The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Series

Oct 7, 2014

IrishCyborg, aged 13, tells you about one of his favorite series.

My big brother, IrishWrath, has been telling me to read The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series for two or three years, so I finally gave it a go. I’m glad I did. I read the books any chance I got… before bed, in the mornings, whenever I was waiting for something, in the car, and when I was supposed to be cleaning (He-he-he…). Staged photo, because my mum would kill me if she caught me dossing in real life!

The protagonists in The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel are twins, Sophie and Josh Newman. Their mentor, Nicholas Flamel, for whom the series is named, is an immortal sorcerer who guides them through their adventures, teaching them magic as they go. Their main aim is to try and defeat the bad Elders, who are evil deities that wish to enter Earth to rule it, and feast on everyone’s memories. However, some Elders are good and help the twins along the way. All the Elders are based on real gods like the Irish god of war, the Morrigan, or the cat goddess of Egypt, Bastet. Our heroes meet various characters along the way, all of whom are grounded in history or mythology.

Each Elder created a Shadowrealm (world) fashioned to his taste and needs. These Shadowrealms have gateways that lead to other Shadowrealms. The gateways are called leygates, and they can also lead to the largest Shadowrealm, the Earth. That’s the one that the twins and Flamel live in. However, throughout the book, they travel to other countries, Shadowrealms, and times. They start in the modern-day world, and eventually go back in time to the beginning of history to save humanity.

The magic in The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is video game-ish. For example, if you want to use a power, you need to draw on your magic level, or aura. Your aura is rechargeable, by standing in the sun, but if you overuse it, you’ll burst into flames! If you want to encourage a gamer to read, these books might be a good place to start!

From the moment I meet the protagonists, I was hooked. These books are highly addictive, and I couldn’t put them down. There is lots of action, adventure, and humor, with a fast plot which twists and turns, and you never know what’s coming next. A great read!

I’m giving The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series a nine out of ten!