By: Michael Scott
The Secrets of Nicholas Flamel series book 5
The twins of the prophecy are now separated. They are divided, finding themselves on opposite sides. Josh has chosen to fight side by side with John Dee and his mysterious associate Virginia Dare. His masters have declared him utlaga (outcast), there is a price on his head and others have joined in unlikely alliances to hunt them down.
Machiavelli and Billy the Kid are on Alcatraz preparing to release a hoard of monsters on the unsuspecting city of San Francisco.
Sophie, Niten, the Flamels and others join together at Tsagaglalal’s, where She Who Watches passes on messages to each of them from Abraham the Mage. They all have specific parts to play if the world of humans is going to survive.
Scathach, Palamedes, Joan, Saint-Germain, and Shakespeare have gone back in time in order to ensure the island city of Danu Talis falls, for fall it must if the modern world is to survive.
This is the second last book of this series and it’s pace is still flying along. The division between Sophie and Josh that has been seething from the moment Sophie was first awakened, has finally torn them apart. The fragile alliances are precarious and this is, in part, what makes things interesting. ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend’, is a strong theme and throughout loyalties shift. It is interesting to see how Scott allows his characters to ebb and flow within their own moral codes. The simple fact – that so many of the characters are grey rather than black and white, is one of the things that makes this series so very appealing.
I’ve said it before but it bears repeating, Scott is a master at writing a multi-perspective story that makes sense. The prose jumps from character to character yet never gets confusing. His writing style keeps you wanting to turn the page to see what happens next. Sophie and Josh may be the key to the prophecy but the characters around them keep the story interesting, providing it with texture and depth. I wish I didn’t have to wait so long for the final book but at least I know it will be worth it.
Publisher: Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Published: 24 May 2011
Format: Hardback 385 pages
Categories: Adventure Fantasy Siblings Mythology
ISBN 13: 9780385735339
Purchase: here or use Booktopia logo on side of page
TheKylieVerse 
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