The Warlock

The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #5

by Michael Scott

The twins of prophecy have been divided—the end has begun.

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 human 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, Palamedes, and Shakespeare. The group was summoned because they must travel back int time to Danu Talis to 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.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Mythology, Magic, Adventure, Urban Fantasy

400 pages, Hardcover

First published May 24, 2011

About the author

Irish-born Michael Scott began writing over thirty years ago, and is one of Ireland's most successful and prolific authors, with over one hundred titles to his credit, spanning a
variety of genres, including Fantasy, Science Fiction and Folklore.

He writes for both adults and young adults and is published in thirty-seven countries, in over twenty languages.

Praised for his “unparalleled contribution to children’s literature,” by the Guide to Children’s
Books, Michael Scott was the Writer in Residence during Dublin’s tenure as European City of Culture in 1991, and was featured in the 2006 edition of Who’s Who in Ireland as one of the 1000
most “significant Irish.”

Reviews

[★ Jess · Rating 1 out of 5]

*I did not finish this. I stopped with 120 pages left, then skimmed the last chapter*

A whole bunch of flat, lifeless characters sitting around, doing shit-all and bidding their time until the final book.
This was absolute, utter crap. This time last year I was about to start reading 'The Necromancer', and I was excited. Why? Because until then I had given the series 14 out of a possible 15 stars:
The Alchemyst ★★★★
The Magician ★★★★★
The Sorceress★★★★★
'The Necromancer' ended up on a solid 3 stars. I was desperate for this one, since that amazing cliffhanger ending. Now, you know what? I couldnt give a rats ass. This book was totally unnecessary. I kid you not, a ten page short-story could have sufficed.
Firstly: There are too many characters, introduced in too shorter amount of time. I counted; for 150 pages there were 15 main characters in six different locations. Not too mention countless numbers of supporting acts. Also, there were important characters from other books that I had no idea where they were. CONFUSING TO THE MAX.
Since the majority of the characters are from myths & legends, Scott takes ages to explain their histories. This is all well and good, but this little act makes 'The Warlock' seem like a boring text book than a novel.
And I dont think Michael Scott even likes his own books any more. The first three were written with visible passion. This one just seems like he is rushing it, so he can be done with the series. There is no flare or passion or love of writing behind these hollow words.
I didnt even finish this. I gave up with 120 pages left. But I did skim the last chapter. And there is a mega massive giant twist. And I fucking hate it.

Yes, it must be pretty bad for me to drop the f-bomb for the first time on this website. The twist pretty much ruins everything I liked about this series, and guaranties the final book will not be like the first three which I adored so much. I am so mad at you Mr. Scott.

Hahahahahaha. Look at my pre=reading thoughts. Look how different they were from my review. Laugh at the difference. Its so tragic...
I think I am going to have a nice long cry now:

This is going to be the best book ever!
I am sensationally excited. My thoughts? Josh will be turned into a 'warlock' by Mars Ultor. Or, maybe Mars is the Warlock himself...he will definitely have a mega-giant role to play.
I also think that Virginia Dare, will in fact, turn out to be a good guy (in this book, or the next). If not, she will definitely be only half-evil. kind of Like Draco Malfoy in the Half Blood Prince.
Oh, and im certain this installment will take place in Egypt. Lots of action around the Great Pyramids and The Sphinx (hence the Egyptian Pharaoh mask in the bottom right corner. Or maybe it just means that an old Egyptian King will make an appearance? Possibly King Tut?
THAT WOULD BE MADE OF AWESOME.
I need this ASAP!

[Maree · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, I've started to pick apart the series. This is going to be a bit of a rant of all the problems I found with this book, which can be found kind of consistently throughout the series. If you're a big fan of this series and can't bear any criticism, you might want to walk on by.

The first complaint is a rehash, but it's such a big one I feel the need to mention it once again. The first rule any decent writer learns is the power of show, not tell, and this seems to be a rule that Scott has haphazardly disregarded. I am going to open this book to a random page now and find an example:

p 130: "They had been doing this a long time, and they only mugged people who had something worth stealing."

First page I opened it to, seriously. Please, SHOW me how they've been doing this a long time, because when you TELL me things about characters, I don't believe you any more. Which brings me to my second harp.

Bad Planning.

These books seriously drag on and on. I think it's obvious that Scott hadn't planned much further than the first couple of books, or hadn't planned in much detail, because you can see marks of this throughout the series. Because the same things happen in each book. Each twin learns a magic, they run around one town with perfect directions and we get one tiny step closer to the endgame, which seriously should have been summed up two books ago because nothing very interesting has happened since.

But, bad series planning. For example, sentences such as this:

"For some reason he didn't quite understand, Josh was still reluctant to let Dee know he had the pages."

For some reason he didn't quite understand, indeed. Because there is no reason that Scott could feasibly come up with that would make sense! He needed Josh there, with Dee, on Dee's side, but he couldn't let Dee have the pages, so he came up with this vague sentence to explain why. This is horrible planning and horrible plot, and characters have these 'feelings' quite often so that they will act in accord with how the plot needs to go rather than how their character would actually act. In my opinion, a better writer would think a little more about the plot and characters, and write a way for the character to achieve a plot point under their own power, staying true to their nature. But because Sophie and Josh don't really have strong characters (we are only told what they're like, and there aren't many examples from their actual personalities to be believed), I suspect it doesn't really matter.

Second Example of Bad Planning

"[Scathach] abruptly remembered that she'd once been told that she'd die in an exotic location."

Gee, that's funny. Because last book, she suddenly remembered that she had been told she would die in a desert. And because we haven't seen which memory is true, what do we believe? The problem is, most of this book for Scathach takes place in an exotic location, and if she's going to die in a desert, well, there's no character peril for her, is there? We know she's going to live. So either Scott didn't consult his previous book, or he hadn't thought far enough ahead about where this book was going to take place.

