Book Review: (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel) The Magician

I recently finished the 2nd book in Michael Scott's book series, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, The Magician. The book was once again loaded with great historical and mythological insight and quite the easy page turner. I actually read a majority of the book on my flight to Boston a few weeks ago. This is saying something since I can rarely read well on a flight. But the book easily captured my attention as the two Newman twins raced across Paris. Alongside Nicholas Flamel and Scatty, they were joined by some new historical allies yet also some new villains. I'll once again break down the plot and the iconic characters from the book.

The Plot

At the end of Book 1, the twins, Flamel, and Scathach narrowly escape John Dee's immortal army in the small town of Ojai, California. At the house of the Witch of Endor they are able to go thru a portal, a ley line, that connects them to Paris. They arrive in a closet of the Sacre Coeur Basilica of Paris, France and are quickly surrounded by a new adversary, Niccolo Machiavelli. He also is an immortal who serves the dark elders and seeks to capture the codex pages and powers that the twins possess. Sophie is able to use her newly awakened powers to create a thick fog around the area, which allows them to escape from Machiavelli's police officers. They then briefly regroup at a coffee shop to find someone in Paris who can help them. 

They call the Witch of Endor who tells them to meet another alchemist at the Eiffel Tower. The alchemist happens to be Comte de Saint-Germain, the student of Nicholas Flamel who lived during the 1700s. The group is once again discovered by Machiavelli's officers and Saint-Germain puts forth a magical display of fireworks to once again distract them and escape. They return to Saint-Germain's house where they meet his wife, Joan of Arc. Saint-Germain trains Sophie in fire magic, while Joan of Arc and Scatty train Josh with his new sword, Clarent (the enemy of Excalibur). Meanwhile Nicholas Flamel grows weaker as he no longer has his immortal elixir. 

John Dee reunites with Machiavelli in Paris, and are escorted by the mysterious fish/humanoid Dagon. The two cannot stand one another yet share a common interest to capture the twins and turn them to their side. They decide to recruit the help of a group of Valkyries, known as the Disir and a mighty dragon known as the Nidhogg. The Disir are intent to seek revenge on Scathach and lead the assault on the house of Saint-Germain. Scatty, Joan-of-Arc, Sophie, and Josh are able to repel their attack but the dragon Nidhogg causes significant damage. He captures Scatty in his claws and runs off with her, while Josh heroically chases after her. Two of the Disir warriors are frozen while the third escapes. 

The Nidhogg tears thru the streets of Paris destroying everything in it's path. John Dee and Machiavelli are able to track the creature and discover that Josh is nearby. Near the Seine River Josh is able to confront the dragon, and pierces him several times with the magical sword Clarent, which pours stone into the blood of the dragon. He then faces the third Disir and is surprisingly able to stand his ground against the mighty Valkyrie warrior. Before Scatty can be freed however, Dagon is set loose upon her. He pulls her down into the river with the sinking dragon. John Dee and Machiavelli are able to collect Josh in their car after the pandemonium finally settles down. 

Meanwhile Flamel's wife Perenelle is still trapped at Alcatraz guarded by the Sphinx who drains all her magical powers. She is able to call upon a ghost however, Juan Manuel de Ayala, a Spanish captain who discovered the San Franscisco Bay. He informs her of the caves under the prison, and helps her escape from the Sphinx. Under the caves she witnesses many cells of monsters and discovers that John Dee is keeping them prison here. Furthermore he calls upon the Morrigan to finish Perenelle off. Perenelle however discovers the giant spider elder, Areop-Enap an old friend of hers and recruits her help fighting against the Morrigan. Together they are able to defeat the Morrigan and her army of crows. 

Sophie and Flamel are very concerned when they discover Josh has run off with John Dee and Machiavelli. Sophie is able to use her magical powers to track the golden aura trail of Josh and they follow them down into the catacombs of Paris. This underground labyrinth was once a burial site for the overcrowded dead of Paris, and is layered with many skulls. Josh is led to the dark elder Mars Ultor, the Roman god of War (also known as Ares). His powers are awakened by the elder who demands a favor in return. However at this point Sophie confronts Mars Ultor and freezes him as she runs off with her brother. 

Back above ground the group comes to the Notre Dame Cathedral where they are confronted by John Dee and Machiavelli's army of living gargoyle statues. At first they are overwhelmed but later Sophie and Josh are able to reunite their magical auras to blast the statues into rubble. They are able to flee the battle scene, where on top the cathedral Machiavelli and Dee promise to continue their hunt. The twins and Flamel say goodbye to Saint-Germain and Joan of Arc and board a train to London. Josh is upset that Scatty has drowned, but Flamel informs him that she will be alright.  

