The Sorceress: The Secrets Of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel
Encyclopedia
The Sorceress is the third installment in the six-book series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel written by Michael Scott
and is the sequel to The Magician
. It was released on 26 May 2009 in the U.S.A, 1 June 2009 in Australia
and on 25 June 2009 in the UK.
, where they enlist the help of Gilgamesh
. While the twins are adjusting to the powers Gilgamesh has taught them, Cernunnos
returns with the Wild Hunt
and attacks the twins and Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is wounded by the Archon, but the twins use their newly found powers to protect the King. But what Nicholas Flamel withholds from the twins is that Gilgamesh the King is insane. Though he has no aura - and hence cannot use his powers, he can still pass on his knowledge to an awakened human twins. If Gilgamesh refuses to teach the twins they will be unable to escape back to San Francisco using the Ley Lines, and will be trapped in Dr. John Dee's city, his hometown of London, where he is at his strongest. Flamel uses Francis to enlist Palamedes
, the Saracen Knight to help them.
Palamedes takes them to his home, a junkyard in London and they manage to work together to contact Perenelle. Perenelle is trapped on Alcatraz with the friendly but untrustworthy spider elder, Areop-Enap
, after narrowly escaping the Sphinx
and defeating The Morrigan
. Morrigan has been suppressed sufficiently by the Words of Power that resided on the island that her body was retaken by her two sisters, Macha
and Badb
. Perenelle also makes fleeting contact with Scathach
and Joan of Arc
by scrying. Areop-Enap and it's spider army are then attacked by an onslaught of poisoned flies, killing most of the spiders and wounding Areop-Enap. Billy the Kid
has joined forces with Machiavelli in an attempt to kill the sorceress, but Perenelle aided by Macha
and Badb tricks the pair steals their boat, travelling back to the mainland with her new ally, the Crow Goddess.
Unfortunately, the Dark Elders have awakened an ancient being even more powerful and mysterious than them: an Archon. The Archon, named Cernunnos, is known as the Horned God and is the leader of a pack of wolf people called the Wild Hunt. Cernunnos, the Wild Hunt and Dr Dee engage Shakespeare,the Gabriel Hounds, Palamedes, the twins and Flamel in a vicious battle, while making their escape, Josh loses Clarent
, and Dee grabs the sword, reuniting it with its twin, Excalibur
. The two swords fuse together to make a new sword. They activate the ley lines at Stonehenge and are greeted by Perenelle at the other end.
Meanwhile, Scathach and Joan of Arc try to get to Alcatraz to help Perenelle but are trapped in a prehistoric era by Machiavelli, who had deliberately set the trap to snare them. They do not know how to return to their time and must try to survive while they wait for Flamel and the others to find and rescue them.
The Sorceress was released as part of a special edition boxed 3-book set called The First Codex in the USA on 28 September 2010.
1. The Alchemyst
2. The Magician
3. The Sorceress
4. The Necromancer
5. The Warlock
6. The Enchantress
Will be released on 22 May 2012.
Michael Scott (Irish author)
Michael Scott is an Irish author.Michael Scott is a seasoned and prolific writer of over 100 books during his 25 plus years of writing thus far...
and is the sequel to The Magician
The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
The Magician is the second installment in the six-book series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, and is the sequel to The Alchemyst. It was released on 5 June 2008 in the United Kingdom, and on the 24 June 2008 in the United States...
. It was released on 26 May 2009 in the U.S.A, 1 June 2009 in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and on 25 June 2009 in the UK.
Plot Summary
Flamel and Palamedes take the twins to StonehengeStonehenge
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
, where they enlist the help of Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh was the fifth king of Uruk, modern day Iraq , placing his reign ca. 2500 BC. According to the Sumerian king list he reigned for 126 years. In the Tummal Inscription, Gilgamesh, and his son Urlugal, rebuilt the sanctuary of the goddess Ninlil, in Tummal, a sacred quarter in her city of...