Inconsistencies. This one goes hand in hand with the other two. When you simply say things without providing any proof, then it's so much easier to contradict. Words are just words, and anyone can say them to change the shape of the story. But there's usually only a few ways to interpret actions, which is why they're so much more powerful as a storytelling element. Here's an example of my problem, looking at Flamel on his deathbed:

"Sophie knew her brother had really looked up to Nicholas Flamel."

What? Josh has spent the last three books thinking about how much he doesn't trust the Alchemyst. So now we have a problem. Either Sophie is right, and all those times when Josh was bashing Flamel in his mind and feeling uneasy in his presence, he was actually really admiring and looking up to him and his thoughts were just mistaken, or Sophie is wrong, and all those times when Scott went on about how the twins know each other so well and can almost read each other's minds and know how the other is feeling are wrong. Either way, this sentence contradicts a ton of examples in previous books. And because there have been no physical examples behind it, the reader doesn't know what to believe.

This also relates to how badly the character of Josh is written in general here. Scott needs one of the twins to go along with Dee to create the "one to destroy, one to save" whatever stuff for the world. But Josh keeps being written as a good person, yet is helping Dee release a bunch of evil creates to destroy San Francisco. There is one moment where he seems to be magikied into agreeing to help, but the rest of the time, it's all of his own free will because he has 'hardened.' What? You can't still be a good person if you're planning to let out creatures to kill a bunch of people.

An example of this kind of betrayal done right is with Edmund in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It's difficult to continue to have sympathy for a character who is doing a bad thing, but C. S. Lewis manages it. Scott just manages to confuse his readers by continually saying what a good person Josh is while he's doing all these bad things. It's too big a contradiction, and actions speak louder than words (which is just another way of saying show, don't tell).

Second Example of Inconsistencies

Josh and Sophie naturally come with a special smell for the auras (and boy am I tired about hearing about what the air smells like when everyone uses magic). But in another book, it's mentioned how Dee picked his own scent. This inconsistency is 'resolved' by the author with this sentence:

"Of course. Well, except for those with gold or silver auras."

Wow. Talk about using a blunt sword for fine chopping. So EVERYONE except for the exact two auras that Josh and Sophie have are different. This type of sloppy writing just frustrates me to no end. You're a writer! Come up with a creative yet believable solution!

Power Players

In all the earlier books, for magic to work, there has to be a catalyst for it. If you want to float in the air, you need air magic to hold you up. But in this book, that thought is blown away. Now, if you can imagine it, you can just do it. This is just another example of how Scott continually makes his characters too powerful without thinking about the consequences and later has to invent new limitations to make things interesting. Aside from this change of magic, Sophie and her memories are a big example.

"She tried again to call up the Witch's memories for Tsagaglalal. But she got nothing."

Scott is going for the big reveal, because the character of Tsagaglalal is someone Sophie knows. So if Sophie remembers stuff about her, then she'll know who she is. So he conveniently just has her not be able to to remember. For no reason. The memory just isn't there, no explanation given. The only reason Sophie can't remember is because Scott needs her not to remember as a plot device, which is NOT a good reason in a story that shouldn't know it's just a story. Again, it's sloppy, and it's due to bad planning and the fact that Sophie's memories are too powerful and need to be limited. I could deal with this if some clever reason was issued, but again with that blunt sword, sawing away.

This happens all the time in these books. There's another moment in this one where someone goes "Oh hey, I'm a master of fire. I could call down some lightning and strike all these bad guys down" and someone else goes "Nah, you can't do that in here because the tech interferes with your aura, sorry dude." So get out of the freakin' space ship and rain down some fire!

But no. The plot must continue the way it's supposed to go, which means making changes to the world mid-series, putting unexplained limits on character powers which would otherwise disturb the plot, and altering character personalities (or not, though their actions change) for the SOLE reason of 'this is how the author needs this part to go.' In my book, this is NOT a good reason to base a change.

I started out enjoying this series, despite it's obvious flaws, but now I'm just frustrated. I'll read the last book, because I've already gotten it from the library and I feel like I've devoted so much time to this that I should at least know how it FINALLY ends. But I won't be recommending it to my friends based on the writing. The plot is decent, but the writing just brings it down.

Lastly

Scott Street? You didn't think that was a bit obvious? Yes, I know it's a real street in SF, like all your locations in your books, but seriously, Michael Scott.

[Sheila Beaumont · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent reading of the fifth installment of "The Secrets of Nicholas Flamel." I read the print edition of this series almost ten years ago, and I'm thoroughly enjoying the audiobooks. Now I'm ready to go on to the final book of the series, The Enchantress.

[Mith · Rating 2 out of 5]

As the rest of the books in the series, this one was just OK, as well. Before I begin, I want to say that if I read the line "Nicholas Flamel is dying" one more time, I won't be responsible for my actions.

Now, the problem with the book, and indeed the rest of the series, is that there are just too many characters being introduced every so often. And somehow ALL of them are related to each other. keeping track of all these relations becomes tedious. Also, every single charcter ever introduced in the books turns out to be either an Elder or a Next generation or an Immortal. It is highly convenient and unrealistic.

The main flaw in the series is that NONE of the characters evoke any sort of affection. Scott fails in character development. Apart from Scathach, Machiavelli and Dare, everybody else is just flat, unintersting and unlikable. I get that the author is trying to create a mystery of sorts about the real intentions of the Flamels but honestly five books is just way too long to reveal where exactly they stand in all this.

One redeeming fact is that the myths and legends brought to life in the books are extremely interesting. Some of them I had never even heard of before. Clearly Scott has done his research.

