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The Alchemist
In a sweeping epic of dazzling magic, soaring suspense, and dark longing, three immortal souls are united by fate and a fearless ambition that will change the course of history–even as it destroys their own way of life. . . .
On an upper floor of a plush, high-security building on Central Park West, an elegant man sits in the office of Dr. Anne Kramer, confessing to the heinous murder that has horrified the modern world. Randolf Sontime is renowned for his personal charm, and Dr. Kramer is fighting to keep from falling victim to it. For the first time in her life, she truly understands the meaning of the word “charisma.” Not knowing that her own destiny is irrevocably tied to his, Anne Kramer listens to the story of Sontime’s life.
“It began with the magic, you see. And so, perforce, must I.” As a boy named Han at the House of Ra, an isolated oasis in the Egyptian desert of a far ancient time, Sontime lived in privilege. There the chosen were trained in the science of alchemy–magic, philosophy, miracles. Only two other initiates were as skilled as he: Akan, quiet and studious, a boy whose thirst for knowledge was matched only by his hunger for truth; and Nefar, beautiful and brilliant, a girl as filled with wonder and unfathomable ambition as Han himself. Together they discovered that in union, theirs was a power unmatched in the physical world.
But even in the House of Ra, there were boundaries to be observed, knowledge that only the masters understood and feared. As the threesome’s thirst for answers–and for each other–deepened, they were tempted by the dark arts that they had sworn to avoid. “Look at three magnificent youths who stand astride your world and scoff at the rules you must obey. . . . Look at us, and call us gods.” Their power was palpable, their desire total–until the fateful moment when their alliance was forever damned, their gifts horribly corrupted.
A seductive work that seethes with mystery and passion, The Alchemist hurtles readers back through time to an era when magic was sacred and the workings of the world lay in the hands of a few gifted, but tortured souls. In a stunning feat of unbridled imagination, Donna Boyd has created her most hypnotic novel to date.
On an upper floor of a plush, high-security building on Central Park West, an elegant man sits in the office of Dr. Anne Kramer, confessing to the heinous murder that has horrified the modern world. Randolf Sontime is renowned for his personal charm, and Dr. Kramer is fighting to keep from falling victim to it. For the first time in her life, she truly understands the meaning of the word “charisma.” Not knowing that her own destiny is irrevocably tied to his, Anne Kramer listens to the story of Sontime’s life.
“It began with the magic, you see. And so, perforce, must I.” As a boy named Han at the House of Ra, an isolated oasis in the Egyptian desert of a far ancient time, Sontime lived in privilege. There the chosen were trained in the science of alchemy–magic, philosophy, miracles. Only two other initiates were as skilled as he: Akan, quiet and studious, a boy whose thirst for knowledge was matched only by his hunger for truth; and Nefar, beautiful and brilliant, a girl as filled with wonder and unfathomable ambition as Han himself. Together they discovered that in union, theirs was a power unmatched in the physical world.
But even in the House of Ra, there were boundaries to be observed, knowledge that only the masters understood and feared. As the threesome’s thirst for answers–and for each other–deepened, they were tempted by the dark arts that they had sworn to avoid. “Look at three magnificent youths who stand astride your world and scoff at the rules you must obey. . . . Look at us, and call us gods.” Their power was palpable, their desire total–until the fateful moment when their alliance was forever damned, their gifts horribly corrupted.
A seductive work that seethes with mystery and passion, The Alchemist hurtles readers back through time to an era when magic was sacred and the workings of the world lay in the hands of a few gifted, but tortured souls. In a stunning feat of unbridled imagination, Donna Boyd has created her most hypnotic novel to date.
234 pages, Paperback
First published March 19, 2002
45 people are currently reading
405 people want to read
About the author
Donna Boyd
10 books48 followersaka Donna Ball, Rebecca Flanders, Donna Carlisle
With Shannon Harper as Leigh Bristol, Taylor Brady
Donna A. Ball born in 1951 in Georgia, USA. Her ancestors were one of the first pioneer families of North Georgia, and her family still lives on the land they purchased from the Cherokee in 1782.
Her first book was published in 1982 as Donna Ball, since them she has written over a dozen works of commercial fiction under her name and under diferent pseudonyms: Rebecca Flanders, Donna Carlisle and Donna Boyd. She also signed novels with Shannon Harper as Leigh Bristol and Taylor Brady. And a novel with Linda Dano as Felicia Gallant. She is known for her work in women’s fiction and suspense, as well as supernatural fantasy and adventure. Her novels have been translated into well over a dozen languages and have been published in virtually every country in the world. She has appeared on Entertainment Tonight and Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, and has been featured in such publications as the Detroit Free Press, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, and even T.V. Guide. She is the holder of the Storytelling World award, 2001, the Georgia Author of the Year Award, 2000, Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Awards for consecutive years 1991-1996, the Georgia Romance Writer’s Maggie Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Romantic Times, among others.