New Historical Characters 

• 
  Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527): He was a prominent Florentine diplomat, author, and philosopher during the Italian Renaissance. He played a vital role in the ongoing governing administration of the Florence Republic. He is often considered the father of modern political science. 
• Comte de Saint-Germain (1712-1784): He was a famous European philosopher, scientist, author, musician, and alchemist who traveled all across Europe. His life was a rather mysterious one as he traveled from country to country engaging in diplomatic missions and high society functions. He spent time in England, France, and the Netherlands throughout his life.
  
• Joan of Arc (1412-1431): She was a French hero, soldier, and saint who lead the French to victory at the Siege of Orleans during the Hundred Years War. She claimed to have been visited by divine intervention to lead the French army. However she was later defeated at the Siege of Paris in 1429 and shortly after burnt to the stake on charges of heresy at the age of 19. Her honor was later restored as a saint and a national hero of France. 
• Juan Manual de Ayala (1745-1797): He was a Spanish explorer who was the first to discover the San Francisco bay in 1775. His ship the San Carlos landed on Angel Island and later Alcatraz Island (of which Ayala named). 

New Mythological Characters

• Dagon: In Sumerian and Mesopotamian Mythology he was regarded as a father of gods, lord of the land, prosperity, and royalty. He was often depicted as a fish-humanoid worshiped by the ancient Syrians, Philistines, and many other civilizations throughout ancient Mesopotamia. 
• 
  The Disir: In Norse Mythology the Disir are like the female Valkyrie warriors, who bring the glorious dead souls into Valhalla. They serve as ghostly protectors of fate often depicted as riding flying horses and carrying swords. 
  
• Nidhogg: In Norse Mythology is a dragon-like monster that gnaws at the root tree of Yggdrasil. He is often portrayed as a villainous monster who chews away at the corpses of wicked men.
• Areop-Enap: In Micronesian Mythology, particularly the indigenous peoples of Nauru, this was a giant spider who was worshiped as the source of creation. The spider is often depicted as having the face of a human. 
• Mars Ultor: In Roman Mythology he is often referred to as Mars (or Ares in Greek Mythology) the god of war. The planet Mars and the month of March are named after him. He was considered the father of Romulus and Remus who founded the city of Rome. He is often depicted as having a love affair with Venus (or Aphrodite in Greek Mythology). 
• Phobos and Demios: In Greek and Roman Mythology they are the sons of Ares or Mars. They represent fear and panic, specifically in battle. They serve as their father's guards often depicted as frightening skeletal creatures.     

Movie Review: Napoleon

I've written numerous posts now about French history and culture, so it should come as no surprise as to how excited I was for this film. Especially for this content pertaining to the French Revolution and Napoleon Bonaparte (see French Revolution, French Revolutionary Wars, Napoleonic Wars) some of my favorite historical material. Even more so this film had two names from my all time favorite film of Gladiator, it's director Ridley Scott and the starting role of Napoleon played by Joaquin Phoenix. Then there was the stunning up-and-coming actress Vanessa Kirby who continues to allure on the big screen. The previews looked amazing, a true historical epic meant to be experienced on the big screen. I just saw the film yesterday with Philip and Shawnna and can gladly say it lived up to my high expectations. 

My general perception of Napoleon was that he was a conquering tyrant, no different than Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar. He restored France to the precipice of world power, following it's dissolution of their monarchy.  He was best renown for his genius military tactics and won many battles throughout Europe. However his thirst for power ultimately led to his downfall and the cause of many unnecessary deaths. There is often great debate as to whether Napoleon was good or bad, which surely would depend on who you ask. However one thing cannot be denied, was that he was a great historical military leader. 

The Premise

The movie begins with the public execution of Marie Antoinette, as she slowly approaches her historical fate with the guillotine. I have seen this historical event portrayed in various other films, but this was by far the best done. With top quality setting, costumes, and filming I could tell this film was going to provide some great historical insight. I love historical biopics mostly because they give us a real idea how the event might have looked and unfolded. Well that was certainly the case of this film. Following the death of Marie Antoinette, the title was revealed and the story began. 