Unfortunately, I glossed over all the Scathach bits in this book. They were just too uninteresting and redundant. The finale was surprising but unbelievable (and not in a good way)

[Franco Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imposible no devorar cada libro. Buenísima parte de esta saga que no para de asombrarme. Estoy a un paso del final.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not great. I didn't give it a one star solely because the premise of the series is very good and had a lot of potential, and because Scott does have a good grip of language and paints a good picture, but this series has become more and more poorly plotted out. There are a bunch of plotholes in the series now, and it seems that more and more often, characters are doing something significant to advance the plot based on a "vague feeling", "an instinct", or "for a reason _(insert character's name)__ didn't quite understand", instead of behaving the way the character actually would. Characters continually act out of character simply because the plot needs them to, and no real reason beyond the vague feelings is ever given.

But what gets me the most is how these books are reading more and more like the old episodes of Batman - where the hero is left in some perilous cliffhanger that he spends 3.6 seconds escaping from at the beginning of the next episode. That describes nearly every encounter throughout the book. "OMG! We're in danger! We're all going to die!".....(next chapter)... "Oh, but not really. I just remembered something that will easily save us within three paragraphs." I understand wanting your readers to anticipate the next chapter, but it was really overdone - to the point where I didn't anticipate anything because it had happened so many times before.

SPOILER ALERT
Also, most of the book leads up to the spectacular releasing of the beasts on Alcatraz, especially the Lotan. So much time is spent on the build up about the Lotan, and how powerful it is, and how everyone is totally screwed once it's released, and how no one can stand against it, etc etc....(wasn't that the same case with the nidhogg in an earlier book?). Once the thing is released, it seems we're going to finally have some action...and then Flamel fixes everything by turning the thing back into an egg in four sentences. Four. Sentences.

Seriously.

Here, I'll show you. The Lotan is headed their way, they are attracting it with their auras, insert random conversation, it's coming closer...closer, and then:

"The Lotan sucked one last taste of their auras and then erupted straight up out of the water, rising on its tail, seven mouths gaping wide, hundreds of savage teeth ready to...

Mint flooded the air, heavy, thick and cloying.

There was a pop...followed by an explosion of green, red and blue that covered the three men in a mist of scented colors.

Nicholas shot out his fist and caught a small blue-veined egg that dropped into the palm of his hand."

And that's it. The resolution for the majority of the build up of the book just flung out in the most casual, offhand, 'who really cares anyway' manner. It was pretty disconcerting. Like running full steam off a cliff.

Overall - loved the first book, loved the second, third was very good, fourth left me with an eyebrow raised, and this one just completely baffled me.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the book. The small chapters and the movement from one group of characters to the next keep the story moving at a nice pace. I enjoyed all the revealed "info" - and several of them were quite surprising. Am anxiously awaiting the final book - to find out how everything ties together. Another great book that I enjoyed reading. I still could use a reference book as a companion to the series so that I could keep better track of all the characters, places, and monsters.

Finished Reading:

1st Time: Aug 10, 2011
2nd Time: Mar 15, 2013

[Dr. Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I literally still hate Josh, but I love this story. This story is just so damn cool. All the myths that interweave and the characters are such a wide range of personalities. I have no idea how this will end, already my head is spinning from the different twists and turns of the plot.

[Aleshanee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Im vorletzten Band der Reihe spitzen sich die Ereignisse zu und die Spannung steigt, weil so viele Entwicklungen parallel passieren und sich gegenseitig beeinflussen, so dass man von einer Aufregung zur nächsten stolpert und kaum Zeit zum Luft holen hat.

Während anfangs noch Josh und Sophie - sowie natürlich die Flamels (Nicholas und Perenelle) im Vordergrund standen, hat sich die Geschichte immer mehr vergrößert und weiterentwickelt. Die 14jährigen Zwillinge spielen natürlich eine entscheidende Rolle und müssen sich einer alten Prophezeiung stellen, deren Auswirkungen ihr komplettes Leben auf den Kopf stellen.
Die unsterblichen Flamels versuchen mit allen Mitteln, im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes mit Hilfe der beiden die Welt zu retten, während viele andere mächtige Gegenspieler ganz andere Ziele haben.

Es hat sich ja schon länger ein Twist angekündigt und jetzt wirken sich gewisse Entscheidungen in einer Art und Weise aus, die zum Handeln drängen und kaum überschaubare Folgen haben.

Ich finde es großartig, wie der Autor hier immer größere Kreise zieht, die Schauplätze ausweitet und auch so viele mythische Wesen aus allen Ecken der Welt mit einbezieht. Ob den Kriegsgott Mars, der Göttervater Odin, Hel - die Herrscherin der Unterwelt, Gilgamesch oder die Göttin Hekate - dazu kommen unsterbliche Berühmtheiten wie der Dichter Shakespeare, Billy the Kid, Dr. John Dee oder Niccolò Machiavelli. Und noch viele mehr. Manche tauchen nur kurz auf, andere spielen eine größere Rolle und auch wenn ich den Zusammenhang oft nicht erkenne zu den "realen" Personen, auch wenn ich nach ihnen gegoogelt habe, finde ich es faszinierend, wie Michael Scott so viele bekannte Namen in dieser Geschichte versammelt. Ohne dass es überlaufen wirkt.
Dabei ist aus vielen verschiedenen Mythen und Kulturen alles gemischt dabei, was mir besonders gut gefällt, weil es irgendwie für mich dadurch an Authentizität gewinnt. Es betrifft die ganze Welt, unsere Vergangenheit und somit auch alle Legenden und "Götter", die jemals von Menschen wahrgenommen wurden. Ob in echt oder in der Fantasie sei hier dahingestellt :)

Durch die vielen Figuren wechseln auch oft die Perspektiven, so dass man den Überblick über alle Ereignisse behält und die Spannung immer hoch gehalten wird, das die Kapitel oft mit kleinen Cliffhangern enden.
Jede der Personen verfolgt ihr eigenes Interesse, so scheint es - und viele sind bereit über Leichen zu gehen, während die Macht das erstrebte Ideal ist. Doch nicht jeder von ihnen ist bereit, dieser Macht alles zu opfern und gewisse "menschliche" oder sagen wir mal, mitfühlende Züge sind halt doch in ihnen verborgen, so dass plötzlich vieles auf der Kippe steht und auf einen spannenden Umbruch zusteuert!

