Doctor Illuminatus

December 20, 2004
The convoluted and unfocused first book in Booth's (War Dog
) new series begins with a promising hook, but then mostly just meanders through its countryside setting. Twins Pip and Tim and their parents have just moved into an enormous 15th-century house called Rawne Barton, which has been uninhabited for roughly a decade. The sister and brother find that the walls between their bedrooms are unusually thick and, from a secret panel behind Pip's bed, out pops Sebastian Rawne, a boy who claims to be 12—and to have been born in 1430. The boy says he has been living in this universe but also a parallel universe ever since, working against the efforts of the mad alchemist Pierre de Loudéac, who wants to create a homunculus, "an artificial creature... a living human, yet one that has no soul," for evil purposes. The story arc involving Sebastian and de Loudéac unfolds at a snail's pace, interrupted by lengthy stretches of historical background and explorations of the concepts of alchemy. Although the premise of finding a visitor from the past within the walls of a centuries-old manor is intriguing, this story line gets buried by the other aspects of the tale, and the book loses steam quickly. Ages 8-12.

November 1, 2004
Gr 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 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 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. AfterSebastian'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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2005
Sebastian comes from the past to engage Pip and Tim's help in battling an evil alchemist. Even with well-written prose and an intriguing premise, Booth's book doesn't keep the reader engaged. Despite Sebastian's constant cries of urgency, Booth fails to give Pip or Tim any real actions to take; they are disappointingly passive witnesses to and victims in Sebastian's struggle.

(Copyright 2005 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)