josh dan Sophie Sihir Air. Dengan kepergian Scatty yang dibawa oleh salah satu musuh, dan Perenelle masih terjebak di Alcatraz; baik Nicholas, Sophie, dan Josh harus sangat berhati-hati saat berada di London karena tempat itu merupakan daerah kekuasaan Dr. John Dee, dan ada lebih banyak Tetua Gelap di London dibandingkan dengan kota-kota lainnya di dunia. Untuk dapat bertahan hidup, mereka mendapat bantuan dan perlindungan dari sesama manusia abadi lainnya, Palamedes dan William Shakespeare dalam memerangi seluruh monster yang dikirim oleh Dee dan para Tetua Gelap.

Dari judul The Sorceress jelas dapat diartikan bahwa julukan tersebut ditujukan kepada Perenelle Flamel, walaupun sebenarnya jalan cerita dalam buku ke-3 ini tidak hanya terfokus pada Perenelle saja. Dengan plot perkembangan cerita, ada sedikitnya 5 karakter baru yang dimunculkan disini, yaitu Palamedes, William Shakespeare, Gilgamesh the King, Billy the Kid and Odin. Sementara para karakter pendukung sebelumnya seperti Scatty, Joan of Arc, Saint Germain dan Machiavelli juga masih memainkan peranan yang tidak kalah besarnya dalam petualangan yang ada dalam buku ini.

Dengan beberapa jalan cerita yang berjalan parallel secara bersamaan dan banyaknya para karakter yang ada, The Sorceress mengambil latar belakang di lima tempat yang berbeda: pulau Alcatraz, San Francisco, Paris, London, dan daerah pedesaan di Inggris. Dengan tempo jalan cerita yang cukup cepat, dan dengan seluruh karakter yang ada di dalamnya turut serta mengambil bagian dalam peranan mereka masing-masing dalam jalan ceritanya, buku ini jauh dari membosankan dan alur ceritanya benar-benar sangat tidak dapat di duga. Tidak ada yang dapa mengetahui apa yang akan terjadi di halaman berikutnya. Aku sangat menikmati membaca The Sorceress ini.

Adapun para karakter dalam The Sorceress adalah sebagai berikut :

Sophie Newman : saudari kembar Josh Newman, salah seorang Kembar Legenda yang disebutkan dalam ramalan di dalam buku Abraham the Mage, mempunyai aura Perak.

Josh Newman : saudara kembar Sophie Newman, salah seorang Kembar Legenda yang disebutkan dalam ramalan di dalam buku Abraham the Mage, mempunyai aura Emas.

Nicholas Flamel : seorang Alchemist yang paling terkenal sepanjang masa, pencipta Philosopher’s stone yang membuat dirinya dan istrinya menjadi manusia abadi, lahir di Perancis pada tahun 1330.

Perenelle Flamel : istri Nicholas, sepuluh tahun lebih tua daripada suaminya, anak perempuan ketujuh dari anak perempuan ketujuh, seorang penyihir.

Dr. John Dee : agen dari para Tetua Gelap, seorang manusia abadi, mantan penasihat kerajaan dalam masa pemerintahan Ratu Elizabeth I di Inggris, lahir di Inggris pada tahun 1527.

Scathach ‘Scatty’ : mendapat julukan Sang Bayangan dan Sang Petarung, salah satu keturunan Tetua Generasi Selanjutnya, sudah melatih para pejuang dan pahlawan selama dua ribu tahun.

The Witch of Endor : nenek Scatty, salah seorang Tetua, penguasa Sihir Udara (salah satu Sihir Elemental).

Genii Cucullati : Mahkluk Bertudung dari masa Inggris kuno, dapat bergerak sangat cepat sekali.

Sphinx : makhluk mitos dari masa Mesir kuno, mempunyai kepala wanita cantic, berbadan singa dengan sayap elang, dapat menyerap aura, ditugaskan di Alcatraz untuk menjaga Perenelle dan monster-monster yang ditangkap oleh Dee.

Juan Manuel de Ayala : hantu yang membantu Perenelle, orang pertama yang menemukan pulau Alcatraz dan memberinya nama.

