From Publishers Weekly Following two well-received werewolf novels (The Passion and The Promise), Boyd scores again with this engrossing tale of magic and immortality that calls to mind Anne Rice in her prime. Into the New York office of Dr. Anne Kramer, therapist, walks the charismatic Randolph Sontime, who's just committed a gruesome murder that's led to headlines full of outrage. Not easily rattled, Dr. Kramer finds herself losing her professional cool as the stranger tries to explain his crime. "Imagine if you will the days spinning backward: a millennium ends here, a century turns there, a year ends now, and another, and a thousand others," he says at the start of his hypnotizing story of "Egypt before time." Han, as Sontime was then called, tells in beautiful, luxurious detail of his youth spent in the House of Ra, a mystical temple where Practitioners learned alchemy, magic and ways to shape reality. When Han and two other students at the top of the class, the boy Akan and the girl Nefar, combined their magics one fateful day, the trio unleashed a power that they could neither understand nor control. Thereafter a passion for creating a perfect world ruled their lives, but since their magic was imperfect, their lofty schemes invariably came to ruin. Love, jealousy, insanity and murder all figure in this pitch-perfect narrative, while the House of Ra ranks high on the list of fantasy's most intriguing magic schools. Though some readers may feel the book is too short, the incendiary twist ending holds out the promise of more to come. (Jan. 2)Forecast: Romance readers as well as SF fans should go for this atypical fantasy in which ancient magic is in effect the same as today's technology. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From the Inside Flap 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. ( )

This was an interesting read. I picked it up at the bookstore because of the title. This is the story of immortality. It starts in Ancient Egypt and follows immortals throughout history. The majority of the story is set in Egypt, then skips forward to the end of the Middle Ages and then skips to the present day.

It is a short book, and easy reading. At times I wish that the author could have expanded a little more, but by the end most of the loose ends are tied up. ( )

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. ( )

Mystical? Yep. Magical? Yep. Predictable ending? Unfortunately, yes. I had a very good idea of how the story would end even as I was being sucked into the story. And I was definitely transfixed by the story telling. Still, for those adepts looking for clues about Ancient Egypt civilization and schools for aspiring priests/priestesses, you do want to see if you can find a copy of this book. I will certainly be seeking her other books for clues. ( )

This book will now and forever be on my top 10 list. It is hard to categorize a genre for this book as a magic tale, love story, suspense or literature. In a word it is all. The most mesmerizing thing about this book is that in encompasses all of the above in such a short length. The book opens up with a scene in a therapist office as she is listening to a crime being told by her patient. As the book unfolds he is not an ordinary patient and the therapist life will change forever on this meeting. The story spans the millennia from the birth of creation to the unavoidable meeting in Dr. Anne Kramer's office.

It is a story of alchemy, magic and love. A book for the ages. ( )