Donna lives in a restored turn-of-the-century barn in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northeast Georgia with her dogs, they have won numerous awards for agility, obedience, and canine musical freestyle. Her hobbies include oil painting, hiking and dog obedience training.
With Shannon Harper as Leigh Bristol, Taylor Brady
Donna A. Ball born in 1951 in Georgia, USA. Her ancestors were one of the first pioneer families of North Georgia, and her family still lives on the land they purchased from the Cherokee in 1782.
Her first book was published in 1982 as Donna Ball, since them she has written over a dozen works of commercial fiction under her name and under diferent pseudonyms: Rebecca Flanders, Donna Carlisle and Donna Boyd. She also signed novels with Shannon Harper as Leigh Bristol and Taylor Brady. And a novel with Linda Dano as Felicia Gallant. She is known for her work in women’s fiction and suspense, as well as supernatural fantasy and adventure. Her novels have been translated into well over a dozen languages and have been published in virtually every country in the world. She has appeared on Entertainment Tonight and Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, and has been featured in such publications as the Detroit Free Press, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, and even T.V. Guide. She is the holder of the Storytelling World award, 2001, the Georgia Author of the Year Award, 2000, Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Awards for consecutive years 1991-1996, the Georgia Romance Writer’s Maggie Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Romantic Times, among others.
Donna lives in a restored turn-of-the-century barn in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northeast Georgia with her dogs, they have won numerous awards for agility, obedience, and canine musical freestyle. Her hobbies include oil painting, hiking and dog obedience training.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
December 6, 2019
The story of 3 immortal wizards starting in ancient Egypt. The book follows them through the centuries to the presence.
2.5 stars, because I didn’t particularly like it.
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Die Geschichte dreier Zauberer-Adepten, die im antiken Ägypten ihren Ausgang nimmt. Die drei Zauberlehrlinge entwickeln sich, werden zu (nahezu) unsterblichen Zauberern. Das Buch begleitet sie dabei durch die Jahrhunderte. Die ganze Geschichte ist in eine dürre (und am Ende haarsträubend begründete) Rahmenhandlung in der Gegenwart eingebunden.
Ich mochte leider weder die Geschichte noch die handelnden Personen besonders.
In vielen anderen Rezensionen findet man eine Referenz zu den Büchern von Anne Rice. Das habe ich überhaupt nicht so empfunden.
Aus meiner Sicht maximal 2,5 Sterne, die ich auf 3 aufrunde.
2.5 stars, because I didn’t particularly like it.
-----------------------------------------------------
Die Geschichte dreier Zauberer-Adepten, die im antiken Ägypten ihren Ausgang nimmt. Die drei Zauberlehrlinge entwickeln sich, werden zu (nahezu) unsterblichen Zauberern. Das Buch begleitet sie dabei durch die Jahrhunderte. Die ganze Geschichte ist in eine dürre (und am Ende haarsträubend begründete) Rahmenhandlung in der Gegenwart eingebunden.
Ich mochte leider weder die Geschichte noch die handelnden Personen besonders.
In vielen anderen Rezensionen findet man eine Referenz zu den Büchern von Anne Rice. Das habe ich überhaupt nicht so empfunden.
Aus meiner Sicht maximal 2,5 Sterne, die ich auf 3 aufrunde.
October 18, 2012
Embarrassing confession to make. I've heard from several people how much they enjoyed, "The Alchemist." One of my Goodreads friends reviewed it and I thought, "Oh! I've heard a lot of people say they like that, I'll have to read it." Didn't pay attention to the author. Went to the library, searched and this came up. I read the whole thing, thinking, "ok it's slightly entertaining, but really?! What's all the fuss."
I probably wouldn't have even finished it except that I kept thinking it must redeem itself to have so many fans. Boyd writing isn't bad but I found the whole story slightly. . .gratuitous in so many respects. And I have only myself to blame for not being more observant!
I probably wouldn't have even finished it except that I kept thinking it must redeem itself to have so many fans. Boyd writing isn't bad but I found the whole story slightly. . .gratuitous in so many respects. And I have only myself to blame for not being more observant!
May 4, 2008
My absolute facorite book...brought me to another world while so much was happening in my life at that time.
November 29, 2025
Such a treat of a book!! If you enjoy time travel, read this. Enjoy history/geography? Read this! Romance...well, you know... This book was one of those I HATED to end... Oh, read this!
June 8, 2008
I was in a bookshop and saw this book and liked its title and its cover art, so I made a mental note to pick up a copy from the library.
When I did, months later, I read the book and enjoyed it.
Some time after, my mom and I were shopping in another bookstore and I saw the book and recommended it to her. I picked it up and flipped through it, scratching my head and wondering what the heck was going on.