Areop-Enap : Tetua Kuno berbentuk Laba-Laba besar, dipuja oleh suku Nauru sebagai Dewi Pencipta, juga di tangkap di Alcatraz bersama dengan makhluk-makhluk lainnya.

Niccolò Machiavelli : Manusia abadi yang tinggal di Paris, Perancis, diperintahkan oleh Majikannya (Tetua gelap lainnya) untuk membantu Dr. John Dee, Kepala Badan Intelijen Perancis.

Francis, le Comte de Saint-Germain : seorang Manusia Abadi, seorang musisi dan bintang Rock, Penguasa Api (salah satu sihir Elemental)

Joan of Arc (Jeanne d’Arc) : seorang Manusia Abadi, istri Saint-Germain, lahir tahun 1412, sahabat Scathach.

Palamedes : Ksatria dari Saracen, salah satu anggota Ksatria Meja Bundar dalam legenda Raja Arthur, seorang Manusia abadi, teman Saint-Germain.

William Shakespeare : seorang penyair , penulis naskah dan aktor dari Inggris, seorang Manusia abadi, teman Palamedes, bekas murid Flamel dan Dee.

Billy the Kid : seorang Penembak dari masa Western di Amerika, seorang Manusia abadi, bekerja untuk Tetua gelap lainnya, diperintahkan oleh Majikannya untuk membantu Machiavelli untuk membunuh Perenelle dan melepaskan semua monster yang dikurung di Alcatraz ke kota.

Bastet : Dewi kucing dari masa Mesir KunoThe Egyptian Cat Goddess, a First Generation of The Elder Race.

Cernunnos : salah satu Archon legendaris.

Morrigan : Dewi Gagak dalam mitologi Irlandia, salah satu Ras Tetua Generasi Selanjutnya.

Macha and Badb : saudari Morrigan.

Nereus : Dewa dari mitologi Yunani kuno, dengan julukan Orang Tua dari Laut, ayah dari kaum Nereid dalam mitologi Yunani.

Gilgamesh The King : salah satu Manusia abadi kuno yang pertama, sudah hidup selama 10 ribu tahun, Penguasa ke-4 Sihir Elemental walaupun tidak mempunyai aura.

Mars Ultor : Dewa Perang, suami the Witch of Endor.

Rating untuk The Sorceress adalah 9/10.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book 4 : The Necromancer {The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel}

First Published in Indonesia on January 2011 by Matahati

Paperback Edition, 66 Chapters, 492 Pages (for Indonesian Edition)

Genre : Fantasy, Adventure, Teen

Other books in the series : The Alchemyst {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #1}, The Magician {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #2}, The Sorceress {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #3}, The Warlock {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #5}, The Enchantress {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #6}, Billy The Kid And The Vampyres Of Vegas {A Lost Story from The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel}, The Death Of Joan Of Arc {A Lost Story from The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel}.

San Francisco:

After fleein to Ojai, then Paris, and escaping to London, Josh and Sophie Newman are finally home. And after everything they’ve seen and learned in the past week, they’re both more confused than ever about their future. Neither of them has mastered the magics they’ll need to protect themselves from the Dark Elders, they’ve lost Scatty, and they’re still being pursued by Dr. John Dee. Most disturbing of all, however, is that now they must ask themselves, can they trust Nicholas Flamel? Can they trust anyone?

Alcatraz:

Dr. Dee underestimated Perenelle Flamel’s power. Alcatraz could not hold her, Nereus was no match for her, and she was able to align herself with the most unlikely of allies. But she wasn’t the only one being held on the island. Behind the prison’s bars and protective sigils were a menagerie of monsters-an army for Dee to use in the final battle. And now Machiavelli has come to Alcatraz to loose those monsters on San Francisco. Perenelle might be powerful, but each day she weakens, and even with Nicholas back at her side, a battle of this size could be too much for her. Nicholas and Perenelle must fight to protect the city, but the effort will probably kill them both.

