The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

Sophie and Josh are twins, they work across the street from each other, and their part time jobs are dedicated to saving up money to buy a car. Their parents are archaeologists, so they are gone on digs a lot, and the twins have had to learn to watch out for themselves. When Sophie sees a mysterious man in black walk into the bookstore where Josh works, she's worried. When she sees that the men with him have no faces...she's terrified!

It turns out the owners of the bookstore, the Flemings, are really Nicholas and Perenel Flamel, immortal humans in possesion of a powerful book of alchemy and magic: the Codex. Abraham the Mage wrote down his life work centuries ago, and the Flamels are the newest guardians of the tome. The book is coveted by the Dark Elders, who want to use it to return to Earth. Their human servant, John Dee, has been chasing the Flamels across the world for centuries trying to get his hands on the book. Taking them by surprise in the shop, Dee gets all but the last 2 pages of the Codex...the pages needed to summon the Elders back to our world.

Suddenly, Sophie and Josh are plunged into a story that seems more fantasy than reality, as they are whisked away to the Shadowrealms to escape Dee. Perenel is captured, and Flamel flees with the children, afraid he cannot defeat Dee. He enlists the help of Scathach, the Shadow, a famous Next-Generation Elder who created martial arts. Together, they go to Bastet to awaken Sophie's powers.

Flamel is convinced that the twins are the Twins of Legend who will save mankind. But Dee finds them, is always on their tail, and tells Josh that Flamel may not be all that he seems. Are Sophie and Josh really who Flamel thinks they are? Is Dee the bad guy, or just misunderstood? Can they be awakened and learn the elemental magics to save the world?

Love, love, LOVE this series. I enjoy the allusions to famous characters sprinkled throughout, and the storytelling. Truly a great read, can't wait for the next book!

"Sophie was about to turn away, when the grey man suddenly spun around and seemed to stare directly at her. Standing under the awning, his face was in shadow, and yet for just the briefest instant, his eyes looked as if they were glowing. Sophie knew—just knew—that there was no possible way for the small grey man to see her: she was standing on the opposite side of the street behind a pane of glass that was bright with reflected early afternoon sunlight. She would be invisible in the gloom behind the glass.
And yet . . ." (Scott, 2007).

*Library Link*

If you liked this, check out:
The Magician by Michael Scott (Book 2)
The Time Travelers by Linda Buckley-Archer
The Hound of Rowan by Henry Neff

Scott, Michael. (2007). The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. New York, NY: Delacourt Press.