Ich bin jedenfalls sehr gespannt, was im letzten Band passieren wird, den ich wohl bald lesen werde. Bisher fand ich die Reihe wirklich in allen Punkten überzeugend. Die Protagonisten sowie die Nebenfiguren können alle überzeugen in ihren verschiedenen Facetten, die Schauplätze sind toll gewählt, die Mythologie wird hier auf ganz ungewöhnliche Weise mit eingeflochten und die Spannung ist immer hochgehalten.

[Kaylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought The Warlock on my Kindle the day it came out and had finnished it by the next day. I can't wait for the next installment...

[Saul the Heir of Isauldur · Rating 1 out of 5]

Originally published in Phantases and Other Funny Words

Note: Below my review is split into two parts. The first part gives my overall opinion of the book. The second will give spoilers and provide in-depth discussion. Be warned.

Part One: Overview
This, I believe, is the worst book in the series thus far. I have yet to read the final volume, but quite frankly, the series can only go up from here. Every single major problem I had with the series is present in this novel, and it was almost as if these problems were put on display. From the flat characters, to the weakened myths, to the formulaic plot points, all the way to the directionless narrative, the beyond repetitive prose and the altogether needlessness for this to be its own book.

By the time the 5th book rolls around, the reader is already numb to nearly everything that Scott is able to throw into the story. As clumsy as the first three books were, they at least had a sense of urgency and a drive for the plot. However, along with The Necromancer, The Warlock feels lifeless and directionless, meandering into one of many side plots, most of which are boring. Even seeing things that we’ve bee promised for the entire series, things that have been built for books on end, cannot make The Warlock any better.

The characters, as usual, are flat. Even less developed, I’d say, than in previous novels. Scott’s inability to show and his overdependence in telling are glaring in this novel. Throughout, we are told things about the twins. One example that comes to mind is when Sophie, as she thinks about her brother, says to herself that Josh really looked up to Nicholas Flamel. Considering how for, quite literally, the last three books Josh has been speaking out against Flamel, I would venture that Sophie is very wrong. But then again, I cannot fault her in flip-flopping about her own brother, when even Josh himself has no idea who or what he’s supposed to be. Those who have read The Necromancer know that Josh decided to side with John Dee because, allegedly, the doctor is a big, manipulative liar, great at doing these things. However, throughout this book, Dee keeps spewing the most stereotypically villainous speeches that anyone has ever heard, and yet Josh is still choosing to help the Magician. For all the Flamels have done, they at least firmly believe that they’re doing everything for the good of humanity. Dee, on the other hand, keeps talking about ruling the world, and becoming the sole emperor of Earth, of dominating the world…Would you happen to know who else had the same plan? Mojo Jojo, Dr. Claw, Pinky and the Brain, Mandark from Dexter’s Lab, and every James Bond antagonist. Dee is terrible at manipulation; Josh is just dumb.

But as boring and flat as Dee is, he is nothing compared to Billy the Kid. He has absolutely no personality, is bland, generic, dull, boring and yet for some reason, the author keeps shoehorning him into the narrative. He is useless, boring and thoroughly uninteresting, and yet he keeps showing up for some ungodly reason.

The writing style hasn’t improved either. If anything, it so much worse. It was noticeable how repetitive the prose was. Altogether different characters say the exact same thing in almost the exact same way only pages apart. I even noted two distinct examples of this. The first example is as follows: Chapter 18, p. 118.

The sea ahead of them was dotted with women’s heads, green hair spread out about them like seaweed. As one, they opened their mouths to reveal piranha-like teeth. And then, they launched themselves towards the boat, dipping in and out of the water like dolphins.

Later, in Chapter 21, p. 137.

Hands close to their sides, the Nereids dived in and out of the water like a school of dolphins. […] Their mouths were all full of ragged needle-pointed teeth. They reminded him of piranhas.

The exact same two comparisons, each comparison appearing twice in the span of 20 pages. The second example is as follows: Chapter 43, p. 286.

“Oh, I would imagine we’ll hear the screams from here.” The English Magician tapped the envelope against his leg impatiently.

Later, in Chapter 48, p. 317.

Virginia shook her head. “Hard to tell, but trust me, when it arrives, we’ll know. I imagine we’ll hear the screams from here.”

Identical phrasing, from two different characters, in the span of 31 pages. And that isn’t all. Every character keeps repeating the same two words to each other. When asked what they would do for their loved one, everyone answers, “Anything, everything.” Never mind that some of these characters are ancient, so much older than humanity (I’ll come back to this very soon) and have mindsets very far from those of humanity. Everyone, apparently, thinks identically.

Going back to these ancient characters: Every chance he gets, Scott beats us over the head with how “normal they look, it could almost be a regular barbecue.” And then, in the immediate next sentence, “but it’s not, because each of them is older than the human race.” You know, if you keep repeating that these creatures are just normal, as a reader, I’m going to end up believing you. And by making these myths normal, they lose their awe and their majesty. Hell, they lose their dignity. Scott is very afraid of running with the weird of the myths, with painting bizarre scenes, where some god of some culture is having dinner with the god of some other culture from the opposite side of the globe. One of them could look like a monster, and contrast so starkly with the furniture in some house in San Francisco. But no, they all look humanoid and bland. The gods in American Gods do less flashy things, and yet they’re far more awe-inspiring and dignified than anything in this series! It’s almost like Scott follows a formula for describing all these creatures. “You see that bird? It’s not a bird. It’s older than the human race!! You see that dog? It’s not a dog. It’s older than the human race!! You see that trashcan? It’s not a trashcan. Its kind hasn’t been on this Earth in centuries! Also, it’s older than the human race!! You see that pile of dirt? Ok, yeah, that is a pile of dirt. But it’s a pile of dirt that’s older than the human race!!”