London:

Having been unable to regain the two final pages of the Codex, Dee has failed his Elder and is now an outlaw-and the new prey of all the creatures formerly sent to hunt down Flamel. But Dee has a plan. With the Codex and the creatures on Alcatraz, he can control the world. All he needs is the help of the Archons. But for his plan to work, he must raise the Mother of the Gods from the dead. For that, he’ll have to train a necromancer. And the twins of legend will make the perfect pupils. . . .

Josh and Sophie finally back to San Francisco after their adventure in London. But it seems like they cannot have any break at all. They got themselves an unexpected allies waiting for them in the city: Aofie – Scatty’s twin sister, and Nitten – also known in Japan as Miyamoto Mushashi. Aofie is worried since she cannot feel her twin sister presence anymore. With the clock is ticking, Josh and Sophie, along with Nicholas Flamel, Perenelle, Aofie and Nitten are headed to Sausalito to ask Prometheus, Aofie’s uncle to teach Josh his second Elemental Magic – Fire Magic, while Dr. Dee is still stuck in London. Aofie and Nitten also tag along to ask her uncle to help bring Scatty and Joan back.

Dr. John Dee is still in England and because of his failure to capture Nicholas Flamel, Josh and Sophie, his Elder Master declared Dee as an Outlaw. Now all the dark creatures that Dee sent to hunt Flamel and the twins before, is hunting him instead. Seeking ally with Victoria Dare, Dee is trying to escape London to San Francisco. Meanwhile Niccolò Machiavelli is getting new order from his Elder Master to team up with Billy the Kid to release the monsters kept in Alcatraz to San Francisco City.

The Necromancer take place mainly in 5 different locations : San Francisco, London, Alcatraz, Sherwood Forest, England and Point Reyes, California. What I like most about the Alchemyst Series is that the story is expanding and equally highlighted each and every characters in the books, not just only focusing to their main characters like Nicholas Flamel and his wife Perenelle, Sophie and her twin brother Josh Newman, and also Dr. John Dee as the main antagonist; but the stories in the series also introduce new supporting characters in each books while maintaining previous supporting characters. All the supporting characters got bigger role as the storyline progress.

In The Necromancer, we as reader got to see that everyone has two sides of a story, and not everything is as simple as black and white. The good side is not always good, while the bad side is not always as bad as it seems. I’m not so sure who is the Author referring as The Necromancer, but my guess it is Josh Newman.

Characters in The Necromancer are as follows :

Sophie Newman : twin sister of Josh Newman, one of the Legendary Twins mention in the Prophecy in the Book of Abraham the Mage, has Silver aura.

Josh Newman : twin brother of Sophie Newman, one of the Legendary Twins mention in the Prophecy in the Book of Abraham the Mage, has Gold aura.

Nicholas Flamel : the most famous Alchemist of alltime, the creator of Philosopher’s stone, an immortal, born in France in 1330.

Perenelle Flamel : Nicholas’ wife, ten years older than him, the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, a sorceress.

Dr. John Dee : agent of The Dark Elders, an immortal, former Court Magician during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in England, born in England in 1527.

Aunt Agnes : Sophie’s and Josh’s aunt, where the twins are staying while their parents working in Utah.

Scathach ‘Scatty’ : the Shadow and the a Warrior, one of the next generation Elder Race, has trained warriors and heroes for the past two thousand years.

The Witch of Endor : also known as Zephaniah, Scatty’s grandmother, a very powerful Elder, the Mistress of Air (one of Elemental Magic), Prometheus’ sister.

Niccolò Machiavelli : another Immortal live in Paris, France, team up with Dr. John Dee based on his Master’s order (another Dark Elder), the Head of France Government Intelligent.

Francis, le Comte de Saint-Germain : an Immortal, musician and Rock Star, the Master of Fire (one of Elemental magic)

Joan of Arc (Jeanne d’Arc) : an Immortal, Saint-Germain’s wife, born in 1412, best friend with Scathach.

Palamedes : the Knight of Saracen, one of knight of the round table in Arthurian legend, an immortal, friend of Saint-Germain, an immortal.

William Shakespeare : an English Poet, playwright and actor, an immortal, Palamedes’ friend, Flamel’s and Dee’s former student.

