The Magician

By: Michael Scott

Narrated by: Erik Singer

Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's Summary

After fleeing Ojai, Nicholas, Sophie, Josh, and Scatty emerge in Paris, the City of Lights - and home of Nicholas Flamel. Only this homecoming is anything but sweet. Perenell is still locked up back in Alcatraz, and Paris is teeming with enemies. Niccolò Machiavelli, immortal author and celebrated art collector, is working for Dee. He's after them, and time is running out for Nicholas and Perenell.

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.

Pssst! Listen to more Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel.

©2008 Michael Scott (P)2008 Listening Library

recommended though narrator was switched

If Someone is looking into getting this book, I would go say for it as is the whole series. I am a very picky fantasy reader. I like coherent metaphysics and people you can genuinely care about or dislike. My one HUGE issue in the 2nd book is the narrator change. To be fair, I did not look to see if this was in response to any bad reactions to the first one, but I would be shocked it that was the case. Also, to be fair it can be said that the replacement is not bad. He is not even close to the other voice actor but I could listen to him. I voice my opinion because I listen to books on audio all the time and I thought book one's reader was truly gifted and he acted out all of the main parts with proper accents, adroitly. So I felt I had to posit my frustration at his loss when the series is so clearly a hit and can afford a quality voice actor. A really dumb mistake made in audio publishing all the time. I have dropped series altogether because 3 books into a series they bring on a horrible narrator. I simply find it appalling that they do not work harder to prevent such things from happening. At least in this book, you can deal with both narrators, or at least I could. So I would say if you liked book one, jump on in the water is fine. I just had to mention the switch of readers because I know that Audible knows the difference. They have made some amazing book on audio. I read "Tales of the Otori" and it was stellar and even more so on audio via audible. And my taste must be somewhat on as I am sure that "Tales of the Otori" series won several awards. Many actors truly do act out each voice and do it well. A good example is the first book in this series with Denis O'Hare. In short this is a good book well done in and it is good for older children meaning 14 and up 12 if your child is precocious There are great cultura references to real places in people that are great at stimulating interest in history.

20 of 20 people found this review helpful

disappointed that I can't bear the NEXT narrator

This series took a little getting into, and a few suspensions of disbelief - one of the most pivotal being the teenagers mistrust of their guide and guardian, Flamel - but if the more obvious literary devices are forgiven, the characterisation and action are fun - especially those centred on "the bad guys", who are given somewhat more than the typical 1.5 dimensions usually accorded those on their side. But all of the books' listenability and likeability hinge on the remarkable skill with which the first two narrators delivered the work. Both deftly delivered nuance and sincerity within rapid shifts of pleasantly believable accents - so WHY on earth were they dumped for the inconceivably AWFUL third narrator? He cannot manage a single complete sentence in a consistent accent, let alone a convincing one. I am deeply disappointed to have to leave my new found immortal, elder and humani friends hanging at the end of the second book, because from there on their adventures are intolerable to listen to. I would love to hear the rest of the series re-recorded if at all possible. Until then, I will have to - shock, horror - go and buy the remaining books and read them to myself. Very disappointed Audible, I would have expected better.

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

I wish this was real!

This is a worthy sequel to book 1 of The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. Good character developement and the wild pace continues. Wonderful setting in Paris, past and present. Too bad Denis O'Hare didn't continue the narration.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

great for teen readers

This is a great series for teen readers, introducing them to historical figured and events.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A Twist a Turn and a Web -- Must Read

If you love and hate suspense and bristle when foreshadowing goes against your desires, you’ll love this second installment of the series. I love the monsters and creatures and of course who can like Machiavelli? The novels so far have used trust as a central method for creating tension and conflict. I hope that that transmutes to something else in the future. The book was even better than the first because you feel like the good guys are at least trying to fight back instead of running around in shouts of exclamations. The number of characters in this book you like and hate grows in proportion to each other. My recommendation, start reading book three immediately – I have.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Least favorite of the 5 but still enjoyable.

This series may or may not be intended for teenagers or the youth. It is a nice fun series. I am a seriously avid reader, and finish a novel per week. I picked up the first book in the series for my daughter. I ran out of books and picked it up. I have read all of them now. They are fun.
The series has characters that are well wrritten and believable. The goals and problems are very truthful. Michael Scott has to have or had a few teenagers because he has them down pretty well in the books.
Now don't think you are about to read a literary masterpiece but the stories have heart, soul, well planned themes and flow, and realistic well described characters. I love a good book and these are just that. GOOD BOOKS

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

great book

great book, very good narration, never gets boring, very creative author, its a teen book but i am in my 30's and i enjoyed it just fine.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A wonderful story

Really love how the author mixes all the different myths and legends into a unique story, revolving around a character from my favorite books. I can't wait to continue on with the next book. Also the relatively short chapters are encouraging.

Great storyline

I like the connextions made in this book to myths and legends worldwide. Very creative. Narrator does good voices without going over the top.

Enjoyable all the way around

So... I've barely ever "read" audiobooks. It's a very different way of enjoying a book. In some ways, it's far quicker than if I had simply read a printed book. It also adds a layer to my review: I should comment on the narrator. Erik Singer did an amazing job in reading the book. It was loads of fun to hear all the different voices he used for the different characters. It really made the story come alive.

The story itself... I really enjoyed the characterization. I also liked that things which occurred in the previous book have repercussion in this book. Dee destroyed the World Tree in the previous book and destroy Hecate's shadow realm. He also destroyed four other shadow realms, freed Nidhogg and generally made a few enemies. All of that, I’m fairly certain, will come back to bite him eventually.

Of course, I loved all the protagonists - including Francis and Joan. I didn't quite understand why Scatty screamed - a particularly terrifying scream - when she saw Joan. I mean, a scream of delight or excitement, I could understand. However, no one could mistake that sort of scream for something terrifying. Could they?

One character I enjoyed - which surprised me - was Machiavelli. I'm not one of those people who typically likes the antagonist of a book. However, there's something truly likable about the Italian. Maybe, it's because he and Dee really don't like each other (and I really dislike Dee). Maybe, it's because he’s not completely evil. He's got reasons for what he's doing and I can sympathize. Whatever the reason, Machiavelli became a favorite of mine in this book and I fairly cackled with glee at his last exchange with Dee.

I’ve got the next three books on audiobook and I hope that reader does as good a job as Erik Singer did. I’m pretty sure that they’ll be just as much fun to “read” as the first two books in the series were.

Even better than The Alchemyst

The story of Nicholas Flammel and the twins continues in this fast paced follow up. This time introducing even more scary and wonderful characters. Set in the back drop of the great city of Paris. I decided to give these books a go based on the recommendations of my children. They are clearly aimed at older children, but they are so good, that much like the brilliant Potter stories I'm sure they will appeal to adults just as much. The other thing that can make or break an audio book is the narration. In this case although the narrator is American he is perfectly suited to the story and does a great job. Highly recomended listening!

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Truly Magical

Truly one of the best books I have listened to or read in a long time, i just couldn't get enough of it, a livley book that has plenty of twists in yet keeps you guessing right to the end. I can't wait until the next book in the series is released.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Fabulous

Great from start to finish and look forward to the next installment of the book.

Amassing

The book is great amazing story line the new caricature are great it is just amazing I love it so much

Magical Tale

The second book in the series. It's full of magical twists and turns that will keep you entertained from beginning to the end. It's suitable for teens and adults and is packed with science an magic that make sense and follows the story of the twins magical development. Well worth a listen I highly recommend.