Necromancer

What's absolutely astounding about these books by Michael Scott is that nearly 400 pages covers only a couple days and you just can't believe that so much can happen in such a short time. Of course it helps that a LOT of things are going on simultaneously in other realms...This is the 4th in the series "The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel" and the fate of the world as we know it is growing more dire by the hour. Evil forces appear to be getting the upper hand if for no other reason than Flamel has lost the diary pages that would allow him to remain immortal, and he is losing power as old age arrives at an accelerated pace--after all, he is several hundred years old. Twins Josh and Sophie try to go home again after the adventures of the first three novels, but it is not to be. Scathatch is missing as is Joan of Arc and Dr. Dee is finding a way to capitalize on Josh's mistrust of Flamel and bend Josh's growing powers to his dark ends. The action is non-stop, and the ending will leave you groaning for resolution--maybe in the next volume, The Warlock. Historical and mythological figures rub shoulders in these incredibly complicated casts of characters (think Machiavelli, Billy the Kid, the god Mars, and Prometheus just to name a few). You must read the previous books to have any idea what is going on here, but it will be an enjoyable task: The Alchemyst, The Magician, and The Sorceress.