Aofie the Shadow : Scathach’s twin sister.

Niten : a Japanese swordsman warrior that helping Aofie, mostly known as Miyamoto Musashi.

Richard Newman : Sophie’s and Josh’s father.

Sara Newman : Sophie’s and Josh’s mother.

Virginia Dare : an immortal, allied with Dee.

Odin : one of the Elder, the Ruler of Asgard, a one eyed God from Norse Mythology.

Huginn and Munin : two giants crows, Odin’s pet.

Cucubuth : a mythical creature, a hybrid between Torc Madra and Vampire.

Black Hawk : an immortal, real name Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, an Indian Chief, has the same Master with Billy the Kid.

Quetzalcoatl : a feathered serpentine Dark Elder, worshipped by the Aztec, Billy’s and Black Hawk’s Master, also called by the name Kukulkan.

Prometheus : one of the powerful Elder, The Witch of Endor’s brother, Scathach’s and Aofie’s uncle, the creator of the first Humani.

Juan Manuel de Ayala : a ghost who help Perenelle, the one who discover Alcatraz Island.

Aten : Machiavelli’s Master, one of powerful Elder, worshipped in ancient Egypt as God, the last Ruler of Danu Talis.

Tammuz : An Elder who was worshipped as a Sumerian God of vegetation, has to power over dryads, hamadryads, nymphs and nature spirits, Palamedes’ Master.

Ptelea : a Hamadryad, a spirit lives in an Elm tree who served Tammuz.

Coatlicue : a very powerful Archorn.

Marethyu : aka Death, a mysterious immortal with hook in replace of his left arm.

Mars Ultor : The War God, the Witch of Endor’s husband.

Rating for The Necromancer is 9/10.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Josh dan Sophie akhirnya dapat kembali ke San Francisco setelah petualangan mereka di London. Tetapi kelihatannya mereka tidak mendapat waktu untuk bersantai sedikitpun. Saat mereka tiba di kota, mereka menemukan sekutu yang tidak diduga-duga sudah menunngu kedatangan mereka di kota : Aofie – saudari kembar Scatty, dan Nitten – juga dikenal di Jepang sebagai Miyamoto Mushashi.

Aofie khawatir karena ia tidak dapat merasakan kehadiran kembarannya dimanapun juga. Dengan waktu yang terus berpacu semakin sempit, Josh dan Sophie, bersama dengan Nicholas Flamel, Perenelle, Aofie dan Nitten segera berangkat menuju Point Reyes, Sausalito untuk menemui Prometheus, paman Aofie untuk mengajarkan Josh Sihir Elementalnya yang kedua – Sihir Api, sementara Dr. Dee masih terjebak di London. Aofie dan Nitten juga ikut ke sana untuk meminta pamannya untuk membantu membawa pulang kembali Scatty dan Joan dari tempat mereka terjebak.

Dr. John Dee masih terjebak di Inggris dan diburu oleh banyak pihak setelah dinyatakan sebagai buronan oleh Tetua Majikannya akibat kegagalannya menangkap Nicholas Flamel, Josh dan Sophie. Berusaha kabur dari para mahkluk yang mengejarnya di London, Dee mencari pertolongan dari Virginia Dare untuk membantunya menuju San Francisco. Sementara Niccolò Machiavelli mendapat perintah baru dari Tetua Majikannya untuk bergabung dengan Billy the Kid untuk melepaskan monster-monster yang berada di Alcatraz ke kota San Francisco.

The Necromancer mengambil latar belakang utama di 5 tempat yang berbeda, yaitu : San Francisco; London; Alcatraz; Hutan Sherwood, Inggris; dan Point Reyes, California. Yang kusuka dari serial the Alchemyst adalah jalan ceritanya yang berkembang sejalan dengan lanjutan serialnya, dan setiap karakter pendukung yang ada di dalamnya turut berkembang dan mengambil peranan yang semakin besar seturut perkembangan jalan ceritanya. Jadi jalan ceritanya tidak hanya terfokus pada para karakter utamanya saja seperti Nicholas Flamel dan istrinya Perenelle, Sophie dan kembarannya Josh Newman, juga Dr. John Dee sebagai antagonist utama saja; tetapi serial ini juga konsisten memperkenalkan karakter-karakter pendukung baru di dalam setiap bukunya sementara para karakter pendukung yang sebelumnya juga tetap mendapat peran yang semakin besar sejalan dengan perkembangan jalan ceritanya.

