Doctor Illuminatus: The Alchemist's Son Part I - Softcover

A well-known writer of fiction and non-fiction in England, Martin Booth wrote several books for young people including Panther, P.O.W. and War Dog. His adult novel, The Industry of Souls, was short-listed for the Booker Prize. He passed away in February 2004.

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
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