The Alchemist and the Angel

by Joanne Owen

Overview

Everything changes for orphaned Jan when his beloved uncle, Gustav - anatomist, natural scientist and aspiring alchemist - enlists his help in a quest to create a life-generating serum. To test the serum, they must follow a set of ancient instructions and play a dangerous game of bringing the inanimate to life... When Gustav dies suddenly, it's up to Jan to continue his work - little does he know that his beautiful, calculating aunt dreams of using the serum for her own purposes - eternal life.

Under the façade of her grief, she convinces Jan they must move from Vienna to Prague, and when she mysteriously disappears, Jan searches for her. In the plague-ridden ghettos and the court of the mad Emperor Rudolf, he must pit his wits against an extraordinary cast of characters and events. His only ally is Zuzana, a girl with secrets of her own.

Set against the vivid backdrop of 16th century Prague and the equally breathtaking Vienna, a magical, historical adventure from a talented author.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781444001945
Publisher:	Orion Children's Books
Publication date:	10/01/2011
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Joanne Owen was born in Pembrokeshire, Wales, and read Social and Political Sciences with Archaeology and Anthropology at St John's College, Cambridge. She has worked in children's bookselling and publishing ever since. Joanne lives in north London with her partner.

Editorial Reviews

'Full of magic and mystery...engaging and fascinating'—PUBLISHING NEWS on Puppet Master

'Timeless, like fairytales and fever dreams. Its territory is the high Gothic: not the watered-down, commercialised stuff, but the genuine article...Joanne Owen has fashioned...a fascinating piece of children's fiction'—GUARDIAN on Puppet Master

From the Publisher