Dalam The Necromancer, kita sebagai pembaca dapat mengamati bahwa semua orang yang ada di dalam buku ini harus dilihat secara seimbang dari dua sisinya, tidak semuanya sesederhana bagaikan hitam dan putih. Para tokoh yang dianggap Protagonis tidak selalu berada di sisi yang baik, sementara para tokoh yang digambarkan sebagai tokoh antagonisnya juga tidak selalu seperti yang terlihat. Jadi buku-buku dalam serial ini benar-benar sangat menegangkan. Dan aku menduga bahwa yang dimaksud dengan The Necromancer kali ini adalah Josh Newman.

Adapun para tokoh dalam The Necromancer adalah sebagai berikut :

Sophie Newman : saudari kembar Josh Newman, salah seorang Kembar Legenda yang disebutkan dalam ramalan di dalam buku Abraham the Mage, mempunyai aura Perak.

Josh Newman : saudara kembar Sophie Newman, salah seorang Kembar Legenda yang disebutkan dalam ramalan di dalam buku Abraham the Mage, mempunyai aura Emas.

Nicholas Flamel : seorang Alchemist yang paling terkenal sepanjang masa, pencipta Philosopher’s stone yang membuat dirinya dan istrinya menjadi manusia abadi, lahir di Perancis pada tahun 1330.

Perenelle Flamel : istri Nicholas, sepuluh tahun lebih tua daripada suaminya, anak perempuan ketujuh dari anak perempuan ketujuh, seorang penyihir.

Dr. John Dee : agen dari para Tetua Gelap, seorang manusia abadi, mantan penasihat kerajaan dalam masa pemerintahan Ratu Elizabeth I di Inggris, lahir di Inggris pada tahun 1527.

Aunt Agnes : Bibi Sophie dan Josh, yang mengasuh si kembar sementara kedua orang tua antropologis mereka berada di penggalian di Utah.

Scathach ‘Scatty’ : mendapat julukan Sang Bayangan dan Sang Petarung, salah satu keturunan Tetua Generasi Selanjutnya, sudah melatih para pejuang dan pahlawan selama dua ribu tahun.

The Witch of Endor : juga dikenal dengan nama Zephaniah, nenek Scatty, salah seorang Tetua yang sakti, penguasa Sihir Udara (salah satu Sihir Elemental), kakak perempuan Prometheus.

Niccolò Machiavelli : Manusia abadi yang tinggal di Paris, Perancis, diperintahkan oleh Majikannya (Tetua gelap lainnya) untuk membantu Dr. John Dee, Kepala Badan Intelijen Perancis.

Francis, le Comte de Saint-Germain : seorang Manusia Abadi, seorang musisi dan bintang Rock, Penguasa Api (salah satu sihir Elemental)

Joan of Arc (Jeanne d’Arc) : seorang Manusia Abadi, istri Saint-Germain, lahir tahun 1412, sahabat Scathach.

Palamedes : Ksatria dari Saracen, salah satu anggota Ksatria Meja Bundar dalam legenda Raja Arthur, seorang Manusia abadi, teman Saint-Germain.

William Shakespeare : seorang penyair , penulis naskah dan aktor dari Inggris, seorang Manusia abadi, teman Palamedes, bekas murid Flamel dan Dee.

Aofie the Shadow : saudari kembar Scathach.

Niten : juga dikenal sebagai Miyamoto Musashi, seorang ahli pedang berasal dari Jepang yang membantu Aofie.

Richard Newman : ayah Sophie dan Josh.

Sara Newman : ibu Sophie dan Josh.

Virginia Dare : seorang Manusia abadi yang bersekutu dengan Dee.

Odin : salah satu Tetua yang memburu Dee, penguasa alam bayangan Asgard, Dewa bermata satu dalam Nordic mitologi.

