Doctor Illuminatus: The Alchemist's Son Part I [Paperback]

Martin Booth (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Alchemist's Son

When a family moves to an old English country estate, Sebastian, the son of an alchemist, is accidentally awakened from a centuries-long sleep. The evil enemy of Sebastian's father has also been awakened and continues to pursue his sinister plan.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8–This suspenseful novel is sure to please fans of J. K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series (Scholastic) who are looking for an engaging story utilizing a more sophisticated writing style. Incorporating alchemical history, Booth introduces Pip and Tim, twins who move into an old English country estate cloaked in mystery. They meet a pale boy, Sebastian, who emerges from the walls and claims to be the son of a medieval alchemist. He leads the siblings on a journey filled with history and horror, complemented by severed limbs, strange animals, and shape-shifting. This compelling tale is replete with gruesome details of bloodshed and violence, making the story appropriate for mature children who are intrigued by horror. Religious references are relevant to the story of good versus evil, and technologically adept children will appreciate Pip and Tim's allusions to computer software and games. Readers will surely anticipate the adventures of Sebastian, Pip, and Tim in the upcoming sequel, Soul Stealer (Little, Brown, 2005).–Jessi Platt, Auburn Public Library, AL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. When a pale boy named Sebastian steps from a passageway of the old Rawne estate and asks its current residents, Tim and Pip, for a glass of water, it's "good-bye MTV and the Cartoon Channel," hello "real-life version of Tomb Raider." Sebastian claims that his 12-year-old body conceals a nearly 600-year-old soul. Tim and Pip's fifteenth-century house was originally owned by Sebastian's father, a doctor illuminatus, or alchemist, who was accused of witchcraft by a rival and burned at the stake. After^B Sebastian's father dies, the rival downs a potion to induce suspended animation. Sebastian drinks the magic brew, too, determined to follow his father's archenemy through the centuries. Now Sebastian is finally able to pit his own magic against the villain's more pernicious alchemical powers, with Tim and Pip as enthusiastic (if a bit passive) companions. Though Booth hasn't forged gold from the sturdy, reliable raw materials found in this first entry in the Alchemist's Son series, the wild magic, the clearly drawn battle lines, and the pair of unflappable contemporary siblings will beckon many readers back for more. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (April 12, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316012858
• ISBN-13: 978-0316012850
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.5 x 7.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,453,770 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, quick read!, January 7, 2005

By 

M. M. Murray "Princess Buttercup" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Doctor Illuminatus: The Alchemist's Son, Part I (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed the start to this new series. I am an adult and I did not feel like I was reading a children's book. In fact I learned a lot of information, like what a ha-ha is (it's not a laugh by the way :) Pip, Tim and Sebastian are bright kids (even though technically Sebastian is not a kid). My only complaint is that is was too short for me. While for a children's book it might be a good length, as an adult reading it, I have come to expect longer because of the Harry Potter series and books like Eragon. I highly recommend this book for people of all ages, especially if you like fantasy and magic!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars An interesting, but flawed book, November 4, 2004

By 

K Tempest Bradford (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Doctor Illuminatus: The Alchemist's Son, Part I (Hardcover)

I think I must agree with the last reviewer that I would like to have been able to give this book 2.5 stars, halfway between good and bad. So I guess I'll have to settle for giving it two and then letting it all even out in the tally.

The book is well-written and the premise intriguing, which is why I picked it up in the first place. I was very interested in the information about Alchemy (which the author claims is authentic, thus highlighting the interest factor) and the title character, who was mysterious enough to draw me in but not so mysterious as to make me angry about held back information.

The other two main characters, Pip and Tim, are also interesting, but not very stand-out. They show up, they do what they are supposed to, they will continue on to the next book.

What I found most annoying about this book is all of the pop culture references. I know this story is for a teen audience, but did the author have to try so hard to prove that he is up with the lingo, hip, and knowledgeable about what kids do in their spare time? Do we need to know that Tim is obsessed with MTV and the cartoon network? Absolutely necessary that they have Pepsi in the house instead of just cola or soda? And et cetera. I felt like maybe there was product placement money coming in.

Though this book is supposed to be for the 8 - 12 year old crowd, I wondered at some points if it was really appropriate for that age. Then agin, these kids may be reading worse in terms of scariness or gore in those Goosebumps books. But I must warn you (SPOILER!) that there are severed limbs, suggestions and discussions of brutal murders of people and animals, and an appearance by the Devil. So there ya go. When this books says it deals with the dark side of Alchemy, it is not kidding.

Overall, I felt very meh about this book. It didn't wow me, but it wasn't horrible. A few things here and there didn't do it for me, but the book isn't horrible. I will be interested in seeing what happens in the next two.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Semi-qualified "Doctor", December 22, 2004

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Doctor Illuminatus: The Alchemist's Son, Part I (Hardcover)

Martin Booth tries for a more sophisticated magical journey than Harry Potter, in "Doctor Illuminatus: The Alchemist's Son Part I." Taking a pretty typical fantasy good vs. evil story, Booth weaves in history and alchemy, but his handling of the plot is rather clumsy.

Pip and her know-it-all twin Tim have just moved into a rambling English country estate, far from the pop-culture world they formerly had. Then scrabbling noises inside the wall are revealed to be something else entirely -- a boy called Sebastian emerges, claiming to be the son of the man who built the house. He's also the son of an alchemist, and he's hibernated for centuries.

Sebastian reveals that he is not the only alchemist who has hibernated to the modern day -- an evil enemy named de Loudeac has also survived to the present day. Now de Loudeac is stalking the kids, and is building a homunculus -- a soulless automaton that will do whatever he wants. It's up to Pip, Tim and Sebastian to stop him.

If anyone thought that the latest Harry Potter novels were oh-so-dark, then they will be scared witless by this dark fantasy. Booth takes a step into nastier territory, with severed limbs, undead hippies, and a cameo by Satan. And he takes some history (medieval and alchemical) to base the entire plot on.

But Booth does have a slightly clumsy way of writing fantasy. Sebastian launches into long lectures every chapter or so, and Booth doesn't manage to make them interesting. And the homunculus is built up as a big threat, then gets toasted within a page of appearing. However, he has a pretty solid writing style, with plenty of details and creepiness.

Pip and Tim are fairly good heroes -- a little passive for my taste, but their gradual adjustment to a world of alchemists and magic is well done. Pip in particular is a good lead character, with plenty of promise. Sebastian is not so likable. He's a rather annoying know-it-all, and he never once acts like a twelve-year-old.

Martin Booth's "Doctor Illuminatus: The Alchemist's Son Part I" has some deep flaws, but it also has quite a bit of promise for Booth's future alchemy books. Worth checking out, for patient readers of dark books.