With all this stuff, I finished the book with a shrug. The ending is supposed to be a big revelation. And it is, in theory. But by the time the reader gets to this point, they’re either exhausted of all the jumbled action and exposition or so bored to tear by the flat characters that the reveal doesn’t even register. It sure didn’t register with me.

Part Two: In-depth Discussion and SPOILERS
In this book, the series took a turn that I really wasn’t expecting. It went from being a young adult novel about myths and legends being real (in the style of Percy Jackson and the Olympians), to being a young adult novel about weird conspiracy theories and ancient advanced technology (in the style of those shows and documentaries about ancient aliens that run late at night on the History Channel). The tone of the series is very inconsistent, and yet again, having the Elders (which are supposed to be creatures of myth) really be the result of genetic engineering instead of just magical beings doesn’t make them cooler. It makes them weak and dull and they even seem out of place. Some mythologies work well with the ancient aliens idea, but most do not. Suddenly Danu Talis isn’t an olden city of magic and wonder, but a city so technologically advanced that it follows Clarke’s Third Law. Which would be fine, but that’s not how the series was set up in the first three books. For half of the series, we thought we were getting magic and monsters, not unexplained sci-fi.

And even if the Elders had been fully magical, it doesn’t helps that Scott keeps throwing older and older civilizations into the already-jumbled mix. The Elders were the basis for human myths, but before the Elders existed, there lived the Great Elders. But it turns out that before the Great Elders, there were the Archons. But even the Archons were just riding on the coattails of the Ancients. But even the Ancients were just ripping off the Earthlords. And yet, the Earthlords couldn’t handle the four Swords of Power that came from not-even-the-author-knows-where. Was nobody in the history of ever original? Surely, someone must have initially invented the wheel without having to review the Manual of the Wheel left behind by some older jerks who probably just copied it from an even older, unoriginal jerk. By now, the Elders have lost all their awe and marvel (or what little they had to begin with, because as I’ve said before, the gods are normalized and banal and weak) because there’s always and older Thing, which is nothing compared to the Even Older Thing. It’s a historical power creep, a contest to see who’s older, because apparently age directly translates to power, and never mind that the Earthlords, the Ancients and the Archons all fell for a reason.

And now, with apologies, I’m yet again going to bring up the repetitive prose, but this tie, I will direct to a specific word: vampire. Is everything in this universe comparable to vampires? Is there no other creature that does the same things that vampires do which the author could use as comparison? Leeches? Bats? Spiders? They all drink blood too! But no, it has to be vampires. Scathach and Aoife are actual vampires. And it turns out that Coatlicue was the first vampire (even though she’s got a whole snake theme going on). The crystal skull is described as vampire-like, and the Lotan (a seven headed monstrosity which is supposed to be terrifying) is also vampire-like. For a book series that allegedly draws inspiration from nearly every mythology in human history, it clearly loves to shove the word “vampire” into every other description! I doubt that The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer has the damned word repeated as often!!

And finally, the most anticlimactic thing ever to be found in this book series (and that really is saying something), the defeat of the Lotan. Again, we have several chapters of buildup for this one creature, a seven-headed amphibian creature that feeds off auras and flesh (vampire-like, if you will) and when it is finally revealed, it’s just a seven-headed, 24-foot-long Komodo dragon (it seems that this is the only reptile the author has even seen). But that’s fine! The Lotan is going to rampage and run wild through the city of San Francisco! But just as it gets to the city, Flamel turns it into an egg and the egg is swallowed by a bird. All in the span of about 3 pages. I’m almost tempted to not call this anticlimactic, because that would imply that I expected something or that there was a proper buildup. There wasn’t. It was just characters telling the reader that the Lotan is cool and fearsome, but it ends up being yet another weak and undignified myth.

[AlohaMyPikachu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, this is not going to be a pretty review, so I'll try to keep it short.

The Alchemyst was great. The second book was good, just shy of being great. The third book I struggled a bit. The fourth book took me days to read, and even then I stretched it over the course of a couple of weeks. I finally just sat down and got through it. I feel bad for saying this, but book four had me constantly checking how many pages I had left.

Now the fifth book...ah, this one was just...not good. How else can I say it? I felt as though nothing happened in this novel.

I'll try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible...

The one thing about this book is that it took place in one day. Okay, that's not so bad you say. Sure, of course it's not. But my problem with it? Nothing happens until the last 20 pages or so.

A bunch of characters are introduced. We see what's going on in the past with another set of characters. Meanwhile, Sophie and her entourage are having a get-together barbecue in her aunt's backyard. On Alcatraz, the good doctor is trying to go on with plan B of his neurotic plan to take over the world. With him is Josh, Virginia Dare, Machiavelli and Billy the Kid. There's conflict between the latter set of characters that is cool to read about, but just fluff.

So there I was, reading and reading, trying not to check how many pages were ahead of me. I did chores as I read. Suddenly, it got to be about the last 30 pages or so and I blinked. I thought, no, this can't be right. I read the whole book and something big is happening only now? And it was so anticlimactic to boot! It was like a bottle rocket. You wait for it to go up. You watch it. Up and up it goes. It lets you have a cheap thrill and then it's over.