Huginn and Munin : dua gagak raksasa peliharaan Odin.

Cucubuth : makhluk mitos, campuran antara Torc Madra dan Vampire.

Black Hawk : seorang Manusia abadi yang berasal dari Amerika yang bernama asli Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, seorang kepala suku Indian, mempunyai Majikan Tetua yang sama dengan Billy the Kid.

Quetzalcoatl : dipanggil juga dengan nama panggilan Kukulkan, salah seorang Tetua Gelap yang berwujud seperti ular berbulu, dipuja oleh suku Aztec, Majikan Tetua Billy dan Black Hawk.

Prometheus : salah satu Tetua yang kuat, saudara laki-laki dari The Witch of Endor, paman dari Scathach dan Aofie, pencipta ras manusia pertama.

Juan Manuel de Ayala : hantu yang membantu Perenelle, orang pertama yang menemukan pulau Alcatraz dan memberinya nama.

Aten : Majikan Tetua Machiavelli, salah satu Tetua terkuat, dipuja sebagai Dewa di masa Mesir kuno, pemimpin terakhir dari Danu Talis.

Tammuz : seorang Tetua yang dipuja sebagai Dewa Pepohonan di Sumeria, mempunyai kekuatan atas para dryads, hamadryads, nymphs dan roh-roh alam lainnya, Majikan Tetua Palamedes.

Ptelea : Hamadryad, Roh yang tinggal dalam pohon Elm yang melayani Tammuz.

Coatlicue : seorang Archorn yang sangat sangat kuat.

Marethyu : yang berarti Kematian, seorang Abadi yang misterius yang memiliki kait sebagai ganti tangan kirinya.

Mars Ultor : Dewa Perang, suami dari the Witch of Endor.

Rating untuk The Necromancer adalah 9/10.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book 5 : The Warlock {The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel}

First Published in Indonesia on January 2012 by Matahati

Paperback Edition, 56 Chapters, 478 Pages (for Indonesian Edition)

Genre : Fantasy, Adventure, Teen

Other books in the series : The Alchemyst {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #1}, The Magician {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #2}, The Sorceress {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #3}, The Necromancer {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #4}, The Enchantress {The Secret of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #6}, Billy The Kid And The Vampyres Of Vegas {A Lost Story from The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel}, The Death Of Joan Of Arc {A Lost Story from The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel}.

Alcatraz:
Although their ally Dr. John Dee has been declared utlaga, Machiavelli and Billy the Kid will follow the plans the Elders have laid before them: they will loose the monsters of Alcatraz on the city of San Francisco, thereby triggering the end of the humani race.

Danu Talis:
The Shadowrealm that Scatty and Joan of Arc have entered is far more dangerous than they could ever have imagined. And they haven’t landed here by chance-the warriors were called for a reason. So were Saint-Germain, Palamededs, and Shakespeare. The group was summoned because they must travel back in time to Danu Talis and destroy it. For the island of Danu Talis, known in humani myth as the lost city of Atlantis, must fall if the modern world is to exist.

San Francisco:
The end is finally near. Josh Newman has chosen a side, and he will not stand with his sister, Sophie, or with the Alchemyst, Nicholas Flamel. He will fight alongside Dee and the mysterious Virginia Dare. Unless Sophie can find her twin before the battle begins, all is lost – forever.

In the fifth installment of this bestselling series, the twins of prophesy have been divided, and the end is finally beginning.

With Scatty, Joan of Arc, Saint Germain, Palamedes, and Shakespeare all in Danu Talis, Sophie is on her own with the ever-weakening Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel. She must depend on Niten to help her find an immortal to teach her Earth Magic. The surprise is that she will find her teacher in the most ordinary of places.

In The Warlock we follow the adventures of Sophie and Josh in the middle of the battle between The Elders and those who want to save the world with those who want to destroy it. With Josh is under the influence of Dr. John Dee and Virginia Dare, and leaving Sophie and the Flamels behind. Sophie wants to save him as soon as she can, but with Aofie gone sacrifice herself to drag back Coatlique to the prison shadow realm where the beast had been kept held for thousands of centuries before, Sophie must retreat and regroup with unexpected allies in order to save the world.