Turns out I'd read the wrong "Alchemist" - I had meant to grab the one by P. Coelho, but instead I got this one.
My mom and I laughed at my stupidity. Now you can too if you'd like.
When I did, months later, I read the book and enjoyed it.
Some time after, my mom and I were shopping in another bookstore and I saw the book and recommended it to her. I picked it up and flipped through it, scratching my head and wondering what the heck was going on.
Turns out I'd read the wrong "Alchemist" - I had meant to grab the one by P. Coelho, but instead I got this one.
My mom and I laughed at my stupidity. Now you can too if you'd like.
May 28, 2010
I loved this book, it's an incredible historcal fantasy that begins in ancient Egypt and moves up to modern times. Wonderful characters. So intriguing. A beautiful read.
April 7, 2010
This story of Ancient Egypt and dark magic could have been more enjoyable if it had been written slightly differently. The Alchemist contains a great concept that was written well, but not in a style I particularity like. The wording is heavy on the description and that seems to prevent the storyline from gathering any steam. This book spans from Ancient Egypt to present day in just 240 pages, so the great ideas presented in the book aren't expanded on much. The book is short, but by no means an easy read.
I've very much enjoyed some of Donna Boyd's other books, but The Alchemist doesn't come close. The book just isn't that memorable. If you're interested in Egyptology, immortal beings or magic, you can find a decent story in The Alchemist, but nothing truly fantastic.
I've very much enjoyed some of Donna Boyd's other books, but The Alchemist doesn't come close. The book just isn't that memorable. If you're interested in Egyptology, immortal beings or magic, you can find a decent story in The Alchemist, but nothing truly fantastic.
September 9, 2019
Nicely done!
What a magical story! Literally. Han, Nefar, and Akun begin their story in the time of the Pharoahs as acolytes in the House of Ra where they learn all manner of arcane things surrounded by technology that would be in common use for millennia. It's in this setting that they learn magic and become immortal. Sounds ideal, right? Perhaps not.
I liked this story quite a bit. The writing style was very smooth and soothing. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something different.
What a magical story! Literally. Han, Nefar, and Akun begin their story in the time of the Pharoahs as acolytes in the House of Ra where they learn all manner of arcane things surrounded by technology that would be in common use for millennia. It's in this setting that they learn magic and become immortal. Sounds ideal, right? Perhaps not.
I liked this story quite a bit. The writing style was very smooth and soothing. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something different.
January 15, 2017
Great premise with magic, alchemy, Ancient Egypt. All things I love, but the story..while interesting...did drag somewhat. I found that I didn't really care what happened to the three main characters that much after they find they are immortal and then get parted. There was good descriptive language and dialogue, but some of the dialogue was extremely trite and distracted me from the story. Not sad I read it, but wouldn't read it again. Quick read and some good scenes.
January 24, 2017
A Comment on Human Nature
This book kept me interested from the very beginning. What could possibly happen if someone could live forever? What would the consequences be? A thoughtful read.
This book kept me interested from the very beginning. What could possibly happen if someone could live forever? What would the consequences be? A thoughtful read.
July 6, 2022
A better title for this book would be The Magician, as there is way more magic than alchemy in this story. While The Alchemist makes for an entertaining enough read, I could not help but feel it could have been so much better.
The story is really about the relationship of three Ancient Egyptian children and their magic power, not about alchemy or St. Germaine or Merlin or any of Han's aliases. There are some clever ideas here and the writing is actually quite beautiful. I absolutely loved the ending and never saw it coming. But there is that feeling of something missing. Maybe a bit more information about what Han was up to for all those years, more details about alchemy, or clues as to Nefar's grand scheme would have made this a better book.
I want to let you know that there are some pretty gory things in this book. There are graphic depictions of burnings, corpse mutilation, eating human body parts, and in a way, there is also incest. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who has lost a loved one in a fire.
While it kept me entertained and wondering what would happen next, I find myself still wanting to read a book that is actually about an alchemist.
The story is really about the relationship of three Ancient Egyptian children and their magic power, not about alchemy or St. Germaine or Merlin or any of Han's aliases. There are some clever ideas here and the writing is actually quite beautiful. I absolutely loved the ending and never saw it coming. But there is that feeling of something missing. Maybe a bit more information about what Han was up to for all those years, more details about alchemy, or clues as to Nefar's grand scheme would have made this a better book.
I want to let you know that there are some pretty gory things in this book. There are graphic depictions of burnings, corpse mutilation, eating human body parts, and in a way, there is also incest. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who has lost a loved one in a fire.
While it kept me entertained and wondering what would happen next, I find myself still wanting to read a book that is actually about an alchemist.