Is this fair of me? Probably not. However, this was a very disappointing book. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's unnecessary. I'm all for fluff, but the author could have done with squeezing in some kind of big, big action. And I'm sorry, those guys who got sent back in time almost don't count. If what was happening 10,000 years ago is supposed to make up for the lackluster part of Josh and Sophie's quest, I can only shake my head.

Mr. Scott certainly has a way with words. His attention to detail and history is magnificent. I don't want my negativity to take away from that. I just felt that The Warlock, while vital to the series, merely felt like a big time-waster. I was hoping for explanations. Answers. But speaking for myself, I seem to only get hit upside the head with more questions. It's getting very confusing and I'll continue to say this is a series to read, but it might not make it to your keeper shelf.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I am falling out of love with this series, but I will say that the hook at the end of this one was great.
It seems as though these books are spending more time talking about things than actually getting things done. That is irksome. Also, the author has now brought in so many different characters and put them together in groups, and some are back from the dead and in their own group....it is too much. All the different groups are working on their own thing and then another group shows up and so on and so on. I love a great subplot or two, but there is a limit. I feel like the line has been crossed here. Hopefully, the next novel in this series will tighten things up and spend a little more time on character development because there was no development to be found in this one.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Twist na kraju i interakcija izmedju Bilija i Dia je jedino sto vadi ovu knjigu. Sve ostalo je nepotrebno i cist gubitak vremena. Da sledeca kniga nije zadnja u serijalu odustao bi od daljeg citanja.

Blah.

[Dylan Staats]

OMG YOU DONT KNOW HOW EXCITED I AM THIS BOOK CAME OUT!!! it came out may 24, 2011 and i didnt even know about it until just now... 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[Karen Keyte · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Follow your hearts. Protect one another, trust one another, because, at the end of the day, all of these people want something from you, or want you to do something for them, or be something that you are not. Your only responsibility is to one another.” - Niten the Swordsman, also known as Miyamoto Musashi, to Josh and Sophie Newman in The Necromancer

When Niten spoke to words to Josh and Sophie, the both agreed with him. For Josh, Niten’s words echoed almost exactly what he had been thinking privately for days. Unlike his twin, Josh Newman had been mistrustful of the immortal humans, Next Generation and Elders almost from the moment, just a week ago, when he and Sophie discovered they existed. Yet a mere twenty-four hours after agreeing with Niten wholeheartedly, Josh would turn his back on his sister, leave her behind in favor of escape with the immortal humans John Dee and Virginia Dare - who have, up until now, been the twins’ enemies. He may have chosen to leave of his own free will, or he may have been influenced by Dr. Dee’s very persuasive lies and powerfully compelling spells (Dr. Dee is the Magician, after all). He might even be yet under the control of Mars Ultor, the Elder who awakened him. Josh’s motivation is unclear, but the result is not. The struggle to determine the fate of humanity and the world is drawing perilously close and Josh and Sophie Newman, the gold and silver twins of legend, are standing on opposite sides.

After six hundred years, it seems that Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel must surely fail. They have lost the Codex - the Book of Abraham the Mage - and with it the formula for immortality. With each passing day the Flamels age and weaken; the constant demand on their auras over the past week has only hastened their inevitable demise. Josh’s betrayal, whether voluntary or not, spells doom for humanity and it is this blow, after the many risks and sacrifices, that has stolen the last of Nicholas Flamel’s power. He now lies unconscious and it is unclear whether he will ever wake again.

Perenelle Flamel must now face the horrors of Alcatraz - and the end of the human world - without Nicholas by her side. Before his failure to capture the Newman twins and kill the Flamels made him an outlaw with his Dark Elder masters, Dr. John Dee imprisoned a collection of monsters - creatures that represent the very darkest of humanity’s fears - on Alcatraz Island in preparation for setting them loose on San Francisco and the rest of the world. Perenelle is determined to eliminate that looming threat before another servant of the Dark Elders can set the plan in motion. But she never expected to be so very alone.

Scathach and Joan of Arc disappeared while passing through a leygate between Paris and San Francisco. Perenelle believes they were cast back in time, but in actuality they have travelled to a Shadowrealm created by the mysterious hook-handed man. After seeking assistance form Tammuz the Green Man - Palamedes’s Elder Master - the Comte de Saint-Germain, Palamedes and William Shakespeare have been flung into the same Shadowrealm to be reunited with Scatty and Joan. The hook-handed man, who calls himself Marethyu (the ancient word for death) tells Scathach, Joan, St. Germain, Palamedes and Shakespeare that they must travel back in time, to the very battle that caused the destruction of Danu Talis. If the ancient island kingdom, which has also been known as Atlantis, does not fall, the world of humans will never have had the chance to exist.

In the California of the present day, Perenelle’s possible allies have fared no better. Aiofe of the Shadows, Scathach’s twin, sacrificed herself to drive the Archon Coatlicue back into her Shadowrealm prison. The two are now locked in eternal combat, sealed in a world that holds only darkness. Prometheus, the Elder who taught Josh Newman Fire Magic, exhausted himself when he helped Nicholas and Perenelle track the boy into Dee’s lair using an ancient crystal skull. He now has so little power left that his own Shadowrealm is disintegrating around him. So Perenelle fears she must fight the next battle alone, as she has always known she would. Almost seven hundred years ago, the hook-handed man foretold the child Perenelle’s future, and with it, the future of the world. She has always known what she must do, now it only remains to do it.