Usually when a series consist of more than 3 or 4 books, the story will become boring eventually. But for The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel Series, you really cannot find any boring part at all. The Warlock sets in three different places: San Francisco city, Alcatraz, and the myth city of Danu Talis (widely known as Atlantis), with each characters are following their own adventures to achieve their goals in battle to either save the world or to destroy the world. The thin line between good and evil is no longer exists. Everyone has their own reason to justify their actions, and not everything could be seen as plain black and white. I love the character developments for both Niccolò Machiavelli and Billy the Kid. I cannot help myself giggling to their interactions, especially the reckless Billy the Kid. The story is not dark or feels depressing at all, but will keeps the reader guessing and curious of what will gonna happens next. My guess is that The Warlock mention in the title of the book is Niccolò Machiavelli.

Characters in The Warlock are as follows :

Sophie Newman : twin sister of Josh Newman, daughter of two archaeologists parents.

Josh Newman : twin brother of Sophie Newman, son of two archaeologist parents.

Nicholas Flamel : the most famous Alchemist of alltime, the creator of Philosopher’s stone, an immortal, born in France in 1330.

Perenelle Flamel : Nicholas’ wife, ten years older than him, the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, a sorceress.

Dr. John Dee : agent of The Dark Elders, an immortal, former Court Magician during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in England, born in England in 1527.

Scathach ‘Scatty’ : the Shadow and the a Warrior, one of the next generation Elder Race, has trained warriors and heroes for the past two thousand years.

Aunt Agnes : Sophie’s and Josh’s aunt, where the twins are staying while their parents working in Utah.

Richard Newman : Sophie’s and Josh’s father.

Sara Newman : Sophie’s and Josh’s mother.

The Witch of Endor : also known as Zephaniah, Scatty’s grandmother, a very powerful Elder, the Mistress of Air (one of Elemental Magic), Prometheus’ sister.

Niccolò Machiavelli : another Immortal live in Paris, France, team up with Dr. John Dee based on his Master’s order (another Dark Elder), the Head of France Government Intelligent.

Francis, le Comte de Saint-Germain : an Immortal, musician and Rock Star, the Master of Fire (one of Elemental magic)

Joan of Arc (Jeanne d’Arc) : an Immortal, Saint-Germain’s wife, born in 1412, best friend with Scatty.

Palamedes : the Knight of Saracen, one of knight of the round table in Arthurian legend, an immortal, friend of Saint-Germain, an immortal.

William Shakespeare : an English Poet, playwright and actor, an immortal, Palamedes’ friend, Flamel’s and Dee’s former student.

Aofie the Shadow : Scathach’s twin sister.

Niten : a Japanese swordsman warrior that helping Aofie, mostly known as Miyamoto Musashi.

Virginia Dare : an immortal; born and raised in the wild jungle of Virginia, America; allied with Dee.

Odin : one of the Elder, the Ruler of Asgard, a one eyed God from Norse Mythology.

Black Hawk : an immortal, real name Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, an Indian Chief, has the same Master with Billy the Kid.

Quetzalcoatl : a feathered serpentine Dark Elder, worshipped by the Aztec, Billy’s and Black Hawk’s Master, also called by the name Kukulkan.

Prometheus : one of the powerful Elder, The Witch of Endor’s brother, Scathach’s and Aofie’s uncle, the creator of the first Humani.

Juan Manuel de Ayala : a ghost who help Perenelle, the one who discover Alcatraz Island.

Aten : Machiavelli’s Master, one of powerful Elder, worshipped in ancient Egypt as God, the last Lord of Danu Talis.

Marethyu : means ‘Death’, a mysterious immortal with hook in replace of his left arm.

Anpu : wolf-headed warriors created by Anubis, serve as royal guards and soldiers at Danu Talis

Osiris : a very powerful Elder, worshipped in ancient Egypt as God, along with his wife, Isis created the Earth shadowrealm, Dee’s Master.

Isis : a very powerful Elder, Osiris’ wife, worshipped in ancient Egypt as Goddess, Dee’s Master.