. While the twins are adjusting to the powers Gilgamesh has taught them, Cernunnos
Cernunnos
Cernunnos is the conventional name given in Celtic studies to depictions of the horned god of Celtic polytheism. The name itself is only attested once, on the 1st-century Pillar of the Boatmen, but depictions of a horned or antlered figure, often seated in a "lotus position" and often associated...
returns with the Wild Hunt
Wild Hunt
The Wild Hunt is an ancient folk myth prevalent across Northern, Western and Central Europe. The fundamental premise in all instances is the same: a phantasmal, spectral group of huntsmen with the accoutrements of hunting, horses, hounds, etc., in mad pursuit across the skies or along the ground,...
and attacks the twins and Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh is wounded by the Archon, but the twins use their newly found powers to protect the King. But what Nicholas Flamel withholds from the twins is that Gilgamesh the King is insane. Though he has no aura - and hence cannot use his powers, he can still pass on his knowledge to an awakened human twins. If Gilgamesh refuses to teach the twins they will be unable to escape back to San Francisco using the Ley Lines, and will be trapped in Dr. John Dee's city, his hometown of London, where he is at his strongest. Flamel uses Francis to enlist Palamedes
Palamedes
Palamedes could refer to:*Palamedes , the son of Nauplius in Greek mythology*Palamedes , a Saracen Knight of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend...
, the Saracen Knight to help them.
Palamedes takes them to his home, a junkyard in London and they manage to work together to contact Perenelle. Perenelle is trapped on Alcatraz with the friendly but untrustworthy spider elder, Areop-Enap
Areop-Enap
In the indigenous creation myths of the people of Nauru, Areop-Enap played a major part in the creation of the world.-Creation myth:...
, after narrowly escaping the Sphinx
Sphinx
A sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head or a cat head.The sphinx, in Greek tradition, has the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a woman. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless...
and defeating The Morrigan
Morrígan
The Morrígan or Mórrígan , also written as Morrígu or in the plural as Morrígna, and spelt Morríghan or Mór-Ríoghain in Modern Irish, is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have once been a goddess, although she is not explicitly referred to as such in the texts.The Morrigan is a goddess...
. Morrigan has been suppressed sufficiently by the Words of Power that resided on the island that her body was retaken by her two sisters, Macha
Macha
Macha is the name of a goddess and several other characters in Irish mythology.Macha can also mean:*The LÉ Macha , a ship in the Irish Naval Service, named for the goddess*The Macha crater in Russia, less than 7000 years old...
and Badb
Badb
In Irish mythology, the Badb or Badhbh —meaning "crow" or "vulture"—was a war goddess who took the form of a crow, and was thus sometimes known as Badb Catha . She often caused fear and confusion among soldiers in order to move the tide of battle to her favoured side...
. Perenelle also makes fleeting contact with Scathach
Scáthach
Scáthach is a figure in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. She is a legendary Scottish warrior woman and martial arts teacher who trains the legendary Ulster hero Cú Chulainn in the arts of combat...
and Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
by scrying. Areop-Enap and it's spider army are then attacked by an onslaught of poisoned flies, killing most of the spiders and wounding Areop-Enap. Billy the Kid
Billy the Kid
William H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier...
has joined forces with Machiavelli in an attempt to kill the sorceress, but Perenelle aided by Macha
Macha
Macha is the name of a goddess and several other characters in Irish mythology.Macha can also mean:*The LÉ Macha , a ship in the Irish Naval Service, named for the goddess*The Macha crater in Russia, less than 7000 years old...
and Badb tricks the pair steals their boat, travelling back to the mainland with her new ally, the Crow Goddess.
Unfortunately, the Dark Elders have awakened an ancient being even more powerful and mysterious than them: an Archon. The Archon, named Cernunnos, is known as the Horned God and is the leader of a pack of wolf people called the Wild Hunt. Cernunnos, the Wild Hunt and Dr Dee engage Shakespeare,the Gabriel Hounds, Palamedes, the twins and Flamel in a vicious battle, while making their escape, Josh loses Clarent
Clarent
King Arthur's sword of peace, used mainly in knighting or coronation ceremonies rather than battles. It appears in the Alliterative Morte Arthure, where it is stolen by Mordred and used to deliver a fatal blow to Arthur. It was the sword pulled from the stone, whereas Excalibur was granted to...
, and Dee grabs the sword, reuniting it with its twin, Excalibur
Excalibur
Excalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
. The two swords fuse together to make a new sword. They activate the ley lines at Stonehenge and are greeted by Perenelle at the other end.
Meanwhile, Scathach and Joan of Arc try to get to Alcatraz to help Perenelle but are trapped in a prehistoric era by Machiavelli, who had deliberately set the trap to snare them. They do not know how to return to their time and must try to survive while they wait for Flamel and the others to find and rescue them.
Characters new to the series
- PalamedesPalamedesPalamedes could refer to:*Palamedes , the son of Nauplius in Greek mythology*Palamedes , a Saracen Knight of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend...
- Hired by Francis to assist Flamel and the twins. He is an immortal SaracenSaracenSaracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
knight and had watched King ArthurKing ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
fall in battle. He has the unusual ability to move freely throughout the Shadowrealms without suffering any ill effects. His aura is dark green and smells like cloves.
- William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
- The immortal human also known as the Bard. He trained under Nicholas Flamel and Dr. DeeJohn DeeJohn Dee was a Welsh mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, occultist, navigator, imperialist, and consultant to Queen Elizabeth I.John Dee may also refer to:* John Dee , Basketball coach...
. Some members of the Torc madra, or Gabriel Hounds/ Ratchets are loyal to him. Lived with Palamedes in a junkyard until Flamel and the twins showed up. His aura is yellow and smells of lemon.
- Billy the KidBilly the KidWilliam H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier...
- Real name "Henry McCarthyBilly the KidWilliam H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier...
". Sent to Alcatraz to kill Perenelle Flamel. Owns a Thunderbird convertible. His aura is a deep purple-red and smells of cayenne peppers.
- Gilgamesh the KingGilgameshGilgamesh was the fifth king of Uruk, modern day Iraq , placing his reign ca. 2500 BC. According to the Sumerian king list he reigned for 126 years. In the Tummal Inscription, Gilgamesh, and his son Urlugal, rebuilt the sanctuary of the goddess Ninlil, in Tummal, a sacred quarter in her city of...
- The oldest immortal human, also known as the "Ancient of Days". Gilgamesh knows all the Magics, but is unable to use them as he has no aura. The centuries have taken their toll on his mind often rendering him forgetful and confused, bordering on insane. Gilgamesh promised to remember Sophie after she shed a tear for him when he said that he could not even remember most of things that happened in his life.
- CernunnosCernunnosCernunnos is the conventional name given in Celtic studies to depictions of the horned god of Celtic polytheism. The name itself is only attested once, on the 1st-century Pillar of the Boatmen, but depictions of a horned or antlered figure, often seated in a "lotus position" and often associated...
- The Horned God. An ArchonArchonArchon is a Greek word that means "ruler" or "lord", frequently used as the title of a specific public office. It is the masculine present participle of the verb stem ἀρχ-, meaning "to rule", derived from the same root as monarch, hierarchy, and anarchy.- Ancient Greece :In ancient Greece the...
from the time before the Elders walked the earth. Master of the Wild HuntWild HuntThe Wild Hunt is an ancient folk myth prevalent across Northern, Western and Central Europe. The fundamental premise in all instances is the same: a phantasmal, spectral group of huntsmen with the accoutrements of hunting, horses, hounds, etc., in mad pursuit across the skies or along the ground,...
. Sent to repay a debt to Dee's master by helping destroy Nicholas, Josh, Sophie and the others in the junkyard. Killed King ArthurKing ArthurKing Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
and MordredMordredMordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his...
with Clarent.
- NereusNereusIn Greek mythology, Nereus was the eldest son of Pontus and Gaia , a Titan who with Doris fathered the Nereids, with whom Nereus lived in the Aegean Sea. In the Iliad the Old Man of the Sea is the father of Nereids, though Nereus is not directly named...
- "Old Man of the Sea". He and his daughters prevent Perenelle from leaving Alcatraz. Has eight tentacles rather than two legs.
- Genii Cucullati - Shape shifting flesh eaters sent to meet Flamel and his group in London by John Dee.
- Gabriel Hounds - Also known as Torc madra and Ratchets. These are the dog-men loyal to William Shakespeare. They help defend the junkyard castle against the attack from Cernunnos and his Wild Hunt.
Titular Character
The book's title, The Sorceress, refers to Perenelle FlamelPerenelle Flamel
Perenelle Flamel was the wife of the famous 15th century alchemist Nicholas Flamel. Perenelle is believed to have been a widow when she married Nicolas Flamel at the age of 30. Perenelle was also an alchemist in her own right and assisted her husband in his experiments. Some believe she was...
Special Editions & Cover Variations
On 5 August 2010 in the UK The Sorceress will be re-released featuring this style cover.The Sorceress was released as part of a special edition boxed 3-book set called The First Codex in the USA on 28 September 2010.
Audio book
The Sorceress is also available as an unabridged audiobook. It was released by the Listening Library on 26 May 2009 and narrated by Paul Boehmer. The ISBN numbers for the audiobook are: ISBN 0-7393-8055-9 (UK), ISBN 978-0-7393-8055-0 (U.S.A).Award Nominations
- AmazonAmazon.comAmazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
- Best Books of 2009,Top 10 Children's Books: Middle Readers. - Cybills (Children and Young Bloggers Literary Awards) - 2009 Nominations, fantasy & science-fiction: Elementary/Middle Years.
Online Game
To celebrate the release of The Sorceress an online game was created. It was called The Challenges of the Elder and launched on 21 April 2009. Players are guided through the game, which is a set of four challenges, by video scenes featuring Michael Scott. The first task, the Alchemyst's challenge, required players to assemble a moving jigsaw of the series' logo against a countdown clock. The second task, the Magician's challenge, required players to turn over two books from a series of books and find matching symbols, when a matching pair was found both books burst into flames and disappeared. The task was complete when all the books had been matched. The third task, the Sorceress' challenge was a colour sequencing game where players chose coloured flasks and would have to repeat the sequence that they were shown in. Players then advanced to meet The Elder, who asked them a set of knowledge questions about the books and were given a coloured aura depending on their scores and time taken in the tasks.Sequel
The sequel to The Sorceress, The Necromancer: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, was released on 25 Mayth 2010 in the USA. and was released on 5 August 2010 in the UK.The Series Chronology
In order of publishing and selling:1. The Alchemyst
The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicolas Flamel is the first novel in the six book series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel. It is written by Irish author Michael Scott and was published in May 2007...
2. The Magician
The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
The Magician is the second installment in the six-book series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, and is the sequel to The Alchemyst. It was released on 5 June 2008 in the United Kingdom, and on the 24 June 2008 in the United States...
3. The Sorceress
4. The Necromancer
The Necromancer: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
The Necromancer is the fourth book of the series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel written by Irish author Michael Scott. The novel was released in the USA on May 25, 2010, published by Delacorte Press, which is an imprint of Random House...
5. The Warlock
The Warlock: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
The Warlock is the fifth book of the series The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel written by Irish author Michael Scott. The novel was released in the USA on May 24, 2011, published by Delacorte Press, which is an imprint of Random House...
6. The Enchantress
The Enchantress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
The Enchantress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicolas Flamel is the final novel in the six book series: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel...
Will be released on 22 May 2012.
External links
- Authors site Author's website
- Publishers Website Publisher's website
- Approved Flamel Forum Author endorsed fan forum visited daily by the author.
- Approved fan site Author endorsed fan site featuring monthly podcasts.