Events race toward what must surely be an explosive conclusion in this, the penultimate novel in Michael Scott’s series, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. A combination of myth and legend and folktale with the very best of urban fantasy, this series has been exciting and compelling and surprising and all sorts of other ‘ings’ right from the very start. The characters are rich and complex, it is virtually impossible to tell who, if anyone, is being entirely truthful. In The Warlock, Mr. Scott does a masterful job drawing all of the story threads - both major and minor - together, just in time for The Enchantress, the sixth and final novel, which is due for publication in the summer of 2012. The last time I waited this anxiously for a series finale, it was 2007 and the book was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

[Tori · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt like this series started well but is now very chaotic. What seemed like a JK Rowling-Rick Riordan baby has turned into a Riordan-Lewis Carroll baby. Mythology on acid. Ever had the kind of dream where you're on Alcatraz and you've cracked an egg in your hand but you don't let go? And a 7-headed baby dragon is now drinking your blood from your hand because you're its new mommy? But your friend thinks it's dangerous so she tries to knock it out of your hand and lull it to sleep with her magical wooden flute? But you triumphantly tell your friend that the creature is deaf, hahaha! So you put the creature in the ocean and it grows like one those dehydrated spongy things on TV, and then it goes and tries to destroy San Francisco, but that's what you wanted it to do all along? You think it makes sense, but you wake up and you're so confused by how insane it is? Yeah, I just summarized a whole chapter of this book. My advice is read the first book and stop.

[Aneeqah · Rating 4 out of 5]

New law: "Books can not end in a dead-end cliff hanger, with an ending that completly shocks you and makes you want to throw the book on the ground, and then the next book comes out in a year." I know a bunch of people who would second it. And obviously, that's how this book ends!

The one bad thing about this book is that all the POV's are kinda hard to follow with. Plus, when you're reading about Sophie, and you just want to continue reading about her, it switches to Dr. Dee or something, making it sorta frustrating. Which, I guess, keeps you hooked.


I think I'm going to have to re-read this one. I read through it so fast, trying to get to the end. Now, I think I'll slow down and absorb everything.

Loved it thouh! =) (Even though I almost damaged a brand-new book with a pretty cover)

[Gieliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

A bit repetitive. I mean, yes, I get it! You don't have to say it over and over and over again. I can retain information okay. I'm still enjoying the mythology aspect of this series tho, so 3.5 stars it is. One more book to go.

[kartik narayanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the full review at my site Digital Amrit

'The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel' ranks among the most innovative and atypical Young Adult series I have read.

While the series is named after the character Nicholas Flamel, the main characters are actually a set of twins - Sophie and Josh Newman. The books - set of 6 with an additional two novellas (last I checked) - chart the life and events of these twins over a period of a month after they discover that magic is real. While this type of plot device is common in the YA genre (magic is real/the chosen ones), Michael Scott excels in where he takes this premise.

The world-building is fantastic - it is a great combination of the myths we know but with an additional twist on top. Add to this,

Read the full review at my site Digital Amrit

[Jamie Krakover · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Warlock, the 5th installment of The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series is the best one yet! Michael Scott has certainly outdone himself on this one! This book is full of action and surprises at every twist and turn of the story, and you will find yourself zooming through its pages to find out what happens next. All the old favorites have returned to the adventure as well as some new and interesting additions.

The start of the book picks up right where The Necromancer left off. The twins have parted ways, Sophie with the swordsman Niten and Josh with the evil Dr. John Dee and Cunning Virginia Dare who are being hunted by the elders. Perry is concerned for her husband Nicholas, and the mysterious Witch of Endor is about to give the world back a warlock. Marethyu has assembled his army of Joan, Germain, Shakespeare Palamedes and the fearsome warrior maiden Scathach and taken them back to Danu Talis. Danu Talis is breathtaking and exciting, while the events about to occur on Alcatraz are heart stopping! Will Billy and Machiavelli unleash the creatures on Alcatraz and send them to destroy San Francisco? What will happen on Danu Talis? Will Josh and Sophie learn more magic? Many questions have been asked and numerous answers await you in this wonderful book!

If you are a fan of the series The Warlock does not disappoint and if you haven't yet read the series, an amazing adventure awaits you starting with the Alchemyst! What are you waiting for?

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Warlock by Michael Scott (pp. 389)

Michael Scott continues to deliver. The 5th book in ‘The Secrets of the Nicholas Flamel’ series is a study of themes surrounding the definition of friend, enemy, and traitor as the main and secondary characters gather for battle that will determine the fate of the Earth and Danu Tails shadowrealms.

Scott doesn’t introduce too many new faces, but instead brings them closer together and tells many of the backstories on their relationships over the ages. The world of Danu Tails is explored through his deft introduction of multiple timelines and the ability to send select characters back into 10,000 years to a world that’s already been destroyed. At moments there is almost thematic quality similar to the TV show ‘Fringe’.

Scott continue to surprise with his vast knowledge of mythologies, religions and secular histories of so many cultures. His ability to weave so many disjoint threads so seamlessly continues to be much of the fun of the novels. But here we finally start seeing the payoff of the hardwork he’s laid from previous installments. The ideas of betrayal, loyalty, what is magic, and sacrifice for greater good vs. personal power permeate from the pages.

Waiting for mid-2012 for the next book is the biggest complaint I have from finishing ‘The Warlock’. The series is a ton of fun and continues to surprise.

[autumn · Rating 1 out of 5]

this entire book was LITERALLY nothing but a setup for the big finale in the next, last book! 400 pages of set up!! literally nothing happened (and if it did, it was underwhelming and undone in 50 pages or less). this series was built on so much mystery and intrugue and now that there's finally some big reveals im almost wishing they hadnt.

[Negin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.4999
من عاشق اینم ک هیچ وقت گفته نشده کدوم خوبن. تک تک آدمای کتاب یه نقش منفین. حتی جش و سوفی.. اما از ی طرف هم ادم های خوبین. چون برای عقیدشون میجنگن و تا ته سرش هستن. کلاً همین مجموعه رو دوس دارم:دی
فقط بگم جاش خیلی گنده
و اینکه ..:دی
جاش مارتیو ـه؟ یکی از دوستان گفت.. اما من شک کرده بودم.. :/
همین دیگ.. عاقا کاش زود جلد شیشو بخرم تا قبل امتحانا تموم شههه:|

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

9/12/17 So, another one of my predictions came through in one of the series' big reveals/twists! #3. It makes sense to me, as little things gave it away as I was reading.