Tsagaglalal : means ‘She who Watches’, the first Humani, Abraham the mage’s wife, sister of Gilgamesh, a very powerful warrior and Mistress of Elemental magic.

Mars Ultor : The War God, the Witch of Endor’s husband, Hel’s uncle, Odin’s cousin.

Hel : a very powerful Elder, worshipped as Goddess of Death by ancient Norse people, Odin’s niece and nemesis, her shadowrealm, Niflheim was the prison of Nidhogg before it was destroyed.

Abraham the Mage : a very powerful Ancient Being in Danu Talis, the writer of the Codex, can foresaw what would happens the future, Tsagaglalal’s husband, has a golden aura that slowly makes him turns into a golden statue.

Bastet : The Egyptian Cat Goddess, one of a Great Elder, the mother of Aten and Anubis, the former queen and queen mother of Danu Talis ruler.

Anubis : Aten’s brother, Bastet’s favorite son, one of the Great Elder, creator of Anpu.

Nereus : an ancient Greek God, the old man of the sea, father of the Nereids in Greek Mythology.

Lotan : a massive seven-headed Sea Serpent that fed on Aura.

Gilgamesh The King : one of the first ancient immortal, already live around 10,000 years, the master of Elemental Magic, but has no aura, Tsagaglalal’s brother.

Rating for The Warlock is 9/10.

````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Dalam The Warlock kita kembali melanjutkan petualangan Sophie dan Josh dan para karakter lainnya dalam peperangan antara para Tetua dan manusia abadi yang ingin menyelamatkan dunia dengan para Tetua Gelap dan para pengikutnya yang ingin menghancurkan dunia. Dengan Josh berada di bawah pengaruh Dr. John Dee dan Virginia Dare, ia memilih berada di pihak mereka dengan meninggalkan Sophie dan pasangan Flamel. Sophie ingin segera menyelamatkan Josh, tetapi dengan Aofie yang mengorbankan diri dengan menarik Coatlique kembali ke penjaranya di Alam Bayangan terpencil tempat makhluk itu sudah ditahan selama ratusan ribu tahun sebelumnya, Sophie harus kembali mencari bantuan yang lainnya untuk dapat menyelamatkan Josh dan juga dunia.

Biasanya jika dalam 1 seri buku sudah terdiri lebih dari 5 buku, jika pengarangnya tidak hati-hati dan merencanakan jalan ceritanya dengan sangat baik, biasanya buku-buku yang berada di urutan tengah jalan ceritanya dapat terasa sedikit membosankan. Tetapi untuk serial The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel ini, aku tidak dapat menemukan bagian yang membosankan sama sekali. Setiap halaman berisi ketegangan demi ketegangan yang berlangsung secara bersamaan dengan sangat cepat. Berlatar belakang secara parallel di tiga tempat sekaligus: San Francisco, Alcatraz dan Kota Mitos Danu Talis (atau yang secara luas dikenal dengan Atlantis), dengan setiap karakter yang ada menjalani petualangan mereka masing-masing dalam mencapai tujuan mereka untuk berperang di sisi yang menyelamatkan dunia dan di sisi lainnya yang bertujuan untuk menghancurkan dunia. Garis batas tipis yang memisahkan antara pihak yang baik dan pihak yang jahat menjadi semakin kabur. Semua orang mempunyai alasannya masing-masing yang mereka pakai untuk membenarkan perbuatan mereka, dan tidak seluruhnya yang terlihat dapat dilihat secara hitam maupun putih lagi. Aku sangat menyukai pengembangan karakter dari Niccolò Machiavelli dan Billy the Kid. Aku tak henti-hentinya tertawa saat membaca interaksi mereka, terutama Billy the Kid yang agak sembrono. Cerita dalam The Warlock tidak terasa gelap atau suram sama sekali, tetapi cukup menegangkan dan membuat pembacanya akan terus bertanya-tanya apa yang akan terjadi selanjutnya. Menurutku yang dimaksudkan dengan The Warlock dalam buku ini adalah Niccolò Machiavelli.

Adapun para tokoh dalam The Warlock adalah sebagai berikut :