At the time Napoleon was a young up-and-coming captain in the French Army loyal to the new council that had replaced the monarchy. He led an assault on the royalist fort Toulon in 1793 which captured his brilliance yet early nerves. His horse was blown apart in a very graphic scene. Following this successful siege, Napoleon is promoted to general of the French Republic Army. Meanwhile there is a political shift within the French Directory where the revolutionary leader, Maximilien Robespierre is overthrown and executed (in a rather graphic failed suicide attempt with a shot to his face). This ended the Reign of Terror and many political enemies were released from prison, including the widow, Josephine de Beauharnais. 

After Napoleon defends the Republic once again against a royalist insurrection, the 13 Vendemiarie  1795, he begins to court the beautiful Josephine. They quickly get married and have a complicated and sexual relationship that bears no children. In 1798 Napoleon leads the French Army to success in Egypt at the Battle of the Pyramids, however returns home when he discovers his wife has been sleeping with a lover. The Republic Council question him for deserting the Egyptian war, however he questions them with the poor economy of the nation. He then overthrows the directory and establishes the French Consultate which is split into three leaders, and later replaced by a French Empire in 1804 where Napoleon becomes the sole ruler and military dictator of France. 

During this time Napoleon continues to have a toxic relation with his wife Josephine, whom he loves yet desires an heir. He goes off to fight against Austria and Russia and achieves a monumental victory at the Battle of Austerlitz. He later realizes that Josephine is infertile and must divorce her, so that he can have a proper male heir to his throne. This is difficult for the both of them, but they get thru it and remain close friends exchanging letters. Napoleon marries the princess of Austria and she bears him a child in 1810. A couple years later Napoleon invades Moscow which begins his downfall. He first achieves a significant victory at the Battle of Bordino yet then arrives to an abandoned Moscow. The city mysteriously erupts into flames, and Napoleon must return home to France. During the harsh Russian winter, many of his soldiers die due to the harsh conditions, sickness, and starvation. 

His retreat from Russia in 1812, was Napoleon's greatest defeat and left him rather unguarded in the Sixth Coalition of 1813-1814. Napoleon did not have sufficient army to fight against the allied coalition of Russia, Prussia, and Britain, and was thus forced to abdicate his throne. He was exiled to the island of Elba, off the Italian coast. During this time his ex-wife Josephine grows sick and he becomes enraged and decides to return to France. He is somehow able to return to power, in a period known as the Hundred Days, thru loyalty of his army. Reinstated as emperor he quickly mobilizes his army after Britain, Prussia, and Russia declare war on France. This leads to the famous Battle of Waterloo in 1815, where Napoleon is finally defeated by the Duke of Wellington. He somehow survives the battlefield and is once again exiled to a far away island. On the Island of St. Helen he is left with fewer resources and spends his final 6 years of his life there. His final words before his death are France, army, and Josephine. 

The Review

I was greatly satisfied with the quality of this film, especially it's large scale battle-scenes. The battles of Austerlitz and Waterloo were very impressive to see on the big screen. I was also very intrigued by the historical content pertaining to the political infighting amongst revolutionaries such as Robespierre, the French Directory, the Royalists, and the establishment of the French Consulate, and finally the French Empire. I would certainly like to watch this movie several more times just to better understand the civil political conflict going on here. The acting, setting, costumes, and filming were all top quality with great performances from Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby, worthy at least of Academy nominations in my opinion.

Aside from it's beautiful historical imagery, the biggest downfall in this film was a rather weak story. It was certainly nowhere near the artistic quality of Ridley Scott's Gladiator. Of course we knew it would be a rushed biopic about Napoleon's militaristic life, yet if only they could have driven deeper into his personal character. Instead we got a very complicated relationship with Josephine, where it was hard to understand if she really loved him or not. Napoleon was portrayed as a brute with a soft side for Josephine, who certainly loved her but he did not respect her. Josephine on the other hand was equally portrayed as conflicted with the relationship, at first disgusted by him but later unwilling to divorce him (likely due to the wealth and power she had acquired from their marriage). Their interactions with each other were shared more by intense looks rather than dialogue. 

Vanessa Kirby for me is a major appeal to this movie, not only for her sheer beauty but her overall performance. She was without question the right choice to play an empress of France, as she illuminated royalty with her powerful voice and stares. Joaquin Phoenix is also the right choice to play this rather dark figure of Napoleon, who ultimately was very self-centered and only cared about his own personal glory. I'm sure there may be some historical critiques who think Joaquin's physical appearance and performance wasn't suited for the real Napoleon (just by looking at art alone). But to counter that I would argue that Joaquin Phoenix is such a great and acclaimed actor that he can still pass off as this great French historical figure. It's no question that Joaquin has a very talented yet also dark side in the many roles he has played, which is way this role of Napoleon was perfect for him.