Still enjoying the plot, and really enjoying all the different things they can do with magic. I like all the elders in the book, and am looking forward to reading the conclusion. A solid 4 on this one, since it was mostly filler.

9/11/17: Here are my predictions before I finish this book:
1. Josh is the hook-handed man.
2. Josh and Sophie go back in time to become the original twins of legend, thus making it a self-fulfilling prophecy.
3. Their parents are Dee's masters.
4. Already guessed something was up with their Aunt Agnes, and it turned out to be correct. The author made it fairly obvious in the last book.

[Matt J · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.8/5 stars, audiobook.

This book is fine. Plodding, mostly boring, characters who aren’t interesting, and a plot that repeats past books. Things pick up in the last 20% of the book, but that can’t save it.

There isn’t a single main character that is remotely likable in this story, and it feels like Scott got three books in and thought “dang, I have no clue how to end this series” so here we are.

One more left. Hope it’s satisfying.

[MatthewS F1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

After speeding through this book over the weekend, I am thoroughly surprised by the number of plot twists that have occured in this single book. I won't give any spoilers, but I will say that the time Scott took to set up these unexpected twists in the plot is surprising. I look forward to reading the final book in the series, and I would most certainly recommend this book to a friend.

[J.W. Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy sh**!!!! I knew it. Cliffhanger ending. Amen i have the next book. Amazing book. Sooo many groups doing so many things. The new faces. Plus the faves. Blanks filled in. Histories laid out even more. Excellent

[Mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one strangely formatted book. Plot-wise, it's very complicated. And, continuing the trend that the author started in Book 4, there are more separate story lines in The Warlock, which makes reading it require more concentration than usual. And not just separate story lines, there are two separate timelines as well.

At first glance, the book seems simply overpopulated. New characters keeps cropping up left and right and I had trouble keeping track of who is who. I know my myths quite well, but even some of the legendary characters that show up in the fifth still manage to make me wish that I had instant access to an encyclopedia while reading it.

Perhaps this is why I had a very slow start to read the book. It wasn't until halfway through the books, after the part where Perenelle Flamel went somewhat bonkers during her rescue attempt of her husband's life, that I found my stride. That was the point where I could finally see what exactly was happening and how the various story lines connected.

Many things are still left in the dark so don't expect to get answers to the mysteries that Scott has been laying out since Book 1. You will find instead a myriad of clues, which could further deepen the mysteries instead of answering them. For example, you still don't know which twin is the one that will save the world and which twin will destroy the world. This happens to be the question that run through the entire book but it is one that is not answered even until the end. You also won't know what exactly is Dee's planning to do now that he's fallen out of favor. You won't find out which side the immortals are on. In short, The Warlock continues the adventure but does not explain anything.

Also, Nicholas is missing for over half the book. This marks another departure for The Warlock from previous books, but in a more obvious way. Although I'm wary of Nicholas, I pretty much like his point of view, so I'm missing him a lot. I hope there'll be more of him in the next - and final - book. He is after all whose name is being used for the series in general. There should be more of him, period.

But despite the confusion that I felt, I am still keen to call this book my favorite. The reason for that is the surprising revelation of Niccolo Machiavelli and Billy The Kid's decision to turn against Dee and Dare. The Macchiavelli/Kid moments in the book make for a delicious read -- especially if you are fan of bromance, because there are plenty of those in these scenes. It's also interesting to see Josh Newman's hero worship of Billy The Kid. I expected Josh to start kissing the ground The Kid walked on. It was a rather charming moment in the midst of battle tension when The Kid looked sheepish at Josh's compliments for him.

Speaking of Josh, since I am firmly on his side as a character (I do so love my bad boys), I am happy to see that he gets to show off his powers as a Gold twin. He kicks some ass in this book that impresses even Virginia Dare. I enjoy seeing him in a state of conflict over his own feelings for Sophie. It's delicious to see him feel both hatred and longing for her. As far as sibling relationships go, reading about it through Josh's point of view makes it seem fun. Although, in the end, he doesn't let seem to let that get in the way of displaying his awesome Gold powers. I love seeing a kick-ass Josh.

Sophie, on the other hand, is highly affected by losing Josh. She distrusts Perenelle (who really does turn kind of dark in this whole story) and she wants nothing more than to see Josh again. I've never been overly sympathetic to Sophie but this time I can see her pain. It sort of hits home that Sophie might lose her twin and this makes me sad. Her feelings are still parallel to Schatach's feelings for Aoife although Scatty definitely didn't agonize on the same level Sophie did (for a male author, Scott sure does know how a teenage girl angsts. This is quite impressive.)

Then we arrive at the end. The last page of the book. And this is where the big twist comes in. You could say that The Warlock ends with a cliffhanger. But I say it ends with a SLAM -- as in I SLAM my head against my pillows because... WTF. The twist that Scott gives us there is too big and too important that the ending becomes a pure cliffhanger. (And he expects us to wait a year to find out what the heck it means?! Can he get any more cruel? Not even Rick Riordan, another author who loves to use cliffhangers at the end of each chapter, is that mean to his readers.)

I never would have guessed the ending. Almost 24 hours after I finished the book and found out the twist, I'm still even reeling from it.

So, if this book bores you in the beginning, do hang on to it until the end. It'll give you something so huge, you might not even survive the night.

Now all we have to do is sit tight and hang on until Scott deigns to enlighten us on the whole thing. That is, next year when The Enchantress comes out. Oh damn. Scott is good. He is very good. Is it any wonder these books are popular?

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super great book,I'm so sad the series is wrapping up. I am learning new information on every page.