Read
December 9, 2023But there is within the human heart a power more compelling than reason, stronger farther than fear. It makes cowards of kings and soldiers of priests and makes heroes of the faintest of men. It has been called love. But its root is simple loneliness. - p. 160
I said "Miracle workers have come before and have departed. Truth has been given before and has been forgotten. The estate of mankind has not been fundamentally changed because of any of them." - p. 178
To live forever and to know no escape from the pain...the pain of memory, the pain of disappointment, the pain of ambition. - p. 181
She was silk draped over a frame of steel, deceptive to look at, cold to touch. - p. 191
I said "Miracle workers have come before and have departed. Truth has been given before and has been forgotten. The estate of mankind has not been fundamentally changed because of any of them." - p. 178
To live forever and to know no escape from the pain...the pain of memory, the pain of disappointment, the pain of ambition. - p. 181
She was silk draped over a frame of steel, deceptive to look at, cold to touch. - p. 191
March 10, 2025
As so many others have pointed out, this is not the same iconic book you are expecting. However, I did not dislike this book even after finding out it was the wrong “The Alchemist”. I liked a few things about this book. First, it was nice and short, so I was able to finish it quickly. Second, I like the first half of the book a lot because the three main characters are flawed and intriguing. However, by the end of the book, not a single ounce of character development has occurred. You could maybe argue that they moved towards a darker and darker side, but even that doesn’t necessarily feel like development.
Time to read the actual one now to compare!
Time to read the actual one now to compare!
August 2, 2024
I read the first chapter, and realized that the whole book is about the MC telling a story of the past. There is zero dialogue.
There is zero character Development.
I had zero desire to read a story that is a story that involves no one else but themselves and a very biased pov on their part.
I skipped ahead. that is usually not my choice, but I had to see if it got better?
Nope!
The ending is ridiculous in my opinion.
There is nothing there to support the ending.
So a one star it is.
There is zero character Development.
I had zero desire to read a story that is a story that involves no one else but themselves and a very biased pov on their part.
I skipped ahead. that is usually not my choice, but I had to see if it got better?
Nope!
The ending is ridiculous in my opinion.
There is nothing there to support the ending.
So a one star it is.
November 29, 2024
This book is so underrated. It is a fantastic Adventure and quality writing. You will never be bored. I wish I could get this book to make a comeback because it's truly amazing and I recently repurchased it so that I could buy it again. Her writing style has the same beautiful dimension and texture of a writer like Anne Rice. You get completely immersed in the world and the characters. I highly highly recommend this!
February 8, 2025
Seems like I made a mistake many people have made .. got this book at the library for my daughter because it was required reading for school and turns out it was the wrong one! I decided to read it though and was glad I did because I really enjoyed it ! This easily could have been a much longer book but she did a great job condensing a story that spanned centuries into only 234 pages . It was a very interesting and quick read .
June 3, 2020
2.5: I don't usually read books about magicians and such. They aren't my thing. But I am trying to every once in a while read something that is not something I would usually read. This book had points that I enjoyed, specifically the historical settings and characters. Other parts I struggled to get through.
April 6, 2020
It was an easy book to read and even though I wasn’t that interested in it, I couldn’t stop reading it also. The ending was just horrible. Spent to much time in detail of the story and just slapped a basic ending on it.
August 1, 2020
A story of an OP triad that tries to claim as much power as possible shouldn't be interesting.
But then again, it is. Boyd shows us that.
I don't have much to say, other then I truly enjoyed this book. Thanks.
But then again, it is. Boyd shows us that.
I don't have much to say, other then I truly enjoyed this book. Thanks.
August 6, 2023
So I totally made an error on this read. I checked out the correct title but not the correct author. It was not a total waste of my time and was quite easy to read, but I think I will look at the other "Alchemist" and see if it gets a higher rating from me.... not a bad mistake though.
October 17, 2017
Had planned to read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho but mistakenly picked up this book with the same title. Ugh! Disturbing! Scary. Not enjoyable to read.
October 30, 2017
There needs to be more of these.
January 16, 2018
This is one of those books that I found randomly on Bookshare while searching for something else.
March 18, 2018
Very Anne Rice-y. So much of this book is unnecessary detail. It was hard to get into and finally became interesting over halfway through. I feel it could have been a short story.
June 23, 2018
Good story of immortal magicians from Egypt to the present. DNA, magic, and eternity.
October 29, 2019
I love this book
April 24, 2020
A psychologist listens in horror to her new patient’s tale of millenia of murder, dating back to Akhenaten’s Amarna.
June 30, 2020
AMAZING!
October 21, 2020
keine neuen Ideen
jedoch solide Handarbeit und damit recht kurzweilig zu lesen
jedoch solide Handarbeit und damit recht kurzweilig zu lesen
December 5, 2021
Thought it might be a predictable plot. Turns out to be quiet entertaining.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews