The Alchemist

Rating:
Summary: Lisa from Michigan
Review: After reading the Passion and the Promist(two excellent books), this book dissapointed me. It was slow and I never had any emotional ties to the charectors.

Rating:
Summary: Great concept, characters are too flat
Review: At the dawn of history, the House of Ra stands, training students in true science, magic, and every art. Three students stand head and shoulders above the others--Akan, Han, and Nefar--the woman both men love. Together they can work magic more powerful than any known, yet their use of magic is not unlimited and subject to great risk for themselves and those around them. The three agree to use their powers to build a paradise on earth, yet delivering on their promises is more difficult than their power would make it appear.

Author Donna Boyd has created an intriguing fantasy that spans all of recorded history. The three alchemists transform history, yet always reach for more than they can safely achieve. Unfortunately, THE ALCHEMIST is weakened by the narrative device that Boyd has chosen--a retrospective first person narrative that somehow distances the reader from the characters. Although THE ALCHEMIST is a tale of overpowering emotions, great good and evil, sibling rivalry that extends through the centuries, and even contains an intriguing twist at the end, the story-telling is strangely flat.

THE ALCHEMIST is an interesting book, certainly worth the read. It is also instructive for writers to see both how to create a compelling plot and setting, and how this fine concept can be brought up short of full fruition.

Rating:
Summary: Dissapointed...
Review: I also was a HUGE fan of The Promise and The Passion. I had never read 2 books more engrossing and hypnotic as those books. With The Alchemist, Ms. Boyd loses a lot of the steam she had going with her first two novels. This book was boring. I kept telling myself to keep reading because I was such a fan of her Devoncroix werewolf novels that I just was expecting greatness, but it never came in this book. The descriptives are WAY too long and at some points you feel like you are almost drunk or high from the drawn out, pointless detailings. I found myself "reading", or basically just looking at words but not taking them in for almost half of this short book. The story was predictable. I knew the therapist was connected by blood from the very start. I just hope Donna Boyd comes back with her powerful, epic Devoncroix Dynasty series! This book was a huge let down. I'm sorry Donna Boyd...I loved your werewolf books, but this was just not a good one.

Rating:
Summary: A strong first half, but lost steam
Review: I enjoyed The Alchemist, but I felt that it could have been a much better book if the second half had been as exciting and gripping as the first half.

The book starts in Ancient Egypt and ends in the present day, wending its way through history. Well over half the book is set in ancient Egypt. This portion of the book is exciting and unpredictable. It tells the tale of three young magicians and what happens when they combine their powers. There were several times when the twists and turns in the plot took me by complete surprize.

The second half sees the three separateds into various combinations of two and one. This part of the book is much less imaginative. I found some of things to be a bit predicatable, while in other places I just found the outcome slightly disappointing.

This is a good book, but the second half didn't live up to the promise of the first half.

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Summary: Would love a sequel
Review: This was the first book I read by Donna Boyd. I really enjoyed it. It was one of those stories that stuck with me long after I read it. The story was original and kept me guessing. Just finished Ramses the Damned, by Anne Rice, and found The Alchemist to have some similarities. I enjoyed the Alchemist more though; not as neat of an ending as Ramses. After reading The Alchemist, I followed up w/ The Passion and The Promise, Boyd's take on werewolves. Didn't think I'd enjoy those as much, but I did. All her stories got me quickly involved and kept my interest throughout. It was like watching a movie and I couldn't wait to find out the ending. I look forward to any sequels of Ms. Boyd's.

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Summary: Donna Boyd tells a magical tale
Review: Well I'm coming off of reading her other book "The Passion" which I thoroughly enjoyed (see my review)and I just bought her other books under the name of "Rebecca Flanders" I really like this author's style. I chose to take a break from the Werewolf topic because I just finished "Circus of the Damned" by Laurell K. Hamilton and it dealt a lot with Were-people and this was a welcome diversion.

This book started out so engaging it got me from the first chapter and kept me. The whole premise is that there are 3 gifted students at the House of Ra, when these 3 students combine their magical energy their power is unmatched, however something happens early on and they do not complete the training they needed. Consequently their magic is flawed.... but they don't realize that, their young and think they are invicible.

This book has Magicians that are immortal, Dark Magic that goes wrong, Incest, Betrayal and all of this spans from the time during Pharoah to the present day. I recommend this book for a break from the norm it's great storytelling, if you like books with twist, you should enjoy this one. In my opinion the end was not as satisfying as the rest of the book but I guess she maybe left it that way to do a sequel.

Respectfully Reviewed

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Summary: A Poor Man's Anne Rice .... Disappointing
Review: While the idea is a good one, Boyd's history is shaky and her story painfully predictable. If she had fleshed out the story to include the colour of the various periods in history it might be more interesting, but as it stands, it is pretty shallow. The characters and their exploits are cliche and seemed to be taken from any one of Anne Rice's Vampire books. I was disappointed in the lack of richness and detail. This one man's redemption just isn't that interesting.

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Summary: Very innovative
Review: While visiting Central Park West psychiatrist Dr. Anne Kramer, Randolph Sontime makes incredible claims. He informs her that he is the assassin that used magic to kill someone in Geneva while he gave a speech to five hundred people in New York. He also alleges that he has lived since the dawning of civilization in Egypt using various names like Rasputin and Merlin. Randolph further explains that he is tired and desires the ultimate end so must tell his story to someone choosing her because he will be her latest "trophy", but actually keeps a secret from her that ties the duo together.

He starts at the beginning as Han a child prodigy in Ancient Egypt studying alchemy along with two other brilliant students, Akan and Nefar. The trio shares a talent so superior to their peers and most of their teachers. They begin to go way beyond that of their schooling looking into the dark forbidden side of magic until Akan and Han also compete for the love of Nefar. Each of them loses sight of the philosophical balance that underscores their science.

THE ALCHEMIST is a deep magical tale in which the charismatic Randolph charms the audience with his narrative from the beginning to the end. The novel reads quickly and fans will do so in one sitting. The story line belongs to the male lead character even though Anne acts as a strong counterpoint and anchor. Donna Boyd writes a triumphant tale that entertains readers who will want more from this magical author.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Very innovative
Review: While visiting Central Park West psychiatrist Dr. Anne Kramer, Randolph Sontime makes incredible claims. He informs her that he is the assassin that used magic to kill someone in Geneva while he gave a speech to five hundred people in New York. He also alleges that he has lived since the dawning of civilization in Egypt using various names like Rasputin and Merlin. Randolph further explains that he is tired and desires the ultimate end so must tell his story to someone choosing her because he will be her latest "trophy", but actually keeps a secret from her that ties the duo together.

He starts at the beginning as Han a child prodigy in Ancient Egypt studying alchemy along with two other brilliant students, Akan and Nefar. The trio shares a talent so superior to their peers and most of their teachers. They begin to go way beyond that of their schooling looking into the dark forbidden side of magic until Akan and Han also compete for the love of Nefar. Each of them loses sight of the philosophical balance that underscores their science.

THE ALCHEMIST is a deep magical tale in which the charismatic Randolph charms the audience with his narrative from the beginning to the end. The novel reads quickly and fans will do so in one sitting. The story line belongs to the male lead character even though Anne acts as a strong counterpoint and anchor. Donna Boyd writes a triumphant tale that entertains readers who will want more from this magical author.

Harriet Klausner